simply elle

2012-02-17T23:00:00.000-08:00

It's no doubt that I love food. But it wasn't until I was browsing my photos on my computer did I realize just how ridiculous I am when it comes to documenting almost all of my plates. I mean, I don't photograph every single meal I sit down to, but wow it's kind of shocking just how much time I've taken into documenting quite a number of them. It's a strange, satisfying hobby of mine, evidently!

have a great weekend! hope it's filled with lots of love and (especially!) food!

2012-02-17T22:05:00.000-08:00

SF Pit Stop: Berkeley

He makes the best confused faces.

After our stop in SLO, Dylan and I made our way to Berkeley. Austin took us to the wonderful Yali Cafe across the street from campus, and you could tell it was one of the prime study locales students flocked to. Austin got this beautifully done latte; Dylan and I shared a chai but it came out boring. We took a quick tour of the campus before heading out to the city, and I must say, Berkeley is definitely one of the quirkiest places I have ever been.

2012-02-15T17:54:00.000-08:00

Cold, gloomy, rainy days make me want to snuggle up in warm fuzzy socks, throw on thick fluffy blankets, and playing board games with my favorite people, all the while sipping my way through a steaming hot cup of tea or cocoa. Nothing beats the chill like that.

2012-02-15T15:47:00.000-08:00

SF Pit Stop: San Luis Obispo

Even discarded bricks made for a photo op.

On our way up to San Francisco, Dylan and I made a quick stop in SLO. We spent the majority of our time embracing our inner-child, thanks to Donald's wonderfully colorful collection of sharpies and the wisest, most customizable couch I have ever had the honor of relaxing on. Much like Donald's abode, the little town itself was a chock full of picture perfect, artsy moments. He took us to Linnaea's where I had my first cup of Mate in their secret garden outback. Chilling in their red garden chairs surrounded by walls of ivy and flittering sparrows, it was absolutely perfect.

2012-02-14T21:26:00.000-08:00

To my partner in crime:

I am so grateful for you in my life.

To the many more strange tooth brushes, awesome food, and incredible adventures to come.

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

Been too long since my last post.

Guess i've been a little too busy--i am so sorry for the neglect, my darling blog!

During my hiatus, the boy and i took an impromptu road trip up to one of my favorite cities in the world:

San Francisco.

A quick snapshot of GG at noon

Belgian fries, anyone?

Creative fixtures at Frjtz

My only SF must.

This "soup" is actually my cafe au lait-- guess I looked extra tired that morning?

The Mural

One of my favorite things about this city is the fact that it's such a melting pot of eclecticism. It's pretty much understood that everyone's entitled to their opinions and the expression of their opinions, and while the rest of america says that they believe that, I personally think it's best represented in this part of the nation. Not to mention, as a result of this free thinking, it is also a major creative culinary center--another reason why I am certain someday I will be making my home here. As a result, our trip did consist of quite a few feeding frenzies. My favorite discovery was probably this Diego Rivera mural at the SF Art Institute in Russian Hill... sorry for my crappy photo here, does it no justice at all.

2012-01-11T22:45:00.000-08:00

such an endearing photograph.

the laughter, the love, it makes me smile.

2012-01-11T15:59:00.000-08:00

2011 highlights:
(in no particular order)

1. italy
2. italy with Dylan
3. graduation
4. visiting my bestie in Berkeley
5. celebrating our second New Years as a couple
6. pounding mochi with my Abuelita
7. spending more time with my family, in general
8. SF/SLO roadtrip with Dylan
9. going to Whistler and VanCity
10. being healthy, body and mind.

2012-- 'things to do'

1. be more patient
2. read more books and newspapers
3. go to another country for an extended amount of time, to work?
4. stay positive; optimism is key in life!
5. go on a cruise
6. become better in japanese
7. do more yoga/meditate
8. take more photos; they capture moments in time better than anything else.
9. be more open-minded
10. follow your heart

photo credit

2012-01-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

relied so much on this blog during my time in London; and now they've come out with a new book! hooray!

the book is full of great places to go to in London, just like its namesake website. it's what kept me continuously fascinated with that wonderful city, and it's also what's keeping me longing to go back.

hello, what other city in the world has a sailortown?

or what about finding out about yet another fantastic coffee shop?

or the opportunity to leave the fast-paced, sky-scraper-filled city center to enjoy a wonderful winter walk among the English countryside?

just saying, folks.

2012-01-01T19:27:00.000-08:00

first and foremost, merry belated christmas!

i apologize for the lack of Christmas post; i was away in the lovely British Columbia (for the first time in my life!) celebrating a beautiful white Christmas holiday. being in a colder place during this season really makes you much more cheerier in such dreary weather. my favorite part is the sudden bursts of colorful dots of lights stringing along shops, streetlamps, trees, houses... at every turn there is something magical to behold! you definitely don't get such festivities here at home.

and finally, of course, happy 2012 everybody!

my new years was spent with family and friends, surrounded by lots and lots of food and love (and booze, so classy!). my dad's birthday is january first, so every new years i am almost always with them for the countdown. and coming from a japanese ancestry, in our culture it is probably one of the most significant holidays of the year. as a result, our new years isn't an excuse just to sit and drink and be merry, it's a time to be together, eat special japanese new years food, and sit and drink and be merry. and alllll this on top of celebrating my father's birthday. it's probably one of my favorite times to be a part of my family; it's usually when family from all over the place all come to our house and get together and just be around each other. while this year was a little smaller than usual, it was still so wonderful nonetheless, and i am so grateful to be blessed with everyone in my life.

unfortunately due to my grandmother having taken over my room during her stay, i wont be able to look for my list of 'things to do' for 2011, so i can't see if i was able to do everything that i had wanted to do in the past year. i suppose that will have to wait for another day. the 2012 version will follow suit, so stay tuned! it'll be helpful if you should decide to write one too! :)

2011-12-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

two baffling realizations this morning:

one. that i am actually awake at this hour. it's been a while.
two. that i will be off to canada in less than a week.

and they both mean one thing: that christmas is less than two weeks away!

yum! doesn't think look like such a yummy bento?

i am so excited-- this is my favorite holiday of the year.
i think it obviously branched from my love of presents as a child, but as i grew up, i came to appreciate less and less the gifts i received
and came to appreciate more and more the time i got to spend with my family.

i have family scattered all over the globe... and it is only during this time of any given year that someone decides to visit us... and it almost always means that we're off somewhere traveling. it's such a blessing that my family is like this; given it's not the most traditional of christmases, it is my family's tradition, and it's probably my favorite.
and they all wonder why i love traveling. pshaw.

counting down the days...

2011-12-02T03:10:00.001-08:00

Goodness.

it's been forever since I've stepped foot in a Zara... and now my store deprivation has caused my sleep deprivation, and now I am stuck on their American website drooling over everything.

and then... bingo. it hits me.

ladies & gents, I present to you the court shoe.

cut with a sexy open side, subtly racy yet sophisticated... oh Zara you did it again.

& the cap toe here is such a gorgeous touch! Definitely echos of Chanel here.

& it even comes in a lower heel...

oh, plus its covered in glitter. I repeat... glitter. YES!

2011-11-28T23:27:00.001-08:00

ohmygod.
its jessica rabbit in real life.

picture credit

2011-11-28T22:32:00.001-08:00

i absolutely love breakfast. i think it's my favorite meal of the day... and i can also have it for lunch & dinner as well! i can never get sick of pancakes and waffles and eggs and coffee... so imagine how hungry this video made me at ten thirty at night, right as i had finished brushing my teeth... and now i am hankering after some of those flying strawberries and toasts... yum.

2011-11-25T16:32:00.001-08:00

love.

how beautiful is this?
my dream picnic lunch/dinner/party/wedding dinner/anything.
i love anything that mixes food, lights, and the outdoors.
the combination just never seems to fail me.

2011-11-25T01:31:00.001-08:00

family

friends

love

&foodfoodfood!

i am so blessed.

happy thanksgiving!

2011-11-16T22:21:00.001-08:00

so lo and behold, yet another french fashion house comes up with my latest obsession...

ladies and gentlemen, i present to you...

opaque, matte black with glossy, shiny black tips.

so ridiculously gorgeous, and yet so ridiculously simple.

i only wish i had thought of this sooner!

sheer genius

picture

2011-11-15T22:29:00.001-08:00

i'm realizing a lot of things about myself lately that i really don't want to admit.

i'm selfish.
i'm vain.
i have superficial tendencies.
i have materialistic tendencies.
i feel insecure.
i throw bitch fits & tantrums.
i'm impatient (but it's getting better!)
i can be greedy and insensitive.

but one thing that i am happy about is that i am just about getting comfortable with admitting this to myself, let alone broadcast this out to the internet.
i see this as taking one step closer to embracing who i truly am.
do you ever feel this way? what are your flaws that you're ready to admit to?

2011-11-14T23:22:00.001-08:00

The Artist Game

Pick 10 artists that you love before reading the questions.

1. ellie goulding

2. the beatles

3. florence & the machine

4. deathcab for cutie

5. train

6. neutral milk hotel

7. bon iver

8. ratatat

9. local natives

10. matt costa

What was the first song you ever heard by 6?

two headed boy

What is your favourite song of 8?

loud pipes

What kind of impact has 1 left on your life?

his music brings me back to a time when i first felt heartache, and how his music was always there to cheer me right up

What are your favourite lyrics of 5?

Tell me did you sail across the sun
Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated
Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star
One without a permanent scar
And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there

“How many times have you seen 4 live?

twice!

What is your favourite song by 7?

re: stacks & holocene

Is there any song by 3 that makes you sad?

no, all her songs are so powerful and beautiful, they empower me rather that make me sad

What is your favourite song by 9?

Airplanes, Wide Eyes

When did you first get into 2?

forever ago. i love them.

How did you get into 3?

my friend Celine

What is your favourite song by 4?

I will follow you into the dark

How many times have you seen 9 live?

once!

What is a good memory concerning 10?

seeing him live with one of my favorite people, courtesy of one of my other favorite people

Is there a song by 8 that makes you sad?

hm, i'll have to say loud pipes, but only because it reminds me of a certain event. maybe sad isn't the right word, maybe more like regret.

What is your favourite song of 1?

the writer, lights, and your song

2011-11-09T16:14:00.001-08:00

stupid sexy dream shoes.

why are you so unattainable?

2011-11-03T22:44:00.000-07:00

i never thought i would see the day.

the man of my dreams apparently has a younger lookalike. what!?

ta-da!!!

in this above photo, i give you
... Alton Brown!!!
(minus 15/20 years or so)

too bad that's his new wife next to him.

oh well.

yes, i love Alton Brown.
i was addicted to his show Good Eats on the food network for a while.
i mean, how can you not love his nerdy quirkiness?

especially when it's involving food and how to make it better.

obviously i need a man who loves food as much as me haha

photo links

2011-10-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

calling all iphone people!

is this not the coolest phonecase ever?
this website has an amazing plethora of aesthetically gorgeous cases for iphones...
i'm in love, i can't pick which one i like most!
they are all so different and unique and awesome all at the same time...

this one's particularly beautiful for the water coloring, don't you think?

i find this one both traumatizing and ridiculously hilarious at the same time; yes, my friends, that is Steve Jobs' body "encapsulated" in the phone case;

don't you just love this one for the subtle rainbow color effect?

absolutely love this one's Beatles reference!

& this one simply because it reminds me of someone ;)

this one reminds me of the dirty projectors for some strange reason;

the gorgeous natural silhouette of trees i am unconsciously obsessed with is so perfectly captured here

& of course, as necessary, the ultimate hipster version here

for the book nerds;

i think the photo used in this one reminds me of paris so much

there is something so intense about this wolf's gaze

i love artwork like these, and i'm so excited that they're being incorporated into iphone accessories! now i get to carry around all my favorite artwork everywhere with me! hope you get to find one you like without as much difficulty as i did haha! xoxo

2011-10-28T00:29:00.000-07:00

cheer up music

maybe my youtube crush will make it all better?
I mean, he knows all my favorite yann tiersen pieces
not to mention he can definitely make accordians look so hot.

2011-10-25T00:17:00.000-07:00

yes, this fear's got a hold on me.

that video above was like my london theme song while i spent four months of my university career there; it brings me back to my first white christmas, my first snow storm, walking across hyde park and watching the snow flakes slowly float... sometimes you cant tell if it's going up or down...
even though it's about death, i loved the idea of floating in such whiteness...
and i've been hooked on the song ever since.

oddly enough, though, it seems i've only listened to remixes of this band's music,
and only recently have i begun to listen to their own, raw, original music
and i wish i had done it sooner. here's the original 'death':

i've always liked the editors, the bravery, interpol even (good comparisons, wikipedia!) so naturally enough i discovered i was quite keen on them. must be the accent; i love that gritty clashing of the guitar and the contrast of the seemingly proper and sophisticated british accent...

this one above is another original i liked by them. just beginning to discover the treasure trove of white lies music...

2011-10-20T19:35:00.000-07:00

fall makes you think of the changing leaves on trees... the chill in the air... and pumpkin pie shots!?

yes, this woman has done it and it is now next on my list of things to try... maybe a party is definitely a good idea this year :) check out the full recipe on her site!

...i wonder how it would be like to try it with MY FAVORITE instead of the normal, plain old pumpkin pie?

2011-10-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

taking a photography class in college has really made me appreciate the art even more for its unspoken complications of finding the right subject, getting just the right lighting, establishing the right mood, and the ability to capture just exactly the right expression to produce the most extraordinary photograph. all that, and having to actually expose the damn film roll, but i'm sure this is something Tom Selby may not have to deal with by using today's modern technology. but nonetheless, i find his work admirable, and this new concept project that he has undertaken with the NYTimes has me oggling at his page for hours... i think its the combination of two of my loves that makes it just so darn irresistible to me (art & food)...

if you're anything like me and am borderline obsessed with food, i think you should check it out! it's totally cute.

2011-10-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

i don't know much about Asian celebrities

but my trip to Shanghai two years ago changed all that.

i was sitting in my godfamily's living room

watching the only semi-english program on tv (mtv)

and was magically introduced to this man

wang leehom, you are one gorgeous fella. love your voice.

and this one, above, is the one i saw that fateful afternoon in Shanghai.

like a Chinese Jason Mraz.

love. it.

2011-10-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

babblings.

this is a fascinating article I found on the NYTimes website, and it really addresses the struggles that women in my generation are seeing more of, and having to deal with: the struggle between family and career. no doubt it's been something that has been of considerate debate all the way from society itself down to the individual female herself. i mean, why does a woman have to feel stigmatized if she's happy being a single, successful careerwoman? why does her mother, her father, her relatives, let alone anybody else, have the right to scorn her for this decision? it's probable that they have such views as a result of tradition, but when it becomes society's expectations for her, it can be overwhelming. why try to oppress the single? is it really that awful to be alone?

i understand that humans are meant to be social creatures... but i wonder if it really is so bad just to do the Oprah and have a committed, monogamous relationship rather than go through the whole marriage deal?

2011-10-14T06:25:00.000-07:00

so tell me, just how insanely beautiful is Coco Rocha?

i hate the dress, but i absolutely love how it draws you to her eyes

her beautiful, green eyes!

2011-10-08T13:01:00.000-07:00

safe to say that i am positively enamored by this dress.

if it were in white, it'd be the perfect wedding dress.

but i absolutely love love love the red... it's just so beautiful!

as if she were wearing nothing but flower petals all over...

gorgeous back, with the draping, and the subtle way it shows off the body

i love dresses like these... it's like a tease!

it's celebrities like her that make me wish i were blonde

the red color really complements her look so well!

yes, i think i've reached a borderline obsession with this piece haha...

2011-10-01T11:32:00.000-07:00

it's so strange to hear your friends reconfirming what your mother has been preaching to you for the past who knows how long. but you know what, i think i am finally convinced.

i need to take a new perspective on life.

i say it, but i have to actually do it.

go with the flow.

i've realized when it comes to situations, especially with boys, i want to control things down to every moment. um, how utterly impossible is that? so, basically, i give up. throwing my hands up, and honestly just investing my time in my work. because worrying about that shit is not what i'm here to do. ME is what i'm here to do; that's my full time job.

be selfish.

i realized that i am constantly worrying about others, i suppose it's just my nature, but j. & g. made me realize just how dumb that is, especially with boys, because in the end, who's going to take care of you? you have to be the one to really find the one guy who's willing to do whatever it takes for you. shift mentality from their welfare to your welfare: you have so so so much to offer, why settle for anything less than the best?

know your goal.

understand that your main focus on life is yourself. i've realized also that i had no idea what i wanted out of this life; not just jobs, not just someone to spend it with, just what i wanted out of life. what do you want? what is it? in the past, i had always thought it was simply happiness. that, however, hasn't changed, but i do know that i want that happiness to be derived from my doing something good. i love that feeling of helping someone, the light that you give to them seems to really light up yourself as well. yeah that sounds dumb, but i'm being honest! it's something i feel that i can be happy doing for the rest of my time on earth. that, and explore as much of it as a i can!

......speaking of exploring!
just got news that i will be able to travel this holiday season! i am so happy!! :)

2011-09-29T20:37:00.000-07:00

just how fantastically beautiful would it be to do this with all your friends?!

2011-09-27T18:21:00.000-07:00

& of course, paris.
no matter where i go or what i do
i somehow always get drawn back to this beautiful french city.
not just the history, not just the art, not just the food, not just the fashion...
(all of which i absolutely love, without a doubt!)
but just the vibe of the city,
so chic and so effortless... so sophisticated.
ever since i discovered the movie Amelie, i've unconsciously lived my life
attempting to emulate a parisian girl.
i know, how original.
i hate that every other girl is just as obsessed with this city
but i can't help it.
i love what i love.

it comforts me, somehow.
when i am upset, when i need to escape, when i want something to uplift me,
i inevitably turn on my french tracks.
i realized i had stopped doing this for the past year now...
and it was only just last week that i threw on l'amoureuse
and non, je ne regrette rein
and moi je joue
and la vie en rose
and comptine d'un autre ete...

i think i might just love the way the titles sound just as much as the songs hehe :)

someday i shall return, i hope.

photo credit

2011-09-27T17:58:00.000-07:00

ten reasons to go to new york.

oh joanna! now you've got me dying to leave LA again...

must go to visit Hudson Clearwater... it's like a secret garden restaurant!

and how wonderful would it be to be able to sip your own vino under the Tartine canopy? i hope it will make for some great people watching :)

a fabulous breakfast AND a cutesy setting? i'm sold, Cafe Cluny!

'nuff said. going to Mary's Fish Camp.

yeah i know i basically took like the first four listed places, but really, just based off of these pictures alone, how could you NOT want to go? despite having been to europe and asia, i still regret not having explored much of my own country. we're a land of diversity and co-existence... and coming from such a city as multicultural as LA, i would absolutely love to compare and contrast this with NYC, check out the east coast take on the clash of cultures. how fantastic would that be?

2011-09-26T23:53:00.000-07:00

been spending an awful lot of my time on blogger recently. i suppose it's a good distraction from things.
not only that but it's been serving as a great source of inspiration, as i've ben able to explore more of the other bloggers i follow (as well as the bloggers that they follow)

such as this particular piece from mr. sartorialist:

such a cheeky photo :)

2011-09-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

been feeling really excited about the changing weather...
i think i'm getting sick, but i really don't care.
this is my favorite time of the year.
i'm not going to let anything keep me from enjoying
the changing leaves
the crisper air
the warm cinnamon tea
with the tj ginger snaps...
pumpkin pie
snuggling with your favorite
lots of warm soups :)

but most importantly i am so stoked about
THE FASHION!

im crazy about this fall's charlie's angels, warm cozy chunky knits, lots and lots of hats and beanies, 1970's bell bottoms, turtlenecks, messenger clasp purses... all with a modern, updated twist.
...cannot wait to get myself into these clothes!!

fall come quickly thank you.

photo credit.

2011-09-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

initially, when it first happened
it was this feeling of numbness.
i didn't think i felt a thing, but maybe it was because
i couldn't believe it.

but the next time you came 'round
and declared it was it,
the day that followed that night
proved harder, i admit

this time around i know i am blessed
i am maturer, clearer, content
i am in a better place now
a place of peace and understanding

my mind no longer creates
complications with my heart
they are both in sync, knowing
that this is it

the only thing that proves most difficult
is the fact that there are reminders
constant, little, forgotten reminders
that this was all not just a dream

i want you to know by lin s.

2011-09-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

i want you to know that
it wasn't because of you
your love was so strong
your love was so true
you gave me the strength
you gave me the courage
you gave me the love
i needed to forage
through that dark, hopeless time...

you reached out your hand
and you gave me the light
i don't know just how
but you made me all right
it was because of you
for the first time in my life,
for a very long time,
that i felt just so right

i want you to know that
it's not 'cause of you
your love was so strong
your love was so true
you never could hurt me,
i could never hurt you
but sometimes, some things,
you just have to do

i will be lying if i said
it's not hard at all
in fact, my darling,
i don't want to... at all
you could never hurt me,
i could never hurt you
but sometimes, some things,
you just have to do

i'll never forget you
for all that you've done
you've lit up my life
in more ways than one
i am greater now than
before i met you
but sometimes, some things,
you just have to do

know that you will be
forever always with me
i treasure all of our
beautiful memories
all that we had,
all that we shared,
it all set me free,
and i felt i was saved

i want you to know that
it wasn't because of you
your love was so great
your love was so pure
i am sorry to say
that i just cannot stay...
my love for you
will always be true
but sometimes, some things
you just have to do.

2011-08-30T16:16:00.000-07:00

in. love.

so simple. so chic.

so going to be replicated for this fall...

2011-08-30T16:01:00.000-07:00

this girl hilary was in my art class in college.

she's absolutely the most inspiring person; it seems like whatever she touched turned into some incredible piece of art.

with this amazing western, native american, tribal vibe.

which i absolutely love.

i was actually there for the first two, as these were part of our etching class projects.

while mine didn't turn out quite as fabulously as hers did, it was still an awesome experience watching just how she developed her simple, plain metal plate

into an incredible "stamp" of her own creative expression.

check out her site for more cool stuff!

2011-08-29T23:37:00.000-07:00

ohh,

when the lights

go down

in the city...

and the sun

shines on

the bay...

oh, i want to be there...

2011-08-29T22:59:00.002-07:00

the best breakfast anyone had ever made me... mmmm!

2011-06-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

i wish i never had to leave -- .

oh where oh where will my toms go next?

2011-06-06T10:41:00.000-07:00

(supro to sotto: pompeii; piazza navona; mount vesuvius; il vaticano)

2011-05-03T23:35:00.000-07:00

glorious weather over the weekend meant spending all our time running around L.A.

longer days, ice cream, hikes, sunsets, the beach...

oh summer, i'm so happy

you're here!

2011-02-19T11:18:00.000-08:00

But his heart was in constant, turbulent riot. The most grotesque and fantastic conceits haunted him in his bed at night. A universe of ineffable gaudiness spun itself out in his brain while the clock ticked on the wash-stand and the moon soaked with wet light his tangled clothes upon the floor. Each night he added to the pattern of his fancies until drowsiness closed down upon some vivid scene with an outlet for his imagination; they were a satisfactory hint of the unreality of reality, a promise that the rock of the world was founded securely on a fairy's wing.

- F. Scott Fitzgerald

2011-02-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

“Pillowed upon my fair love’s ripening breast,

To feel for ever its soft fall and swell,

Awake for ever in a sweet unrest,

Still, still to hear her tender-taken breath,

And so live ever — or else swoon in death.”

- John Keats

a happy very belated valentine's.

2011-01-27T12:01:00.000-08:00

“…studying abroad isn’t just an important part of a well-rounded educational experience. It’s also becoming increasingly important for success in the modern global economy. Getting ahead in today’s workplaces isn’t just about the skills you bring from the classroom. It’s also about the experience you have with the world beyond our borders — with people, and languages, and cultures that are very different from our own.”

\Michelle Obama

italy summer 2011... here i come!

2010-10-11T20:45:00.000-07:00

changing leaves, warm fuzzy sweaters, pumpkin & spices galore...

it's no wonder i love autumn

and of course my favorite...

the great peanuts movies that they show on t.v.

really takes me back to when i was a kid

oh, nostalgia...

TO AUTUMN.
1.
SEASON of mists and mellow fruitfulness,
Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun;
Conspiring with him how to load and bless
With fruit the vines that round the thatch-eves run;
To bend with apples the moss’d cottage-trees,
And fill all fruit with ripeness to the core;
To swell the gourd, and plump the hazel shells
With a sweet kernel; to set budding more,
And still more, later flowers for the bees,
Until they think warm days will never cease,
For Summer has o’er-brimm’d their clammy cells.
2.
Who hath not seen thee oft amid thy store?
Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find
Thee sitting careless on a granary floor,
Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind;
Or on a half-reap’d furrow sound asleep,
Drows’d with the fume of poppies, while thy hook
Spares the next swath and all its twined flowers:
And sometimes like a gleaner thou dost keep
Steady thy laden head across a brook;
Or by a cyder-press, with patient look,
Thou watchest the last oozings hours by hours.
3.
Where are the songs of Spring? Ay, where are they?
Think not of them, thou hast thy music too,—
While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day,
And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue;
Then in a wailful choir the small gnats mourn
Among the river sallows, borne aloft
Or sinking as the light wind lives or dies;
And full-grown lambs loud bleat from hilly bourn;
Hedge-crickets sing; and now with treble soft
The red-breast whistles from a garden-croft;
And gathering swallows twitter in the skies.
John Keats (1795-1821)

2010-09-21T18:07:00.001-07:00

the days are getting shorter

the skies are getting grayer

the wind is getting colder

and i'm getting so excited

i've always been a lover of the colder months...

maybe its the september birthday

but i know for a fact it's the excitement i get

for anticipating all the festivities to come...

falling leaves, making jack 'o' lanterns, sipping hot cocoa...

sharing an incredible feast with loved ones, fighting people on black friday...

watching charlie brown/peanuts cartoons on t.v., wearing thick scarves and sweaters...

sharing more food with loved ones, sending christmas cards, opening presents...

bundled up in thick, warm blankets inside with the crazy weather blistering outside...

honestly, there's nothing like these months.

so much nostalgia. so much love.

what's not to love about it?

one thing i'd love to do some day

is go to montauk for this season.

ever since i saw eternal sunshine of the spotless mind,

(officially one of my favorite movies of all time)

i've been dying to walk along the beach

with a huge wool blanket draped over me

and to see the snow fall all around...

someday.

photo credit.

2010-09-11T02:10:00.001-07:00

terribly exciting news:

introducing my new mini diana

thank you dylan for the best birthday gift

2010-09-07T17:51:00.000-07:00

according to Aristotle

in Nichomachean Ethics

happiness is a certain activity of the soul in accord with complete virtue.

happiness is what directs the decisions humans make in their life.

happiness is the highest good, where it is final and self-sufficient.

happiness is what makes life worth living.

to obtain happiness, there must be excellence in the soul, thus excellence is virtue and morality is the key to happiness, which is of the soul.

happiness happiness happiness...

is not in health.

is not in victory in war.

is not in material things.

is not in being a skinny bitch.

is not trying to be a perfectionist.

is not in trying to be someone i'm not.

is being with my family.

is being with my friends.

and i am.

2010-08-22T01:28:00.000-07:00

sudden surges of creativity lately.

flight. greys. whites. blacks.

in the mood for winter.

for the chill.

for the dusk.

for the quiet.

for the warmth of hot chocolate

and the light of a crackling fire.

can't wait for the changing of the season.

i guess by making my own portraits of winter

i can will it to come sooner.

i guess.

2010-08-01T00:37:00.000-07:00

road trip: grand canyon

2010-07-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

Up on Melancholy Hill,

There's a plastic tree.

Are you here with me?

Just looking out on the day

Of another dream,

Where you can't get what you want,

But you can get me.

So let's set out to sea,

'Cause you are my medicine

When you're close to me.

So calling all submarines,

'Round the world we'll go.

Does anybody know, love,

If we're looking out on the day

Of another dream?

If you can't get what you want,

Then come with me.

Up on Melancholy Hill

Sits a manatee,

Just looking out on the day,

When you're close to me.

picture from here.

2010-07-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

such inspiration!

i love how fantastical this feels...

doesn't it make you wish you were frolicking in the swiss alps...

in the middle of spring!?

it's funny, but these pictures

reminded me of this insane dream where i was in the middle of

the mountain in this hotel-cabin.

there was hot chocolate, my bunny imagawayaki,

and lots and lots of fleece and feathers and down comforters.

it was rather toasty considering this was all during

an insane blizzard going on outside the cabin...

it was awesome.

one day.

"I dream of painting and then I paint my dream."

-Van Gogh

xoxo

2010-06-29T07:55:00.001-07:00

feeling semi inspired by the movie, up in the air.

i fell in love with the idea of the air plane as not merely a mode of transport, but a place of destination. an escape. a space that in no other can you be equal to birds in flight. how wonderful is that?

i found it to be such an interesting concept, it never occurred to me before seeing this movie, to treat the air plane as such a place. a place of solace. the film literally depicted being in-transit as an actual destination for george clooney's character, metaphorical for his desire to escape.

& i absolutely loved the idea of it.

it also made me realize just how partial i am to airplanes, air ports, and all that jazz. the whole notion of travel is very romantic, but there's something about airports and airplanes that can be very emotional.

take the arrivals and departures. arrivals are typically a place where individuals are eager and excited to be there, whether they are being reunited with family, friends, or both, or are just on the cusp of a new beginning, adventure, life. departures can be a place of tearful goodbyes, where people are leaving in search of something else, and can serve as a reminder to us as to how important certain people are to our lives, the significance of their presence, and to imagine just how different life would be without them.

then there's the actual plane ride. you're put at random to share such personal space with strangers, it can be incredibly excruciating. especially for a person as shy and introverted as myself and not being able to afford first class. in a way it forces sociability, and as a result of such circumstances i have met some of the most interesting people. once, on a transfer flight from krakow to munich, i met a saudi arabian student going home for the summer. he was sent by his government to study english in poland, and he explained to me his own comparisons of arabic and polish, and how they were both such incredibly difficult languages when compared to english. it created this realization in me as to how amazing it is that a country is subsidizing their young students to go to foreign countries in an effort to cultivate a more enhanced education that travel can offer, and how much of a pity it is that so many american students don't learn another language while so many others are so good at english. planes can force you to either extreme: sociability or isolation. either way, i see it as a form of personal exploration. a destination to self discovery.

i mean, when else are you going to have to sit for hours and hours on end, doing nothing?

just a thought.

image from here.

2010-06-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

um, oh hey, krakow

thanks for making it easy to get obese

love you lots

xoxo

2010-06-02T14:06:00.001-07:00

" i'm just a girl

standing in front of a boy

asking him to love her."

i almost forgot how cute this movie is.

julia roberts is just spectacular.

she's probably one of my favorite actresses of all time.

so sophisticated, so classy, and so down to earth

all at the same time.

i love that she can be goofy, that she's not afraid to

and that she's not focused on the hollywood scene

maybe its the fact that she's maturer,

knows how to handle herself

and her role choices... i love them.

which is why i absolutely cannot wait

to see her in eat, pray, love.

great book... & hopefully a great movie.

xoxo m'dears.

photo courtesy of close-upfilm.com

2010-06-01T00:26:00.000-07:00

this photo reminded me of the days i spent in london studying for my classes, all the while sitting on my window ledge, my bare leg slung outside, and my little cup of PG Tips right by my side. never in my life had i had such a wonderful and pleasurable study session, where i could mull over the complications of the british parliamentary system as i enjoyed the soft chilly breeze coming in from kensington gardens, the sounds of the little french kids running to school in their matching violet uniforms, the sudden brakes from the meandering red double deckers that snaked in intervals throughout south kensington...

i can't get over it. i miss this city just far too much. i want to go back so badly.

yet, i can't help but wonder if it was being with the people i was there with that made the city so incredible. they became a sort of second family for me while i was there... and yet i did manage to spend a lot of time on my own. it's not difficult, nor is it something i hate doing. london definitely allows you the freedom to merely wander about, there's just so much to see and do all the time! i just fear that, if i do somehow, in some amazing way, end up having the opportunity to go back, or even to move there, that my entire experience would just be completely different. as in, BAD.

maybe initially, when i first get adjusted and everything... but man. even despite that... every part of my body, my soul, my HEART aches for the precious few months i was there. the only thing i would change about it? i'd bring every single one of my loved ones, the fams, B, everyone, just so i could share with them everything crazy and exciting that i had experienced living in such a cosmopolitan city...

some day. just wait.

photos courtesy of garance & thinkquest.

tea party

2010-05-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

good friends, sunny days, yummy food and lots and lots and lots of tea

these are just a few of my favorite things :)

2010-05-30T03:38:00.000-07:00

dad let us tag along on his business trip to oahu last weekend.

made for a well-needed mini family getaway,

and as usual we made sure we ate as much as we possibly could

of what hawai'i had to offer us :)

bahaha, we are such gluttons.

2010-05-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

spring

three years of avoiding my problems.

three years of insisting i am okay.

three years of ignoring reality.

three years of pessimism and cynicism.

three years of rejection, depression, insecurity.

three years of pain, suffering, and melancholy.

three years of burden on my back, like boulders

...erased like dust, with just one night.

that bitch reality hit me hard at 4 a.m.

and that bitch sent me back three years

and that bitch showed me what i had been running away from.

and that bitch didn't let me run that night.

and that bitch she made me realize

and that bitch she made me see

and that love that she gave me...

and i couldn't be more grateful,

and more blessed, more liberated...

and more free

... how loved i am, and how much i have

how did she see all three

of those years i carried on me?

three years

washed away by one night's tears

to reveal anew what i had hidden

oh, world! oh, life! how i'd forgotten thee

hiding myself beneath all of those

all of those

three years

2010-04-25T22:34:00.000-07:00

guess where i went :)

2010-04-12T14:07:00.000-07:00

my weekend in a nutshell.

2010-04-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

life's sweetest things are sometimes bite sized

mini chocolate cups and mini cheesecake cups

sisters, mothers, fathers, love

this all made for one of the loveliest saturdays

happy monday!

2010-03-27T10:28:00.001-07:00

it's funny how one friday night can change your entire perspective on life.

last night so many of the unexpected happened,

some good, some bad.

and yet, it's the bad that typically elicits the biggest impact on an individual

i was physically and metaphorically sobered up when i received the bad news.

there were two pieces;

one i should have seen coming, the other i never would have expected.

each involving one of my former high school girlfriends.

it made me realize just how stupid and selfish of a person i am

and how i need to wake up and realize

there's more to this life than just obsessing over looks, boys, money...

it made me realize just how much more i need to be in their lives.

everyone's got struggles, personal demons that they are fighting.

i just realized ive become so caught up in mine

i completely underestimate just how insecure i am that i cant even trust

some of the people i love, and who love me, the most.

i need to change.

take the initiative.

embrace the moments that are shared with people that actually matter.

yes, they will hurt you sometimes

and yes, they will not always be there

but in the name of love

all that is eradicated.

this is a lesson on how to love again.

to be grateful, to re-center myself...

so i shall begin with a few letters on this fabulous saturday morning:

my darling B.,

my cousin/mother/sister zero, i don't know if you even comprehend just how much i fucking love you. i admire you for your eternal optimism, your ability to take things so easily (STILL don't know how you can do that, but i guess that's what balances us out haha), your independence, your artbitchassness, and most importantly, your individuality. i know very few people who possess that distinct sense of confidence in themselves, and i don't think you know but i look to this in you when i'm feeling insecure. i love you to pieces, and i am so grateful that you are in my life.

ohh, my fabulous and lovely G.,

you, darling, are one of the craziest people i have ever met, but that's why i love you so so much. i hope you know that you are just like demi moore; sexy with or without your massive mane of chocolate ringlets. your ever-present glow you constantly radiate draw people to you, including me, and i love that you possess such self-confidence in any situation you find yourself in, no matter what. i hope you can keep this outlook through this difficult time, and know that i am always, always, always, forever going to be here for you.

P., you stranger

your sister spilled the beans last night, and to say the least i am very unexpectedly unsurprised by this. in retrospect i should have seen this coming. there were signs. there were instances. i just don't understand why i didn't see it clearly before. but i hope you know that the moment you return there has to be an intervention here. you're a beautiful person, inside and out, and it tears me apart to watch you deteriorate in front of me. stop this whole ignoring-your-friends b.s. you've got going on here, because we're the ones who are about you so much and love you so so much. i miss you beb, come back to me, please.

to my rock, my foundations, my everything: A., E., & R.,

honestly if i did not have you in my life i wouldn't know where i would be or what i would be doing. you all know how self critical and self detrimental i am, and yet still listen to me whine and groan and complain about how "difficult" life can be. i truly honestly am grateful for your patience, for your support, for your understanding, but most importantly, for continuing to love me for everything that i am (selfish, stupid, insecure, bitchy, the list goes on). i know it's supposed to come as a given, but not a lot of people are as lucky as i am to have been blessed with such amazing people in their lives. i love you i love you i love you, and know that no matter what you three are byfar the most important people in my life.

2010-03-25T00:31:00.000-07:00

sometimes

lady luck can be pretty fucked up

and you're just screwed from the get-go.

but have no fear

sometimes your bad luck can be put on display

because maybe someone actually wants to see it.

go to the museum of jurassic technology.

or rather, the museum of "wtf!?"

like seriously.

do it.

2010-03-13T14:37:00.000-08:00

stop.

collaborate and listen.

time to set life straight again.

reset reset reset !!!

keep your eyes open

and your mouth shut

fix the broken

cherish the new

drink up each moment of happiness

bask in the love that surrounds

and dont forget to smile.

2010-03-01T19:05:00.000-08:00

so its been ages since i've been blogging i know
my baby macbook decided to succumb to the ebb and flow of the universe...
leaving me computerless, photos/documents/music-less, and having to resort to all computer/internet access through the public facilities of my school... making for any private web-surfing open to the world and thus embarassing when i am researching the calorie count of the whoppers malt ball candies or spending countless hours studying the different funky outfits on lookbook... let alone being on facebook.
anyway, it's been a few weeks of culminated stress... i think i miss europe way too much.
i think i just miss traveling. it's not so much about the destination, really. it's the thrill of getting on an airplane/train/car, knowing that you're moving across the world, enabling you to observe different parts of the planet. even if you are going to a place you've been to thousands of times, it's always a new adventure. nothing ever happens twice, it seems, and that's what makes it exciting. it makes me want to go and explore... that's what traveling is all about.
but now that i'm back and seemingly stuck (i know i shouldn't complain so much, i know others have it a lot worse than i, but it feels so suffocating studying and working from noon to six at night...) and having my entire day robbed... being in california makes anyone want to sit out in the sunshine as much as possible! especially after returning from a country such as England where sun is almost as scarce as a surfer!
with midterms, a lack of a computer, europe-sick-ness, the loss of everything in my computer... i can't help but feel a bit... un-me.
i've been attempting to find an artistic outlet as of late... but we shall see where that takes me.
i just have to maintain a sense of calm in such times...

breathe in, breathe out.

2010-02-07T23:15:00.000-08:00

send me back

pretty please.

2010-01-13T17:42:00.000-08:00

& so easily do i fall back into my old habits...

everyday it seems, i need my caffeine & sugar fix!

2009-12-25T17:03:00.000-08:00

the hound of the baskervilles i felt like i was following sherlock holmes when this movie played on TV christmas eve... i went from london's baker street, regent's street, and holborn, to devon's dartmoor and exeter...

yeah i feel cool hahah

counting down the days until i am home... less than 3 days now, so excited!!

2009-12-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

working down on Portobello Road,

this calligrapher paints everything from building signs to footballs,

and has been in this line of profession for over

(give or take) 30 odd years now.

um, talk about dedication and passion!

wish i had some of that right now.

finals in 3 days. super stressed.

and yet i cant seem to fucking concentrate.

awwwwww some.

2009-12-08T14:58:00.000-08:00

santa, baby...

all i want for christmas this year

... is one of those rockin` ornaments!

ps. its from windsor castle. kay, thanks!

xoxo

2009-12-06T14:57:00.000-08:00

leake street.

full of scrawlings by banksy wannabes.

most amazing piece of graffiti art

i think i have ever witnessed.

feels like a slice of downtown LA,

only smack dab in the heart of London.

oh,

how i miss home.

2009-11-28T13:04:00.000-08:00

doing homework to the background sounds of this little guitarist.

my own personal matt costa... i love it! haha...

oh london life, how i never want you to end.

2009-11-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

this weekend i learned

the true meaning of autumn,

of the adventures of my uncle's life,

of the beauty of nature,

but most of all,

of the love that that surrounds me,

even in such foreign lands.

i feel so incredibly blessed

to be alive and a part of this

beautiful, incredible world.

xoxo

2009-11-16T15:25:00.000-08:00

quite possibly one of the best ways i'd spent 48 hours of my life during this trip. paris, je t'aime.

2009-10-22T03:18:00.000-07:00

a few words of advice; courtesy of a friend's random facebook note

If I could offer you one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.

The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now...

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, nevermind, you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now, how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real toubles in life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with your's.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters.

Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives; some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'l have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40. Maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either - your choices are half chance, so are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body, use it every way you can... don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it... it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance... even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines they will only make you feel UGLY.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they might be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on.

Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths. Prices will rise, Politicians will philander, you too will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices werereasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it.

Advice is a form of nostalgia; dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts, and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.

2009-10-19T01:00:00.000-07:00

all of my yesterday went to sitting in this little spot

complete with my laptop and surrounding myself with piles and piles of paperwork. the only thing missing was a nice big old cup of hot coco, and i would have been golden. too bad im poor, haha. as comfortable and warm and cozy as my little nook here in london is, it's still not home. my heart aches for my family, their silly moments at our barbecues, and this feeling of eternal love that surrounds every face i see. don't get me wrong, if i could i would live in england in a heartbeat, but they weren't kidding when they said 'home is where the heart is'.

2009-10-14T05:56:00.000-07:00

Don't you ever feel like all you want to do is run away?

Or that you feel the need to run away from ONE person in particular?

Even if they were half way across the world from you, they still try to suffocate you?

I can feel them holding me back from what I want to do.

From living the life I want to live.

I don't know how to sever this tie, but I know that I need to.

I need to let go.

Now.

2009-10-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

istanbul.

one of the most colorful cities i have ever been to...

three days was definitely not enough to soak up all the culture and splendor the city had to offer... an amazing and definitely unique cohabitation of the east and west... it was definitely an amazing experience.

not to mention my newfound obsession for baklawa :)

yum!

2009-09-07T03:48:00.000-07:00

(kensington gardens; kensington palace; a knightsbridge sidestreet; tube station at hyde park corner)

london's a gorgeous town to get lost in.

tomorrow classes start; wish me luck!

2009-09-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

ta-ta for now, my loves. i will miss you so much, but i shall see you soon, i promise. xoxo <3

2009-08-30T23:54:00.000-07:00

i went, i saw, and, whoops, here i go again.

2009-08-22T02:04:00.000-07:00

and so the countdown begins.

im going to miss these saturday farmers markets.

2009-08-19T01:40:00.001-07:00

did you know tulips originated from turkey?

and that the origins of its name is somehow synonymous to "sphincter"?

thanks for the enlightening fun fact, foodimentary.com!

anyway, that was the first thing that greeted me as i opened my web browser after tossing and turning in bed, not being able to fall asleep... im hoping this delish apple and a little blogging will help get my mind at ease...

i havent been able to stop freaking out over the fact that my summer is officially 2 weeks away from being OVER. with a dinner party, final goodbye/80s dance party, family mini trip, seeing friends, and packing, im in an ultimate TIME CRUNCH. eff! how can such an amazing event be so traumatic at the same time... ??? maybe i'm just stressing for no reason. maybe im being unreasonable. i really dont know. all i do know is that... well. nothing's gonna be the same ever again.

xoxo

2009-08-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

quite frankly the most amazing creation ever conceived of.

it's jello, with just the right amount of consistency

it's not too sweet, but perfectly sweet,

and it's filled with these adorable pink hearts.

and the best part...

it's one hundred percent calorie-free.

don't ask me how they do it, i'm just glad they did!

hands down, definitely God's gift to women everywhere.

now if only they made chocolate like this...

2009-07-28T14:05:00.001-07:00

in such times, i think i need a happy list.

a lot less calories than these truffles... :)

just 10 simple things that make me happy...

10. a family breakfast al fresco at 8:30 in the morning

9. morning sunrises and a cup of coffee

8. the black and white photographs on my wall of the people i love

7. cool sand between my toes on a hot day, oh & with a cup of froyo

6. my mother's mischivious smile

5. my father's genuine laughter

4. the smell of the ocean breeze as it embraces your body

3. driving with all the windows down, your hair whipping, & going nowhere in particular

2. cities at night, where you look up and see pockets of stars framed by lit skyscrapers

1. waking up in the middle of the night, to the silence of the world, simply to draw

xoxo

2009-07-22T23:48:00.000-07:00

i absolutely love this blog.

i love this blog so much, it has inspired today's entry...

little letters, by elle.

dear september,

i hope you will be good to me. i will be experiencing a lot of firsts; my first time being away from home for such a long time, my first birthday without family and friends, my first time actually LIVING in a foreign country, my first time having to rely solely on my own two feet for transportation (whether i like it or not). i am scared, but i am also hopeful.

dear red nail polish,

why do you suck at not chipping every two days? stop it.

dear school financial aid office,

you guys pretty much suck. thanks for making the whole visa application AMAZINGnot.

dear mei,

i wish you spent more time with me, knowing i will be away for so long. but it's okay, i understand how life is from a sixteen-year-old's perspective. i hope you get into an awesome school next year (but try not to make me look bad in the process, if you can. thanks :) ).

dear j.,

i wonder how you're doing these days. but then again, i dont think i want to know.

dear c.,

i dont want to talk to you any more, yet i dont want to lose you. what do you want from me? please clarify, we're running out of time...

dear fit,

you're the most amazing car a girl could ask for. thanks for saving me from death those ten thousand times i almost died. i will wash you soon, i promise.

dear urth caffe green tea latte,

will you come to my house now, please? i love you. a lot.

dear mom&dad,

after the drive up today from san diego, i realized how blessed i was to have such great parents. i dont think i will ever know such caring and amazing people in my life.

dear istanbul,

i just told my parents about you and how i will be visiting you this fall. try not to let anything keep me from you, please, or i will just die.

dear u.o. hat,

i absolutely positively adore you. thanks for not flying away at the beach the other day. i would have been devastated.

xoxo

2009-07-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

sunrise... or sunset?

there are the days of underground concerts, cigarette smoke, after parties, the lingering smell of tequila, late night taco bell runs, the seemingly long drive home, annoyingly closed LA freeways, the city lights, the high from your second wind... and then there are the days of waking up to a soft morning sunlight, breaking through your blinds and flooding linear shadows all around the room. these are the days of no alarms, the softness of your comforter enveloping your tiny body, the slow rustling of the leaves in the distance, the tenderness of your head on the pillow, the smell of freshly brewed coffee trailing its way in from the kitchen, the quiet sounds of the neighbor's wind chimes, and the final opening of your eyes to the whiteness of the early morning...

oh to be alive.

2009-07-14T00:27:00.000-07:00

the best part was... it was absolutely, completely free.

2009-07-09T16:24:00.000-07:00

from the indie 103 show at the hammer.

been a while since my last show, let alone my last post.

been busy now that summer is here; now everyday is a blur.

i think that's the best way to do it, though, don't you agree? haha

xoxo

2009-06-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

its been a week since ive been back

and already i want out!!

i'm craving europe... so badly...

all that history and architecture and food... and freedom!

being at home has driven me insane.

nothing ever gets done, and if it does it's only because i had to do it.

if this is what life is like when you're a mother

then i never want to be one.

it's a boring existence, so thankless, so utterly unfulfilling.

i dont know how my mother does it.

or maybe, i'm still too young and too naive to truly appreciate it just yet.

either i just know

i want to do a hell of a lot of other things right now.

i'm restless; and there's nothing i can do about it.

2009-06-19T23:26:00.000-07:00

childhood is calling me...

2009-06-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

so. spring cleaning in the elle household has resulted in the redecoration of my sleeping quarters. the framed pieces are letters i drew spelling out "love" and the pictures going across are pictures i took of people and places (that hold a dear place in my heart) that i made black and white... and the other framed picture on the night stand is an ad by moschino that i ripped out of w mag ages ago... even with all this, it still feels plain. in need of ideas. suggestions?

2009-06-11T06:14:00.000-07:00

Milk Tea & Kaya Toast = my heaven <3

two more days left in this lovely island country. my heart is breaking; i absolutely love it here... midnight tonight my mother flies in; i'm so excited i haven't seen her in nearly a month! then, i'm off to the States. ...back to Mexican food, fresh salads, fathers, sisters, besties... oh, and the gym (where i will be spending much of my time, working off one month's worth of accumulated deliciousness)

2009-06-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

Saunders Road, Singapore

2009-06-07T18:13:00.000-07:00

yay photos! the internet has finally let me upload them.

top down: shanghai, shanghai, beijing, seoul.

i absolutely love it here.

i don't know if i want to go back home just yet, to be honest.

its nice to be able to use your full name because people finally know how to pronounce it correctly; i realized it half way through my shanghai trip when i kept introducing myself with my nickname only to realize the other person said my full name better than my nickname hahah...

asia adventure week 4, day 2: orchard road with AJ! <3

and still major procrastination on the paper and personal statements... yikes!