Saturday, January 29, 2011

fave




































husband & i just finished watching Cyrus. Well, i finished it and he was asleep 3/4 of the way through. he stopped by our video store on his way home from work, Videoteque, a spot in south pasadena with countless amazing films to choose from. i had requested Somewhere by ms. sofia but as i feared it hasn't been released on dvd yet (yes, i'm a bad fan who didn't see it in the theatre)
So husband brings home cyrus and i nod and smile and continue making caesar salad w/shrimp and parmesan crisps (ohhhhmygoodness) and then we sit down to the flick with a bottle of wine and before i know it i. am. in. love. i LOVED the film. i want to own it. it really impressed me and won my heart. i guess it's because i wasn't expecting much of anything (too much hype can lead to real disappointment-hi social network) other than an awkward mother-son relationship, but it's so much more. it's phenomenal acting, beginning with john c. hammering it out to the 80's while drunk at a party, singing & dancing in a way that i would with my girlfriends. it includes scenes from silverlake, beautiful homes, phenomenal acting, marisa tomei(!) (always been an idol of mine since my cousin vinny, gotta say) plus it deals very candidly with an issue that so many people face today in the event of divorce and new love. not to mention: scenes filmed at my work!!! the boddy house at descanso gardens! that was the location for catherine keener's wedding-i literally bolted from my seat when they panned to it. i wish i had worked there during the filming. i had no idea.
anyway, this film now holds a true place in my heart, i loved it and when my husband wakes up (he's snoring) i'll tell him so.
g'night!!!

currently obsessed with...gems & minerals


































now, i know the photo quality is pretty crummy, but i don't care, i wanted to post these photos anyway because they were taken on a special night, with special people, and there was a special vibe, and what else do you need to know, when recognizing that gems are PHENOMENAL. i can't wait to go back to the natural history museum and spend hours staring at all these beauties. we were so taken-a-back upon stepping into the gallery (this was during first fridays, see a few posts down). we couldn't stop drooling, and shouting to each other 'hey! have you SEEN this one??' 'come here!!')
many pieces were donations from individuals whom i can imagine have the largest wallets in the world. i can't imagine owning such a piece, let alone being the person who discovered them.
i mean, really, how is it possible that such a thing exists naturally in our earth??

The Sartorialist Part 2








































how come no one told me that the current trend is to have exposed, boldly stated socks peeking from above your cute shoes and below your pants/skirt?! i'm LOVING it! very winter-appropriate, very tongue-in-cheek, very fun. (the sartorialist)

Friday, January 28, 2011

currently craving...



























edamame spread, snagged from a merry mishap. no formal recipe, just notes: sautee olive oil, garlic, and the beans until toasted, then dump into a food processor and voila! i looove dips so i have to remember this idea. why, though, am i so turned off by recipes which require a food processor? it's the cleaning of the machine afterwards that just irritates me. i used to be all cool and make my own pesto, that's probably the first thing i taught myself to make as a teen, and it's fun because my (typically picky) dad likes it! but what did i find myself doing over the holidays, to add to shrimp + quinoa? i bought a fresh container of ready-to-go pesto. ugh, i shouldn't have admitted that. hopefully miss merry mishap's concoction will inspire me enough to actually make this dip instead of buy my pre-existing fave, edamame hummus
(though, there's always the great soy debate, and i do purposely try not to do soy overload...but that's a whole other story)
























pretty, green, refreshing, via black, white, yellow.

Monday, January 24, 2011

current crush: my husband





































these handsome devils all remind me of my over-the-top handsomely devil husband. he could totally pull off each of these outfits (i believe, not only could, but would) and look fab. he's got the best style. better than i do. the clothing items that he's bought for me are the ones i get the most compliments on. interesting, no? i guess it's true what they say, opposites do attract ;) (since he dresses fresh and has that great balance of comfy but pulled together, and always appropriate) (whereas i can be known to dress a bit frumpy, comfy, premature, cutesy-not that there's anything wrong with that, i'm just sayin')
photo credit: The Sartorialist, duh.

currently digging....




































....the color of these walls, especially paired with: sunlight, those curtains, the white, the red, and the floors. seen on ali loves curtis-they're one cute fam...

Friday, January 21, 2011

tgif!

























happy friday! though, when weekends roll around, they don't mean much to me since i work sats & suns, there is indeed something festive in the air once friday afternoon rolls around (today, i was lucky and had the day off so i've felt festive all day!). that said, happy friday, and i hope everyone has fun plans over the next few days. 
tonight, hubby and i will catch a quick happy hour somewhere and then pick up my grandma to see The King's Speech, which i've heard is quite fab....

currently mega-inspired by...

What Made You Happy Today?
what a genius idea for a blog. my new fave. she, (mandy, australia), spots folks on the street, asks to snap their photo and provide a line describing what it was that made them happy that day. she then presents a simple post about it. you can also write in and get posted that way. i love it. you should check it out. it's ideas like these that help remind us that sometimes it's the little things in life that make us happy, and no matter what other crummy things may be occurring in your life, there's always gotta be a sliver of joy in there somewhere...

currently dreaming of....

























i want to be there. right. now. i'll just need a bike, some toms, a sunhat, and a camera slung around my neck. this i found on Abbey Goes Design Scouting and her post titled 'a daily dose of green.' Very appropriate, and not unlike the images i'm currently collecting, as i need many more plant posts in my life. coming soon.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

currently thinking about....attire.




































so, recently my gal bianca and i were talking about closets, and how if one is lucky enough to have the closet of their dreams, it can be exposed in your room, not hidden-standing alone, saying hi, making a statement, presenting a certain 'aesthetic' if you will. we then sighed and said that our own closets are nowhere near organized/refined/stylized/streamlined to present itself as that type of entity. not that we'd necessarily want that, as we're both pretty eclectic and she especially has the most fabulous unique style... Anyway! i do stand in front of my closet (which gets closed off to the public by apartment-typical, ugly sliding glass mirror doors) and think, 'what can people tell about me by my wardrobe? does anyone else ever wonder that? does anyone else ever feel pressure to develop a personal style that is expected, uniform, somewhat similar from day to day? or do you embrace looking different every day?
image via apartment 34

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

currently digging.....







































....certain items that i'm seeing on the Madewell site. partly due to this amazing weather we've been enjoying in LA (stark contrast from our sister states and their snowflakes). 80 degrees occurs and suddenly, surprise, i'm craving a new spring wardrobe. i want stripes, as always. i want comfy shorts (post-tan) i want new shoes....i want it all. i could probably do without the striped tee dress (last photo) because i doubt it's very flattering, however i'd take just about anything-looking at my closet every morning gives me pain. time to purge, take bags to the local goodwills, and treat myself to one new item-nothing wrong with just one item, right? ;)

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

a girl named Michelle came to play










































she's my younger sister. she lives in Houston, TX and I live in LA, CA. that's kind of a bummer. i miss her but i'm happy for her-she has good things going. and i suppose it makes her visits super special. we did many a fun thing while she was in town: dinner at El Portal in Pasadena, an adventure at the natural history museum in LA (a special post to follow about their gems & minerals-oh.my-gosh) family party at our parent's house, 2 slumber parties at my apt-complete with plenty of munchies from our favorite TJ's  of course (bruschetta, frozen pizza, and wine for dinner,  eggs and morning star sausage and veggies for breakfast-can you tell eating is what we do best??) a hike through the creeks of our nearby Bailey Canyon (my waterfall pics didn't leave me feeling very proud so i left them out) connect four and trivial pursuit with our parents at the new burbank fave Tony's Darts Away (vegan all the way!!!) and lastly, an evening at my fave restaurant followed by one last hoorah at Covell, a bar that's new to us and located just south of the cute los feliz neighborhood-i'd definitely recommend that spot.
we miss you already, sis! why haven't you called??! ;)

it's about that time....

did you hear the news? the coachella line up has been revealed. who has been? can i shyly admit that i've never gone? should i fork over the dough this year? should i risk the sunburn? would i die of happiness?
read the line up here
and what a beautiful line up it is....
what day would you pick, if you were going?
























valentine's day is upon us, and i do admit i like having a holiday to look forward to after the crash-burn of christmas. this valentine's day, hubby and i are going to wake up and hit the road for arizona, which i'm so excited for. a desert road trip is much needed. we'll be there for 4 nights, near Tucson.
anyway, i love these keychains, particularly the 'let's spoon one' that are avail at one of the best shops around, Pergolina :)



































i want these, in faux leather, please (perhaps that will reduce the cost??)

too cute....















worth checking out....very cute, and an insane coincidence exists between the two ladies...
read it all here.

hi kitchen, i love you




































too cute....possibly a look that i would get sick of eventually, but at first glance it's great, it's just missing some red glazed ceramic pots
spotted on: House of Turquoise

Saturday, January 15, 2011

moneymoneymoneymoneyyyy....MONEY! (sing it with me!)







































yikes, money. how does one live life with you? how does one live life without you? i have 3 jobs (2 guaranteed, one on-call) and at time it leads to never having a day off, and i'm beginning to feel burnt out. i need a nap. don't get me wrong, i actually really love working, and i LOVE all 3 of my jobs-i can honestly say that, with caps. how cool is that? however, i do wish i had time during sunlit hours to do spring-cleaning of the apt (as opposed to vacuuming at 10:30pm-sorry neighbor below!) and i wish i had more ENERGY left in me when i do have an evening to be active/productive/creative.....as you can see by my lack of blogging, i've got little fire left in me. so i'll leave with that said, because i really do need a nap. (lack of posts also stems from my sister's recent visit from texas-it was SO much fun, and i can't wait to post pics) (images via google images, hehe)



































as of late, all i can do with my long, thick, wavy hair is throw it up in a high, messy bun. i need a hair cut. i'm in that awkward stage with my bangs, which isn't helping.
(link)

Monday, January 3, 2011

these are a few of my favorite (holiday) things




































a shot of the gorgeous autumn tree outside our living room window, early december before the onslaught of the crazy LA rain season....(it's bare now, sadly)





































such leaves, underfoot. (our front 'scape)


























 once wrapped, i had to stash all holiday gifts up high in our closet so our cats wouldn't chew the ribbons or paper. boo. i love having gifts displayed, especially under a tree (nope, didn't get a tree this year, strangely enough. again, the cats)



































christmas eve in sherman oaks, post-tamales, tequila, gifts, and fun family time



























my aunt's cute kitchen windowsill


























me & my snuggle-head


























NYE walk in our neighborhood


























a cupcake 1st bday party, on NYE, for the cutest munchkin around...



































a terrible shot of the downtown LA buildings, all lit up upon our arrival for drinking & dancing on NYE


























La Cita all dolled up, balloons packed the ceiling and everywhere else....i was obsessed



































more balloons, and plenty of color



























nearing midnight.....someone in our group stole a bunch of hats from the bar...



































balloons, from the dance floor



































our little corner of the bar


























 the theme of the night....it worked, believe me. 


























balloon finale



































oh, one more balloon shot....
Told ya i had plenty of photos. i have plenty more where these came from. sorry for the quality of some of the dark photos inside the bar. we had a lot of fun and luckily, we kept safe. I can't believe it's 2011 and the holidays are now behind us. i'm ready for the new year. cheers!