Saturday, July 14, 2012

Life update

So here's what my life has been like (somewhat) lately:

A few weeks ago, my cousin and I did a hike in Pacific Palisades. The views were gorgeous, as you can see. It was about 3 miles, and it umm kicked our butts. My legs felt like jello for 2 days afterwards. Sooo, half dome here we come?




On the 4th of July, my parents and I took a day trip to Santa Monica. It was cool and cloudy (weather that seems like a distant memory now). And still no one would go on the ferris wheel with me! Jessie, let's go?!




And no, we haven't moved yet. But hopefully soon...because I'm tired of living out of boxes. 

Sunday, July 1, 2012

What I'm reading: June

Better late than never on this one, huh?

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I broke my "rule" of never giving up on books for this one. I really tried...but gave up because the plot was boring, I didn't care about any of the characters, and there was way too much Spanish (I was that kid who took French in school...). Yeah, not the best choice. 

I also read The Defining Decade. As I've mentioned before, I find psychology ridiculously interesting, so I loved this book. I found it honest and relatable, to the point where on almost every page I could identify myself in one of the stories. Definitely a recommended read for anyone my age. 

Monday, June 18, 2012

Life update

Remember how I said changes were in store for this summer? Well here's the scoop (if I haven't already told you): me and the folks are moving! We are moving to a town about 20 minutes from where we are now. With the exception of college, I've lived in the same town for as long as I can remember, so this is a little bit of a change for me. The big move will be sometime next month, so...I guess I should start packing, huh? Moving to a new place will give me a chance to clean and organize my stuff (2 of my favorite things!). Hopefully it'll also inspire me to give some "tough love" to my closet. Even though I don't wear most of the things I own, I can't seem to let go of a lot. Maybe when faced with the task of carrying all that stuff, I'll be more likely to say goodbye. (I'm already cleaning out my bookshelves and getting stuff ready to donate, cause books are heavy yo). This is all a long-winded way of saying that posts are gonna become sparser than normal. I'd rather be packing watching netflix.

Thursday, May 31, 2012

What I'm reading: May

Lately, I've been reading 2 books at once: a non-fiction one and a fiction one. Here is what I read this month:

Then Again, by Diane Keaton. I must say, I'm a sucker for a celebrity auto/biography. This one was no disappointment. It was less of a "linear" story, and more of a series of vignettes. It was refreshingly honest and interesting. 

Home Safe, by Elizabeth Berg. I love the way that Berg writes. Her writing is so descriptive and enveloping, you feel completely wrapped up in the story. She writes about a mother and adult daughter coping with the death of the father of the family.  The mother must learn to stand on her own 2 feet now that her daughter is out of the house and her husband is no longer around, lessons that I think can apply to any age. A good read. 


Monday, May 28, 2012

Summertime

[1]

Happy 3 day weekend! It is so nice to wake up on a Sunday and realize you have one more day of sleeping in left. Hope your extra time off was as good as mine was. I did nothing but eat, read, and refresh. Since this weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, I've decided to create a summer "to-do" list, a list of fun things that I'd like to see or do in the months to come. 

Ride on the Santa Monica Ferris Wheel (also on my 25x25 list)
Make these nectarine vodka chillers
Go to McConnell's Ice Cream (amazingly, I've never been)
Go to the Cleopatra exhibit at the California Science Center
Hit up the beach more
See the Walt Disney archives exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Library
Attend an eatseehear event

I must say that changes are a coming this summer (nope, not job changes - guess again) so we'll see how many of these I can check off. Here's hoping! 

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Subway art


Mildly obsessed with Going Underground. Her subway signs are spot-on perfection, and I can totally see them hanging in my fancy future home. My only problem? Choosing which of my favorite cities will win wall space. LA? London? NYC?

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Race recap

Yesterday, my cousin and I ran the Revlon Run/Walk 5k. Last year we walked the race, this year we decided to try to run it. My cousin has been training for weeks (go girl!) and I've been trying to keep up with regular runs. We took the metro down bright and early (it dropped us off right across the street from the event - so convenient!) and walked around the expo. I have to say, the free swag was not quite as good as last year, but oh well, we still got some good stuff. We walked around the expo for a while, then lined up for the race. A lot of celebs were on hand to host the event (Matthew Morrison, AC Slater (Mario Lopez), Stacy Keibler, Halle Berry and Matt Bomer). The runners were supposed to start at 8:45 and the walkers were supposed to start at 9:00. There was no attempt to distance the 2 groups, and they just let everybody start at around 9:00. It took a few minutes to even get to the starting line, and even after that we had to dodge people for a while in order to be able to run. Trying to avoid walkers and stick together proved too difficult for us, so we split up and just went at our own pace. I felt good for most of this race - I kept a nice, easy pace and didn't feel too tired. I hit "the wall" when I saw the 3 mile marker - the last part felt so hard! But I finished and got my medal (from the cute volunteer firemen at the event). I used Map My Run to keep track of my time - it says that the route was actually 3.67 miles, which I ran in 40:23. Then my cousin and I sat and drank some water and had a snack before heading home. I think this is a super event, just not sure if I would run it again (maybe go back to walking it). It felt a little crowded to be dodging people all the time. But good for a fun run, rather than a seriously competitive one. I find that I like running in races - there's something so motivating about being in a huge group, all heading towards one goal. Which one next? 

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Yosemite


This video of Yosemite is jaw-droppingly gorgeous. If I ever needed motivation to hike Half Dome, this is it. 

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Kayaking

I love kayaking, and would love to get to do it more often. Here are some amazing spots I hope to get to go someday:

Outside a SF Giants game

In NYC

Under a glacier in Alaska

[1, 2, 3]

Monday, April 30, 2012

What I'm reading: April

Since I'm cutting back on my blog reading, I'm catching up on my book reading! Here was what I read this month:

The Raw Shark Texts. I don't know if I can sufficiently describe this book, because I'm still mulling over exactly what happened. Eric Sanderson wakes up in his house, unable to remember anything about his life. Using letters left for him by his former self, he begins to unravel the mystery of who he is. More sci-fi than I normally read, but interesting. 

The Descendants. Matt King is dealing with the coma of his wife and the news of her affair. At the same time, he must make a decision on what to do with the land he inherited from his family - sell it to developers, or keep it? Like not love. 

The Art of Racing in the Rain. This book is told from the point of view of Enzo, a dog belonging to Denny Swift. Enzo describes how Denny's family grows, then how they fall apart. At times it got a little mushy, but it was quick to read and cute. 


The Lucky One. (Definitely had to post the picture for this one) It's Nicholas Sparks, so it's self-explanatory. Soapy, romantic, beach read. 

Friday, April 27, 2012

Half Dome


Hiking Half Dome has been on my "to-do" list for a couple of years now. My dad mentioned a while ago that he would like to hike it before he dies. After doing a little bit of research on it, I decided I wanted to too. Last year, we procrastinated and never got permits for it. This year I was determined to make this happen. I wanted to challenge myself! A few family members all said they wanted to hike it too. I nagged my dad every week or so to apply for permits. Finally in mid-March, we sat down and planned our trip. By that time, hotels in Yosemite were fully booked until late September. Whoops. September it is. So we made reservations and picked a weekend to apply for permits. Permits are given out on a lottery basis, with only 400 allotted each day. I was a little nervous that we wouldn't be approved, but a few weeks ago we got news that we were good to go! At nearly 9,000 feet, this 14-16 mile hike is gonna be brutal. Gotta work on that training! 

Thursday, April 26, 2012

New York, New York

The New York Department of Records recently made 870,000 rare images of the city available for viewing online. Aren't they amazing?

Building the Manhattan bridge, 1908

40th Street in 1940

Looking out from the George Washington Bridge, 1936

Painters on the Brooklyn Bridge, 1914


Sunday, April 22, 2012

The weekend, in pictures

berry, banana and spinach smoothie (2 days in a row)

avocado toast

giant stack of magazines


and a george clooney double feature. 

all in all, a good weekend. 


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Spring cleaning

I know posting has been sparse on ye olde blog as of late, but I've been working on trying to do things, instead of just reading about them. It got to a point where I spending more time online, reading blogs just out of habit, and then complaining about not having enough time to do the things I actually wanted to do. Silly! So I cleaned out my google reader and now read only what I love. It leaves a little bit more time to do things like catch up on my reading and work on my college scrapbook. Not to say I've totally broken my online addiction, but it's a work in progress. 

I'm also working on spring cleaning my closet - I feel like things need a re-vamp. Since I can wear anything I want to work, that typically means I dress very casually. I'm hoping to go shopping and polish up my basics. Maybe take some inspiration from these:


[J. Crew, as always]

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Thursday night dinners

Tonight I tried out 2 new recipes, this lemon chicken (just ok) and broccoli cole slaw. I may need to make this cole slaw every week, it was so good. My mom and I couldn't stop eating it. I did add both seasoning packets, as the dressing tasted a little bland with just one, but it's a definite keeper! Would be great to make ahead for a party, since it is so easy. 

In other news, the power was out last Sunday for 18 hours. 18 hours, people. Do you know how much that cramped my netflix watching? But every so often, it can be nice to remind yourself that there's more to life than internet and tv. Plus I got a lot of reading done!

Friday, April 6, 2012

Friday, Friday

Hey Friday! Long time, no see. Have any exciting plans? I gave up candy and girl scout cookies for Lent, so I've made quite the pile of sweet treats for me to dive into on Sunday. I'm also working on catching up on my TV shows - I've been bouncing back and forth between Community, Downton Abbey and Breaking Bad. (All so good!) 

Emma Stone is my favorite person EVER. (We are now planning our own Easter dance dares - watch out family!)

This tumblr makes me giggle. I can't stop guys. 

Awkward Hunger Games moments. 

Happy weekend!


Friday, March 30, 2012

Happy freakin' Friday

Oh, it's been a long week. I'm so ready to head over to my cousin's for a girly night of movies and sangria. And then tomorrow we're seeing Hunger Games! I can't wait. I'll let you know how it goes. Any fun weekend plans?

P.S: The best article I've ever read. (Jen, read this, and love me for it)

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

What I'm reading: March


This month I read In Defense of Food. Pollan boils the message of this book down to a very simple phrase: "eat food. not too much. mostly plants." Throughout the book, Pollan traces the rise of "fake" food. Over the past few decades, Americans have moved away from whole food, and instead focused on nutrients and food science. Now we're at a point where "the more we worry about nutrition, the less healthy we seem to become." 

This book was super interesting. I liked learning more about what goes into the food we eat today and how things have changed so quickly. Good read. 

Monday, March 26, 2012

Harder, better, faster, stronger

This weekend I ran in my first 5k! It was one of my goals this year to complete one, so now I can check that off my list. I was a little nervous about running, especially because I felt like I hadn't been super strict with my training. I had bumped up the amount I running I was doing each week, but had never actually ran 3.1 miles straight (I know). I was ready to accept the fact that I would just have to walk part of it. As I went up the huge hill to the starting line, I started to get more pumped up. Before I knew it, I was crossing the starting line. I turned up my special race playlist and just started to go...and didn't stop! Other than a quick water stop, I ran the whole thing. Which I'm pretty darn proud of. And I reached my goal time of 35:00 (came in at 34:21!). There is something about being in a huge crowd of people that really gets you moving! And the people cheering on the side didn't hurt - the best race sign: "run now, tequila later." I really liked doing this race - and I'm excited to do the Revlon run/walk in May! 

Monday, March 19, 2012

I'm back!

Ok, I didn't fall off the face of the earth. Well, maybe a little. But I'm back, and I'm ready for my NYC recap. (Apologies for the picture-heavy post.)

I landed Friday afternoon and after a quick stop at the hotel, we walked over to Times Square. We wandered in and out of the shops (including a 4 story Forever 21!), and walked to Rockefeller Center. 





We also walked past Parsons. Sadly, no sign of Tim Gunn.

Then we headed back to the hotel and watched a movie. The next day we hit the ground running. We walked up Fifth and headed to the #1 place I wanted to see: the New York Library! I kind of wanted to just stay there. 





Next, we headed to Rockefeller Center to go ice-skating! This has been on my life list for years. 


But we only stayed on the rink for around 45 minutes, cause it was too cold for this wimpy girl. Then we headed to the Top of the Rock. Where it was even colder. But beautiful!



We also saw St. Patrick's...


and the Empire State...


and made a stop in Tiffany's...


Next, we stopped in FAO Schwartz where I fulfilled another life dream. I played the piano from Big!


So much fun! Then we walked through Central Park to get through the Natural History Museum.



I met the dum dum head...he didn't speak to me, which was infinitely disappointing. 


We didn't spend a ton of time going through the museum cause we were both tired and hungry, so I'll need to make another trip sometime. After the museum, we walked back to Times Square and went to a brewery for dinner. Once we both got food and beer, we felt much better. After walking so much, we made it another early night. The next night, we took a train up to where my friend lives and then I left the next day. It was a whirlwind trip, but it was so much fun. I can't wait to go back!


Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Packing

So, originally I had planned on doing a post about my packing for NYC. But guess what? We are t-minus 36 hours till I need to be showered, dressed, packed and out the door....and I haven't packed a thing. Not one thing. Instead, I'm watching Despicable Me. Because, you know, priorities people. So, instead, let's talk about what I would put in my suitcase. Tomorrow. Let's start with the weather: it's going to be mostly in the 50s, although Saturday has a high of 45. A HIGH of 45. Now I know that for most of the country, that's a normal winter day. But in Southern California, we are weather wimps. Anything under 65 is our winter, and 45, during the day, is just not something we encounter very often. So while I actually like cold weather, and would love to imagine myself looking super cute like this on my trip:


It's probably gonna go more like this:

C'est la vie.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Sicky icky

So the cold that seems to be going around lately finally got me. I hate being sick. I always feel really guilty missing work (which I did yesterday for half a day). I'm starting to feel better, just in time for the weekend! My cousin and I are planning on a hike in Malibu (and maybe a post-hike beer?!) I'm also going to attempt to pack for my trip to NYC, which is next weekend! My cousin was in NY this time last year and her packing advice for me boils down to this:


More on how that goes later. 

Sunday, February 26, 2012

What I'm reading: February



This month, I read the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. (Side note: not quite sure about the "potato peel pie" part of the title, since that was mentioned like twice, but anyways...) This book is about Juliet, a writer from London during the post-WWII era. She is contacted by Dawsey, a resident of the island of Guernsey. Through him, she learns all about their literary society and how it helped them through the war. The entire book is told through letters between characters. It was interesting to see how the war affected each person. Overall, it was a good, quick read. 

Thursday, February 23, 2012

I could watch these all day

You've probably already seen these videos, but they're too good not to post. Lemme break it down for you...

Ellen is hilarious, I kinda wish I could watch her show everyday. And T. Swift is precious. And I also have a not-so-secret crush on Zac Efron (and I ain't afraid to show it!) So put all 3 of them together, and you have 2 videos that I may have watched like 17 times in the past day or so. Plus Betty White makes an appearance in the 2nd one, which ups the cool factor like 1,000 percent. 



Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Life lately

Is anyone else as excited as I am that the week is already halfway over? 

I had a blast this past weekend visiting my friend Jen. We headed out to the Shout House, a super fun, rowdy piano bar. Of course, hilarity (and embarrassment!) ensued. I love love love San Diego (and of course, Jen!) so even a brief visit was fun. 

This week, I've had to hit the ground running at work, which is why the week seems to be zipping by. I promise I'll have more to update when life calms down a little (which looking at my upcoming weekends may not be all that soon), but in the meantime....

TRUTH.