Hair envy

I love her hair.
If only I believed I could pull that off...

We can't all be single ladies...

Sent to me by my sister. :)

Also funny:

• People getting caught farting loudly (like one of my co-workers was caught this weekend by another co-worker!)
• My roommate mispronouncing the name of a local restaurant (Frisco's -> Frisky Dingos)
• My same roommate yelling at his fellow gaming friends loudly while playing games on his computer (I'm really going to miss this actually. It's hilarious!)
  

It's alright

I started feeling like the worst of my sickness was over right before I went to sleep last night (about 11:30pm), and today's high temperatures make me feel like maybe the sun came out just for me. Woo! Recovery mode! :)

"People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be." — Abraham Lincoln

Still feeling sick and absolutely deplete of energy, but it's amazing how a couple of simple things can brighten an otherwise dreary day.

My sister called and I was able to talk to her for a full 12 minutes and 12 seconds! I realize that sounds incredibly brief, but any conversation lasting more than three minutes with my sister is like a unicorn, I'm telling you. And she has an interview on Friday that she's flying out for tomorrow! And the nephew of one of my mom's closest friends called just as my sister had to go to set up an appointment for me to have my hair done before my graduation! Stoked.

via Steampunk Workshop

Boo

I haven't been sick in almost exactly a year, but leave it to me to get sick in the middle of finals week during my last semester of school. Chicken noodle soup? Check. Loads of vitamin C-filled drinks and supplements? Check. And I'm in bed at 9:13pm, ready to watch a movie I need to see for class and then knock out. Wish someone were here to take care of me. My roommates are great, but they're boys and nurturing they are not.

Key shirt

I need her shirt! I love keys!

If only I could figure out where to get it!

Au naturel

Really feeling some natural, casual kicks for spring/summer. But I wonder if I can keep these babies clean... Love these two:


Ked's Throwback, $40
Tom's Natural Canvas Classics, $44

Electric Twist

Everything about this video is adorable.

Wah wah Wednesday

Been feeling drained and unmotivated and not quite myself.

In spite of myself, there are still a lot of good things I refuse to let go unnoticed:

• Seriously kick-ass weather lately (thank you, Spring, for finally making it over here!) and the opportunity for me to bust out my warm weather clothing! I find it so much easier to dress for warm weather than cold.
  
• I tried Egyptian food for the first time today, and I am completely stoked on it! So yummy! Thanks go out to one of my favorite classmates this semester, Rania! I don't think I've ever even seen an Egyptian restaurant before, let alone tried the food, and Rania said there's only one about an hour away and it's not even very good. It shares similarities with some Lebanese and Middle Eastern dishes (which I also love!).
• Snazzy navy blue polish on my nails!
  
• My skin hasn't been breaking out too badly lately, which feels like such a blessing! (Fellow girls with sensitive/blemish-prone skin feel me on this one.)
  
• In about two weeks my schedule will be significantly more open, and I cannot wait to get myself back into a healthier lifestyle routine and get back to exercising again! And I may even have time to kill at the beach! Or spend time with people I love! Or pick up a hobby! Or head out of town! The possibilities are endless...
  
• I received a random, friendly phone call a couple of days ago from a friend I hadn't heard from in a while--my one Scottish friend, mind you, which makes it sound even cooler.

The good is there, you just have to let yourself see it. I've found myself especially drawn to quotes lately. Even more than usual. I think when we feel a little lost we try to seek out the things that make the most sense to us, to remind ourselves of the things we believe to be true. So I find myself getting lost in these quotes and clinging to the words that resonate with me, wanting to repeat them over and over like a mantra.

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." - Theodore Roosevelt

Will do.

Feliz Cinco de Mayo

I usually operate pretty normally after pulling all-nighters, but today was a pretty major exception, because I was exhausted! Still, I had made plans with my roommate and a few classmates to go salsa dancing--which I needed to do for an assignment due next week anyway--so I sucked it up and went anyway (in the comfiest clothes I could pull off and still get in). So worth it.

Man, I love dancing. I'm not going to get to catch up on my sleep tonight and it'll be another full day of work tomorrow, but it was nice to do something fun for myself and get spun around the dance floor just for a couple of hours. :)

Hope you all had a feliz Cinco de Mayo, too. Night, world.

Look forward

Currently feeling a little burnt out on life. School, work, family, future plans, my lease ending in a month, etc...

I'm trying to focus on school right now, but can't wait to have a day to breathe and think and gain some clarity and perspective. I just want to get back to feeling completely--and without distractions--like myself. Like the world is my oyster!

Things I'm looking forward to treating myself to:

• A day with a blank to-do list
• A few hours to spend alone at the beach
• Reading for fun
  
• Painting my nails (and maybe treating myself to some new nail polish?)
• A hair cut, or at least a trim
• Cleaning my freaking room (the clutter is getting to me, but there's just no time/energy)
• Purging my closet
• Quality time with good friends and people that I rarely get to see
• Running and getting back into a healthy lifestyle routine
  
• Finding the time/energy/motivation to cook healthy, homemade meals for myself
• A getaway (even just an afternoon to Julian or the desert or something...)
  

Ahhhhh...

April showers

via Alephunky

Although it seems like spring has arrived practically everywhere else, southern California is still trudging through the April showers and uncharacteristically high winds.

Today I'm bundling up with double tights under my dress, long sleeves, and a medium heavy jacket.

Can't wait for spring to get here.

Strawberries and bananas

I've been seriously craving some homemade sweet treats. Here are a couple that, if I were a baker or other kind of dessert-maker, I would have already jumped on making:

Strawberry Shortcake, via Homerunballerina

Magnolia's recipe for Banana Pudding, via Cupcakes and Cashmere

Afternoon Company

Afternoon Company Dress

Okay, it's not yellow, and it's an A-line which I don't usually gravitate toward, but...

I seriously love this dress.

And want it! But much to my chagrin, ModCloth doesn't usually stock my size (typically XS), and this dress is no different. Doesn't it look like the perfect dress for a picnic?!

Anyone out there know an awesome tailor or are willing/able to recreate this dress to my measurements at a comparable price?!

Also, really loving the these Lisa Leonard designs, as seen on Dear Baby:

I would wear them with my Afternoon Company Dress!

This could be good

Things I love right now (in no particular order):

• My cherry red nails
• Filling my iPod with new music
• My roommates Can't believe we only have a month left in our place...
  
• My boyfriend He surprised me with John Mayer concert tickets this week after I told him I didn't think I could afford them right now. So amazing!!!
• Dancing Especially salsa!
• My lightweight cargo jacket
• The motivation to work out and eat healthy
• The prospect of my bright, wide open future
• Swingy spring dresses waiting for this storm to pass, so they can be worn!
• Tortilla chips with Coronas and lime on a cloudy day (also good on a sunny day!)
  

Now, if only I could lock down a job within the next month, then I'd be happy as a clam. Anyone know anybody hiring in LA???

Speedy Recovery

My mom had surgery on her shoulder this morning. It separated a couple of weeks ago, which she said was pain "like [she's] never felt before." Shoulder surgery is pretty intense, painful, and requires a lot of physical therapy, so I'm wishing her a speedy recovery.

I love you, momma!

Invisible Wardrobe

I love this!

via Jaboopee

The search for a yellow dress continues

If you were reading this blog quite a while back (ha, who am I kidding?), you might remember my search for a yellow dress. Well, you may or may not recall that there was no conclusory post about me finding my happy yellow dress. More than a year later, I still have not found a suitable yellow dress that fits what I want. I honestly never thought it would be so hard to find a yellow dress that fit within my ideal parameters! Especially during the spring or summer!

I recently found this one on the Macy's website and think it's beautiful! However, while I did say that I would be willing to splurge a little if I found one I really liked, even $130 is quite a reach for me.

Ralph Lauren Grace

Over the months that have passed, I've come up with a pretty good idea of what I want. So, here's what I've had in mind:

• Something with some structure and a fairly simple design
  
• I'd like it to be dressy enough to wear to an event that calls for cocktail attire
• But casual enough to wear every day
• Some sturdier/dressier material
• Knee-length or a few inches above would be fine
• A rich shade of yellow
• Preferably with some sort of straps, but I'm not too particular about this
  

And here's what I don't want (and unfortunately what I've seen a lot of):

• No baby doll style dresses (okay, this one kind of resembles a baby doll with its empire waist, but I don't mind because it still has structure)
• No tunic-styles or sack dresses (preferably)
• No t-shirt material dresses
• No excessively short mini dresses (I don't mind mini dresses, just not for this particular dress)
• No highlighter colors (and no bright green-yellow hues or key lime pie colors; I've seen a lot of them lately, though!)
• While I like pale yellow, I've been envisioning a brighter, richer shade of yellow. I'd rather go a little deeper in color than go lighter.
• Nothing too poofy
  

Picky, picky. Oh, man... For the record, I don't usually come across as this nitpicky (nit-picky?). Do any of you have a similar situation that will make me feel less crazy? Oh, dear...

Yogurt

I'm currently working on a paper and decided to grab myself a yogurt to snack on, and had the oddest thought:

"Yogurt is sexy."

Way too strange! But then I thought about it seriously and tried to make sense of it, and I'm pretty sure it's because of the way they advertise yogurt and the images those clever, clever advertisers associate with it. The ads mostly revolve around the concept that "if you eat yogurt, you will be thinner!" And the commercials are primarily targeted at women. The image of the young, attractive, fit female suburbanites seductively eating that spoonful of yogurt immediately popped into my head, and I realized that was probably what I was thinking of.

Anyway. It was just a crazy thought, and I decided I'd share it. But sexy or not, my blueberry yogurt really is pretty delicious.

I wanna dance with somebody

I don't think I've mentioned it, but my roommates and I decided that, because it's our last semester and we've never taken a class together (we all have different majors), we needed to take an elective class together. So, we chose to take a recreational dance class once a week.

And I'm SO glad we did, because I love it. We've been focusing on social dances, like swing, salsa, and the tango. I used to dance years ago, and while this type of dancing is completely different and I'm a total novice, I really love it--especially watching all the other dancers while they whirl and spin and demonstrate all their fancy moves. And it's different from a lot of the dancing that you see on popular dancing shows like Dancing with the Stars, because none of it's choreographed. Everybody learns how to lead and follow using classic steps, so everyone can dance with pretty much anybody. So, so beautiful.

I got hurt feelings

More than that, just feeling pretty peeved with a co-worker right now, although it's been a problem for a while. And I'll endure being a pushover for longer than I should before feeling the need to actually address it. It was semi-addressed once, and I was hoping things would get better, but they haven't. But I'm definitely thinking I need to talk with my boss now. The anxiety, stress, and irritation have come to a head this weekend, and it is not good for my health! Breathe.

Note to all the people willing to walk all over others just to make a penny: Don't do it. It's not nice. It's actually pretty horrible. Capitalism at it's worst.

Trying to create a plan for today to take my mind off of all that for now. It's only too bad it's such a gloomy day!

I'm thinking about donning a bright, happy outfit; maybe painting my nails and doing some shopping/spending some quality time with my parents (because it's been far too long) before plopping myself down with some homework. Any other ideas would be welcome, though. :)

Early morning study break

It's 4:49 in the morning and, as I write this, I'm taking a break from studying for a test, which should offer some insight as to my recent absence from the blogging world (if any of you happened to wonder or care).

Aside from school, very little of any significance has been going on in my life. Which is good, I suppose, if you subscribe to the concept that "no news is good news," which I tend to. I'm busy, but I certainly have no complaints.

On my mind as of late:

• The beach. As I've been spending most of my time cooped up indoors, either in class or studying, I've been craving the beach and the outdoors in a big way and spending my study breaks looking up bathing suits I want to buy and resisting the urge to actually buy them (just barely). I am lucky, however, in that I do work in a garden setting. Although that does mean that I have to deal with the yucky weather, too.
  
• Spring. Even with California's mild winters and quite a lot of beautiful sunny days, I'm still craving a bit more warmth and the opportunity to de-layer a bit.
• A getaway. Spring break is fast-approaching and I'm brainstorming where and/or how to spend it. I suffer from wanderlust pretty much nonstop, but it seems worse than usual lately.

I can see he says what he means

Currently can't get enough of this.


Sent to me by a good friend with similar appreciation for these forms of cuteness.

Also... according to their Twitter account, the new The Weepies album is finished! I can't wait for more details!

Delicious food

"i love having delicious food within 50 feet at all times. i love taiwan."

A friend of mine posted this as his Facebook status today. He must be in Taiwan! Anyway, it happens to be pertinent to my post today, which is about... food! I had some exposure to Taiwanese food growing up with a best friend with a Taiwanese mom who happens to be an awesome cook, and I love it. We spent quite a bit of time hunting out the best/most popular restaurants and had a lot of fun doing it! This topic will probably span a couple of posts.

We ate at a restaurant called Modern Toilet. It's famous mostly for its novelty. The food is served in miniature toilets (both Western-style and squat/Chinese-style) and, yes, poop is pretty central to the theme, too.

This is a picture of the table next to ours.

This is a picture of the bathroom sink. Yes, sink.

Eifeh's food. There was a little poop-shaped lid covering one of her dishes that was removed for the picture. Also, there was a little fire inside the toilet that kept the food warm... and made the soup inside the toilet bubble.

I drank my orange calpis out of a urinal-shaped glass.

Our entrees all came with chocolate ice cream served in a squat toilet-shaped dish.

We ate a famous restaurant called Din Tai Fung. There are three locations in Hong Kong, Taipei, and Los Angeles. There was a pretty sizable crowd waiting outside, but we were told it's pretty much always like that.

Mmm... I love pickled cucumbers in chili oil. Ridiculously good.

Sauteed vegetables.

The regular dumplings they're famous for

Sweet buns filled with sesame. I keep those little dental picks/flossers in my purse for foods like this! Sesame seeds everywhere. But so worth it!

We also had some really awesome, cheap teppanyaki at a place really close to Eifeh's apartment. Can't find it for $3 in the states!

We had some ridiculously awesome Korean hot pot. We kept the spicy side full the whole time. They give you two hours to eat, and we used up every last minute! Amazing, amazing.

Dessert buffet at the hot pot restaurant! Miniature cakes, fresh guava, pineapple, and passion fruit, and MILK PUDDING. Love, love milk pudding. We also had ice cream (not pictured).

Lots of people look down on visiting American chain restaurants in foreign countries, but I go only for any unique desserts they may have. I'd been told that KFC had awesome egg tarts and they were so right. Amazing! Wish they had them here!

McDonald's in different countries/states always have interesting flavors of pies. We had some blueberry pies here that Eifeh and I had a lot when we were in Taiwan before. Also, I think they fry them there, as opposed to baking them. Thailand had pineapple pies. Hawaii had macapuno pies. You get the picture.

We went to eat sushi for Dan's birthday.

Stinky tofu. That's really how it's translated and commonly known in the states. It's fermented and you can smell it from a block away. Matt hated the smell and likened it to a "loaded baby's diaper." Dan responded that it tastes like it smells, but it's one of Eifeh's favorite foods. Definitely not a favorite of mine, though.

Tiger beer is so good! It's a Singaporian beer. We finished a second one after this.

Sashimi! The one on the right was my favorite, but I don't know what it was! Whatever it was: freakishly good. Mmm.

Clams cooked hot-pot style in a garlic soup.

Radish cakes! Yum yum.

I've always really liked Asian style cakes. They're much lighter and fluffier than most cakes we eat in the U.S. This was a white cake with strawberries, pictured with the most useless eating utensil any of us have ever seen.

Dark chocolate, orange, and mint Kit Kats!

Well, hello again!

It's been how long since my last post?!

Well, to catch you up, Taiwan was wonderful. Good food every single day, beautiful sights, and some of my favorite people in the world.

I took about 1,200 pictures, so I'm going to try to break up the pictures a bit. Here are just a few of the places we visited:

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial

Taipei 101, the second tallest building in the world as of about three weeks ago. It still has the fastest elevator, though! It feels like you've gone up about 4 floors, rather than 91!

Views from the top of Taipei 101

Danshui and its night market. We went to a different night market almost every night!

We even saw a surprise solar eclipse at sunset!

We took a bus ride up into the mountains in Wulai and saw this waterfall.

Beautiful red lanterns lined streets with tons of little shops on either side and lots of good food.

Raohe St. Night Market

Shopping in Ximen

A beautiful Buddhist temple. The buildings are so ornate; it's remarkable!