happy new year

i know you all must have seen this over & over again already, but i just had to post it. & i must say, that when i first saw it, there were only 304 views. now it has over 3.7 million...just saying.

i had a whole little post to end this year with, but honestly i don't have the time right now! so, i'll just leave you with this little gem & wish you all the best 2012 you can live : )

p.s. i'll be back with replies too!

christmas time

i hope you all had a lovely christmas! mine was nontraditional (compared to what my family usually does). we went to the city to see a christmas carol preformed on stage in a beautiful theater. i brought my binoculars to see the actors faces close up ;) i had fun getting all pretty to go out. after watching the play, we stopped at union square to see the city's big christmas tree. i took a photo of my papi & sister in front of it (you can see tiffany & co. in the background : ))

 this is our ornamentless tree, which has never happened before (the hello kitty gift is mine!). what was also nontraditional is we drove the three hours on christmas day to surprise my cousin wendy & her family with christmas dinner. it was an epic surprise.

 this is part of my christmas gift! this year i only asked for things that i would need for my trip to europe. so my sister bought me the hunger games to read on the 14 hour plane ride (ahhh...i am so going to go crazy) & french phrases for dummies & my parents bought me some really nice enzo angiolini leather boots & an umbrella. i can't believe i'll be leaving in ten days!

 nicola sent me a christmas gift too! it's so lovely & i'm going to hang it up in my apartment : )

 since we went to surprise wendy & her family, we got to see snow on christmas! that never happens. i got to have a white christmas : )

 i don't know about you, but i am so stoked to see this movie!! i just have to finish the book before i see the movie though...i'm about halfway through. i got all emotional when i saw the trailer in the theater.

replies:

lizzie: an infinity scarf? ohhh haha i had to look up what it was. i am so not versed in styles. i don't own one of those yet...

em [the writer]: isn't that a christmas story display great? it is so clever too!

jane hyunjoo lee: awww haha i've never thought of it that way, being a really good girl = early christmas gifts. i like to think of it that way hehe.

natalie: i love ice cream in winter. especially when it is raining!

carissa clark: i am having so much fun - as you can see on twitter : )

nicola: thanks nicola! you are always so sweet : ) & my mom says thanks with a "thumbs up" hehe.

ying: ying!! hello : ) i'm so glad you remember the ice cream parlor. i'll be going to london january 8 & paris january 16. i'm so excited! oh & i love amelie! isn't she amazing?? glad you liked flipped. yay for pan am! oh & i hear big bang theory is really good. a lot of my friends love it. i miss you!

crafts, lights, & christmas

 i attended the renegade craft fair in the city this weekend with abbie! i love going to these craft fairs : )

 the city was so beautiful

i got my first christmas gift of the year! a lovely scarf from rachel. (love me some scarves!)

 i went with my mom to celebrate her straight a's this semester at school at our favorite ice cream parlor. i love their holiday peppermint ice cream!

 rachel & abbie came to visit & see my apartment. we had coffee & dessert at the old spaghetti factory & i took them to see the best christmas lights in the city. they even had an a christmas story scene (by the way, best christmas movie ever!)!

(sorry so blurry!)

so, i finished my last paper & turned it in last week. after that, life has been a little bit of a world wind! parties, dates, visits from friends, & good food - all with a festive flair : )

i think this post has too many photos of myself...maybe i should take some down... :/

sooo excited for this!!!
love this home : )
also, my friend olivia just made a music video! check it out here.

anyways, i hope you are all having a wonderful holiday season!! i probably won't be back blogging before christmas, so happy holidays!

replies:

two birds: hello! & thank you so much : ) & i've never seen a drive-through nativity! it is pretty neat.

nicola: awww thanks!! the paper went fine. i got an a-, but it was ok...i suppose...haha.

kendra: hello! yes europe! i will be traveling around london & southern england, as well as paris! how cool that you lived in london! that would be so amazing. & i know it will change my life, i can't wait!

brynna: exactly what i thought, see the pretty nativity by the warmth of your car - perfect : ) & thanks!

jane hyunjoo lee: hehe yay! wow! kimchi tofu burrito! i had one like that from a korean taco truck in los angeles once. so good!!

tara: awww thanks! yes, that would be awesome!

mieke willems: origami is very nice : )

keetee: awww! thanks keetee!! :D

em [the writer]: for sure!! & even more fun now, hehe ; )

thewanderingballoon: hello! thank you : ) i kind of love it too, hehe

this weekend i...

 spent some quality time with my papi eating dinner at rubios (love me the big burrito especial with no meat!)

 drank some hot chocolate while working on my last paper. (only analysis, results, & conclusion to go!)

 got dolled up with my new haircut (just added some layers : )) for church.

 taught my arts & crafts class origami ornaments. & we had a little holiday party with homemade cookies & ice tea.

went to a drive-through nativity story with live actors & animals. it was pretty neat!

replies:

jane hyunjoo lee: yes, europe!! i leave on january 8 for two weeks : ) uber excited.

pauline: isn't it amazing?! i don't know of any similar ones yet...& my research paper is on gender neutral parenting & parents' reactions to their children's gender non-conformity. can't wait for paris eee!

alexia: it is so inspiring! i've actually had the link to it for a while & just now posted it. & her glasses rock! thanks for the luck ;)

kailey: hello! thank you so much : )

almost

this little video is so inspiring! i just keep watching it over & over again.

i've been working on my last paper (which is actually a whole study that i compiled from start to finish - concept, research, literature review, finding participants, interviewing participants, analyzing data, etc.) for the past week. it's a lot of work, but each day i'm a little closer to being finished! it is due december 13, so by then i will be officially ready for the holidays!

planning my trip to europe with nicola is so exciting. i am seriously so stoked. we will be taking tons of photos to show you all & hopefully have more to add to here--and--there!

take care fellow bloggers & have a happy weekend!

p.s. i crossed the first thing off my list today!!

replies:

liz, amy, & danica : thanks : ) i really took time to think each item on my list through.

maggie shirley: yes do need to make one of those lists! let us all know when you do : ) & flipped is uber cute ;)

sarah~mechelle: thank you & they were very thought out! yes, you must make a list too. i didn't realize that you just had a birthday!! happy birthday!

missa!: i just drove on the freeway today! so i accomplished it! hehe. & i am losing 15 pounds because - 1. this is the heaviest i've ever been. 2. i am at the very edge of almost being overweight with my bmi. it's not that i feel self conscious about my weight, but i just want to be healthy : ) & maybe we should do number 15 together...

jane hyunjoo lee: it's challenging saying "yes" to more things since i am such an introvert! ;) & yes i do avocado on toast & a smoothie for breakfast hehe. so yummy!

lizzie: oh you have to let me know when you make a list! post it on your blog!

natalie: SIX!! so excited : ) & i wanted to do 21 this semester, but the pet deposit was too much :/

kait: awww thanks kait : ) but i do have reasons for the weight loss: 1. this is the heaviest i've ever been. 2. i am at the very edge of almost being overweight with my bmi. it's not that i feel self conscious about my weight, but i just want to be healthy : ) so, one whole year to lose 15 pounds is pretty reasonable i think!

nicola: thanks : ) i feel much better now.

alexia: yes, you must see submarine! it's quite entertaining in a quirky way ;)

24 things to do before i turn 25

source

1. travel in europe (1/8/12-1/22/12)
2. make a zine
3. develop etsy shop
4. finish my crochet blanket
5. loose 15 pounds
6. meet bloggers!!! : ) (1/9/12 met nicola) (1/14/12 met charlotte & mandy)
7. write in my moleskine more
8. say "yes" to more things
9. spend less time on the internet
10. make more things instead of buying them
11. read at least 3 books for pleasure (extremely loud & incredibly close, the hunger games, the girl's guide to hunting & fishing)
12. become more involved with community (my new science engineering & technology job)
13. go on more dates (12/16/11) (12/30/11) (& much more! because i have him)
14. buy a pair of black heels with red soles
15. visit cameron's accident site
16. figure out what to do after graduation
17. have a hearing & defend my thesis (5/11/12)
18. drive on the freeway (12/9/11 drove from the dentist to michaels)
19. bake a pie (2/25/12 strawberry raspberry pie)
20. add more audio books to my ipod (the fault in our stars)
21. adopt a kitten
22. develop 120 film from diana
23. get felix a castle (or something else for him to enjoy) (2/29/12)
24. go through & donate my clothes

couch

 just a few looks into my kitchen. breakfast of smoothies & avocado on toast. delicious!

i've been sick for the past two days (even missing school!). i've been camping out on the couch drinking tea while watching movies & tv shows with the tissue box nearby. i have one more paper to write before i am done with school this semester, but i've been too sick to do anything but veg out with computer. anyways, here are a few films & a tv show i've enjoyed recently!

 flipped 

 submarine

pan am

i hope i get better soon so i can get this paper over with & start to enjoy the holiday season!

replies:

brit: thanks brit : ) it was hard choosing the frames, especially since they were a little out of my budget being juicy couture, but i really liked them so i called them my birthday present to myself : )

shelbyisms: oh my goodness shelby!! that is a lot of dinners!! i though surviving three was a lot lol.

jane hyunjoo lee: thank you! black friday shopping is tradition in my family, so missing it was not an option hehe. but online shopping at urban sounds fun!!

keetee: yes! i love the idea that we actually have certain foods that are usually on every table in america on thanksgiving : ) & i never thought of what my apartment smells like! haha i wonder now too...lol. my mom bought me all of those pumpkins & gourds for really cheap at a farm. thanks to her the apartment looked quite lovely. it would be so neat if we could go shopping together!!

tara: thank you : ) !! you are so sweet.

nicola: hehe thanks : )

make it easy: thank you! hope yours was good too!

jazzy e (hivenn): thank you! happy belated thanksgiving to you too : )

brynna: thank you!! i know...i don't think i really like this idea of feeling older. haha. i literally just finished my list & it will be in my next post : ) can't wait to see yours!

juliet winter: hello! yes, i can't wait to go there. just about to book the flat i'll be staying at in january : )

thanksgiving

i had a few people over the apartment for a little thanksgiving meal on wednesday. moved the furniture around to make space for an extra table. i thought it turned out quite nicely : )
traveled home to my parent's for the thanksgiving weekend & had two more thanksgiving dinners! my tummy & taste buds were happy.
then it was off at midnight for black friday shopping at target! went home & slept for a couple of hours & then made the usual rounds to urban outfitters, jeremy's (a designer discount), & anthropologie. i got some great great deals (like a $120 black leather the sak purse for $20 & a cute $58 anthro top for $10).

i haven't been blogging for quite a while as i have been overwhelmed with thesis work : ( but hopefully i can get back into some kind of regular blogging schedule.
i added a birthday post (below) as i turned 24 earlier this month so that covers a little of what has been going on in my life.

lastly, but definitely not least(!), i was interviewed!! lovely tara has a neat series of blogger interviews & decided to ask yours truly some questions! you can read all about it here.

i hope your thanksgiving was legit & you enjoy your weekend!

replies:

that kate: thank you! i love the sentimental feeling from them.

sarah~mechelle: thanks! i do get kind of crazy eyed at the end of the day, but i try to take regular breaks : )

amy: i love how the paint colors look on the cardboard!

natalie: that's so true natalie! especially when i don't know who owned an item before me, i think of all the travels & adventures it has had : )

ada beth croft: hello! thank you : ) i hope you visit again soon. i love how the metallic paint looks on the cardboard.

aren: thanks aren! i am not the best artist, but i love to try! haha. & "unearthing old gems" is a great way to put it!

carissa clark: hehe thanks : ) my birthday is on the 14th! yay for november birthdays!! i love finding more november birthday people. it's a great time to have a birthday.

keetee: hello! yay!! i'm so excited that you can leave comments now : ) makes me happy. happy november!

jocelyn: hello! thanks so much : ) but i must admit that i didn't actually create the playlist. i found it on tumblr, but i seriously love the music on it! music soulmates -- love it : ) & loving rosie golan's can't go back! listening to it right now...

jane hyunjoo lee: thank you! & i do feel better! the scabs are almost all gone & my knees aren't that sore anymore : )

24

 i turned 24 a few days ago! i had part of my thesis due, so i didn't do too much to celebrate, but it still felt like my day : ) i'm starting to really feel old...which is not good! haha.
i got a cute little birthday package from nicola! i loved the card. that's going to be us in london in two months! i also got a lovely card from amy : )
i'm compiling a list to do before i turn 25. i will share it soon : )

i treated myself to new frames! i usually wear contacts & my last pair of glasses were about 5 years old. my eyes had changed (worse!) so i thought it was about time to get a new pair : )

last week

 last weekend when i was visiting my parents, my mom sent me home with a collection of dishes she found while sorting through my grandmother's things. they are beautiful vintage & i am so happy with such a treasure.

the past week has been a tough one. my days consist of waking up early & then going straight to working on my thesis. i type & research until late at night. i even eat meals in front of the computer. it's been crazy for sure.

also last weekend, i had my arts & crafts group. lizzie & i gave the girls the project of painting totem poles on cardboard. we got inspired by this lovely gal & her work. i think they turned out well!

 & it wasn't all girls this time! dylan, lizzie's boyfriend came to paint with us too.

lizzie was the master at totem pole painting!

                           
i painted a little owl : )

today, petunia & her husband are coming from out of town to visit me & see the apartment. excited to spend time with friends after a long, stressful week! i hope your weekend is going well!

replies:

amy: haha! amy i seriously laughed out loud to what you said: "the last time I bought almonds to use I ended up snaking on them..." sounds like something that would happen!

natalie: you must have experience with scraped knees, being a runner! not that you fall a lot. wow. haha let me take the foot out of my mouth now. anyways, it makes me feel better you know how it feels? does that make sense? haha anyways, thanks : )

nicola: another friend said the same thing about it being an artsy photo with the blood & ripped nylons! haha i thought so too : )

linda: that playlist has some real gems for sure!

kayleigh: thanks kayleigh : ) enjoy the playlist!!

em [the writer]: i don't know why your comment isn't appearing on my blog, but i got it in my email! anyways, my favorite songs on it would have to be 3 & 8 & of course welcome home! i had that song playing on my blog for a while : )

janis: hello! & i hope you like the songs!