Notes & Sojourns

Pretty Clothes

2012-03-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Perusing lady-like fashions for my summer internship :-)

1. Pretty Penny's new line via Wit + Delight

2. Shoes to drool over via Ill Seen, Ill Said

3. Marion and Lindie Autumn/Winter 2012 via Lanalou

4. Junkaholique's new Opaque Rings

5. Current/Elliot Spring 2012 via CaliVintage

Baking Bits

2012-03-09T09:38:00.002-08:00

Last week, I made Espresso Triple Chocolate Brownies with a Nutella Buttercream Frosting for my Sunday Library-Goers as a little encouragement for our torts midterm. So now I'm back on a baking kick :-)

Strawberries + Cream Pie via Spoon Fork Bacon

Blue Moon Cupcakes via Spoon Fork Bacon

Chocolate Chess Pie Pops from my friend Carrie at South by San Francisco

Earl Grey Chocolate Cake by Shutterbean

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles by Brunch at Saks

{Music} Indie-Folk: Bird Courage, Beach House, Alexi Murdoch

2012-03-08T09:29:00.001-08:00

I've been all over the place. I'll update later, but I'm off to Bikram!

Here are some saving graces:

A Promising Flee by Bird Courage

{Music Monday} Skrillex - Cinema

2012-02-13T11:10:00.001-08:00

Yes. Rain. I finally get to wear my trenchcoat today :-)

In the library, doing work I probably should have done over the weekend, which was beautifully relaxing and included brunch yesterday with Seda and Meri (yum crepes) and then dinner with Katherine and Paul and the fam (Steak and guinness pie and red wine. Win)

Tonight, probs a pub trivia night, coffee with Devon and maybe a Lady Danville show if I can keep my energy up.

xoxo

Addicted:

Friday Festivities

2012-02-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

This week has been, well, crazy. Amidst mock interviews (fun), being cold-called when I had accidentally done the wrong reading (nerve-wracking,) catching up about wedding plans with Rahia over wine and cheese (exciting), and schoolwork/gym/volunteering (exhausting), I received news that my grandmother on my dad's side, Melba Lorene Bissell, had passed away. Grandma had been sick for a bit, but it was still a shock; she was one of the sweetest and compassionate people in my life and I will miss her. I'm relieved that she is no longer in pain and in a better place. Love you, Grandma <3.

The photo below is from the late-50s. That's my grandma with my dad on the far right, and my uncles Jeff and Craig :-).

So by the time Friday rolled around, I needed some relaxation. After studying at the libs a bit, Gillian, Anthony, Michael, Evan, and I went for a beer at Trader Vics at LA Live, which has very entertaining decor. It was the first time in two weeks I had gotten off campus with law school amigos just to chill so it was really fun to chat, gossip, whine, etc.

Then my old friend Jeffy-poo, who knows where all the best restaurants are, picked me up and we went to Baco Mercat, this new tapas style restaurant in Old Bank District of DTLA. We had to wait a bit, but the food was phenomenal. We order the King Mushroom, the "Ham, Egg, and Cheese" flatbread (which had ricotta, pancetta, and egg), and the Original Sandwich, made with pork belly. I had a glass of the house red (slightly acidic, but doable) and Jeff had the ginger-pop (I could drink this all day, everyday). My fave dish was the original sandwich, which had such a complex flavor and was perfectly cooked.

Then Jeff and I hit Syrup for a Nutella hot chocolate for me and a Vietnamese Iced Coffee for him. It was amazing. Until I realized they had overcharged me by $70(!) on my credit card and had to drive back to have them void the sale. And then, on top of all that, they had the audacity to ask to swipe my card again to charge me. Um. No. On top of overcharging me, having me drive back, wait while the barista chatted with a only-moderately-attractive patron, and making me wait longer to have you figure out the card machine while my friend is circling the block, YOU WANT ME TO PAY AGAIN??? I politely told them that I didn't think it was unreasonable to be comp'ed for the my drink and peaced the eff out. It was good, but certainly not worth the below-par service and the inconvenience they caused me.

Despite that, I had a great Friday night and got to come home and cuddle with the fam.

Today's itinerary includes shopping with my mom, yoga, coffee with Priyah, a night out with the roommates and getting that torts outline done. Tomorrow, brunch with Seda, Meri, and Araksya and dinner with the fam and Katherine and Paul. I'm so lucky to have such amazingly supportive and funny friends. <3 <3 <3

Puppies on the Town

2012-01-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

After Jason and I took the pups on the trails, we took them to Sophie's Barkery for some special treats. They were lovely in the store and gave my massive canines huge samples. So we purchased pumpkin loaves and salmon pupovers, which the puppies promptly devoured.
<3

Behaving surprisingly well in the store:

Demon dog:

New Study Music

2012-01-30T18:45:00.000-08:00

Life Lately

2012-01-29T11:43:00.000-08:00

Wow, I think this is first time since I started my blog that I've gone without reading. Memo writing and school have been keeping me busy, but hopefully this week, I'll get back on track.

Last week, I also started my volunteering at a domestic violence clinic, had a doctor's appt, started actually integrating the gym into my sched, met Tawsh and Grant for dinner at Planet Raw (not nearly as good as Real Food Daily,) got to kick it with Brett on Third Street and see Stephanie afterwards for some girltalk.

Also last Sunday, Paige and I saw A Dangerous Method with Keira Knightly, Michael Fassbender, and Viggo Mortenson. It tells the story of the sex-obsessed patient that drove the theories and friendship of Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud apart. I was blown away. Keira Knightly has never impressed me with her lack of range of facial expressions. But her performance was phenomenal and the story was interesting. I highly recommend it.

Friday night, I met my old roomies, Seda, Aline, and Alene at Kaffe Rouge for some hookah and hummus ("Is that hummus?") My ribs hurt from laughing so hard. I love them so much.

Yesterday, hit up the Spanish Kitchen for margaritas and sweet corn tamales for G's birthday! And then a couple of bars in WeHo with law school peeps. I have to say that we are so much fun generally, but a riot when we're not laden with books and case briefs. :-)

Today, laundry, puppies(!), and yoga. And of course, reading.

Looking forward to seeing Rahia and Kels this week. xoox
Anywho, some things that have been keeping me happy.

1. Lauren Moffat's Spring Line

2. New recipes:

Salted Nutella Tarts
Rose Water Glitter Cakes
Apricot Coconut Energy Bars
New hot chocolate recipes via Honey Kennedy - must try lavender as well as orange blossom and cardamom

3. The new Sessun line

4. Coachella Outfits

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5. Its that time again - tattoos?

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So glad this week is over...

2012-01-20T19:56:00.001-08:00

Drinking a glass of merlot, reading Vogue, and listening to this:

So glad i have the weekend to sort my life out.

{Music} Soundtrack to SF

2012-01-17T11:07:00.000-08:00

Back at the library. Eating my lunch. Just bought my books. Filling out my planner. Back to school, beezies.

Some songs that remind me of my epic trip to SF. xoxo.

SF Food Tour, Part 2: The Grove, Philz, Humphrey Slocombe

2012-01-16T09:44:00.000-08:00

As I posted yesterday, Rob and I trotted around the city inhaling the best food while waiting for Carrie to get off work. On Friday, we enjoyed french toast and huevos rancheros at the Grove and Ambrosia Coffee from Philz followed by a scoop of brown sugar fennel and a scoop of roasted white chocolate lavender ice cream from Humphrey Slocombe. I think my favorite of the delicious treats was the lavender ice cream. HS is one of my favorite places in the city and I'm happy that I got a chance to go back again. :-)

Ritual Coffee and Senor Sisig

2012-01-15T18:21:00.000-08:00

Rob took me on a tasting tour of SF the past couple of days. Last Thursday, we strolled around Hayes Valley with the most phenomenal soy lattes from Ritual and sat in the park soaking up the SF sun. After building up an appetite, we headed to Senor Sisig, the famed Filipino food truck, and had pork burritos - California-style. Holy mother of god, it was delicious, especially with Royal soda. If you're in SF, you must try Senor Sisig. The pork was crispy and flavorful and the ingredients fresh. Yummmmmmm.

{Music} Peter Peter

2012-01-11T11:32:00.000-08:00

I'm getting ready for SF at the moment, packing and listening to this song by Peter Peter featuring Coeur de Pirate. Love:

I've been hitting up the gym everyday which is keeping me so zen. I've realized that when I don't channel my energy productively I have major issues.

Ugh now I have to kill a few hours until my flight but I don't what to dooooooo.

However, for you entertainment, here is a clip from my cousin's and my impromptu and somewhat painful rendition of "Rolling in the Deep." As you can see, I take this shiz seriously.

I love the "waho" part as well as my 11-year-old cousin saying "I have a really high voice."

Sunday Extravaganza

2012-01-09T10:53:00.000-08:00

After a week in snowy Ohio of cosiness and lots of sleep and celebration, I was ready for some outdoor activity and yesterday, fit the bill fo sho.

The day started out with a trail walk at 7:30am with Kels and then I headed out to LA to pick up Paige-poo for brunch at the Omelette Parlor. Paige got the waffles (which were so incredibly good) and sides, and I had the California Benedict with pesto, avocado, and hollandaise - yum! Also the service was great and it is such a great spot for a Sunday brunch on the patio.

After that, we picked up an iced americano at Groundworks. Groundworks is a sweet, small space with organic coffee and beans and a wide variety of teas. I need to go back to do some more taste-tasting. The iced Americano was extremely smooth and perfectly made; I'll have to take Rob there when he comes down again. We then perused the farmer's market, where we saw some goats, newborn twins, and lots of doggies.

At 12:30, we met up with G at YogaPoser at Fred Segal. G and I got a legit GroupOn for this new little studio - 20 classes for $20. AMAZING. It was a foundations course and it was good to be reminded of my alignment and position to make sure I make the most out of my yoga practice. It was much more upper body strength orientated with downward dogs and chaturangas, the latter having always been my weakness. Since I've been doing mostly Bikram which has less inverted poses and also warms up your body for you, it was refreshing to go back a yoga I haven't done in a while. Certainly excited to go back.

After yoga, G, Paige, and I picked up our fourth musketeer, Steph at her apt, and we hightailed it over to Mandeville Canyon, which was a hike recommended by my former boss/bffl/hiking extraordinaire Rox. It is a four mile hike with an elevation of 1000 ft and it has the MOST GORGEOUS views of LA. Plus, it was a relatively clear day, so it was even more breath-taking. Def doing it again and maybe taking the pups :-)

Shit Girls Do: take yoga posing photos on hilltops.

After dropping off the amigitas, Paige and I realized we were starving and hit up Hikari Sushi in Santa Monica for some rolls, including the crunchy philly roll, the hot night roll, the spider roll and one more that i can't remember that we inhaled because we were ravenous. Literally, we polished off that meal in about 6 minutes.

We wandered around for a bit at the must-sees, i.e. VS for their semi-annual sale and then Anthro of course. And were about to head home when wer saw that that LAEMMELE, the indie movie theater on Second Street, was showing the new Michael Fassbender/Carey Mulligan movie about sex addiction, AND it was student night. Obviously we had to take advantage so we bought tickets. Since we had an hour to kill, we went to the Ye Old King's Head, where we indulged in the Santa Monica Pale Ale, extremely refreshing, and a Nicaraguan tourist regaled us with stories of why boys are stupid.

And our night was really just beginning. After finishing our beers, we watched the highly intense, extremely well-acted, and beautifully shot "Shame." I def wasn't prepared for the seriousness of the film, but it is def a movie to see. Then Paige and I went to the bathroom, where we (no big deal), ran into Freida Pinto from Slumdog Millionaire and then outside, met Dev Patel, also from the movie and Freida's real-life bf. Notes on this: Dev Patel is adorable and way taller than I expected. Freida has the most amazing skin and is also the tiniest person I've ever seen. I almost died/brown pride/holy shit.

Then I drove Paige home and collapsed into bed and woke up this morning feeling sore and happy. A good day, my friends, a very good day.

{Music} First Aid Kit - Emmylou

2012-01-07T14:53:00.000-08:00

Spent yesterday drinking echinacea tea and watching episodes of Law and Order: SVU in an effort to recover. But then got extreme cabin fever and went to Barnes and Nobles to peruse new fiction options and then saw the newest Sherlock Holmes movie with my bro, which I liked a lot. It's not the best movie ever made, but entertaining with a perfect balance of action and "history."

Today is chill. Hoping to muster up the energy to hit the gym. Also caught up on some correspondence and the orthodontist (so fun.)

Tomorrow is going to be a fun day, including a trail walk with Kels, brunch with Paige, yoga with Gillian, and hopefully a hike with Steph. Yay productivity.

Also getting prepared for my trip to SF on Tuesday and thinking about how to revamp my study habits for law school.
My goals:
1. Less reading notes; more practice problems
2. Start outlining even earlier/memorizing (esp. the latter)
3. No going out during the week
4. No surfing the internet during class

All that is totally manageable. I am feeling okay about my grades thus far, but anything less than perfect obviously leaves room for improvement, especially when I feel like I haven't reached my potential.

Moving on from that boring stuff - new music video from First Aid Kit. Love it - Enjoy!

Recuperating

2012-01-06T08:47:00.000-08:00

My plane ride did a number on my immune system. So I've cancelled all my plans to stay in bed and sleep. And catch up on Perez Hilton - don't judge.

But I discovered this gem from a NYC subway impromptu jam sesh. Wonderful.

Also the slowed-down version of "Superbass," sooooo boyband. love it.

New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

I'm still in Ohio with my wonderful family. I'll do updates later because I just want to focus on spending as much time with my family as possible.

I'll be back on Thursday so expect more from me then, but until then here is a brief list of my goals for this year :-)

1. Yoga twice a week
2. A photo a day
3. Start volunteering again (beginning at the Inglewood Domestic Violence Clinic)
4. Handwrite and send a letter by snailmail once a month
5. Travel somewhere new (maybe India in December)
6. Spend less on clothing
7. A new recipe a week :-)
8. Finish my novel by the end of the year
9. Spend more time more efficiently at the library.
10. Blog more regularly and more fully.

Chillin at the table with the Cheema family :-)

First Days of Vacation

2011-12-20T11:17:00.000-08:00

Last night was the first night that I slept more than five hours since vacation started and I'm raring to go. Laundry, cleaning, coffee dates, shopping, blogging, working, reading, etc - so much to do without studying!

The first group of photos are from Friday night with my law school girls, G, Vivs and Christable, before we went to Eden. The became increasingly more dramatic (note to self: patron is not my friend) but overall, I think we had a good time :-)

the second group was our Italian dinner at Tawsh's. I got to hang out with my loves, Rob, Jas, Grant, Tawsh, Dalit (the funniest person on earth), Ben, Shosh, and Grant for an amazing evening of laughs and memories and cuddling. It made me so happy! Shosh is moving at this moment to Israel and it was such a great experience to talk about the transition and excitement and it certainly is making me feel like I got bit by a travel bug again :-)

Off to coffee with Megan (to talk about her recent engagement!) and drinks with Nat for a much-needed catch up sesh.

<3

{Music Monday} Playing Catch Up - Radiohead, Vanaprasta, James Blake and More

2011-12-19T18:21:00.000-08:00

Eventful vacation thus far. Hit up Eden in Hollywood with my girls Aviva, Gillian, and Christable on Friday and then did a hike with Kels, followed by some relaxation with the family. Yesterday, I attended a lawyerly cocktail party with my friend Katie and then my bro and I stayed the night at Tawsh's with Grant, Rob, Dalit, and Shosh. Tawsh and I made dinner for the crew, including mushroom and broccoli pasta in a cream sauce and a salad with pom seeds and goat cheese - yum. I'll post pics of all this weekend later, but here are some choice tunes I've been loving lately.

New Radiohead - I don't really need to say anything else.

radiohead - staircase by anromagnoli

Greg introduced me to Vanaprasta - LOVE:
Nine Equals Nine by Vanaprasta

I just can't give up my folk-pop
Lady Wisconsin by Local Hero!

I'm kindddd offff getting into more "rock-y" music.
Sweet Sour by Band of Skulls

Definitely more summer-y, but I live in California and we don't really have seasons, so whatevs.
The Dogs - We Don't Have To Do Anything by stlmusiciansunite

Perfect for this dreary weather:

Lana Del Rey Born To Die (Gemini Remix) by ExtinctionDubstep

*Google readers need to click through :-)

Oh to have a life again...

2011-12-16T12:51:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and thought to myself, what do I do today when I don't have to go straight to the library?

Answer?

Gym
Haircut
Mani/Pedi
Blog
Clean my room/car
Thing about jobs apps
Plan for Vegas, Ohio and SF
Christmas shopping
Editing photos
AND
catching up on blogging!

Yesterday was my last final and it was civil procedure. Civil procedure is technically easy, but the test was a lot of multiple choice which tends to throw me for a loop. But following the test, my section and I sprinted to the Yardhouse for beers, pizza and nachos. G and I then chilled at her apt before we went our separate ways for dinner on the westside. I met Jason, Rob, Kat, Tawsh, Grant, Jeff, Will, Veronica, Anna, and Zubeida at West Fourth and Jane, a new gastropub with a great selection of beers. I got a Sculpin IPA, which hit the spot. Then we headed to Ye Old King's Head for beers and people and watching and I got a guinness. It was funny that yesterday also marked my masters grad in London, which I obvs couldn't make because I was torturing myself with a civpro exam, AND I ended up drinking guinness in a pub.

It was amazing to have Tawsh and Grant back from Costa Rica! I have missed them so much. And they had exciting news: they are moving to SF in Jan! Which is bittersweet as I'll miss them terribly, but it just gives me another reason to move to/visit to SF.

Today is lunch with Rob, Jas and Kat. Then a haircut and maybe a mani-pedi and then hitting up Hollywood for a party or two. I have more updates, but people are rushing me to shower and meet them. But here are some photos from the week:

{Music Monday} Blonde Redhead + Devastations

2011-12-12T19:43:00.000-08:00

Today was my property exam. The prof told us we would have four hours for 50 MC questions and an essay. We only had three. I feel okay about it, but I'm also on my second glass of pinot noir. About to crash, but looking forward to cozy cafe civ pro studying and enjoying the rain tomorrow. AND ROB IS IN TOWN! And coming for dinner tomorrow. And Vegas next week. And a bar review on Friday and more friends and fun (and an ortho appt this weekend.)

This song is chilling me out. I need it.

{Inspiration Wednesdays}

2011-12-07T19:05:00.001-08:00

This week has certainly had some emotional turmoil amongst tests and real life. But today was sweet as I spend most of it in the kitchen. I made bulgogi chicken tacos with a radish-jalapeno salsa for lunch. Then I perfected my lavender sea salt caramel cookies by substituting shortbread for pie crust to counteract the sweetness and working on a little sweet treat for my law school peeps for our contracts exam tomorrow. I'm feeling okay about it as long as I can keep track of all those nuances.

In other news, I'm seeing Kat tomorrow for drinks in DTF which will legit make my week. This weekend will be fun with property studying (jk). Actually, my aunt and the munchkins are coming down this weekend and Aunt Mote and I are attending her work holiday party. And we have a dinner with Katherine planned, which is always a fave. Best news ever is that my bffl Rob may come down next week, which I can hardly contain my hope and excitement for(!)

I'm hoping I can squeeze a little time out this weekend to check out the Renegade Craft Fair, but I have to relearn the Rule Against Perpetuaties, so we'll see about that. Content with work, life, and mis amigos though so most definitely a happy camper, esp. with the scent of sweet, triple chocolate brownies wafting toward me. Win.

1. Photos of Florence by Tom Beard via Flowerchild Dwelling

2. Rue Holiday issue is out! I want everything on this page:

3. This cute photo from a truly intriguing subject

4. Shot of LA by John Williams via Una Bella Vita

5. So into lace and tulle. The first photo is from this is glamorous and the latter ones are from A Cup of Jo.

6. VB's spring line. Love.

7. I want to join this Rare Beer Club

8. Incredible photos of animals from 2011.

9. And some pinning:

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Finals in Photos

2011-12-06T11:18:00.000-08:00

I'm half dead after my crim final yesterday, but at the libs and then meeting Vivs for some studying at Urth. Rough couple of days, minus my lavender caramel sea salt cookies, which I think were a hit with my class - I'll post more on that later :-)

Here are some snapshots of the last week and my Flo song of the moment:

Coffee at Larchmont :-)

Viv's legit shoes.
Post-exam Speakeasy IPA
More coffee and outlining :-)

World AIDs Day

2011-12-01T22:38:00.000-08:00

Is today.

HIV/AIDs awareness is a cause close to my heart.

{Inspiration Wednesdays} Gift Guide...

2011-11-30T09:04:00.002-08:00

For me... It's almost December which means I'm going to be super-irritating and start paging through cyberspace for all my wants and desires. (Then I'll move onto everyone else's desires and a gift guide for them :-) ) I most certainly need a few breaks here and there between finals; the first one is Monday and my hair is greying at a rapid pace. Yesterday was a doozy - 11 hours straight of contracts and civpro... today will be slightly more mellow; in fact, I haven't even sorted out what it is I want to do. But definitely on the sched is a study sesh at Larchmont with Vivs and dinner with Katie as a library break.

The other big news of the day is that the family and I are headed to Cincinatti to visit two aunts, two uncles, six cousins, a new-born second cousin and a menagerie of animales! This is the first time that Jason, my mom and I have actually traveled together on a plane since Jason and I were independent creatures, so it should be fun and... fun. But I am so excited and also planning a trip up to NorCal before school starts Jan 17. At least there is looking like a life after finals.

Anyway, back to other things I want (in addition to a pony):

The Row Toms ($140) - so luxe and extravagant. I would never buy these myself. Because that would be a waste of money, but as a gift? Perfect.

Marais Mary Jane Flats ($96) - totally goes with my new prim and proper ambitions.

Yoga Pass at Purple Yoga. New Year's Resolution Time.

Michael Kors Wristlet ($79.95) - I actually just need this.

Ten Things Bracelet ($24) - Stocking Stuffer?

Coffee Beans from Verve (Santa Cruz), Nude (London), Sumptown (Portland)

Coach boyfriend rose gold crystal bracelet ($348) - please?

Fragrance Sampler from Sephora ($50) - I need to find a new scent.

More from Etsy: baby owl earrings ($15), love ring ($75), detox handmade soap set ($20)

{Music Monday} White Arrows

2011-11-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

Foster the People-esque, but I much prefer White Arrows. A diverse mix of songs perfect for... practice contracts exams. I had such a good weekend with trail running with Kels, pumpkin mochas from Starbucks, yoga, finishing up cover letters and practice crim exams. That and some much needed sleep, good movies and relaxation with the family. Currently, G and I are at the libs with a laundry list of things to do, but if we do well, then we are hitting up the Yardhouse for a happy hour IPA.

White Arrows by Amber Bissell on Grooveshark

Grateful.

2011-11-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

Even though Thanksgiving can be seen as hallmark holiday, it's always been an important to my family, because it's just about the food and being together. Last year was interesting, I was in London and Becky was with me, which was so fun. But we dragged Leiley to a restaurant in Covent Garden doing Thanksgiving dinner and it was dismal with half-cooked brussel sprouts and this weird stuffing patty. Needless to say, being at home is <3. Cool melodramatic moment, but I want to use today today to remind myself what I'm grateful for. Despite my whining, there is so much that I am grateful for.

1. My family: Yeah. They are legit and that has to be the biggest understatement of the year. They drive me insane, support me even when I'm being an idiot, constantly challenge me, feed me well and make me laugh every day until my ribs hurt. Moving back home with my mom, brother and aunt seemed daunting and it has had it's ups and downs, but certainly more ups than anything else. Being older and just slightly more mature has made me appreciate how much I have when I come home to them every night. I'm grateful for those moments in the morning when my mom and I drink coffee together and laugh at the GOP and her never-ending witty/snarky support. I love my brother and how sweet he is and how he tucks me in at night. I love my Aunt Tray for her zany ways and how she keeps my secrets. I love my dad for his imperviousness to my bitchiness and his generally chill ways. I love my Aunt Mote for being little and packing a punch, and always being proud of me. I'm thankful that we have a new addition to our family, my cousin, Jesspreet's new baby boy! I'm thankful for all my mom's sisters and the opportunity I had this year to reunite with my Aunt Jyoti and Uncle Vic over pancakes in London :-). I'm thankful for the time I got to spend with my inspirational cousin, Aniela, and her children. I am so lucky to have the family that I have, despite my complaining and idiocy. I could not ask for a funnier, more supportive, more intelligent bunch of crazies :-)

2. My friends: Cool this is going to be a long one. Let me start with my London Loves: Maya, Leiley, Elisa, Alexandra, Cailin, and Sam Slama (although she was in Paris - lolz.) Being that far from home was a new one for me, but these group of girls made it the best year of my life, with trips to Ibiza, to France, to Brighton, to ever club in London, to the ER, and to the police station. The bottles of wine we shared, the shopping trips, the nights of gossip, the Skype conference calls... Wandering London and Europe with them were some of the most phenomenal memories I will ever have.

Uh so I'm realizing that there are so many things to be thankful. So I'm going to start listing.
I'm thankful for my roommates from college and their humor. I'm thankful for my SAA loves, Cassi and Alexis, among others who known me too well for their own good. I am thankful for reuniting with some friends this year, including Nathalie and Steph.

I am thankful for my law school mentors and idols: Katie, Rahia, Cristina, Matt and Ian.

I am thankful for my Santa Cruz loves: Rob, Max, Grant, Tawsh, Scott, Emil, Kat, Benny, Leah, among others :-)

I am thankful for Sara, Carrie, Lexi, Lauren, Aimee, Kelsey, Becky and Jacob.

I am thankful for my law school friends, including Aviva and Gillian, who keep me grounded and caffeinated :-)

3. My education: Doing my Masters and then finally receiving it last week(!). My year in London was one of growth, independence, and life-changing moments. I am also thankful to be at Loyola and having the opportunities that I do, the amazing professors and the humor of my classmates.

4. My travels: Every where I've traveled and every person I've met. LOVE.

5. I am also grateful for the most scrumptious meal at Katherine's last night with 21(!) amazing people, delicious food, including a phenom. pumpkin cheesecake, and PUPPIES! Katherine is an wonderful hostess and I know my family always feel so welcomed in her home.

Sparkle Time

2011-11-22T21:21:00.000-08:00

I just spent 6 hours going over outlines with Vivs at Urth and then we followed that up with a glass of wine at Cork Bar. Definitely needed. I can't really talk right now because my brain is so tired. But yay sparkles?

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{Music Monday} New Feist, Ingrid & Zoe Boekbinder

2011-11-21T08:24:00.000-08:00

I'm about to go into hibernation for finals, so I'm uber-excited I found some legit study music.
First up is Feist's new music video for "How Come You Never Go There."

Then my girl Ingrid has this new heart-breakingly gorgeous song, "Ghost," out.

And most definitely loving Zoe Boekbinder, especially the song "Typewriter."
Enjoy!
Zoe Boekbinder by Amber Bissell on Grooveshark

In other news, how legit was J.Lo's performance at the AMA's last night?

Sunday Studying & {Music} Alex Clare

2011-11-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

Being the sick individual I am, I'm enjoying my studying today with turkish coffee and this song:

Caroline by Alex Clare.
Um in love. Alex Clare is from the UK and has that Aloe Blaac soul I adore.

In other news, I'm finishing up outline, baking cookies, and trying to motivate myself to do some freelance work. Also had made the decision to actively market this little creative space of mine. I definitely keep this blog going to catalog all things I love and as my personal travel/lifestyle journal. But I think other people would enjoy it too, right? Maybe. Lol, so I thought I would give it a shot :-)

Friday was busy. After a long day studying at the library and being highly confused over Mistake of Fact and Strict Liability, Priyah and I had dinner at The Farm, complete with that delish truffled Mac and Cheese and the Ahi 3-ways, which included crepe-wrapped ahi, ahi tartare, and pepper-crusted ahi with a salad with a Ponzu sauce and a fire-roasted tomato salsa thing. Love food. Seeing Priyah was sooooooo fun, we bonded over our general heartlessness, melodrama and humor.

Yesterday was a relaxing day. Start off with an early morning hike with Kelsey and then came home and did some pleasure reading. Jason and I caught up over peppermint mochas as part of Starbucks BoGo while my mom got a manicure :-). Then we headed out for Vietnamese food at Kim Loan in Fullerton. We used to go there all the time for frogs legs (which my mom said was chicken #liar,) but we hadn't been in ages. We split the special pho, fried vietnamese rolls, spicy beef with lemon grass, vermicelli noodles, sweet and spicy chicken, lettuce wraps, BBQ shrimp... and tons of other stuff. YUM.

Then we rented "The Conspirator," which has a tremendous cast, including James McAvoy, Kevin Kline, Robin Wright-Penn, Alexis Bledel, etc. Directed by Robert Redford, it tells the story behind the trial of one of the alleged Lincoln assassination conspirators, Mary Surratt, boarding house owner and mother of another alleged conspirator, John Surratt. Mary is played by Wright-Penn and McAvoy players her lawyer. I loved it, especially the interweaving of the mother/child storyline, the historial fiction and very timely Constitutional issues. I highly recommend watching it.

Also on my list to see at some point this weekend is "Martha, Marcy, May, Marlene," which I have been talking about non-stop and "Twilight: Breaking Dawn." Don't judge me.

xoxo

Sometimes You Just Need a Pick Me Up...

2011-11-17T21:19:00.001-08:00

This week has been full of ups and downs and today was a little easier as far as that was concerned. I just had one class, came home, did the Starbucks BoGo with Gillian, napped, did yoga, had delicious saag for dinner and a glass of red wine and worked on my research memo. Now that's done and I'm breathing a little easier and am thankful that I can relax for the rest of the night. Tomorrow, I have a "business meeting," with my girl Karly at Intelligentsia (yay hipster boys!) and then planning on a "cheap ethnic dinner" with Priyah. I don't know why everything is in quotes, but just go with it. Apart from outlining this weekend, I have some wonderful things planned, including brunch with Scott and his gf on Saturday, trying to make macarons, and hanging out with Cass. Also debating the Blue and Gold Week Rally on Monday?

But back to business, more inspiration - because sometimes you just need it :-)

NYE Inspiration:

Source: mnopqrstuv.tumblr.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: zara.com via Amber on Pinterest

School Girl Chic Inspiration:

Source: zara.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: missmoss.co.za via Carrie on Pinterest

Source: hautelook.com via Ivy on Pinterest

Source: theshinysquirrel.tumblr.com via sfgirlbybay on Pinterest

{Inspiration Wednesdays}

2011-11-16T17:40:00.000-08:00

I want to pick up some red wine, cheap chinese and curl up in bed. I don't know why I'm feeling so tired, but I still have a little left to do at the library.

1. Gorgeous photos of my favorite Tumblr couple, Lyla & Blu. Can you believe they're just teenagers???

2. United Colors of Benetton's thought-provoking ad campaign for the UnHate Foundation: world leaders making out.

via Refinery 29

Barack Obama, President of the USA; Hugo Chávez President of Venezuela

3. Helpful How-To when it comes to SEO and your blog from Mint.

4. Via Oh Joy, gorgeous new looks from Club Monaco

5. Delicious Kabocha Ravioli with Toasted Hazelnut Cream Sauce from Spoon Fork Bacon. On the menu for this weekend.

6. Super-cool trailer for, "I Believe I Can Fly," a documentary on French daredevils, who tightrope walk between skyscrapers, cliff dive and do other things that make up my nightmares. via Cup of Jo.

I Believe I can Fly ( flight of the frenchies). Trailer from sebastien montaz-rosset on Vimeo.

7. Joan Didion's packing list from the English Muse. I can't wait to pick up her new book for winter break.

8. My new favorite song from Lil Wayne and B.o.B. - Strange Clouds. Two more minutes and I'll be able to rap the whole thing.

9. Motivation for getting through finals? Cute clothes.

Source: tumblr.com via Ellen on Pinterest

Source: shopbop.com via Amber on Pinterest

10. and Puppies?

Source: maltesemaniac.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: pinterest.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: dailypuppy.com via Amber on Pinterest

Pie Perfection.

2011-11-15T08:49:00.001-08:00

Pie Hole

714 Traction Ave.,

Downtown Los Angeles

When Carrie came down a couple of weekends ago, she was adamant that we check out the Pie Hole, a new pie place in downtown LA. So after enjoying the Getty, then eating at Sage, we toddled over to the Pie Hole and split a taste of the chocolate crostada with sea salt caramel topping. OH. MY. GOD.

So the Pie Hole is perfect. The decor is my new fave - industrial chic - with a mix of wood and aluminium and sweet DIY-ish details. We went around 7ish, which meant that most of their delectables had already sold out, but we lucked out with our pie. The Pie Hole is family-run and its completely evident by the friendliness of the staff and the obvious care that goes into each and every slice.

So onto the pie. The crust was interesting and I mean that it in a good/great way - it wasn't a traditional crust. Instead, it was had a more egg-y quality, thinner and more pliable. That sounds weird, but it complemented the chocolate filling, which sort of a brownie gooey goodness. I was telling my mom the other day that a lot of the chocolate, both in candy and desserts, that I have had since coming back from England has been disappointing and waxy. But this filling was rich, real, and perfectly cooked. And the sea salt caramel cut through the sweetness perfectly and woke up one's tastebuds.

During our inhalation of our pie, one of the Pie Hole "family members" approached us and asked how we liked it, to which I responded "I want to marry this pie." Cool. #alittletooexcited. But she was incredibly sweet and told us that if we had any critiques or suggestions that the Pie Hole would love to hear it. LOVE IT. The whole staff was so attentive and warm and they really cared about the quality of the food as well as how their customers felt.

Carrie and I were ready to move in. But seeing as we had beer to drink at Angel City Brewing (great cheap microbrews, but more on that later!), I settled on buying the two last banana nutella whoopie pies for Jason/breakfast. They were nicely sized and I didn't think you could make Nutella better. You can - by making it a buttercream filling.

I need to go back. Like right now. I'm drooling over my keyboard.

photos above from Piehole

Chocolate crostada with sea salt caramel topping c/o Oh Joy

{Music Monday} Oh Daughter

2011-11-14T07:43:00.000-08:00

Oh Daughter is comprised of London singer, Elena Tonra. Her melancholic sweetness was essential in my London playlists, especially "Run," and I'm so happy that she has released a few more songs. My favorite is currently "Medicine." Perfection. It reminds me of the changing seasons, warms beds, and mulled drinks :-)

Daughter - 'Medicine' (Taken from 'The Wild Youth' EP) by ohDaughter

Daughter - 'Home' (Taken from 'The Wild Youth' EP) by ohDaughter

Daughter - Love (taken from 'The Wild Youth EP') by ohDaughter

Daughter - Run (demo) by ohDaughter

{Wednesday Inspiration}

2011-11-09T12:12:00.000-08:00

A good week so far! Rahia and I took advantage of the $1 Coffee Bean deal yesterday and I got to sample the red velvet hot chocolate which was much more reminiscent of a marshmallow as well as the English toffee latte, which kept up until the wee hours of the night. Tonight, Aviva and I are planning a nice long study sesh with my personal goal being finishing my crim law outline. The rest of the week is looking much calmer than originally planned, but dinner with Rahia on Friday and an ortho appt on Saturday. Cool times guys, when the highlight of my weekend is picking out new colored rubber bands for my braces. Anyway, listen to the song below... Isn't it vaguely similar to Bon Iver's For Emma? Just a little? Lovesit. My favorite blogs, including SFgirlbybay and Cup of Jo, have been posting some amazing things lately, so check them out (a little sample is below :-) )
Hope everyone is having a great week!
xoxo

1. A favorite group and a new favorite song:

Of Monsters & Men-Lakehouse by Inepthenchman

2. Can someone teach me to dance like this?

3. Amazing - salon shots by Danish photographer Signe Vilstrup via Pretty Zoo

4. Wildflower ice cubes - a darling idea via Cup of Jo.

5. The Japanese home of Hitoshi Uchida as featured on the selby via SFgirlbybay

6. Los Angeles Conservancy hosts walking tours of Los Angeles. I want to go on the historic downtown one - who's coming with me?

Friday Afternoon at The Getty

2011-11-08T11:44:00.001-08:00

Carrie and I checked out the photo exhibit at the Getty after my class on Friday. Amazing, as was the view. Also, how adorbz is Car?

{Music Monday} Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials

2011-11-07T09:53:00.001-08:00

After an amazing weekend, including Bikram, vegan food, new Toms, pie tasting, microbrews, and thrifting with Nat, we woke up before dawn to get Carrie to LA. I've been at the library since 6:30am getting ready for the week and it's looking like a busy one :-)

Aviva is a godsend and is bringing me coffee, then we have a lunchtime speaker event:

"Laurel Kaufer is an attorney, mediator and arbitrator in Los Angeles, California. A UCLA and Loyola Law Alum (‘86), she has worked on resolving everything from construction and real estate to commercial disputes. One of Kaufer's most recent endeavors, (and the main topic of the meeting on Monday,) is Prison of Peace, a program through which she works with women serving life in a Maximum Security prison, teaching them communication and mediation skills in order to reduce the levels of violence in prison."

Then class time and dinner with our profs! Hopefully, I'll get back in time for a yoga class with Becky. :-)

Other plans this week include catching you all up on our weekend in LA/Fullerton as well as dinner with Rahia, finishing my crim outline, and catching up via email with my jetsetting amigos...

And of course I need a soundtrack for all of that, which is Florence + the Machine's Ceremonials. The best I could find in the sampling of the album on Soundcloud - the woman can do no wrong. Love her.

Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials by uidnewmediaberlin

Desert Shots from Halloween Weekend

2011-11-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

A few more shots from our riverbed walk earlier this week:

{Inspiration Wednesdays}

2011-11-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

1. In an effort to be more productive, I was tweeting and then found this site, 99 percent, which "is not about ideas, it's about making ideas happen." A lot of good info. Really into it. They have articles on motivation, organization, self-marketing, etc.

2. New food blog: Roost: A Simple Life. Gorg photography and recipes. I'm going to make the RIESLING POACHED PEAR TART WITH CHAI SPICED CUSTARD & ALMOND CRUST this weekend. Yum.

3. My obsession with puppies continues. Found via Cup of Jo, this app sends you puppy photos three times a day. OMG. My blood pressure just went down.

4. via East Side Bride come Pen & Ink drawings from Sylvia Plath. Amazing.

5. The new Madewell collection from Alexa Chung. I wish I made money. Photos for Lanalou.

6. Pinterest style inspiration:

Source: rainbowsalt.tumblr.com via Amadea on Pinterest

Source: dailycupofcouture.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: inspirafashion.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: sueswink.tumblr.com via Amber on Pinterest

Puppiez

2011-11-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

I'm obsessed. Sorry 'bout it. This weekend, my dad, brother and I took a "hike" with Jupiter and Jasper through the riverbed by Spring Valley Lake, but I was wearing flip-flops and those steep inclines to get down to the trail gave me heart palpitations. But it was so worth it for the photo ops with my munchkins.

{Music Monday} CocoRosie for a Spooky Halloween

2011-10-31T09:52:00.000-07:00

One of my favorites, I listen to CocoRosie all through the year. But for newbies to their music, these two sisters may be more suited for All Hallow's Eve. Enjoy! (Their music is gorgeous and addictive and I bet you'll be listening to it every day of the year!)

New Diana Lens

2011-10-30T21:47:00.001-07:00

I ordered a Diana lens and adapter from Lomography and did some experimenting this weekend. I used it in harsh noon light and I'm liking the outcome for the most part. I need to spend some more time playing with the settings, but it has certainly offered some much-needed inspiration :-)

More Urth and Real Food Daily

2011-10-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

Cool, I've been to Urth more than I've been to the library this week. But it's been good for my soul :-) I just can't get enough of the Spanish lattes so Vivs and I studied there on Tuesday and got a cheese platter (brain food obvs.)

Yesterday, I met Tawsh for dinner at Real Food Daily after we perused the Anthro sale. Last time we were there together, we saw Rachel Bilson and almost died. After drooling for a little bit, we toddled over to RFD for some wholesome goodies. After debating for like half our lives, we decided on the Winterfish IPA (definitely a brighter, seasonal IPA) and then embarked on the seacakes, which were sweet potatos, sea vegetables (?) with an aioli and and pesto. Heavenly. The thing with vegan food is that vegan chefs try so much harder to create complex and delicious flavors to compensate for the lack of animal products. And it pays off. The texture was amazing and bites just sort of exploded on your palette. GET THE SEACAKES. Then we had vegan pizza on cornmeal crust. I love cashew cheese and this pizza was no exception to my vegan pizza obsession. I do have to say that I prefer Pizzanista or the Pizza Research Institute in Eugene, OR (cool name-dropping), but this was definitely a strong contender.

After inhaling our meals, we rolled down to Barney's with Grant and I order the Seadog Blueberry beer, which essentially smells and tastes like a blueberry muffin. Yum. And Veronica met us! I just can't get enough of her - she is so funny and sweet.

I had to peace early to drive home, but I love my honeybunnies.

Tawsh and Grant are embarking on an amazing trip to Costa Rica; they leave Tuesday and won't be home till December 14. I really don't know what I'll do without them. Those two keep me laughing, grounded, and inspired on a daily basis. But at least I'll have finals to distract me, right? I'm so happy (and a tad jealous) that they get to go on this phenomenal trip and I know they will have an absolutely fabulous time! Love you, TG!

xoxo

{Inspiration Wednesdays}

2011-10-26T09:48:00.001-07:00

1. The new Black Keys song/video, Lonely Boy. Put me in a good mood this morning :-)

2. My friend Lorna sent me this article from The Atlantic, "All the Single Ladies." Uh, it's not what I would call inspirational, but certainly thought-provoking on the issues of single women, dating, and balancing one's career.

3. Angelina's directorial debut, In the Land of Blood and Honey, now has a trailer. Must see.

4. Refinery29 posted about this personals website, n + 1 personals, which is sooooo funny and yet somewhat understandable, but then again also hipster-y and slightly pretentious. The blogs says: "This is a project of @nplusinterns for all you people smart enough to place an ad in the nyrb but maybe just a bit too young. We at n+1 are true believers in love, especially that which is fostered over books and, uh, beer." And some of these ads are priceless.

5. Check out these gorgeous photos from Laura Makabresku

6. I want everything from Ganni found via Wit + Delight

7. Pretty photo from Lyla and Blu

8. This fabulous dandelion installation via unruly things

9. Some seasonally appropriate photos from Folkloric. Gorgeous. Also makes me miss Santa Cruz.

10. Some pretty photos from Confetti Garden.

Urth and Dinner at Katherine's :-)

2011-10-25T08:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, I met Seds and Mandz at the Urth Downtown for brunch. They are just a joy in the morning. Pure joy.

I miss waking up to those faces and every time I'm with them, I just can't stop laughing, to the point that my side ached all day. I actually think I pulled something in my side from laughing so hard. Then we took photos for several minutes and then realized that, as Seda put it, that we didn't really know what kind of "scene" we were going for.

In other news, I had an AMAZING Spanish Latte and I should have gotten a second one, it was so delish. On Sunday night, my mom, Tray and I went to Katherine's for dinner and it was sooooo fun. With the three of them, I feel like I'm living in an episode of Sex and The City, Fullerton style. They are just so sarcastic and clever and make fun of their kids (including me) all the time and they make great food. Plus, they give me great advice, both warranted and unwarranted, but I'm so grateful for our dinners :-) Katherine prepared a hemp seed salad with jicama, snow peas, bell pepper, avocado and tomatos. I literally inhaled five servings of it. Then there was a hearty beef stew, brussel sprouts (my fave), and mashed potatoes. AND THEN MY LIFE CHANGED. From every other blog post you know I love figs. Katherine made a balsamic-fig compote over vanilla ice cream. It was heaven. No other words to describe it. I have to stop there, because nothing else can compare to the beauty of that dessert. Ok cool. I'm a fatty. Sorry 'bout it.

*The pics turned out terribly. Whoops.

*Also I DL-ed the iPhone IOS5. The graphics, the improved maps, the better looking apps. SO LEGIT.

*Also, from all my capitalization, it looks like I need to calm down on the coffee this a.m.

{Music Monday} Some Folk For the Fog - Wild Child

2011-10-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

A beautiful start to my day! I parallel parked successfully the first time (don't judge - it is hard to learn!) And had a delicious brunch with Seds and Mandz at Urth Caffe in Downtown (post on that tomorrow.) This fall weather has me into my folk music to an absurd extent. Right now, I have Wild Child on repeat and love the song PIllow Talk:

Pillow Talk (full album available Oct. 25) by WildChildSounds

Enjoy
*Google Readers click through for music player

{Things I Adore} My Week(end) in Photos

2011-10-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend went by all too fast and now I'm rushing off to dinner with the fam at our friend Katherine's house. Here are a few things that made me happy this weekend:

1. My puppies (being six years old, they are not actually puppies, but they will always be my babies) - I just made this video really quickly (the song is Tighten Up by the Black Keys). I love my munchkins (as you can probably tell by my ogre like laugh and my high pitched: "PUPPIES, ARE YOU READY FOR A CAR RIDE!")

2. Last night's charity event on campus, PILF Noir, and how chic our section is.

Gillian and Me

Aviva, Me and Nima

3. My mother's garden :-)

4. My mother's apple tart for breakfast this morning. Yum.

5. Visits to the Pooch Park. There are dogs and dog people. My favorite things.

6. And catching up with Cass on the phone today, as well as making plans to see my roomies, Seda, Mandz, and Alene tomorrow for brunch. Plus, receiving a great video from Grant of Tawsh dancing in the grocery store, coffee with sea-salted caramel ice cream, and walking the trails with Kelsey. <3.

Church and Farm

2011-10-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

From the title of this blog post, it may sound that I moved from the metropolis of LA to some rural area in Ohio. (But if it was Ohio, I would probably mention lions, tigers, and bears and the complete ineptitude of law enforcement to save the lives of those poor animals. People are dumb.) Then Vivs, G and I went to a judge who spoke on the death penalty at a speaker event hosted by the Criminal Law Society. Let's just say our politics and the judge's politics most definitely do not align, especially when he referred to some witnesses as being "the dregs of society." Yeah, not a fan. Moving on from my rant and my anger and sadness, which I will hold on for a long time, and despite the awful news from this week, the last few days have been personally less stressful than last week. I've been feeling under the weather, but with my herbal tea and 13 hours of sleep a night, I think I'm staving off (for the most part) my cold. And I've had some great food this week.

On Tuesday, Veronica took me to Church & State, where we ordered lavender honey goat cheese Le Chachat and a tarte with figs, caramelized onions and more goat cheese, and finished off with steak and frites with bearnaise sauce. So delicious, so rich, so amazing. If you read my blog, you know that I am obsessed with a) lavender and b) figs. Very rarely do American restaurants really utilize these ingredients so it was a wonderful surprise :-) Church & State is off of Industrial St., which is in the middle of nowhere, and is in this gorgeous, renovated brick building with ethereal ambient lighting. The service is tremendous, a lovely maitre d' even asked us if we needed to be walked to our car. GO HERE. (It's a perfect date place.) And it was perfection to see Veronica. We have been meaning to see each other for weeks and I am so grateful that we got to sit down for a couple of hours and catch up. I am very lucky to have such a positive person in my life :-) (photo c/o their website.)

Then tonight, Vivs, G, and I decided to take an hour or so and have dinner together at The Farm at LA LIVE.

We haven't actually done anything solely socially together since, uh, law school started. So anyway, we toddled over there after class and inhaled the cornbread appetizer as we watched preteens in neon high-top Reeboks saunter to the Chris Brown concert.

Vivs and I split a goat cheese salad, which had a couple of crostinis with olive tapenade, caramelized onions and tomato pesto as well as crispy goat cheese and a green salad. And as if that weren't enough, we indulged in truffled Mac and Cheese. Generally, I hesitate when ordering simple pasta dishes because, like, I can make them at home, from a box. But this dish changed my life. At $4, it was GREAT. And made my drive home in traffic much more tolerable (as did my soy PSL.) <3 my girls.

Then I came home to sugar cookies stuffed with fig jam. I can feel my arteries clogging, but since I'm sick, I'm just going to relish the fact that I can still taste and that I've lucky enough to have such legit dining experiences this week.

Tomorrow is a bright and early day for the LGBT symposium, which I will debrief you all on later. Until then,

xoxo

{Inspiration Wednesdays}

2011-10-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

I had a productive and fun evening last night. First was a solid library sesh with G and then I got to have dinner with Veronica at Church & State (more on that tomorrow.) Woke up this morning feeling a little under the weather and a bit sore (pathetic from my light jogging), but my bro had bought me pumpkin spice coffee AND my mom was playing the Black Keys. It was like I woke up to heaven. There was very little traffic and now I'm at the libs, reviewing Service of Process and getting ready to go to another Restorative Justice speaker, this one from Homeboy Industries, which provides job training and education to at-risk youth, some who were previously involved in gangs. Speaking of which, I want to try Homegirl Cafe, which is downtown LA. It is a "social enterprise assisting at-risk and formerly gang-involved young women and men to become contributing members of our community through training in restaurant service and culinary arts." How legit is that? And Aviva said the food is amazing.

1. Lol. First up, a shameless plug of my own critique of Britney's new video. It's kind of funny and you should read it.

2. Sweet Music Videos

3. Gorgeous apt decor via English Muse

4. Cute home/food oriented books. So into the illustrations:

Farm Anatomy found via SFGirlbyBay

They Draw, They Cook found via automatism

5. I love Ryan O'Connell from Thought Catalog, especially his newest essay on "This is Why I'm in Love with You." I want to write my own piece about why I'm in love with his writing.

6. Dreamy beds from confetti garden

7. I want these Docs via Lyla & Blu

8. My soup addiction continues:

Source: healthylivingforyou.tumblr.com via Amber on Pinterest

9. And because I can't help myself, some more fashion inspo:

Source: i51.tinypic.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: vi.sualize.us via Amber on Pinterest

Source: brunchatsaks.blogspot.com via Brunch at Saks on Pinterest

Tuesday Wanderings

2011-10-18T18:01:00.000-07:00

So this is the second day of my commuting and it hasn't been nearly as bad as I anticipated. (Lol and knowing my luck, I'll be stuck in traffic for three hours.) But driving allows me to catch up on my music and get all that neurotic thinking out of the way before I get to school and today the drive was only about 27 minutes. And I am thankful for the additional time in the library. In fact, I'm currently working on my civpro outline. Yay.

In other news, Gillian, Aviva, and I attended an informational meeting on mentoring youths at risk, which sounds like an amazing opportunity. This morning before I even went to the meeting, Carrie and I were G-chatting about our future cafe/community space/gallery/bakery/bar/boutique (this is like our dream) and Carrie brought up 826 LA, which is an organization on Sunset that runs after-school programs, including one on creative writing for young students. I was telling her I would love to do that. After today, I know that I need to get back to my volunteer work. It is something that has always grounded me and kept me focused on issues that are important to me, especially social justice ones, while allows me to build personal relationships. So now I just have to figure out which one is best for me and make sure I have quality time to allocate to whatever I choose. I don't know if I should look in Los Angeles or Orange County. My friend Aimee just started volunteering at her local pound in Santa Cruz, which appeals to me too. Or working in an urban garden. So many options. I really want to find a long-term opportunity, so I think I'll spend some time this weekend doing research on the best option for me.

Since moving home, I really want to up my productivity, since I've gotten off track with everything that has been happening in the last few weeks. I managed to catch up on some personal emails today with my international friends ( <3 Elisa and Lauren), drafted a cover letter, and went on a run (I am abysmally sore). I want to catch up on my outlining by this weekend and make soup. I don't know why I'm into soup right now, but just go with it.

But there is some fun in the works. For instance, yesterday, Aviva and I studied at the Bungalow on Larchmont. I had a delicious soy chai latte. Cool me considering studying at a locale other than the library fun. But tonight I am meeting my friend Veronica at Church & State for a French bistro dinner - the menu looks phenomenal. I still have two hours before I eat and my Elevenses bar is not tiding me over like one would hope. Then tomorrow, Nathalie and I are indulging in lavender milk tea at Eden Cafe. It's actually what the idyllic summer evenings of my preteen years tastes like - happiness and relaxation. Did you like that metaphor? :-) Then, Vivs, G and I may go to the Beverly Hills Barrister Happy Hour on Thursday and do some much needed networking. But we are definitely attending a panel on the death penalty on Thursday and the LGBT symposium on Friday, which I am so looking forward, especially the panel on LGBT families and the law.

And Saturday is the Public Interest Law Foundations Auction and Dinner. It'll be fun to get dressed up and help the community while I'm at it. Also hoping to fit in a trail run (Kelsey, are you up for it?), try a new recipe (soup again,) and squeeze in a yoga class.

Thankfully, all this activity is probably going to improve my state of mind, focus, and general well-being. And of course, I always need accompanying music :-)
My pick for this week:

{Music Monday} Greg's Recs

2011-10-17T09:36:00.001-07:00

So I've been in a music quandary lately, hopping back and forth between Jay-Z's new stuff and indie-folk from last summer. It's been frustrating. So I accosted my new law school friend, Greg, on FB chat for music recs after hearing that he liked Bon Iver (sure win) and also that he had been to the Wild Beasts concert recently. So here are Greg's suggestions for indie/folk/chill music that is perfect for studying. I hadn't heard Youth Lagoon before and now they are on repeat. And Twin Sister I hadn't previously been a huge fan of, but on a second try, I'm finding them oddly appealing.

Check it out and thank you Greg!

{Inspiration Wednesdays}

2011-10-12T10:02:00.001-07:00

1. Some music inspiration:

Oh Land's cover of The National's Bloodbuzz Ohio

bloodbuzz ohio // oh land [the national cover] by sexmusic

Lykke Li's cover of Unchained Melody

Lykke Li - Unchained Melody (Righteous Brothers Cover) by Pop Labyrinth

Mirah's "Don't Die in Me"

.

2. via English Muse: What Hipsters Like

3. These dresses from Dahlia via Skunkboy Creatures. In Love.

4. With these tights via Wit + Delight

5. Cup of Jo featured the work of English photographer Tim Robinson. Robinson documented the responses of friends and family when he told them he was going to be a dad. How cute is that? These are my faves, but click on the link to see more.

6. This water-marbling manicure tutorial from Keiko Lynn - Amazing and it looks so easy.

7. Oh Joy made these delicious s'mores with pumpkin butter and hazelnut butter. I NEED TO MAKE THESE.

8. This outfit via Stolen from Grandma. Just no words, except I want it.

9. I love fall nights. via Confetti Garden.

Yardhouse Celebration

2011-10-11T23:50:00.000-07:00

Post midterm craziness, my section headed to the Yardhouse at LA Live, where we had entertaining conversations on post-structuralism, hangovers, and hypotheticals. It was a riot and I got to enjoy my IPA of the moment, Speakeasy, and also try the Shipyard xxxx, which was pretty good. The post-lunch quiet of the restaurant meant that we got to take over and it was a really great way to bond with my section, since the fright and anxiety of test-taking really brings people together. And then once happy hour set in, we got a variety of flatbreads and dips and wonderful comfort food. It was a perfect remedy to post-exam jitters :-) (I also need to remember that 6 cups of coffee and just a half of a banana does not equate to a good breakfast for an exam.)

As far the test goes, I felt well-prepared. Let's just hope that my multiple choice test-taking skills are up to par with law school.

Now for some sleep!

xoxo

{Music Monday} Home

2011-10-10T19:44:00.001-07:00

Hmmm... So I'm moving home to my mom's house for a couple of months and I'm looking forward to it for the most part. The biggest thing, however, is that I will no longer be able to blast Eminem at all hours of the day and night and play Superbass on repeat 17 times. Sad times. On the other hand, my family still has great taste in music, but I still need to transition. Hence this playlist, which contains some of the fam's throwback faves. Enjoy.

*Google readers should click through for the playlist. xoxo

Pre-Hibernation Friday

2011-10-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

I'm about to go into hibernation to study for my midterm, minus the 12 hours I have set aside to celebrate Tawsh and Jen's birthday. They are having an alter-egos and drag themed party tomorrow. I'm going as a nerd. You may ask if that is really my alter-ego, but that side of me is one that I tend to downplay for whatever reason. Plus, I have some great tweed pants and my JC flats haven't gotten nearly enough wear. Add those to some fishtail pigtails and my Warby Parkers and I'm going to be the cutest geek on the block.

Currently finishing up my property outline while eavesdropping on my mom and brother watching Bill Maher. I've missed a lot of news this week while I've been obsessing over property. Next is to memorize said outline and work on future interest problems. Also looking forward to my study sesh on Sunday with Vivs and G.

Also I've been collecting pins of outfits that I will so enjoy wearing when working on international human rights on capitals around the world.

Source: joannagoddard.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: express.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: us.asos.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: shabbyapple.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: sayyestohoboken.com via Amber on Pinterest

Updates, Music, and Vegan Thai at Bulan

2011-10-06T09:44:00.000-07:00

I'm woke up with the blindingly bright sun in my eyes this morning, which is beautiful, but I'm missing the rain already. Aviva and I spent three hours reviewing property problems yesterday, so I am feeling much better about my upcoming midterm - yay finite estates and fee simples! And things seem to be shaping up nicely with my move, although if someone could organize and pack my closet that would be amazing. I'm blogging and reviewing for the next couple of hours, then class and then memo drafting. I'm hoping to get enough done to do dinner with Devon and my brother tomorrow and then to hit up First Friday in Venice with my girl, Priyah. In another news, I have two random songs on repeat that are making me flashback to being the uber-cool and well-adjusted preteen I was in 2000. Except this music is cooler. The 12 year old me would love to be Willow Smith, Nicki Minaj, or Cher Lloyd - omg especially now that Cher has the half-shaved head look... dude, my alter-ego is all about that. Um - also I love Mike Posner. Like a lot. Half of me is so over the moon about these legit collabs. And my other half is embarrassed. Anyway, listen and tell me what you think. And then read my review for Bulan Thai (see below) and order some delish noodles.

Bulan: 4114 Santa Monica Blvd

When Rob and Carrie came to visit, we went to Bulan at Carrie's request and met our friends Veronica and Zubeida for a hangover lunch. Thai after a night out can be a. really successful or b. really not. Thankfully, it was the former. After getting rather turned around on our way there, we finally arrived at Bulan which situated at an awkward corner divide off of Santa Monica in a 50s style, angled building. I ordered the Kow Soi Northern Thai Curry Noodles, served with their chicken with carrots, onions, chili oil, sprouts, lime and pickled mustard. Other dishes ordered included the hot wings and Pad See-Ew. So funny story, I didn't realize that Bulan was solely a vegetarian/vegan restaurant. When the waiter asked me what meat I wanted, I saw chicken on the menu and opted for that rather than tofu. And the chicken was tremendously delicious and tender and had absorbed the curry so well. I was stunned. My chicken is rarely that successful. Until I realized, that the chicken was fake. Super fake. But super amazingly fake. In fact, I wouldn't have even noticed if Carrie hadn't pointed it out. The hot wings were delicious and they even shaped them like real hot wings, but were a little on the fake side, though that didn't detract from the stellar taste. Definitely a new fave.

{Inspiration Wednesdays}

2011-10-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

IT'S RAINING. I am so so excited for the weather change and wearing my new black boots to prove it. Yesterday was an up and down day. Property class proved mind-boggling and slightly embarrassing. (I emitted a loud "Oh nooooo" when my prof cold-called me - like not impressive.) But contracts was more manageable. AND my two favesies, Grant and Tawsh, came over for dinner. My brother, Jason a.k.a. Bobes, made vegetarian egg rolls and stir-fry with chow mein - so yummy even if the extra chilis burned my tongue a bit. (It's so nice to have Bobes here; I just love him so much.) And Grant and Tawsh brought some shortbread cookies that we slathered with homemade fig ham. WIN. We stayed up late sipping on pinot noir and watching 90s music videos. Just what I need to relieve the stressful day. Then this morning Grant and I made french toast (the other honeybunnies are still sleeping) and now I'm reviewing civ pro and brewing a cup of coconut chai. Needless to say, I feel very lucky at the moment. The next two nights are going to be some hard-core property studying and memo drafting and then a fun, fun Saturday at Tawsh and Jen's birthday bash :-)

In other news, I'm moving, which is simultaneously exciting and irritating. I'm relocating to the OC at my mom's house and then probably moving back to LA - Los Feliz, Silverlake, Echo Park, etc. - In Jan. We'll see how this LA commute will treat me, but I'm excited to catch up on my music and podcasts in the car.

Hope you are having a wonderful day and enjoy the inspiration for the day :-)

xoxo

1. Download this amazing mix from K.I.D. Collective: Bon Iver, Florence, Cat Power, Junip... In Love.

2. The new issue of Rue is out and it's the Anniversary Issue. This is what I'll be reading instead of property. I mean, it has to do with decorating property - that is kind of related right?

3. Jessica from Vol. 25 posted before and after photos of her motorhome renovations - Amazing.

4. Gorgeous wallpaper from Woodsy Bond via {frolic}

5. The new Metronomy and Florence + the Machine vids are beautifully composed. (Obvs the music is phenomenal.)

6. Weather change inspiration from Lyla & Blu

and also a Simple Village Girl - check her post for sources and just look through her other blog posts. Simply gorgeous.

7. See Hear Say posted a list of great of photoblogs. PLEASE. PERUSE. NOW. The photo below is from my suitcase heart

8. Speaking of photos, my fave Miss James from Bleubird Vintage posted a Bits and Pieces blog about wedding dress shopping. Weddings, Anthro/Bhldn and Miss James? No words. Check her post for more photos.

Hipster Haven: Intelligentsia

2011-10-04T13:10:00.001-07:00

Intelligentsia: 3922 W Sunset Blvd

Carrie took me here when I first moved to Downtown. Near the Sunset Junction, Itelligentsia is known for their obviously amazing coffee, but for the plethora of hottie hipsters hovering around. It's like my heaven. I love people watching, more specificlly, I love hipster watching. The coffee is amazing – my soy latte and iced Americano were perfect. The latte wasn't too milky and thank god, the espresso shots in the Americano were perfect, as in not burned, which is so very rare at so many cafes. The only drawback was with the hipsters flocking, the seating was minimal, but that is a small price to pay for my own personal heaven.

{Music Monday} Jaymay

2011-10-03T09:27:00.000-07:00

Source: mymagicaljourney.tumblr.com via Barbara on Pinterest

Jaymay has been a go-to since I was glumly listening to Pandora one day and stumbled upon "Gray or Blue." This song has played on repeat every fall, which all my friends and roommates can testify too. Just listen and love "Autumn Fallin'."

*Those on Google Reader should click-through for player.

Hmmm... Rough Day but with Bright Spots :-)

2011-09-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite photos I've taken of my mom's garden - A little inspo for a long week:

So I was attacked by a virus, got in a fight with a spider and lost and have the bruises and rug burns to prove it, and my living situation seems to be disintegrating by the minute. Currently, I'm at home with my mom with a cup of Earl Grey and some cream puffs, wading through my property outline. My property midterm is in about a week, so time to get crackin'. Although I am planning on taking tomorrow off because I'm getting braces. Yay! Yeah, not so much. And then next Saturday is Tawsh's b-day and I am excited to give her her gift. :-)

Another update? I got a Twitter - so follow me at Notes_Sojourns! I'm addicted already and found so many great blogs as well as connected with my idols from CaliVintage, A Beautiful Mess, The Drifter and the Gypsy, My Girl Thursday, Pennyweight, Seablanket, sfgirlbythebay & Brunch at Saks. I can't even tell you how exciting it was to hear from them - it was like a little dose of Emergen-C and a latte from Four Barrel every time I got a Tweet back :-)

Okay, back to property and I am crossing my fingers for a little time tomorrow to thrift with Nat and see Crystal's new baby!

xoxo

A Trip to the City

2011-09-29T09:01:00.001-07:00

This past weekend, Tawsh, Jen, Jenna and I spent two days in the city with Leah, Benny, Jeff, Carrie, Rob, Max, Kevin, Lolly, Cassi and Alexandra. We met Jeff and Leah in Dolores Park, went to Four Barrel (my fave for the best latte in the city,) where we picked up Carrie and Cuco's Restaurant for the most amazing plantain burritos. The burritos were such an interesting texture and flavor, smoky and with heat but also a touch of sweetness. Afterwards, Max, Kevin, Cassi, Alexandra and Benny came with the crew to Smugger's Cove, a tiki bar, where we took up the entire top floor and sipped on rum cocktails all night long. I can't remember a lot of the specific drinks, but the daiquiris, the mojitos and the flaming volcano drinks were tremendous. After a couple of hours, we then headed to Underground SF, a gay dance club. So much fun and such good music - a mix of 90s pop and hiphop. Once the club closed, we headed to Kevin's, where I fell down the stairs - like what? After spending a few hours recovering, Carrie and I hit up a cheap Chinese place for lunch and Dynamo Donuts for coffee, took a nap and then met Rob at Philz for a delish chai tea latte before hitting up the Folsom Street Fair with the other amigos. The Folsom Street Fair was crazy overload of nudity, fun and general insanity. By then, we were all feeling rather awake so we walked to the Mission and had an array of delish Vietnamese dishes at Sunflower, which was Carrie's choice. And it was a good one. I had pan-fried garlic noodles with veggies, Carrie had vermicelli noodles with these phenomenal spring rolls. Others had pho, beef dishes, pot stickers. And I also had a Vietnamese iced tea - life-giving. It was a wonderful meal to end a wonderful weekend :-) (And the drive home at 4:30 in the morning was equally amazing though I was barely conscious for it.)

Once again, I am just overwhelmed by how lucky I am to have these people in my life. They are warm, intelligent, hilarious, and talented and I love them. So much.

*The song is Suckers - Get Your Body Moving

Four Barrel - 375 Valencia

Cuco's - 488 Haight

Smuggler's Cove - 650 Gough

Underground SF - 424 Haight

Dynamo Donuts - 2760 24th St

Philz Coffee - 748 Van Ness

Folsom Street Fair

Sunflower Cafe - 3111 16th

{Music} Stream Feist's New Album!

2011-09-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

OMG just made my day!

*Google reader peeps should click through to access.

{Inspiration Wednesdays}

2011-09-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

1. Marilyn Monroe's first modeling photos - natural beauty

2. Coffee helps fight depression in women - which is great, because I'm on my eighth cup of the day

3. Two things: I need to try this recipe for tomato-feta relish AND I need to do a happy hour at Palo's - who's down?

4. Elsie's grilled cheese combos - I'm salivating as I type... pear, honey and ricotta is next on my list. I know I say this everytime I post about A Beautiful Mess, but I just love Elsie.

5. These photos from Sarah Orme via Here Comes the Sun

6. This necklace:

Source: google.com via Amber on Pinterest

7. Some boho chic styles I'm way into right now:

Source: weheartit.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: thosedamncitykids.tumblr.com via Amber on Pinterest

8. Some delish recipes:
Homemade apple fritters via Seemingly Greek:

Source: seeminglygreek.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

Beer and bacon mancakes via will cook for friends:

Source: willcookforfriends.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

pumpkin whoopie pies via Brunch at Saks:

Source: brunchatsaks.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

krispy kreme bread pudding via Food and Wine:

Source: foodandwine.com via Amber on Pinterest

An Afternoon in Dolores

2011-09-27T20:43:00.001-07:00

On our arrival to SF this past weekend, Jen, Jenna, Tawsh and I met up with our friends Aaron, Jeff, Leah and Rob in Dolores Park for some basking in SF fog. Gorgeous park with gorgeous views and lots of ops for people watching and dog petting. Lovesit.

{Music Monday} Beirut - Postcards from Italy

2011-09-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

Exhausted from my trip and reviewing for class tomorrow. Fun things to come. xoxo.

Twinsies!

2011-09-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

You know when you've become friends when you're on the same caffeination schedule, you make eye contact during class and know exactly what the other is thinking, when you're boy crazy but have totally different tastes, when you finish each other's sentences and when you show up to class wearing coral tops, loafers, and straight legged jeans. Which is exactly what happened to Gillian and me this week. Lolz.

Santa Cruz and SF for the Weekend

2011-09-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

Tawsh!

After studying ferociously to get ahead for next week, I am currently on the road with my girl, Tawsh, to visit amigos in Santa Cruz and SF. On the itinerary, a night out in Santa Cruz - probs the Red and a reunion with the Banana Slugs, including Kat, Emil, Aimee, and Hannah. And tomorrow, Carrie, Rob, Max, Jeff, Jen, Jenna, Alexandra, Cassi (?), Benny (?) and I partying in SF. (The question marks are because I haven't really warned them yet of these plans - surprise!) I can't wait to be with the crew again and it'll be good to get out of my study bubble for a lil' bit. Hope you guys have a great weekend too!

xoxo

Lunch at Lemonade

2011-09-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Jeff eating, my soup and salad combo, and the WR lemonade. Yum.

My friend Gillian checked out Lemonade last weekend and loved it. So when my friend, Jeff , suggested we do lunch there, I was more than enthusiastic. Because I love lemonade. A lot. It's favorite beverage. You can original lemonade, you can have flavored lemonades, you can lemonade with herbs in it, you can have alcoholic lemonades, you can have lemonade with tea. You can have lemonade with tea, herbs, and alcohol. Yeah, I love lemonade. So I ended up drinking a lot of it at the DT Lemonade branch on Flower. In addition to my cauliflower soup (a little salty) and butter lettuce salad (delish!), I tried the watermelon rosemary and the blood orange lemonades. The watermelon rosemary made my day. It reminded me of when I made my fresh rosemary lemonade at home and affirmed my efforts. With watermelon, it was less tart, but superbly refreshing. The blood orange one had a bit of an aftertaste, but was way more sweet. It took me like three hours to drink, but I haven't been so well-hydrated in years. Also I loved the "food court" it is located in. Underground, this is like the posh grown-ups cafeteria with so many unique options that it justifies a traipse down there soon again.

{Inspiration Wednesdays}

2011-09-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

1. Music mixes curated by designers across the nation. Check out Designers.MX to discover new music. My new addiction.

2. The best accessories from NYFW from Refinery29. These Calvin Klein heels are AMAZING and they also remind me of the heels my crazy cool crim prof wears. So I want them.

3. My Navajo print obsession continues with this AE sweater

and this UO one

4. This crazy cool app, Identified, is a must. It molds Facebook into a professional network and shows you how to increase your score and make you more attractive, also allowing you to see what your profile looks like to others.

5. I want to watch these shows. For the fashion. And for the cute boys.

6. This song from The Peach Kings on repeat.

7. Drooling over these polka dot outfits via Cup of Jo.

8. A great photo essay of 1940s Manhattan from the Daily Mail. I want to go back to NY now.

9. Some good blogs to peruse:

Simply Stardust: a photo blog. Whimsical beauty.

French Essence: Enlightening on the ways of French women

JenniferKoman: a friend from the DB and fellow 1L at Hastings. She's funny and stylish and I love it.

Bon Iver at the Shrine

2011-09-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Last night, Alexis, Steph and I agreed that the Bon Iver concert was an out-of-body experience. We felt drugged, comatose, stunned after the concert. It was weird. But phenomenal. Justin Vernon's voice = perfection. There is just no other way to describe his vocal range, presence and talent. I am in shock. So if you have a chance to see him - do it.

Alexis, Me and Steph waiting for Justin :-)

As far The Shrine goes - it's a gorgeous venue, despite its embedded location of USC (I shouldn't hate so much, but I'm a Bruin, sorry 'bout it). Parking was a little hectic when we go there and the Shrine parking lot was closed (and it's located a block away from the venue and we didn't know that), so we parked by Denny's. Cool. The acoustics and seating at the Shrine are great and I know this because we were literally in the last row, but the theater is so steep we still had a legit view of the band and the sound was en pointe. Def. going back to a show at the Shrine and definitely marrying Justin Vernon. It was a good night for discoveries.

Other than that, my day was interesting. I had cold Chinese for breakfast - my guilty pleasure. Then went to a civpro review session that was surprisingly helpful and got cold-called in property. I managed to sound semi-intelligent. But failed miserably when I could handle the roll call in crim. And then we talked about rape law, which is a sensitive issue. I have been really impressed with my classmates' articulation and eloquence on these issues thus far, but yesterday was a little tough. Anywho, I came home and made a caprese salad with a twist and sun-dried tomato pesto pasta for Steph and Alexis. And then I saw my future husband, so it was a great day.

My new owl print from Etsy, work and Chinese. A good morning.

In other news, I am going to SF with Tawsh on Friday!!! Tawsh is finally back from her jet-setting and we are going to spend the weekend with our loves, Carrie, Rob, Max, Jeff, Alexandra, Cassi and any one who I forgot but can't wait to see! That and Four Barrell, Painted Bird, photo ops, roadtrip music and a night in the Mission is sending me in overdrive to get as much work done this week as possible. Wish me luck!

xoxo

{Music Monday} Men I'd Like to Marry

2011-09-19T11:42:00.000-07:00

I'm seeing Bon Iver tonight. I can't focus right now, I'm so excited.

Recovering from the Weekend

2011-09-19T00:03:00.001-07:00

Katja (The Glowing New Mother!), Larissa (The Gorgeous Bride!), and Me at Larissa's Wedding

Partying at the Vanguard with my new law school friends on Thursday. Death by puppies at home in Orange County on Friday. A Santa Barbara wedding with a gorgeous baby and a beautiful bride. Brunch and shopping with Cailin at South Coast today. (And now furiously calculating the damage done to my budget with my Sephora and Zara purchases. I just really needed my fall mustard coloured clothing and new mascara and new eyeshadow and eyeliner and tshirts and nail polish. I mean I probably could have done without the $30 mascara. But then again, maybe not. Now counting down the minutes to Bon Iver tomorrow night with Steph and Alexis. Cool. I'm in law school. So I should probably think about reading at some point in the oh, the next five seconds.

Here's to the beginning of a wonderful week!

xoxoxo

Afternoon Shenanigans at The Standard, Downtown

2011-09-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

505 S. Flower St.,
Los Angeles, CA 90071

My dear friend Larissa is getting MARRIED ON SATURDAY! Crazy times and I am soooo so excited for her! As part of an all-day bachelorette party, we hit up the the rooftop bar of the Standard, followed by dinner at the Library Bar and the Edison and a few others. It was my first time on the rooftop during the day and the sights were spectacular. It was like this quasi-Vegas/retro pool party with over-sized sunglasses, inappropriate wedges, and so many high-waisted bottoms, I almost died. That and the mustache-themed bachelor party were just too much for me to bear.

{Inspiration Wednesdays}

2011-09-14T08:27:00.000-07:00

In an effort to escape the midweek doldrums I very often face, I'm adding a new feature: {Inspiration Wednesdays}. In the past, I randomly post smatterings of inspirational photos, songs, articles, etc. whenever I feel like it. However, I think my inspirational desires are better managed, organized, and featured when compiled into a weekly list. So welcome to Inspiration Wednesdays (which may be renamed if I feel so inspired).

1. The New York Times published a fascinating article on Jackie O, including audio clips of the young widow discussing her life in the White House, her relationship with "Jack," and how the press made her different. Incredibly insightful, poignant, and thought-provoking. Her voice is so breathy and her intonation is so different than I expect. My favorite quote: "Everything... had been a liability... Everyone thought I was a snob... When we go into the White House, all the things that I had always done suddenly became wonderful, because anything the First Lady does that's different everyone seizes on." Hm, some things never change.

2. My new favorite Tumblrs: confetti garden & Lyla & Blu

3. Ms. Magazine Blog did a post last week of the Top 100 Non-Fiction Reads chosen by Ms. Mag Readers. I really want to read Marilyn by Gloria Steinem and Out of the Vinyl Deeps by Ellen Willis.

4. My new Warby Parker glasses! Beckett in Striped Chestnut. A) I love them. B) When you order a paid, WP will donate to someone in need, so check them out :-)

5. East London Fashion History in 100 Seconds. Love it.

6. Loving my new Etsy purchase from littlebluebirdstudios. I ordered this sweet little vintage dictionary page with my favorite bird for only $10!

7. This gorgeous photos by Edwin Tse from the lab magazine via lanalou

8. This photo of Nicki Minaj and Betsy Johnson makes me happy via Refinery 29.

9. OMG OMG Jamie XX did a monster mix for the BBC Radio - perfect to pick up my energy level. Listen now!
Jamie xx Essential Mix by Young Turks

Summer Night Speakeasy - Varnish

2011-09-13T08:41:00.000-07:00

118 E 6th St.

Los Angeles, CA 90014

My friend Anthony is a huge fan of Cole's (famed as the creator of the original French Dip) but I haven't been yet. I know, I really need to get on that. However, I had an opportunity to try out the “secret” speakeasy in the back of Cole's, called Varnish. I. Love. It. It reminds me of the Shady Lady in Sacramento – the waitresses are dressed in this adorable retro-esque clothing and the bar low-lit, dark polished wood, and cozy. It's perfect for small groups or couples. I tried the three house beers – the hefe, the stout and the lager (?). By the third one, I was a little tipsy, so I'm not sure. The hefe was my favorite, although no surprise there. I would love to go back and try the cocktails as Anthony said they were great, but that night was slightly more chill. I think it would a great place for dinner and drinks before going out. (Images courtesy of Yelp.)

{Music Monday} Pumpkin Spice Latte Mix

2011-09-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

London Autumn Leaves

With the return of my beloved Pumpkin Spice Latte, I cannot be more eager for autumn to begin. Mother Nature seems slightly more amenable to my desires this coming week with Los Angeles temperatures hovering in the mid-70s, a god-send after near-100 degree days last week. My playlist this week includes old favorites, like Ingrid Michaelson and Regina Spector, as well as new additions, such as Kathryn Calder and Lucy Rose. Enjoy :-)

{Photography} toi et moi Lookbook

2011-09-08T11:20:00.000-07:00

via Daydream Lily.

I love everything about the Toi et Moi lookbook. The styling, the lighting... I want to be able to take photos like this... hmmm inspiration

Blog Changes, Goals and {Music} Still Corners

2011-09-08T11:17:00.001-07:00

So beginning next week, I want to incorporate mor structure to this little blog o' mine. Things to look forward to: designated days for fuller posts on music, my personal photography, and food and new posts of "On the Town," which will be both about the places I've travelled and legit places in SoCal. Also, because I'm rather proud of my overflowing closet, I will also be integrating outfit posts. Yay! Also, the blog layout will change a little, as will the tags, to make the blog more reader friendly.

So that's my goal for this week and next week: To restructure both this blog and BohoBeat (which is in the works with Carrie). I've been trying to integrate one new goal a week since school started as a way to better manage my time and keep myself sane. So two weeks ago, it was working out five days a week, this week it was finishing my reading and notes by Tuesday, and now the blog goal. Other goals to add will be pre-posting for the blogs, incorporating yoga in my weekly fitness routine, building a Twitter following, and participating in a photo challenge.

So with those little updates out of the way - some music for your ears:

{Wedding} I never liked Kate Moss that much...

2011-09-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

but then I saw these wedding photos in Vogue. The perfect mix of bohemian and elegance. Breathtaking.

{Music} Slow Club... And a Slow Day

2011-09-06T09:14:00.000-07:00

I'm still so groggy despite a run and several cups of coffee. My body is moving, but my head feels stuffed of wool. I'm going to blame it on my bad eating over the weekend, which included deliciously wonderful banana pudding, organic wheat beer, pulled pork sandwiches, Spanish frittatas and chocolate cake. Yeah, be jealous :-). I finally caught up on True Blood - Lafayette has to be the funniest character ever. Love him. It was great to just kick it with my brother this weekend and I got to walk the trails with Kels - it's been too long since we did that. Anyway, this song is lovely and is getting me a little pepped up. Although, I need to bring in a caffeine-IV asap.

My goals for this week:
1. finish my reading and reading notes by tonight :-)
2. run everyday
3. redoing my CV for future use

Looking forward to:
1. dinner with Benji, Seda and Baran tonight.
2. Downtown Art walk on Thurs with Steph (my first time!)
3. Larissa's bachelorette party on Saturday (!)
4. Starting yoga next week

I want to go camping...

2011-09-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

before the weather gets too cold, especially after seeing these photos from junkaholique: