28 going on 30s

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
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Was it really my birthday today? It feels so surreal. At times I marvel that I’m now 28 though (more recently) sometimes I kind of am ready to just be in my 30s already. I guess I should enjoy the next two years before that big 3-0 hits for real and I can’t go back to these crazy 20s. 😉

cat sleeping with arms outstretched on person's chest

I started off my day much like I ended my night yesterday: with Missy sleeping on my chest. 🙂

giant bright orange lobster in blue tank near normal lobsters at restaurant

Once I got up, I went to get Panda and he took us to this dim sum place with MASSIVE lobsters (no, we did not eat any). Note the normal lobsters in the tank next to it.

girl wearing white fuzzy earmuffs in store

After our meal, we explored a fun Japanese store. These earmuffs are fun but too cutesy for me. I got a hedgehog microfiber glove instead, lol.

guy sitting with legs crossed and pant leg riding up showing sock with stray thread

As we sat looking for a tea place we’d heard of, I was amused by how Panda’s pant leg rode up and he had a random thread on his socks. Silly boy.

girl holding drink with latte art and decorated marshmallow

We found the place with 3D latte art!

green tea latte art drink and marsh-minion treat from love to go in san gabriel

Such adorable designs! I got that marsh-minion for free just for checking in on Yelp.

collage of 3d bear latte art design on green tea drink at love to go as the drink went down and the art disappeared

As I drank my drink, the bear slowly drifted away into oblivion (or my stomach, as it were).

frances bakery shop and pink box of cronuts in little tokyo area of los angeles

The next stop was Frances Bakery for deeelicious cronuts.

excited girl holding up box of cronuts in car

I was so excited I totally over-ordered!

chocolate cronut with bite revealing custard inside

Nom nom nom… couldn’t wait to enjoy the goodness.

girl laughing trying on white glittery platform heels in store

Then it was off to Glendale Galleria, where we wandered around the stores and I entertained myself trying on these crazy heels.

girl holding necklace pendant on forehead as headdress with dangling decoration

What do you think of making this necklace a headdress?

girl sitting in chair at l'occitane store waiting to receive free hand massage

L’Occitane had a free hand massage offer so I got treated to it.

girl sitting at table of chinese restaurant with five massive dishes for just two people

For dinner, we went kind of overboard and ordered 5 things, not thinking the portions would be ENORMOUS. Sooo many leftovers!

person leaning over with cat sitting on back

We stopped for boba and then went to our respective homes. I arrived to find Missy ready for my attention.

cat leaning on box claiming it for herself

As my mom and I chatted in the kitchen, Missy lay claim to the cronuts. Or maybe she just likes the box. 😉

And now I’m comfortably in bed snuggling with Missy. I think she’s pleased I finally went to bed… she’d been waiting over an hour for me!

UK Vacation Day 8 Recap

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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I can’t believe it’s been nearly four months since this trip and I’m still updating on it. Only two more to go after this one!

Day 8 was a chill day, with a late checkout and leisurely stroll from the hotel to the train station. We swung by the Co-operative, a grocery store, and the House of Fraser, a chain that reminds me of Macy’s. We wandered along the quiet of Rose Street and found ourselves some cookie tins commemorating Prince George at the train station. The train from Edinburgh to London took most of the day and once we were settled back, we got dinner at Nando’s. Since we got drink vouchers at the hotel, we stopped by the bar to get drinks (sodas) before calling it a night.

[Miss some? Read about Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6, and Day 7 recaps.]

breakfast spread at hilton edinburgh with hash brown, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried egg, and fruit

I think the only time I eat breakfast is at hotels.

girl guiding scotland headquarters and shop

A random sighting in our way to the train station. Girl Scouts, anyone?

strings of small red flags stretching across rose street walkway

I love the small streets like these.

east coast train car at train station

Onto the train and back down to London we go.

view of landscape in united kingdom from train window

It’s so picturesque!

girl grinning with bag near end of train station platform

Excited to be back in London!

london king's cross sign on train station platform

Which way to platform 9 3/4?

spacious interior of london king's cross train station

Looks rather futuristic in here.

entrance to king's cross underground tube station

Taking a pit stop to use the wifi before heading down to the tube.

doubletree by hilton victoria

Back at our hotel in Victoria!

girl sitting at table at nando's victoria

We found this chicken place called Nando’s.

seasoned nuts covered by plastic dome with metal spoon

Grab some nuts while you wait.

nando's garlic peri-peri sauce and medium peri-peri sauce in glass jars with metal tops

They have all kinds of tasty sauces.

nando's chicken in pita with sides of mashed potatoes and garlic bread

I opted to try their pita, mashed potatoes, and garlic bread. Delicious!

nando's grilled chicken dark meat with sides of rice and garlic bread

Panda got the grilled dark meat, rice, and garlic bread.

rear of modern red double decker bus in london with lots of windows

The newer double deckers look so sleek.

Fun festivities!

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , ,
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Today was a chill day, with a couple of wonderful moments. Panda and I ran some errands and got a chance to swing by the condo so I could take some pictures while it’s still relatively empty. It’s still so weird to think this brand new place is ours. We then went off to the gift-wrapping event that the rental office was throwing at the clubhouse. Turned out to be quite a nice event! And I spent the day reading Fifty Shades Darker, which I just finished. I finally caved into the whole Fifty Shades of Grey hype and it’s been a nice distraction from real life. More on my thoughts when I finish the last of the trilogy. For now, here’s a peek at my surprisingly amusing day.

christmas tree with presents underneath set up at rental office of apartment complex

We arrive at the event and check in. They have a nice tree set up!

red and green balloons and christmas decorations on railing

It’s nice and festive everywhere you look.

clubhouse set up for gift wrapping event

All sorts of gift-wrapping items were strewn all over the place and catering from Carrabbas kept us full as holiday shows like Elf played on TV.

wrapping present on table full of holiday present wrapping products

Panda wrapped up a gift for my cousin and I found the boy in the back to be hilarious.

pile of plates of food sitting on dashboard of car

On our way out, we helped them clear some of the Carrabbas. I laughed hysterically as one of the guys looked at our dashboard inquisitively. Oh what fun!

julep maven and escape monthly subscription boxes on lap of driver of car

The dash, my lap, and the passenger floor were taken up by all our plates and stuff so Panda had to drive with my newly delivered packages on his lap!

Canvas Christmas

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It was holiday party time at our office today! We did a white elephant and then hung out at a place with pool, shuffleboard, foosball, darts, and other such games.

canvas christmas tree with twinkling lights and presents underneath

white canvas ornament with company logo hanging on christmas tree

large pile of mini candy canes in carboard box

collection of white elephant presents on desk in conference room

White elephant time!

cardboard box with star wand, make a wish sign, and red belt wrapped together

The most creative gift of the bunch.

posing with purple and pink lez zeppelin t-shirt from white elephant gift exchange

I ended up getting a Lez Zeppelin t-shirt… apparently some women sing Led Zeppelin songs.

people gathered around shuffleboard tables

And the rest of the night was spent drinking, eating, gaming, and chatting.

Homeowners

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Yay, as of today, Panda and I are officially homeowners! Ok, so technically I’m not on the mortgage but hey, don’t ruin my moment. 😛 It was wild going to what is our NEW HOME tonight just to move a few things and check it out… at night it appears much larger and it feels so surreal that all of that is ours. I hope this freshness and awe lasts for a long time. We really have a spectacular place and I can’t wait to settle in.

fancy room at title company for going through settlement paperwork

This morning, we went to the title company and took care of settlement.

set of four house keys on folder

When it was all said and done, we got our keys!!!

happy girl prancing in kitchen of brand new condo balancing on one leg with arms and other leg outstretched

At night, I had to go visit our new place. Love it!

girl standing hunching in pain as back spasms

Yeah I got a bit ambitious and ended up pulling my back. Oops!

Weird. Wonderful.

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Yesterday. What an… unusual day. Today. Another oddity. (But scattered in between were precious moments of wonder too.)

Let’s start from the beginning. I got to sleep in a bit yesterday because we had our condo walk-through scheduled for 10. It wouldn’t make sense for me to go to work first, so I just met Panda there. I originally planned on going to Target first to go return some stuff and get a notebook, but the time I allocated for that got taken up by a challenging deicing process. I’d completely forgotten about the icy rain the night before and found my car encased in one solid layer of ice.

tree branches completely encased in layer of ice

I woke to a very frozen world!

car door handle completely covered in layer of ice

I couldn’t even open the car door by pressing the button.

top of car covered in ice with small stick pointing straight up encased in ice too

Haha, there was even a bit of ice standing straight up around that little stick thing. Nothing can escape the layer of ice!

iced over pine trees with tops missing from breaking off due to the weight of the ice

As I was cleaning off my car, I heard crackling and I thought someone was pouring hot water on ice, but it turns out the trees were breaking apart.

When I finally got it all off the windows, I headed to the condo. Along the way, I was careful to keep a distance from the other cars. The van in front of me started shedding ice sheets when it picked up speed and eventually my own came flying off too. We met at our new home and were taken inside by one of the guys who manages all the construction. He showed us all the light switches, faucets, doors, rooms, plugs, appliances, windows, heating and cooling systems, plumbing, etc. We have a lot of low flow options to help save water, including the toilet, shower heads, and kitchen faucet. I played with a bunch of the windows, which flip inwards so we can easily clean the outside. Smart! The demo guy was baffled that I wore a heavy jacket and multiple layers, yet bounded around barefoot, even stepping outside like it wasn’t freezing out. I’d never thought that was weird and suddenly I felt like a nymph or something after that, haha. It was fun to see everything brand new and ready for use! This is our new place!!

new kitchen in condo with stainless steel appliances, wood cabinets, and granite countertops

I’m so glad we went with stainless steel appliances. Lovin’ the kitchen!

large open space of living and dining room with cherry hardwood floors

I joke about turning this into a dance studio… wouldn’t that be cool?

master bathroom with standing shower, bath tub, sinks on opposite sides, and toilet

I can’t wait to have a shower where I don’t have to deal with a curtain!!

master bathroom sink with vanity area, dark granite countertops, and light wooden drawers

This sink is mine and the opposite one will be Panda’s. I might need some of his drawers though. 😛

master bedroom in new condo with tray ceiling

The master looks smaller when it’s not the model home, but we don’t want a giant space anyway.

paperwork for new condo with manuals for appliances and other instructions

They provide us with a ton of manuals so we can figure out how to operate and maintain everything.

hallway of new condo with hardwood flooring

On the opposite end is my favorite room, the most massive one that’s about the size of a two-car garage. I would love to get a grand piano and pool table in it, lol. Totally not happening anytime soon, if ever. But the dream lives on… From this room you can see straight down to the kitchen.

hallway bathroom with standard countertop and tiles

The hall bath is for the other bedrooms and guests. It’s the only counters that aren’t granite – the upgrade just wasn’t worth it.

new condo porch with white railing and view of houses in back

Oh I’m going to love hanging out on the porch when it’s warmer.

evergreen oil lamp from homegrown collective november 2013 box made with pine cones, evergreen clippings, berries, and parrafin oil in mason jar

I brought along my newest craft as a house warming gift to bring some holiday cheer to the place!

bush with leaves completely frozen over

It’s so fascinating how the ice created that layer over everything.

front door entrance of new condo

I doubt we’ll be using the front door all that much, except to pick up packages that don’t fit in the mailbox!

front of new condo with frozen driveway, one garage door open and one closed, and brick facade

Hello beautiful. I can’t wait to move in!

By the time we finished, it was about 11:30 and Panda and I went to get an early lunch together before going to work. Apparently I’d missed a fire alarm at our office that morning and not long after arriving, I was heading to the restroom when the doorbell rang. Since I was on my way, I went to answer it and found a guy from the power company telling me he had orders to shut off our power. I thought I’d been pranked and the shock of that announcement had me completely baffled. A lot of people weren’t in the office due to the weather, so I didn’t even know who to get. We eventually got that sorted out… whew!

melting icicles on car's mirror

By the time we went to lunch, the icicles were nearly all melted.

footprints in snow on grass next to path

Some people decided that walking on the grass was better than the path, I guess.

trees branches covered in layer of ice from winter storm

Good thing these trees were trimmed last month, or the branches might have broken off. This looks so surreal.

Later in the afternoon, Autumnfall asked me to accompany her to the local grocery store to get some candy canes for a promo we’re going to run. Along the way, we had a ton of fun admiring our surroundings, getting pictures of iced over plants and the scenes along the walk. That’s when we saw that breathtaking hawk make a pit stop. As we were nearing the store, a random guy said, “Hey ladies” in a rather creepy way and as we were checking out, this old man stood waaay too close to us even though the line was for four possible registers. Just adding to the strange occurrences of the day. Back in the office, we took some time for a photo shoot with the candy canes and got some pretty hilarious shots. More to come on that, when the promo starts (we’re giving away candy canes)!

walking path flooded with muddy water after winter storm

Our walk turned out to be quite the adventure, with giant puddles and hawk sightings and tunnels to go through. Oh, and creepy men too.

bush with all leaves iced over from winter storm

More iced up plants!

red berries and green leaves of plant covered in layer of ice

Iced up berries!

plant with brown branches and black berries covered in layer of ice from winter storm

Ok, ok, just one more iced plant picture!

thickening fog obscuring cranes atop new construction building

The fog was thickening and starting to obscure the cranes up top.

rectangular ice fallen from pine trees onto pathway

I promised no more iced plants, but here’s just some ice that fell from pine trees!

After work, I made that Target run I’d meant to do in the morning. I ended up exchanging one item and realizing that the other was from Charlotte Russe – oops! And of course I left, completely forgetting that I wanted to get a notebook too. There’s another Target on the way home, so I figured I could go there and also swing by a gas station for gas, but I completely blanked on the exit and missed it. I reeeeally need to write out my thoughts though, so I decided to make a slight detour to yet another Target. When I arrived, there was a girl crying her heart out near the front. It reminded me of how I’ve been feeling lately and I sort of wish I could bawl it out too. But for now, the tears won’t come even when my heart is heavy. Maybe the writing will help. While browsing notebooks, I found a really fun set of festive ones. Even better is that they’re eco-friendly. Always a plus in my book!

colorful bunch of towels hanging out to dry in target store

I thought this looked funny so I took a picture and then a Target guy happened to come to collect them and he explained that they use them to wipe off the carts. Since they don’t have a dryer, they just hang them where they can. How nice! A wet cart is certainly no fun to shop with.

very foggy night with street lights glowing yellow and blurry on the road

Ooh, the fog is really settling in now.

set of three notebooks by green inspired in blue, green, and red with gold dots and quotes

My newest thought-catchers. 🙂 So pretty!
The blue one says “Looking at the stars always makes me dream.” -Vincent van Gogh
The green one says “Happiness is a bright and shining thing.” -Unknown
The red one says “Joy delights in joy.” -William Shakespeare

So finally, I made it home and was watching The Voice and The Sing-Off. After about an hour of the air running, I started to wonder why it wasn’t heating up. I tried resetting the thermostat with no success, so I just turned off the air and bundled up. After doing some writing, blogging, and news watching, I went to bed. I didn’t sleep very well, waking up frequently once it started to get light out. Around 7, I looked out to see the snow blanketing everything. The plow trucks hadn’t made it in yet. I kept going back to sleep and waking up to check on the status of the roads… things didn’t seem to improve much so I decided to work from home today. I had trouble getting up and really working because of the chillier air. I waited a few hours before calling management to send someone to look at it. I learned that there’s an emergency option that uses the heater in the closet rather than whatever’s outside. They figured the outside one got frozen over (no surprise there) so it wasn’t working. I just need to wait for the ice to melt to use it like normal again.

layer of snow covering all ground, cars, and trees

Why good morning, snow.

barefoot on porch in sunlight with shadows of railing

I went outside once the skies cleared and appreciated the sun for a bit.

sun shining brightly through tree branches

When the sun came out, the snow melted from the trees quickly!

During what normally would have been my lunch break, I decided to take a shower. Now that’s one perk I like about working from home! When I want to refresh myself, I can just hop in the shower AND still have plenty of time to eat some lunch. Come 3 in the afternoon, I was getting antsy being alone with no one to talk to for so long while I tried to pound through work. I took advantage of another benefit of working from home and got changed into some workout gear, then went running! I can’t remember the last time I did that (sometime in college probably) and in snow? Gosh, that would have been over a decade ago. Still, it felt good to clear my head even if I was rather out of shape. I listened to some music and just tried to stay in that zone for as long as possible.

brown fungus growing on tree branch

It looks kind of gross, but it kind of reminds me of a fungus I like to eat called wood ears.

sofa sitting by side of road covered in snow from storm

Somebody had left some furniture by the side of the road, like this sofa. Would make for a pretty cool photo shoot!

When I decided to slow for a bit, I found a playground with a little climbing arch and climbed up to sit on it. It was so nice to peer into woods, groove to my music, and shut out the world for awhile. When it got too cold, I got up and jogged back. I had put the key to the apartment in my leggings thinking they were tight enough to keep it in place. When I was going up the final set of stairs, I stopped to pull it out only to find it was gone. I patted all the way down my legs and started to get worried… I guess I’ve learned a lesson about sticking a key in your pants. Doesn’t work so well when you’re jolting it around while running. Luckily, it had stopped falling down right around my ankle. Thank goodness! I then picked up with work again (albeit with slightly shaky fingers).

metal playground equipment with bars in arch shape

Saw this and couldn’t resist. I just had to climb it.

dblcam image of person with headphones in ears against blue sky and feet stepping on bars of playground equipment with snow on ground

Sitting on the bars, enjoying the amazing air as I watched a squirrel in the distance.

running trail covered in snow broken up by footprints

My running path was a little treacherous but I didn’t slip once. What a serene place.

I’ve felt off ever since returning from my extended Thanksgiving break. Last week was cut short since I got back halfway through the week, which kind of threw me off. Now this week has only been two days and it feels like the week should be over already. My internal clock must be all out of whack. I hope tomorrow brings a more normal day; I could certainly use some boring old normalcy in my life right now.

UK Vacation Day 7 Recap

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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On day 7 of our grand UK adventure, Panda and I explored the streets of Edinburgh and found a bunch of museums. The morning started off with a silly moment, when Panda got my ring stuck on his finger… and we thought he might have to wear it around all day for me. 😛 I got a delicious treat at a cute bakehouse, we swung by the cafe where Harry Potter was written, and of course went to check out the castle (getting a few items in the gift shop but not actually going in). Along the way, we came across two Chinese ladies asking for directions and I regretted not helping. We wanted to also check out this place called The Mound, but I think they were closed so we skipped it. For dinner, we got Pizza Express and I discovered my new favorite pizza. Later at night we got hungry again so we went out to a Chinese place where they were very interested in chatting us up. I guess Chinese-Americans don’t come around that often.

[Don’t forget about Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, and Day 6 recaps.]

english breakfast at hilton edinburgh with fried eggs, baked beans, tomatoes, hash browns, tea, omelette, and fruit

We started the day off right with a hearty breakfast British style.

salt and pepper shaker in one unit with salt on top and pepper on bottom

I’ve never seen a salt and pepper shaker as one unit! I want.

princes street in edinburgh bustling with pedestrians

Off to the bustling Princes Street. There’s just a bit of blue sky out there.

rainbow colored columns of building in edinburgh

So bright and cheery against the other dull colors.

old building with clock tower in edinburgh

Classic building in these parts.

girl standing with hair blown in face on streets of edinburgh

Caught me chillin’ on these cute roads.

world's end painted on wall in edinburgh

We found the world’s end!

flodden campaign of 1513 sign in museum of edinburgh

We arrive at the Museum of Edinburgh to find we were there on exactly the 500th anniversary of the Flodden Campaign.

stone spiral staircase in museum of edinburgh

What a cool staircase.

painting in museum of edinburgh with midget man standing next to towering giant

Hehe, I was amused by the midget next to the giant.

pairs of old shoes on display at museum of edinburgh

Those shoes do NOT look comfy.

scottish ambulance driving down road in edinburgh

Ambulances here use blue and neon yellow.

large selection of dessert items on display at mimi's bakehouse in edinburgh

Stumbled upon Mimi’s Bakehouse, where I could hardly choose just one thing to try!

cute bird cage-themed light frame hanging in mimi's bakehouse in edinburgh

Such a fun light frame.

malteser bar with white chocolate and malteser balls

I decided to opt for the Malteser bar. Yummy yummy.

old stroller from long ago in museum of childhood in edinburgh

We made a quick stop at the Museum of Childhood. Strollers used to be so much simpler.

shoot the moon vintage game in museum of childhood in edinburgh

I’ve never heard to this shoot the moon game and I haven’t a clue how it works.

view of giant three story room in museum of scotland

Next up was the grandest museum of all: the Museum of Scotland! Gorgeous room.

girl standing on scale showing weights of various animals weighing in close to giant aneater

Weighing in against animals, I am right around the same as a giant anteater. Fun fact: Panda and I are almost exactly the same weight – sometimes 2 lbs off but often identical.

large cat display in museum showing only cat that can climb down trees

This is the only breed of cat in the world that can climb down trees, thanks to claws that go the other direction! If only household cats could get those claws…

girl sitting in museum using giant light to signal morse code

I spent all this effort sending a Morse code message to Panda only to discover he wasn’t paying attention! Men.

girl sitting on chair provided at museum for those with tired feet

So perfect for me! My feet and back get sore easily, so I happily grabbed a seat to rest on.

the elephant house in edinburgh's storefront

The fun little cafe with a view of Edinburgh Castle in the back, where JK Rowling did much of her earlier writing.

plaque detailing the elephant house in edinburgh's history of inspiring authors like jk rowling, ian rankin, and alexander mccall-smith

Apparently this place inspires plenty of writers!

view of sliver of ocean in distance from edinburgh

We can just make out the ocean out there. So cool! I wish we could have gone to visit but it’s far.

walking up hill towards edinburgh castle in scotland

Up, up, up to the Ednburgh Castle.

entrance to edinburgh castle atop hill with temporary bleachers set up

There was some sort of event there and they were taking down the bleachers they’d set up.

view of edinburgh from edinburgh castle

Spectacular place to live. We decided not to go into the castle but just enjoy the views and shop.

adorable brightly-colored sheep-shaped soap sold at edinburgh castle gift shop

Such cute soaps! I recorded the brand so I can remember to get these one day…

pizza express dough balls appetizer dish

Not quite what we imagined when we order dough balls, but they were good!

pizza express la reine and pomodoro pesto pizzas

Panda go La Reine and I go the Pomodoro Pesto in the back – FAB. I love thin crust, fresh tomatoes, mushroom, and pesto.

view of edinburgh castle from princes street

What a beautiful place Edinburgh is. So much greenery!

cobblestone path down to princes street gardens lined with multicolored roses

Such a quaint path down into the Princes Street Gardens.

windowsill in edinburgh with bright flowers growing against dull walls

Such a beautiful burst of color against the drab.

pile of red scottish print sherpa blankets

Seeing this inspired me to get one back when I was stateside!

red and white changed priorities ahead sign in edinburgh

Time to consider changing your priorities along with it?

singapore noodles dish at china star restaurant in edinburgh

Panda always loves his Singapore noodles.

These are a few of my favorite things…

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , ,
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Every year as a child, my dad and I would watch the Sound of Music on TV together around the holiday season. It’s one of those things that reminds me it’s that time of year and I plan on watching the live version that Carrie Underwood’s doing in a few days. My dad won’t be able to watch with me, but it’s still a nice memory. I’m reminded of that because yesterday I got to enjoy some of my favorite things! Panda and I really took advantage of what LA has to offer and went around making the most of this chance to do many things I love. So here are a few of my favorite things (along with random tidbits from the day)!

girl wearing cheap plastic sunglasses and orange bikini top holding up peace sign and sticking out tongue

Free sunglasses.

cluster of tiny jasmine flowers with giant leaves

I kept smelling a really fragrant scent in the yard… and tracked it down to these tiny suckers. Jasmine FTW!

cat laying on top of brick wall

Are you surprised? Of course Missy would make it on here. She’s too cute not to.

cat by open door tentatively stepping outside

Molly deserves a shoutout too. Here she decides if it’s worth it to go outside.

girl wearing black ucla hoodie driving car with grey interior and moon roof

I <3 UCLA and enjoying peaceful drives.

girl smiling holding up cha for tea peach iced tea drink with boba

Love the boba at cha for tea!

bag of crispy chicken at sweet and sour sauce

Crispy chicken at a boba place is usually bomb. A most excellent snack.

view from los angeles freeway of palm trees and clouds into distance

Driving in LA… palm trees, freeways, and beautiful skies in the distance.

tesla model s driving by on pch in malibu

Checking out a Tesla Model S and how the handles are flush with the body of the car. Do they push in? Are they sensor-based?

teal flat shoes sitting on wet sand at beach with dog paw prints nearby

Time for fun at the beach!

sunset over pacific ocean through clouds in malibu

The beach offers fantastic skylines.

mcdonalds holiday pie with cardboard sleeve

Sharing a snack with my boo.

girl in bikini at beach standing in circle drawn out in sand around her

I mark off my territory.

collage of girl in orange bikini jumping midair at beach

Jumping for joy!

collage of girl in orange bikini running around on beach in shallow ocean water

Splashing around gleefully.

girl standing in ocean at beach stretching arms and legs out like starfish

I’m a starfish!

girl in orange bikini doing pistol exercise on sand at beach

My new favorite move: the pistol!

collage of girl in orange bikini bending backwards into backbend

Time for a backbend! I used to be a lot more flexible.

girl in orange bikini doing backbend on beach with sun shining on skin

Hi world! Now how do I get up? 😉

collage of girl in orange bikini jumping off skateboard on beach

Bringing out my beloved board for some springy fun.

collage of girl in orange bikini jump roping off skateboard on sand with piece of seaweed

I found a strand of seaweed that I decided to jump rope off my board with.

collage of girl in orange bikini jumping over strand of seaweed at beach

Do you remember those toys you spun around you ankle to swing a ball around and you jumped over it? I was trying to replicate that.

pelicans flying low over ocean by beach

Taking a break to admire the pelicans gliding by. Too bad there were no dolphins this time.

collage of girl in orange bikini playing on skateboard at beach

Having some fun atop my skateboard. 🙂

ripple pattern in sand at beach

Took another break to admire the patterns of nature this time.

silhouette of girl doing yoga tree pose with backdrop of setting sun through clouds at beach

I’d love to come here for my yoga practice!

collage of girl in orange bikini doing cartwheel at beach by ocean

Almost forgot to do some cartwheels!

girl in orange bikini doing cartwheel at beach paused on one hand

Look ma, one hand!

girl in orange bikini doing cartwheel at beach paused in handstand

This is where I pretend I can do a handstand and hold it. Just go with me on this one. 😛

bright yellow sunset reflecting off pacific ocean

So brilliant and beautiful.

engagement ring with purple sapphire center stone worn on guy's pinky finger

While taking pics for me, Panda helps wear my ring.

collage of girl in orange bikini wearing sunglasses playing on skateboard

And a little time with my awesome board. Best ever!

view of sunset from side of road by beach with lifeguard station silhouette

Time to leave this beautiful place.

blurry image of firetruck with front part tilted open

I didn’t know the front of firetrucks could tilt like that!

Climbing up into the mountains and getting a colorful sunset.

Climbing up into the mountains and getting a colorful sunset.

sprinkles cupcake atm machine glowing at night

I didn’t use the cupcake ATM, but I did get some Sprinkles!

For dinner, one of my favorite places. This is a new location I haven't been to!

For dinner, one of my favorite places. This is a new location I haven’t been to!

din tai fung hot and sour soup in small bowl next to large bowl

Classic hot and sour soup. They chop everything so finely it’s amazing.

din tai fung shrimp and vegetables wonton soup in clear broth

I decided to try the wonton soup too. Great for cleansing the palette.

din tai fung xiao long bao tray of ten with shanghai rice cake dish in background

Most delicate xiao long bao known to man.

christmas lights and fountain water at americana in glendale

The Americana’s such a nice place to hang out at this time of year.

stalled maserati in middle of street turned off blocking traffic

On the way home, I found myself behind this Maserati that had stalled and was just sitting there, dead. It soon got help from a tow truck and police.

Photo A Day Challenge November 2013

laelene Posted in photo blog,Tags: , ,
0

It’s December?! I’m not ready! All too soon it’s going to be 2014… yikes! Well, at least this is my favorite month (I’m not biased – I mean, I only love it because it’s my birth month). So for this month I’m going with a theme of #light since it’s a season full of brightness and beauty. And here’s a review of November’s #color theme:

Home for Thanksgiving!

laelene Posted in lifestyle glimpses, photo blog,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Happy Turkey Day! I’m thankful to be home. 🙂

It was a strange feeling yesterday to show up to work with half the office out, then work a short day. I left around 4:30 and ended up taking a nap when I got home. I woke up about two hours later and tried to get some work done. Between attempting to blog, chatting with Panda, and getting distracted by the news, I had a busy night. Before I knew it, the night had passed me by and Panda was settling in for some shuteye before our flight. I kept working and at 3:30 I decided that it wasn’t worth it to try to sleep, so I took a shower and started to get ready. I pretty much had nothing to pack since I’ve got everything I need at home, so I decided to treat myself by bringing my sherpa blanket with me. Panda got up at 4:50 and we were outside by 5:15, right as the taxi showed up.

flying over colorado mountains covered in snow

Hello somewhere in Colorado.

As soon as we got on the plane, I settled in with my blankets and drifted off to sleep. When I awoke, I felt like we should be nearly there, but it was only 10:30 EST… we were flying over Colorado with two more hours to go. This is the first time I’ve actually felt hot on a plane ride, so I’m definitely going to try to bring my blanket with me for all future travel purposes, if there’s room. I hate having cold feet! After playing some games on my phone and catching a few more Zs, we started our descent. We arrived a good half hour early and got picked up by our respective families. My mom and cousin came to get me since my dad’s back is not doing so well. It was great to see my family again and I had a good time catching up with my dad. Soon after, I got a chance to do what I’ve been missing for months: play with Missy! She’s my baby and loves me the most – probably because I’m the only one who scratches her neck, rubs her face, and lets her sit/sleep on me all she wants. I took some time to go through my things at home to prepare items to move. Tons of memories to come! It’s weird being home; I feel different out here. It’s like my life out here is completely separate from that of my life out east. It’s surreal being back and I hope to really relax during this time. 🙂 And now I’ll some of my day in pictures…

cat sitting on sofa back

I got home to find a sleepy, confused Molly. “Who are you again?”

cat playing under person's legs staring out

Missy ran in and out of my legs for awhile as we played in the yard.

cat laying on person's arm sleeping

Pretty soon, she found her way to my lap and took a nap.

cat sleeping on person's chest

Eventually I went up to my room and Missy decided to join me for a nap.

thanksgiving turkey fresh out of oven

It’s turkey time! My mom made a delicious turkey.

collage of thanksgiving meal laid out and dishes with food

We always have a Chinese American turkey day, with turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potatoes, and random Chinese vegetable dishes.

cat sitting on person's lap at dinner table

Whenever I’m eating, Missy likes to come sit on my lap. I then end up sitting there for hours because I don’t want to move her.

scratching cat's chin

Missy loooves being scratched – under the chin, behind the ears, along the neck, on her back… it’s all good!

cat sneaking a taste of thanksgiving turkey

She’s a naughty girl who likes to sneak a taste of our food! I eventually had to hide the turkey in the oven.

cat sniffing pineapple and rubbing teeth on leaves

She loves to use pineapples as an after dinner mint/floss. Gotta keep that breath fresh!

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