Posts Tagged ‘pictures’

Getting screwed but coming out on top

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: , , , ,
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You know, sometimes things don’t go your way, but in the process of fixing it and to make up for it, you end up getting more (or a better deal). Of course, it’s all about perspective whether that’s worth it, but for me I’ve had a couple of those situations lately where I feel pretty good about the whole thing.

First was my fridge, which broke not long after I moved in. One day, I went to get some leftovers to find that they had started to ferment — it was that warm in the fridge! Gross. Strangely enough, it wasn’t that the cooling had stopped entirely; in fact, the bottom part of the fridge was nearly frozen. Thankfully, I had a home warranty so I put in a service order for that and my oven, which had also broken. At first, the technician said he thought it was a fan issue, so he wrote up his report and left saying that they’d be in touch to schedule something once the part was received.

I waited for a long time and approved an email ordering a part, but then didn’t hear anything. When I finally followed up, I learned that for whatever reason, they decided to replace my fridge entirely! Perhaps it wasn’t a fan issue, or the hassle of trying to fix that wasn’t worth it. Whatever the case, I paid just $75 for the visit and got my oven fixed and eventually, a brand new fridge installed. I was pretty happy with that outcome since I didn’t particularly like the fridge that was there.

The old fridge had a very dirty ice dispenser, the doors weren’t magnetic, and they were not aligned. The only thing I don’t like about the new one is the water dispenser area, which 1) isn’t tall enough and 2) the light has to manually be turned on instead of automatically whenever in use.

Second thing was my car, which got scraped when I was parked at the bank. I was almost too lazy to call in a claim, but I figured I might as well see what I could get from it since it was the other party’s insurance anyway. The damage was just surface scratches on my rear bumper, which isn’t super obvious. I was offered $663 that I happily pocketed. I don’t plan on fixing the bumper since I want replace this car as soon as I can anyway.

Barely any scratches, happy to get the money.

Third is my washer dryer set, which I received damaged. There was a small dent on the dryer so I got $150 back, which I was more than happy with. The washer was taken away because it either had not been manufactured properly or it got quite damaged on the way. I called in to get a replacement and was assured that while they wouldn’t have time to reach out to me, but my request would get processed. I waited two months with no response and finally called in only to find they had incorrectly closed my case!

So finally, with a new request processed, they sent me my replacement washer. I’d been living here for over four months with no washer and they only refunded me another $150 for the inconvenience. I wanted way more but I was also too lazy to argue. Overall, still not a bad deal since I don’t need to wash my clothes very often, though it has been a hassle.

Fourth were my sunglasses, which I broke one day when they dropped on my tiled floor. I was hoping I could use some warranty coverage to replace them for a decent price, but the offer that Sunglasses Hut has to replace broken ones within a year of purchase only applies if you are registered with their club. Sadly, I hadn’t set up an account. So I went directly to the Ray Ban website instead and put in a request. They offered to repair them for about $78, which I figured was decent and certainly better than having to buy a new pair. So I paid the fee, mailed in my sunglasses, and waited.

Two months went by without a peep and when I went to check on my request, it had disappeared. I put in a new one to ask about my old one and they finally got back to me on my original request, saying they couldn’t repair it and offered me $300 off an order. I took advantage of that opportunity too get an additional pair of sunglasses and it only cost me another $25. All in all, I ended up getting two brand new pairs of sunglasses for a total cost about $60 less than what it would have cost had I bought them on my own. I basically got the second pair at half off and I’m good with that.

In each of these scenarios, I ended up happy with the result and getting more out of it than I otherwise would have.

Happy National Cat Day!

laelene Posted in general blog,Tags: ,
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I’ve been on an extended hiatus and what better day to come back than on a day to celebrate my favorite animals? I’ve been on a crazy binge-watching spree of Chinese dramas so I hardly want to spend my time doing much else, but for my feline friends it’s worth it.

Plus, I’m a little inspired because I watched alllllllllllllll these shows and I want to write down my thoughts on them before my opinions all fade away after a few months. In a short (less than) 2 months, I’ve managed to blast my way through 9 — count’em — 9?!! series. Other than the first one being a short 6-episode one, the rest have all been about 50-60 episodes each. As I’ve learned, these seem to be the standard for Chinese shows; they’re billed as 1 season, but really they could have been 3.

We’ll table that for now though, I’ll start drafting up posts about the shows I’ve watched and hopefully don’t lose the motivation and momentum I have to get them actually posted. 😛

Today I just wanted to pop back in after soooooooooo long away and share some pics of my favorite kitties. There are currently 3 in my life: Smokey who lives with me, Missy who lives with my parents, and Zephyr who lives with my bestie.

Smokey loves my Moon Pod.
She also loves crinkly things.
Missy has these big eyes and a gaze that is half timid, half curious.
Before my mom took her, she also loved the Moon Pod.
Zephyr is so flat when she falls asleep, and her toes are always curled lol.
She’s a snuggle monster.

Beyond candidacy

laelene Posted in mba,Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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Dearest blog, how I’ve neglected you. I still think about you all the time, but there is just too much going on for me to give you proper attention. I’ll try to be better now that I’ve graduated.

bright red hair car selfie

I dyed my hair red for graduation.

graduating usc marshall business school wearing all the regalia

I didn’t actually take any photos by myself so I’m just gonna crop out my friends…

2018 usc marshall business school commencement program cover

Commencement time. Here we go.

graduation selfie with dean ellis usc marshall business school

Selfie with the Dean on stage!!

posing on seat made from giant tree trunk

After the ceremony, we went for a celebratory dinner. 🙂

sprinkles mini cupcakes with graduation messaging

The next day we had a BBQ for friends and their families. These were our graduation cupcakes, for our EDM apartment (no not the music – those are our initials!). #roommatesand cupcakes

I can now officially change MBA Candidate to straight up MBA! The dream that formed on the basketball court of my middle school in New York has come to fruition and it’s back to the working world. It will be nice to have more time to get into hobbies, but I’m not looking forward to getting up early and being limited by my work hours. Luckily, I’m working at a family business my best friend runs, so I’m hoping it will be a nice balance of flexibility and blending life with work.

It’s been two and a half weeks and I’m still lingering in limbo. I’m working, but I don’t have to start full-time until July so I want to make the most of June. I want to travel but I also don’t want to plan travel… and so it goes, I just take it day by day. I’ve been posted up at my favorite boba shop in Alhambra and now I’m about to go try this awesome-looking vegan Thai place. Nom!

Riding motorcycles

laelene Posted in mba, stories,Tags: , , ,
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Five weeks ago, I was chatting with some friends when one of them (my “Partner”) randomly mentioned he had an extra helmet and could take me on a motorcycle ride sometime.

You should have seen the wide-eyed, excited look I gave him.

It was the weirdest thing because just days earlier, I had been thinking to myself who I knew with a motorcycle. I was driving back from a tour of Amazon’s facilities out in San Bernardino and kept seeing motorcycles passing by. One of my mentors had recently had his stolen, which also caught my attention (and strangely enough got me interested).

I had been mulling the idea over in my head for a few days when out of the blue, the offer was made and I cannot tell you how ecstatic yet baffled I was. Had he read my mind?! I hadn’t talked to anybody about it yet and our topic of conversation was nowhere near the subject. I wasn’t about to ask questions though, so I happily took him up on it. Ever since, we’ve been trying to find a time to go and things kept getting in the way.

So FINALLY, yesterday we got a chance to go for a ride. Partner picked me up in DTLA and we went through Echo Park towards Griffith Observatory. When we first got going, I was rather surprised to find nothing to hold on to except him. For some reason I hadn’t expected that. As we went along, I got to see a bit of what others had warned me of in terms of crazy drivers who either don’t see or don’t care you’re there. We tried out some winding roads and meandered around surface streets before stopping to grab some lunch. It was so interesting for me to look around as we went – I feel like I saw a lot more and noticed a lot more.

I found it quite odd that people seemed to ignore our presence as they drove in their cars texting irresponsibly. Being exposed like that made me feel a lot more connected with my surroundings and I kept shifting my gaze to try to see as much as possible. There were moments where I burst out into a goofy grin because it was so cool to be cruising along. I certainly didn’t get my fill this time, but there will be other chances!

selfie with blue motorcycle helmet on

While waiting to get gas, I couldn’t resist taking a selfie with my new helmet courtesy of Partner.

getting back on motorcycle after getting gas

After getting gas, it was time to sling the leg over and get back on the road.

bread and charcuterie platter at cafe stella

For lunch, we shared a charcuterie platter and some yummy bread.

arm of motorcycle driver and view of road

Sneaky action shot! I like the angle and the capture of the sign.

After we stopped, I wanted to get some selfies.

motorcycle riders with leather jackets and helmets

What an awesome friend, work husband, and Partner! Now please take me on a ride again, kthxbye. 😉

standing by motorcycle

Peace.

sitting on motorcycle front view

“Now sit on it.”

sitting on motorcycle side view

I want!!

Prospurly January 2017 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Well then… since spring break, I’ve been awful at doing any reviews, so let’s get the first box from this year out there!

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

prospurly january 2017 box open with products showing prospurly january 2017 info card with product details

Beach Organics Bath Salts First Light – As always, I will save these to soak in when I have my own (more comfortable) bathtub to use. I like that these are a combo of Himalayan and Dead Sea salts – sounds super fancy.

From Molly With Love White Sage Smudge Spray – Can someone explain what a smudge spray is? Well, whatever the case, this a good way to cleanse the air of odors. It makes a very handy room spray, though apparently it doubles as a body spray.

Sakari Botanicals Juniper Oil – A massage oil or cooking oil in one? Now that’s new. I definitely thought it was a facial oil and put it in with my bathroom products. Good to know I can ingest it too.

St. Tropica Coconut Hot Oil Hair Mask – I’ve been meaning to use this for ages! My hair could use a boost and I look forward to a hair mask, which I haven’t done before.

The Brothers Apothecary Winter Immunitea – This blend of herbs is great for a soothing cup at night when I need to relax. I haven’t cracked it open yet since I haven’t felt like hot tea as much recently, but it will be very useful in the cooler months.

Frau Fowler Tooth Powder – It’s so strange having this slightly salty powder for toothpaste, which you don’t rinse out after spitting out. I like to use it at night before I go to bed so in the morning I can have a more traditional minty mouth wake-up.

This was a handy box with great products that I will enjoy using. What do you think of this month’s box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

USC Marshall iTrek 2017: Purim & Western Wall

laelene Posted in mba,Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
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Spring break was AMAZING. Magical, even. I got a chance to go to Israel with 19 other classmates and I really can’t imagine doing anything better during that week (I can’t believe it has already been a month since, wow). Our schedule was jam packed with activities giving us a wide range of experiences all around the country and we were all raving about it when we got back.

I’m breaking down the trip into multiple posts since there is just so much to share. Let’s start off with the first two days! Friday night I boarded a plane to Istanbul and met five of the others on our trip. We had a short 1 hour layover before flying off to Tel Aviv and arriving at night in time to catch Purim (it’s like Halloween!).

The next day, we bused over to Jerusalem and toured the Western Wall tunnels and Machane Yehuda market. At night, it was Purim time again, since apparently they stagger celebrations and it was Jerusalem’s turn to party. The market by day became an outdoor club by night!

art display in tom bradley terminal of lax

This was my first time being in Tom Bradley since they renovated! This piece of art hung overhead as we lined up for security.

turkish airlines lunch on plane

On the plane, I opted for chicken as my first meal.

turkish airlines breakfast on plane

After about 12 hours on the plane, we ate breakfast prior to landing in Istanbul for a layover.

entertainment screen showing plane path from los angeles to istanbul

My remote didn’t work so I couldn’t watch any shows, but I did watch the map for a long time.

turkish airlines snack on plane

On the Istanbul to Tel Aviv leg, we all got a quick snack.

view of tel aviv coast from plane at night

First glimpse of Tel Aviv from the air!!

view of tel aviv city from plane at night

As we got closer to the airport, we saw more of Tel Aviv upon descent.

electronic display at hotel showing usc group meeting in alon hall

At the Metropolitan Hotel, the rest of our party was busy pre-partying before heading out for Purim!

food at tel aviv hotel

We got in late so there wasn’t much food left.

usc marshall purim party on the streets of tel aviv

Out we went to party on the streets (mainly Rothschild)! We even brought our sign. 😉
Photo cred: “Mr. Photogenic”

late night pizza after purim party with v for vendetta mask

I borrowed a friend’s V for Vendetta mask for a bit as we got pizza on the way back to the hotel.

tel aviv beach and ocean

The next morning, we got our first glimpse of the beach before leaving Tel Aviv for Jerusalem.

towns on the hill of israel

There were all these towns on hills that I barely captured on the right here.

entrance area to western wall in jerusalem

Our day tour for the day was the Western Wall tunnels. Check out the giant cemetery in the distance.

western wall tunnel under construction with empty bath

Underneath the tunnels were arches that are veeeery old. This used to be a bath.

western wall tunnel with restored bath

This is where they uncovered a bath and water mysteriously filled it up! Our tour guide Shani was there for the excavation. (He’s awesome btw!!)

After all that time underground, it was nice to come back out to the daylight.

western wall women's crowded side

We then took some time to visit the wall and write our wishes to stuff in the cracks.

western wall large men's side

The men’s side was disproportionately larger for some reason… ahem.

western wall bushes and birds

Up against the wall, you’ll hear plenty of chirping from the birds that are chilling on the plants and cracks.

walking back to bus

After the Western Wall, it was back on the bus to go over to Machane Yehuda for lunch and browsing.

signs in jerusalem on the way to machane yehuda market

On our way to the market! Who knew that later tonight it would be a raging Purim party?

facebook post on streets of jerusalem

They turned this post into a FB icon.

tuna tartare dish at mona restaurant jerusalem

Dinner that night was at a nice fancy place, Mona Restaurant.

tough pose with israeli security guard

Check out our awesome security guard for the day! He may have had a gun, but he was the sweetest (and who could resist that crown?). 🙂

purim party at machane yehuda jerusalem

Back to the market that night for some dancing!

israelis dancing on bus stop awning for purim

These crazies got on top of the bus stop awning and I was so scared it would break.

mary poppins costume for purim party jerusalem

I spotted Mary Poppins! Her costume was SO GOOD.

And that wrapped up the first full day of being in Israel. It was only the start to something truly special. I’ll try to get the other posts up quickly…

Prospurly December 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
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I can’t believe I’m a quarter behind already… next weekend kicks off our spring break! And here I am trying to close out the year’s reviews still. Let’s get to it!

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

prospurly december 2016 box open with products showingprospurly december 2016 info card with product details

 

Nature’s Skin Nutrition ancient bath milk in Vanilla Noel – Ah, the sweet vanilla scent (with a hint of something medicinal perhaps?). This smells fabulous and I could absolutely bathe in it every day. I don’t like using the bath at my apartment, so this will have to wait until I move back to my own place.

Dr. Jacobs Naturals castile soap in peppermint and almond honey – Castile soap is so versatile! You can use these for cleaning your body, face, hair, or even clothes. I love how this soap is gentle enough for all uses and won’t strip skin of its natural oils.

The Brothers Apothecary Ancient Mulling Spices – Ooo this is the ideal winter drink. I need to get myself some cider and brew this next time I want something a bit more sweet or fragrant than tea.

Foxes & Ferns lavender room & body spray – Now I’ve got to say, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a room AND body spray in one before. Since this works as a toner, that’s the use I’d prefer to keep it for. I have plenty of other sprays and oils for the room, but I’m a sucker for toner.

Menagerie Tea & Earth cleanser – Ok, I was about to say this reminds me of the face wash I’m using right now… so I went to compare them and it turns out it’s the same thing! The formulas may be slightly different but it’s essentially the very face wash I got back in March 2016. I enjoy the scent and the soothing feeling of this cleanser. I do wish it was a little less runny and lathered up more though. This little bottle will be great for me to use in my travel bag.

Be ME Solutions Guardian Immunity oil – Behind that brown wrapper is the true label for this bottle. The outside wrap contains instructions on how to use this oil to prevent illness or help with healing. The consistency is a bit gooier than I expected and there’s a nice minty scent. It’s not too cooling, which I like since I’m very sensitive to that. I’m surprised it said to rub some on your feet too – is that a way to help with illness? And could it really be so powerful as to prevent me from getting sick? It’s the perfect time for me to try since I’ve been feeling juuust short of under the weather recently.

Dr. Jacobs Naturals Citrus Crush Cocktail loofah exfoliating castile soap – I love the delightful scent of this soap! It’s the perfect one to use in the shower to make me feel revitalized and fresh. I don’t really see where the loofah is though – I’m guessing they mean the small bits in the soap that help exfoliate? I was hoping to find a loofah in the middle of the soap, like some I made recently for my roommates!

I am going to enjoy every single item in this box. It’s full of all the kinds of things I enjoy trying! What do you think of this month’s box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Julep Coveted

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , ,
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The #Coveted collection is a delightful box of a dozen of 2015’s favorite polish colors.

Julep ranges from just under $25 to $40 per box based on tier (or as discounted as just under $20 to $35 per box when prepaid three at a time) and comes with combinations of nail polish colors, skincare products, and beauty products (depending on your style profile choice). They offer plenty of upgrade and add-on options too. Boxes are sent monthly unless you choose to skip. You also have the option of gifting your box to a friend. They offer a referral program that earns you $15 store credit per referral.

julep coveted collection mini nail polishes box julep coveted collection mini nail polishes julep coveted collection mini nail polishes box left half of box julep coveted collection mini nail polishes box right half of box

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. ? All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review.]

 

Prospurly November 2016 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions,Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Where does the time go?? I feel like there is so much to do and not enough time to do it all. We’re already about to start our fourth week of classes, which feels so far into the program (yet also so far from the end of the semester). If I want to get caught up with these reviews, I’m going to have to post more frequently!

Prospurly is just under $45 per box (with code for 10% off your subscription – use my referral links from this post) and comes with artisan foods, bath & body items, home products, and other sustainably crafted items. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral program that earns you free boxes.

prospurly november 2016 box open with products showing prospurly november 2016 info card with product details

Prospurly greeting cards – These are nice little thank you cards that can be used when gifting something to someone. Since they didn’t come in envelopes, I’d tape/tie them to a present and use them that way, rather than on their per se (unless it’s a small thank you meant for a professor or something like that). I appreciate that they are printed on recycled card stock.

St. Fiacre’s Farm Coastal Cranberry Spice tea – Now this smells like a great tea, but I need to be careful with the cranberry because it is quite strong. I have liked pairing this with a plain green/black/oolong tea so there’s a stronger base, otherwise it can be quite tart. I wish the spice part came out heavier in the flavor – it smells great but doesn’t contribute to taste as much.

Oak Street Soap White Tea & Ginger bubble bar – Oh my, .how I love the smell of this! It’s so very refreshing and clean-smelling. I kind of like it as an air freshener. My apartment bathtub just isn’t that conducive to bubble baths, so I haven’t used it yet and will probably wait until I have my nice big tub back home.

Foxes & Ferns Rosey facial cleanser – I definitely expected this to be a toner and was surprised that you wipe it on your face with a cotton pad like one, but then you’re supposed to rinse your face. It was very cooling and felt good on my skin. It’s a great way to cleanse the skin right before bed, as I’ve just done.

Nature’s Skin Nutrition Winter Chest Rub – As expected, this chest rub has a menthol scent that helps clear the airways. I haven’t gotten sick since my Utah trip, so I haven’t needed it yet, but I’ll keep it handy whenever I need to open my stuffy nose. Although, am I supposed to use to prevent a cold too?

Neelu Kaur Amrit Nectar of the Divine oil – This is such a unique scent that I can’t place. It’s more on the earthy side but I don’t know how to describe it. I like rolling on oils like this to help me relax before sleep. It has a nice metal roller ball that is cold upon application and adds a little zing to the experience.

This was a nice box that I’ve made good use of! I really enjoyed the variety of scents. What do you think of this month’s box?

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

Feline road trip

laelene Posted in photo blog,Tags: , , , ,
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Happy New Year! One of the last things we did as a family last year was take a road trip with the cats. This was the first time we took both cats in the car and it was quite an adventure.

At the hotel, Smokey quickly found a place to hide in the blanket. She never goes in there!

Soon the cats discovered the top of the curtain.

Smokey’s sweaty little paws left some marks on the dash.

Missy somehow thought the litter box would be a good bed.

Smokey moved around a lot and eventually settled on my bag.

Missy was cold, so I wrapped her up in a towel and she slept.

Almost home!

They got so excited when we got in the garage. Freedom!



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