Magic Mountain cupcake

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: , ,
04 December 2012
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Ever since the first time I stepped foot in the new cupcakery in my town, I had my eye on the Magic Mountain cupcake.  I’ve had poor timing with my visits though, and never managed to show up on a day when they offered the Magic Mountain flavor, so I decided to check in every now and then on their Facebook to see when they’d be offering it.  Recently, one of my cupcake cravings finally coincided with a day that my flavor of choice was being served!

magic mountain confetti cupcake with sprinkles from bake you happy in valencia

I’ve been waiting a long time to try this Magic Mountain flavor!

side view of magic mountain confetti cupcake with sprinkles from bake you happy in valencia

It’s like a party in a wrapper – so colorful and fun. 🙂

spoonful and half-eaten magic mountain confetti cupcake with sprinkles from bake you happy in valencia

For some reason I’ve taken to eating cupcakes with a spoon – it’s much more enjoyable that way.

A TOUS holiday

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: , , , ,
28 November 2012
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Panda went browsing at the TOUS store the other day and came back with some free goodies!  Don’t mind Missy, she was just admiring her new toys…

light greenish blue tous gift bag tied with red ribbon

TOUS gift bag!

tous holiday stockings and product catalog

Inside the bag were two TOUS stockings and a copy of their catalog.

Drowsy positions

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: , , , , ,
22 November 2012
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Hehe, Missy sleeps in such funny positions throughout the day.  Sometimes it’s downright baffling that she finds it comfortable like that.

my cat missy napping on bed

my cat missy napping with belly up and head twisted to side

my cat missy napping with belly up and head twisted to side and arms stretched out

Swerving madness

laelene Posted in photo blog, video blog，Tags: , , , ,
17 November 2012
1

Today while driving to Green Festival LA, I got in an accident.  A car was merging into my lane and I was watching it, letting off my gas so it could get in.  Suddenly, the car behind it decided to also merge into my lane, but then I guess the first car had braked, so it had to swerve and cut in front of me, which caused me to swerve to avoid it.  I managed to narrowly miss it, only to roll off the shoulder into the mud and slide right into the guardrail.  The one good thing today?  Bruins beat Trojans 38-28.  😀

chp officer who arrived at the scene stepping away after talking to some firefighters

First an ambulance stopped to check on us, then a tow truck pulled over but it wasn’t with my insurance, then this CHP officer came along, and then the firetruck pulled over briefly.

A total of three or four CHP vehicles stopped at one point or another, and I had to explain what happened over and over as each batch came. Three of them asked if I wanted to file a report and by the third, I had one thing clarified: the only thing filing a report would do is confirm that I am to blame for hitting the guardrail. Ok seriously, why would I file a report so you can charge me for the guardrail?! So random.

Oh, and while talking to the ambulance ladies, we happened to witness another crash right in front of us as a car got rear-ended. Eventually all the law enforcement personnel migrated between our two sites and finally figured out that we were two separate incidents.

front left of car smashed into guardrail at side of highway

Just as I was reacting that I might not hit the car in front of me, I realized I was hurtling towards the guardrail and the mud was too slippery to stop in. In retrospect I should have stayed on the road more or maybe even swerved again (though that could have caused me to spin out), but alas I hit. Boom.

front left car wheel and bumper smashed into guardrail

Oh my poor car! One of my first reactions was relief that the airbags didn’t deploy. That must mean I had slowed down enough that the impact wasn’t as bad. When I went to open my door, it got a bit stuck and creaked (see video).

creaking car door from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

car pulled away from guardrail awaiting tow

The AAA tow guy couldn’t get my car to start without some serious shaking and coughing from my poor Corolla, so he called in a flatbed and pulled it away from the guardrail in the mean time.

damaged car being placed on tow truck

And there she goes, getting atop the flatbed for the ride to the tow yard.

the damage to the front left part of the car

The tow guy thought the axle might be broken – yikes! We’ll see what the ultimate verdict is.

Pampered again

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: , , , , ,
13 November 2012
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My second time around at Pamper Me Fabulous brought about a heftier gift bag, a taste of the cuisine, and sweet new products. What I did miss were the free services, which I signed up for but came too late to get a chance before the day was over.

room full of gift bags given to attendees of pamper me fabulous

My first order of business was to get a swag bag full of goodies!

expert corner stage at pamper me fabulous with shirtless guys giving out hats

Then I wandered around and attended this panel where shirtless guys gave away hats.

ladies sitting on hillside facing ocean view at terranea during pamper me fabulous event

For lunch I went to enjoy the view like these ladies.

panoramic view of the pacific ocean from terranea resort

It’s a sweeping view up here.

view of rocky beach and red cliffs from terranea resort

What glorious cliffs.

view of pamper me fabulous bazaar area in ballroom of terranea resort

Back to the hubbub of the bazaar!

view of terranea resort and ocean from up the hill

By mid-afternoon I was worn and ready to go. You get a nice view leaving Terranea Resort.

a peek at items included in the pamper me fabulous gift bag given to attendees this year

My baggie was brimming with goodies.

sign showing yield to golfers at terranea resort

Haha, what a golfing community it must be.

small reusable bamboo boat-like tray bowl used for salad at terranea resort

After gobbling down my salad, I noticed the bowl thing wasn’t paper! So of course I had to take it home with me. 😛

Squirrel sightings

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: , , , , ,
08 November 2012
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One day, not long after Hurricane/Superstorm Sandy brought two windy, rainy days to our area, I was out walking and came across no less than 8 squirrels when normally I would have seen one or two.  They must have been hungry after the storm, because they were ALL eating (or scavenging for food).  Here are just a few I managed to capture on film (or so to speak)…

squirrel perched precariously high up on tree branch

Yes, that little glob is a squirrel all the way up there!

zoomed in on squirrel perched precariously high up on tree branch

Here’s a zoomed in shot of that squirrel, nibbling on a snack as the branch swayed in the wind.

squirrel with high arched back digging into ground

This squirrel was doing some serious damage and really got into it.

collage of squirrels in tree and foraging on ground

I even put together a collage of some of the squirrels I came across.

iPhone 5

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: , , , ,
03 November 2012
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Ah yes, the iPhone 5.  I’ve had it for a month and a half now and I’ve loved every second of it.  Not only does it fit better in my hand, it offers me just about everything I’m looking for in a phone/gadget/toy.

white & silver iphone 5 in shipping packaging

It comes in a nondescript box so as to not attract attention.

box of white & silver iphone 5 open to reveal phone inside

It’s so shiny and wonderful! If only I could keep it that way.

inside of iphone 5 box with accessories showing: earpods, charging cable, and charging plug

Underneath the phone you’ll find the key accessories – the new EarPods and charging plug with cable.

 

back of white & silver iphone 5 in box

I like the new two-toned design that’s part iPhone 4, part iPad.

apple's new earpod earphones in special carrying case

The newly designed EarPods do fit my ears better than the previous earbuds, but I wouldn’t mind a more cushy design.

white & silver iphone 5 in purple and pink clutch wallet

Happily, it still fits into a clutch wallet designed for iPhone 4 and older models.

 

One way

laelene Posted in photo blog, video blog，Tags: , , , ,
29 October 2012
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Last week, we were driving by the Kennedy Center when all traffic got diverted to the opposite side of the road and suddenly we found ourselves on a one-way on the wrong side of the road.  Once the cones were gone, we were free to get back to the right side (which Panda did), but some of the cars continued on their merry way like nothing was wrong.  So random!  Well, now that I’ve heard that Ellen was getting an award in the Kennedy Center recently, I wonder if that’s why our route was disrupted…

driving on left side of road divider due to traffic redirect for special event at kennedy center in dc

The right side was reserved for Kennedy Center traffic only.

driving on left side of road after getting redirected due to special event at kennedy center in dc

A few blocks later, the divider was gone and we got back over to the right again.

one way, two way from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Surfing Waikiki

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: , , , , , , , ,
26 October 2012
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When Panda and I vacationed in Hawaii this summer, I was determined to finally get around to surfing.  I found a great instructor via Yelp and lucked out with my timing by being able to join two sisters of similar physical abilities and experience, so our skill levels were basically the same.  That allowed us to progress at about the same pace, with nobody holding the others back.  Perfect!

dcx surf school instructor erik, photographer ray, and dog malu

Meet Erik the surf instructor with his dog Malu (who used to surf with him but is a bit old now) and Ray the photographer!

happily carrying surfboards to waikiki beach

The day started with an intro lesson at Erik’s surf shop, and then we were off, carrying our surfboards to the beach!

posing with jellyfish warning sign at waikiki beach

Apparently there had been jellyfish spotted earlier in the morning, so there was a warning sign up.

jellyfish caught from waikiki beach

Erik showed us the jellyfish that had been caught and was being kept in a cup at the lifeguard station until it could be released back to the ocean.

laying on surfboard paddling out into ocean

We then got into the water and started to paddle out towards the waves.

surfing small wave at waikiki beach

Before I knew it, I was catching my first wave! I lost my balance pretty early on but got much better after a few tries.

catching wave with arms by side for balance

Out in the water, Ray accompanied us so we could get some awesome close-up shots on his pro camera. As you can see my first try was just me trying not to fall off.

surfing with knees bent for better control

By the second or third wave, I had figured out how to squat a bit for better control.

chillin' on surfboard getting pictures taken

After catching a few waves, Ray had us pause for some pics on the water. That’s him on the left with the camera, one of the girls in the lesson getting her pics taken, and me sitting around waiting my turn.

laying on surfboard in ocean enjoying sun and water

Then it was time for me to get a posed shot on the surfboard out in the gorgeous ocean waters.

laying on surfboard in ocean giving hang loose hand sign

Feeling in the surfer spirit, I threw up a “hang loose” sign for Ray.

surfing waikiki confidently

By the end of the lesson, I was pretty confident on the kind Waikiki waves and even had people watching me! The wave looks bigger than it felt.

Next time I’ve got to convince Panda to join me in a lesson too.

Whotel

laelene Posted in photo blog，Tags: , , ,
20 October 2012
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I finally had the opportunity to stay at a W Hotel, which sometimes feels like a breed unto its own, hence it being a whotel and not just a hotel.  When I was describing the hotel chain to some friends, I found myself saying it’s like the hotel version of Virgin Airlines.  And truly, if Richard Branson were to run a boutique-y hotel, I’d imagine it to be exactly like the W.

entry area into room at w hotel silicon valley

When you come in the door, there’s a nice little threshold section with hardwood floors .

suite at the w hotel silicon valley

I love the openness of the suites, with the bed area and sitting area merging into one.

wall mirror and padded bench at w hotel silicon valley

Off to the right are a mirror and nice padded bench.

the living area in w hotel silicon valley, with sofa, footrest, and television

There’s a nice open area to relax on the couch and put your feet up while watching TV or chatting.

desk at w hotel silicon valley with arm-less swivel chair

The desk space feels modern with its simplicity and arm-less swivel chair.

bedroom area at w hotel silicon valley

The bed area with swivel TV so you can watch from the couch or bed.

restroom at w hotel with bathrobe and glass sink

The bathroom is sleek with bright lighting and glass fixtures, plus a bathrobe for lounging in.

spearate shower and bathtub in bathroom at w hotel silicon valley

They offer a stand-alone shower and tub for your washing and bathing desires.

 

a small kitchenette in room at w hotel silicon valley

A handy kitchenette offers snacks for purchase including some wine on the wall, or just plain useful things like a microwave, fridge, sink, and cupboards.

 

view of w hotel silicon valley pool from room

Nice pool! Oh, and they like to use simple one-word phrases, like “Wet” for the pool, “Wheels” for the valet service, and “Step” for the shower mat.

One thing I didn’t get around to getting a picture of is the carpets placed in the elevator, which say “Good Morning,” “Good Afternoon,” or “Good Evening” depending on time of day.  I don’t know exactly what time they switch out each, but they sure are on top of that one!

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