Red-lored Angelenos

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The legend of the wild parrots in the Arcadia/San Marino/Pasadena area of Los Angeles is a pretty loud (and squeaky) one! Apparently they’re red-lored parrots and they usually fly in large groups, or at least pairs, squawking to each other the whole time. Talk about an alarm you can’t shut off!

flock of parrots squawking from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

pair of parrots flying from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Total cuteness

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harry otter prize won from herbal animalsYesterday, I finally got the Harry Otter eye pillow that I won from Herbal Animals (for helping to name him).  While he’s much smaller than I imagined, he’s ten times more adorable than I expected!  I guess I should have known that an eye pillow wouldn’t be all that large, but for some reason the size I was thinking of would probably be more of a face pillow (if there is such a thing!).
I was pretty thrilled and immediately posted a picture on Facebook.  Since I was heading out, I didn’t get to open him up until later in the day.  When I did, I had fun playing around with him.  He’s cool and soft to the touch and has a fresh minty + soothing/healing scent.  It’s a combination of chamomile, lavender, and peppermint.  I can definitely smell the chamomile and peppermint, and then the lavender sneaks up on me.  These herbs are very relaxing and when I want a stronger dose, I just have to massage little Harry a bit to “awaken” the scent.  It’s lovely!

holding harry otter in one handThe one thing I would have liked is for him to a bit more filled.  Right now when he sits up, his head is just full of air.  I think there’s enough room to have more herbs AND allow the free flow of his innards.  Still, I appreciate having him nonetheless and now I’m tempted to get him a friend – maybe Peter Panda or Cowlamity Jane!  I wish I was crafty like these folks and could make a cool product like this.  Someday, I’ve got to learn a skill like that.
Anyway, I was surprised to see that one of my friends on FB then decided to get an Herbal Animal for herself after seeing me post up the picture of Harry!  Who knew I’d be referring customers already? 😉  Good times.

Accessories galore

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My dad recently brought me some sweet items my mom got for me to sell! Soon to be listed on PandaLoves.com and eBay. Check out a sampling of some of my favorites.

shiny yellow gem metal phone jack dust plug

Simple, elegant dust plug for any device with a headphone jack!

shiny metal ballerina dust plug with red gems

Dangling, swinging ballerina dust plug.

giant metal panda face ring with gem eyes

Big, bold, and adorable ring.

plastic brown bear head dust plug

Cute little bear head topper.

plastic grey wolf dust plug

Little wolf perched up top.

metal fox wraparound ring with red gems

Sweet little fox curled up around your finger!

metal turtle ring with blue gems and red eyes

What a fun turtle ring, complete with moving limbs!

fuzzy black fox ring with gems

Hahaha, fancy fox. 😉

If you’re happy and you know it

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Honk your horn! 🙂 I can’t remember why the vehicles started honking, but people had fun and you can hear the people in the car next to me having a blast!

honking happiness from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Love, Missy (& sometimes Molly)

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Every single day that I’m with my cats, my heartstrings get their exercise.  The way that they just plop down on me and purr contentedly would make anyone smile.  No matter how many times I see them sleeping, playing, or doing other cute things, each time is special.  Missy is especially loving and comes to nap by me a few times a day.  She gets into some crazy positions that don’t seem comfortable at all, but she appears to love twisting in weird shapes.  It makes me want to take pictures of her all day long.  Molly’s taken some time to warm up to me, but lately she’s been quite cuddly too, and purrs nonstop when she’s in a good mood.  Both of them bring so much joy to my life!

In honor of them, I just had to put together a collage of some of their wonderful pictures.  Having pets is truly one of the most rewarding things and I’m particular to cats because they’re adorable yet not needy and they don’t smell (sorry dogs).  It’s really true that they help lower your blood pressure – they keep me calm and happy even when I’m going through a tough time.  How could you look into those faces as they adore you and not feel your heart open to them?

Click on image for larger view!

collage of cats missy and molly in cute positions

Breaking in the new year

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Panda and I got a chance to stay at the brand new Hyatt Place LAX/El Segundo, which just opened its doors on 12/12/12. Check it out!  (Oh, and kudos to them for being the FIRST hotel I’ve been to that doesn’t require me to reach or contort too much to reach the toilet paper.)

view of room at hyatt place from entrance

Walking into the room, it was very spacious and neat.

view of living room space in hyatt place room

From inside the room looking back at the door, you can appreciate the nice little living area with couch and light.

green hyatt place modern ice bucket

A cool and modern ice bucket awaits you.

hyatt place bathroom with frosted glass sliding door and giant mirror

You can’t quite make it out, but the bathroom had a nice frosted glass sliding door.

white glowing lights behind bathroom mirror at hyatt place

I really enjoyed the gentle glow of the lights behind the mirror!

long lit hallway at hyatt place

The quiet hallways were well-lit and very long.

outdoor fireplace with couch seating at hyatt place

Both on the side and at the back of the hotel, you’ll find outdoor fireplaces that make for a nice place to sit.

large water wall decoration at entrance of hyatt place

I really enjoy water walls since you get the trickle of water without the distracting noise.

lobby of hyatt place with couches and artwork

The lobby area was nice and open, but also included a recessed area for a more cozy feel.

view of field and palm trees from hyatt place

Right now the rest of the Campus El Segundo property is pretty empty, but I’m sure in years to come this view will get less green.

I poked a duck (and I liked it)

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There’s an awesome pond filled with ducks for you to feed and play with in my town. Today I stopped by to find this brave fellow, who let me get within arm’s reach! I just had to see if I could actually touch him and I loved it. He’s so soft!! Everyone should try poking a duck too.

i poked a duck from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

Positive change

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So far 2013 has been off to a strong start.  My overarching goal is to focus more.  That means fewer distractions that waste my time (like watching shows and playing games) and more effort towards making my dreams a reality.  To start with, I’ve been working on cutting out the useless parts of my life that have slowly taken over much of my time in the past couple of months.  I’m working on getting up every day at a regular time, getting some work and cleaning done, and eating and showering “on time” (kinda).

While it’s only been three days (what?!), I’m doing well; I’ve been productive each day and tidied up the house bit by bit.  I’ve gotten some work done for my websites and/or eBay each day whereas in previous weeks I probably would have put it off to another day.  Now when I think of something, I get to it right away, before I lose motivation or forget about it.  The same thing goes with household chores – instead of leaving things lying around, I’m picking them up, putting them away, and organizing as needed.

So far I’m feeling good about my motivation levels, which I was definitely struggling with more recently.  As I start to get used to this new, more healthy routine, I’m going to add more demanding goals, like really buckling down to decide what direction I want my professional development to go.  Part of this effort will involve reading some books for ideas and inspiration.  I had started to do that when I first left my job last year, but then it dwindled.  I think if I learn about how others made it work, I’ll feel better about my own prospects.  After all, every day we see successful businesses around us – why can’t one of those be run by me?

Cartwheeling fun

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Let’s kick off 2013 with a fun video of me cartwheeling by the Potomac this fall! Wheeeeee!

cartwheeling by Potomac from Mary Qin on Vimeo.

(Here are the pictures to go with that day.)

Happy New Year!

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Just wanted to wish everyone a wonderful start to 2013. 🙂 May it be a splendid year!

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