The Nutcracker

I just watched The Nutcracker at the Paramount Theater in Oakland. It was beyond gorgeous. This was the best part:

Marie and the Nutcracker Prince leaving the Sugar Plum Forest

 Check out the adorable snowball ballerinas! And the Christmas ornament hot-air balloon... definitely wish that was real. This part of Oakland is actually really nice and I hope to hang around here more in the future.

Tree Camping?!

Another adventure for another day. When will I DO all of this??

Igloo Village

I'm obsessed with this hotel - the Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finland. It is an IGLOO VILLAGE. The igloos are made out of thermal glass that never frosts over and keeps the inside warm. You can see aurora borealis just by lying in bed and looking up. Isn't this the most magical thing you've ever seen in your life? I really, really want to go.

William and Kate

Will and Kate's engagement photos <3. I know I don't know them personally but I think I share the opinion of the entire world that they're adorable, Kate Middleton is stunning and makes William look more attractive than he actually is, and these are amazing photos, taken by Mario Testino. I'm a little bit obsessed with them.

Honey Lemon Ginger Tea

I know I've been neglecting to post. I didn't even post anything about Thanksgiving or Christmas caroling, two very food-centric events that I otherwise would have been on top of. It's a combination of being very busy and sort of sick, both of which add up to a dearth of blog posts. But I thought I'd take advantage of my sore throat and clue you all in to the best invention on Earth: honey lemon ginger tea.

My mom used to make this for me whenever I was sick, no matter what kind of sickness it was, and I'd invariably be cured. Now that I'm living at home again (woohoo!) I can take advantage of this fact, though now I'm making it for myself. It's not as good when I make it though.

1. Take three or four thin slices of fresh ginger and place them in boiling water (about a mug's worth). Steep until the water is a little bit golden.
2. Squeeze half a lemon into a mug, add two spoonfuls of honey. Or more, if you have a sweet tooth like me. Or brown sugar, if you don't have any honey. Or any kind of sweetener.
3. Pour the hot water through a strainer into your mug (or leave the slices of ginger in there, like I do).
4. DRINK. BE CURED OF ALL YOUR AILMENTS, physically and emotionally.

SkyGrid

So tomorrow I start my new job at SkyGrid and I am beyond excited. Their website calls it a "new experience on the web,  a platform for browsing streams of relevant, personalized and prioritized information as it happens". I just call it a sweet way to get your news, when you want it, just the way you want it. 
I'm going to be the Assistant Editor. So. Excited.

Screenshot of the app. Get it, it's FREE!

It's a startup (sort of, they're five years old) so it doesn't feel stuffy and corporate - everyone is enthusiastic, brilliant, and great at their job. Did I mention that there are free lunches and a dog named Peter Pan at the office and that I'm STOKED?!?! 

_____ is not The Event

I absolutely LOVED Lost. I was a Fan with a capital F. When it ended (and I was more than disappointed by the finale) I lamented loud and long. Imagine my joy when NBC, my favorite network, picked up an awesome new show entitled The Event, about a government conspiracy, horrific lab experiments, and creepy cliffhangers (AND John Ritter's son!)

The plot twists are phenomenal and the acting is delicious (with the exception of Leila's character, but I liked her before so maybe she's just going through an irritating phase). I encourage everyone, Lost fan or not, to watch it.

Thirty Day Challenge

Hi lovely readers, I hope you are all dreaming of tomorrow's feast. As for me, I'm up to my eyeballs in applications, the first batch of which is due on the 1st. To take a break and make sure I stay sane, I'm doing the 30-day Challenge (via Vivi). Each day I'll try to blog about something different. Here's the list:

Day 01 - Photo of you along with ten facts

Day 02 - How you got your blog name

Day 03 - Hometown location and facts

Day 04 - Ten Places you want to visit

Day 05 - Favorite memory from childhood

Day 06 - Five favorite songs

Day 07 - Best job you ever had

Day 08 - Worst job you ever had

Day 09 - Best day of your life

Day 10 - Worst day of your life

Day 11 - A sport you love to watch/play

Day 12 - Anything you want to post about

Day 13 - Favorite season and why

Day 14 - Something you’re addicted to

Day 15 - Reblog the first thing you see on your dashboard

Day 16 - What did you want to be as a child

Day 17 - Favorite genre of movies

Day 18 - Favorite class/school subject

Day 19 - Random fact about you

Day 20 - Five people you are happy with right now (no names)

Day 21 - Person you can’t live without

Day 22 - Anything you want to post about

Day 23 - Five people you are annoyed with right now (no names)

Day 24 - If you could change your first name, what would you change it to

Day 25 - Favorite stores to buy clothes from

Day 26 - Favorite book

Day 27 - College you are attending or want to attend

Day 28 - Career goals

Day 29 - Ten life goals

Day 30 - Anything you want to post about

Keep in mind that I'm a giant ball of stress at the moment and this may take more than 30 days to complete. But I really want to do it, so I'll start after I finish my Santa Barbara application.

Finally!

engaged after eight years. good one, William!

Aurora Borealis

It's always been my dream to see Aurora Borealis. I don't think there's anything more beautiful or magical.

Can you imagine seeing a sky like this?

The Master

People often like to give away what they need most themselves.

J'adore

Oh my god. One of my friends, whom I really only see on Thanksgiving but admire and adore more than most people I see more often, just got engaged. In Paris. I'M feeling giddy, so I can only imagine her euphoria. Congratulations! <3

{heart}

And after a while you learn the subtle difference between holding a hand and chaining a soul.

You learn that love doesn’t mean leaning,

and company doesn’t mean security.

And you begin to learn that kisses aren’t contracts

and presents aren’t promises.

And you begin to accept your defeats with your head up and your eyes open.

With the grace of an adult, not the grief of a child.

And you learn to build all your roads on today

because tomorrow’s ground is too uncertain for plans.

After a while you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much.

So plant your own garden,

and decorate your own soul,

instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.

And you learn that you really can endure…

that you really are strong…

and you really do have worth.

{Jorge Luis Borges}

Brunch

If you know me, you know two things: that I express love with food, and that I love brunch. Today I got to combine the two in a Thank-You brunch to my aunt and her "boyfriend" (feels weird to use that term for someone over 50, but whatever) for helping me move back and forth to Berkeley a million times. These aren't my photos, but I wish they were!

We started with a frittata containing shrimp, red onion, mushrooms, zucchini, red bell peppers, and a generous amount of mozzarella cheese. We followed it up with corn pudding...

and finished up with strawberry and nutella crepes. I also made peach and vanilla-cinnamon crepes, which were really delicious.

and of course it's not brunch without mimosas! :) Tropicana orange juice and an unopened bottle of Chandon from my 21st birthday. Sooo good.

GIANTS!

Brian "The Beard" Wilson and Cody "The Boss" Ross

This picture pretty much sums up my feelings about the Giants winning their first World Series in 56 years.

Happy Halloween

So my family likes to go all out for Halloween... here's a sampler. Hope everyone had a fun night filled with sugar comas :)

Pocketful of Posey

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the Giants for going batty (haha) last night and pwning the Rangers. I would also like to publicly appreciate the extreme hottie status of catcher Buster Posey, who is unfortunately married. It would be so easy to PhotoShop myself into this picture.

Stuck Like Glue

Okay, Sugarland is one of my new favorite bands for SURE. After my breakup the only song I could stomach was Settlin', but now I'm obsessed with lots of their other songs. Spot-on lyrics with catchy beats and an adorable lead singer (just LOOK at her) = happiness.

My Favorites:

1. Settlin'

2. Stuck Like Glue

3. Little Miss

4. Want You

5. Stay

Alter Ego

If I was currently using Facebook, I'd totally make this my profile picture. HAHAH. Drawing by the brilliant Allie Brosh of Hyperbole and a Half.

Caffeine in Focus

Jaison pointed out that this is a PhotoShop job. YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF, YOU JERKS (whoever posted this). Why would anyone even do this? They must be exceedingly cruel and heartless.

Celebrity Crush

This is Gregory Peck. They just don't make men like this anymore. I thought of him because I met someone today named Gregory Deck (yes, really) and he didn't know who Gregory Peck was. Needless to say, it was the end of our conversation.

My Other Twin

I love writing in my journal and wearing dresses all the time and staring at chandeliers.

-Taylor Swift

Candy Corn Ice Cream

I LOVE candy corn. I love Halloween because of candy corn. I know that it's pure sugar and I love it anyway - the soft and satisfying texture, biting off the little white tip, then the yellow middle, then chomping on the orange end. So when I saw this recipe for Candy Corn Ice Cream, I totally flipped.

Hunan Home's

Hunan Home's in Los Altos is the best Chinese food you will ever eat.

Hot and Sour Soup

Vegetable Chow Mein

Chicken Fried Rice

Kung Pao Chicken

SO good. My family and I have been coming here for 14 years and it's still the best.

Save Me, San Francisco

I've been high, I've been low
I've been yes and I've been oh hell no
I've been reggae and calypso
Won't you save me, San Francisco

-Train

p.s. I took this picture.

Bones Ties The Knot

Emily Deschanel, the star of Bones, just got married and she looks gorgeous. I like her infinitely better than her extremely irritating sister Zooey. Who spells their name like that, anyway?! Other actors I hate: Natalie Portman and Zach Galafianakis.

Trifecta

One of my favorite things is books as art. I think books are beautiful, especially pictures of bookshelves or libraries. In Beauty and the Beast, my favorite scene (okay, besides the ballroom waltz, because whose favorite scene ISN'T the ballroom waltz?) is when the beast gives the library to Belle. You get the idea.

I love this drawing because not only does it include books and words in a gorgeous drawing, but it also has a tree! I love trees as well. This picture makes me think of autumn and school and changing seasons, even though it's close to 90 degrees outside.

Sweet Tooth

I want this soooo badly. For the last couple of days I've been craving chocolate and ice cream like no other, and this is a perfect synthesis of the two: Salted Caramel Brownies with Tin Roof Ice Cream. Crave crave crave. Want. Need.

Foodies Unite!

Whenever I go to Santa Cruz, I call it my alternate universe because for two days, I eat whatever I want as if calories are an old wives' tale. This weekend was no different - it was a foodie friend's birthday, and we went all out.

Brunch was at Backstage Kitchen, next to the Rio theater downtown. You can check out the menu if you'd like! I had the créme brulée french toast with fruit, and my boyfriend had the artichoke quiche with ricotta and fresh mozzarella. Delicious, but I would recommend ordering two entreés just for yourself, as you may still be hungry after just one... plus it's impossible to choose.

We then went wine tasting at the Byington Winery and Vineyards. Even though I don't particularly enjoy wine (except Moscato... yes, I have the taste buds of a twelve year old), the scenery was beautiful and the grapes on the vine looked amazing. For dinner we went to Caruso's Tuscan Cuisine in Capitola Village. A little bit pricier than I usually do for dinner, but delicious pasta and amazing desserts. Try the profiteroles, which are cream puffs covered in this cold ice-creamy chocolate mousse. alsdkfjaklsdfjs.

As if that weren't enough, the next day we went to Gayle's for lunch. Gayle's is famous all over for their cakes and pastries, but they also have hot food, salads, sandwiches, and a slew of other desserts. I had the lemon grilled chicken, spinach gorgonzola pasta, and dark chocolate raspberry ganache cake. Next time I'm getting the twice-baked potato and the orange buttercrunch roll.

I Am Liz Lemon

No matter who you are, you should watch 30 Rock. It is the most hilarious show on TV, and I am proud to say that the main character, Liz Lemon (the wonderful Tina Fey) is my twin. Here's why:

1. The glasses. Enough said.
2. The wardrobe (stripes, cardigans, sweatpants)
3. The violent and irrational love of food (sometimes resulting in an ill-fated custard donut late at night)
4. The quest for Astronaut Mike Dexter, and a soft spot for men who smell like cake frosting (see Episode: The Bubble)
5. Awkwardness, anxiety, bad jokes, and a love of puns!
6. Always solving everyone else's problems, while ignoring own.
7. The facial expressions (see photo).
8. The futile attempt to be graceful, resulting in an (endearing?) clumsiness.
9. The smart one, not the cool one.
10. The cynic in the room, hiding behind a thin veneer of high-fives.

and much more, of course.

Can You Fall In Love With Shoes?

Downgrade

Jesse James, you're an idiot.

Great Ideas For The Indecisive

I am the world's most indecisive person. If you want me to do anything, do not present me with a choice, or no action will ever be taken until I have weighed every single option against its counterpart (a tree diagram is also possible at this stage). So imagine my delight in downtown Capitola during a weekend trip with the boyfriend, when I discovered mini-cones.

Of course, I had seen mini ice cream cones before, but never actually in an ice cream shop. They were only $1.00, so I bought two, and I didn't have to choose just one flavor. I got passionfruit-guava sorbet, and 1020, a flavor created by Marianne's Ice Cream (definitely hit this up if you're ever in Santa Cruz). Caramel ice cream with a fudge swirl and oreos mixed in. Perfect.

Explosion of Love

This gorgeous photo combines two of my favorite things: weddings and fireworks.

Blows me away every time.

Beginning On A Cloudy Day

This is a blog to share the little things that make me smile, cringe, gasp, or swoon. Photos, books, gossip, recipes, fashion, quotes, music videos, etc. I know the world is a very serious place full of responsibilities,but here is my (and your) place to escape and just keep things light. Enjoy!

Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader - not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.

-E.L. Doctorow