Undomestic Goddess

Happy Holidays!!!

2008-12-24T14:18:00.000-08:00

Iron Man at the Dome

2008-05-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

Mr. Cee spent his Friday at happy hour at Mojitos while I stayed at home waiting for the rental guy to drop off the chairs for tomorrow's event. I'm hosting PharmD and Chinaman's baby shower. So much prepping for a lil ol party.

Later that evening we met up w/ some friends to celebrate TexanLonghorn's bday by watching Iron Man opening day at the ArcLight. Thank goodness we pre-ordered our tix and scored some awesome reserved seats. No waiting in lines. I'm too old to be waiting in line for a flick. Ah, to be young again.

Someone got Texan an Iron Man t-shirt and we scored him an action figure. Of course we had him take an actual pic w/ the display. Of course I had to take in on the action.

They also displayed the Audi from the movie. Such a drool worthy car. One day. Le sigh.

The movie was awesome. When I first heard that Robert Downey Jr was playing a super hero, i scoffed at the idea. Well, I was proven wrong. Loved him and it was perfect. Very sassy in the movie. I won't spoil it for the rest of you but after seeing that movie, I don't know how I'm gonna watch the rest of the summer blockbusters. Oh and SpeedRacer looks like a candy coated explosion of lameness.

Graduation

2008-05-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

After 8 weeks of training the day is finally here. He first has to take his test before he can graduate. So much pressure!

Sit

Down

Shake

Stay

Wave

Yes I'm a proud momma. He's just too darn cute and so well behaved. He passed with flying colors. Yay!

Getting his certificate of completion

2008-04-03T15:58:00.000-07:00

I heard the most funniest thing while in puppy training last night. There was a 3 yo kid holding his mommy's hand walking through the store.

kid: Look horsey!
mom: No honey, that's a doggie.
kid: Horsey!

The kid was pointing at Brownie, the Doberman. I busted up laughing in the middle of class while the instructor was trying to teach Brownie to stay.

2008-04-02T22:04:00.000-07:00

I'm behind on blogging. What else is new. Le sigh. I need to stop making friends. My wkends are now consisting of meeting w/ a friend to catch up, birthday party, wedding, some type of shower, or wedding.

Last Sat - I went to a wedding at New Capital.

The centerpiece we brought home. 'nuff said.

Sun - baked Peanut Carob Isabooscoti for the pups and some blueberry muffins recommended by Karen.

The pups loved their treats. Every time I reached for them, they would do my bidding. Sorry the muffins aren't as pretty as tater's cupcakes but they were quite delish since this recipe consisted of NO butter or cinnamon. I'm still trying to figure it out but it tastes really moist. A lil on the oily side. Nevertheless still yum.

This past Sat - Get a phone call from grandma claiming that tomorrow is the Qingming Festival. Since I was meeting up w/ Kannie to plan Jannie's baby shower and then heading over to flower mart, I thought I could pick up some flowers for the offering. We spent the morning looking for flowers to be displayed on our desks. Flowers just makes the week work mucho better.

Later on that evening we attended Jessica + Wilson's engagement party at Universal Hilton. It's where Mr. Cee and I got married at. The engagement party was like a wedding consisting of 100 guests, speeches and family introductions, lots of wine, and an 8 min slide show that Jessica put together of "How Wilson Proposed".

The wedding party

Jannie who's 6 mths preggo. OMG. I can't believe it. I'm going to be an auntie.

Sun - Woke up early to get ready to head out to Rose Hills Cemetery to meet my family for the Qingming Festival. It's against Mr. Cee's religion to attend this festival since it consists of praying to our ancestors. As usual my family runs on Asian Time = 1 hr late.

My brother and grandfather are buried at the same terrace just a few steps away. The cemetery was packed w/ families to pay their respects to their ancestors. We brought tons of food, incense and paper to burn and offering to my grandfather and brother. After we finished the burning the joss paper, we all sat down and had a picnic. I know it sounds crazy to have a picnic at a cemetery but it's also a celebration. I'm still trying to figure that one out.

I was late to my next appt thanks to the late start. I had to go home pick up Mr. Cee and headed out to South Bay for a late brunch w/ a dear friend and her husband. The breakfast was yummy w/ huge portions. Sigh. I still want that waffle. After brunch, headed over to Fabric Barn to buy some ribbon for Jannie's Baby Shower, Jessica's Bridal Shower and for Amy's wedding. Wheee, I <3 shopping for ribbon.

Then met up with another friend to play some catch up and did some grocery shopping at Marukai. whew. what a wkend. I'm still recovering.

Teddy & Yoshi get their hair did

2008-03-10T22:32:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, the sweet smell of spring is in the air. After months of the doggies walking around like sheep, it was time for Teddy's summer cut. This is Yoshi's first hair cut and I loved it. Even their stylist came out and mentioned how cute they look. Heehee!

Business on the side, party on top.

Rockin' their mohawks

The Sandra Veil

2008-03-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

Couple months ago, I get an email from Sandra asking about a birdcage veil referred by Joyce Luck. Omg?! Seriously? Since I didn't have a portfolio to show her, I asked her to show me some photos of what she wanted. All I could show her was my veil from the boudoir photos.

photo credit: Unveiled Bridal Designs

We met up in January for her to try on the veil. Plus, I wanted to make sure it fit her and she knew how to care for it and put it on. She loved it! Yay! I made the flower separate from the veil so that she can wear it alone for a different look. I decided to name it after her since it is after all HER veil.

I'm so excited. This is the first print ever. To see more, go to Tuan Ngyuen's blog. I'm still working on several. Thanks to Crissy, my biggest supporter, I'll have some more made soon.

2008-03-02T21:26:00.000-08:00

I've been a very bad blogger lately. I already broke my resolution in trying to blog at least 3x a week. Apparently laziness + busy schedule = zero posts. boo. I'll try a little harder this week.

Tatou Supper Club - One of the owners of the club was hosting a private party for his friends to celebrate Chinese New Year at Tatou. Back in the hey day, it was known as Club Soho. It was one of my old stomping grounds when I barely turned 21. My girlfriends and I practically owned that club. Now, it has been revamped to Tatou Supper Club, and my how much has changed. I realized how old we are when D and I hit the dance floor. Everyone looked like they were barely 21. sigh.

Appetizer buffet

Exerpt taken from Citysearch:

"Hell's Kitchen" winner Michael Wray has added a Latin tinge to the restaurant's corporate Wokcano menu, including favorites like sliced filet mignon, pan-seared striped bass, and a honey-walnut dish that the staff lovingly refers to as "shrimp crack." The restaurant also holds jaw-dropping athletic dance battles. The main dance floor features looming palm trees and a giant Doric column. As dancers bounce to Top 40 and salsa, ubiquitous plasma screens display music videos, and scantily-clad women perform on elevated stages.

Yoshi's first day of class - We have been unofficially training Yoshi at home but felt that we needed more outside. We signed up at our local Petsmart. The first day of class was jam packed w/ 4 small puppies and two giant dogs, a greyhound and german shephard who kept barking at each other. The instructor, Marysia had to pull boxes on display to create stalls for them.

Class instruction was more for the humans, the correct language and tone to usage, the introduction of a clicker, and how to massage your dog to calm them down. Eventually it got so boring that the greyhound keeled over and started snoring. Dahahahaha! He's behind the shopping cart if u wanna see.

Marysia introduced herself and the clicker to each dog by giving them a handful of treats every time they touched the clicker w/ their nose.

Yoshi giving Marysia the utmost attention. Maybe she'll give him those treats in her hand as he sits quietly.

At the ended of the class she handed out homework. WTF? We have homework? Dammit. This dog better be worth it cuz the last time I had HW was in college.

Vday Weekend - D and I don't really celebrate Valentine's since it we have always kept it low key. This wkend I decided to make him something nice. Instead of going to our usual brunch haunt, I decided to make him a quiche. It turned out really delicious full of flavor. I just followed the Ham and Cheese Quiche recipe. I substituted 4 eggs and a pre-made pie crust and added caramelized onions, zucchini and extra cheese.

D loved and requests that I make it at least once a month. The next one, I think I'll add gruyere, spinach, and bacon. Yum.

Where's Yoshi?

2008-02-11T22:10:00.000-08:00

Can you spot him in the picture?

The weekend update

2008-02-11T20:47:00.000-08:00

Lots to talk about so let's get to it.

Friday
Immediately after work, I hightailed out to Torrance to pick up Denis. We grabbed a quick dinner at El Pollo Inka which was quite disappointing. Mario's is so much better.

We had to get down to Borders in Torrance early for the Lisa Loeb signing of The Purple Tape. In case you youngsters don't know who she is, she's the one who sings Stay from the Reality Bites soundtrack. I totally love that movie and her CD. She was re-releasing the Purple tape on CD since it was originally on a cassette tape. Ancient I know. Lisa came onstage and performed Snow Day, Do You Sleep, Hurricane, and Stay. I assumed that she didn't have any Q&As due to her still being quite sick. Poor thing.
It was a great Friday night to see her perform and meet her. Of course I got her autograph. She complimented on my Pink Head Tarina necklace. EEEEEE!

Saturday

More unpacking most of the day. My lil cousin Munchi was in town for CNY and of course she paid me a visit. We went out to dinner at CPK cuz we were craving salad. After dinner she wanted to do a sleepover w/ the puppies.

Sunday

Munchi and I dropped of Mr. Cee at 8am in Chinatown for the Annual Firecracker Run. That gave Munchi and I some time to catchup. Since D's was only a 10k, we decided to head out to Echo Park for the morning, grab a couple of cupcakes at Delilah Bakery. Her storefront is very cute and inside was charming. It had the 1950s decor and home made feel. The red velvet was moist and delish topped w/ the semi sweet cream cheese frosting. It was a perfect balance of sweet and cocoa. So good.
We needed to counter the sugar in our system and headed over to Masa Bakery and Cafe. I've heard great things about the brioche and have been wanting to taste. Their brunch menu isn't the typical pancakes and eggs but great plethora of crepes. Yum. Sorry no pictures since Mr. Cee took my camera.
After our tummies we full, it was time to pick up Mr. Cee. Munchi and I bumped into several friends who were also running the race.

I also saw JP who is on the Firecracker committee cheering on the munchikins running the Kiddie Race. So. Darn.Cute. Maybe next year I'll rejoin the committee. It's been while since I've done any charity work.

Since the weather was perfect, we decided to take Yoshi and Teddy to the Dog Park. This was Y's first time. At first he was scared and wouldn't leave our side. Eventually he started chasing other doggies and making friends. Too cute.

We'll definitely try taking them both out there more. Sad that the weekend has already ended.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2008-02-07T21:31:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite holidays when I was a kid. Relatives and family friends would hand out these pretty red envelopes after you have wished them:

Kung Hay Fat Choy!

Xin nian kuai le!

It's a fun and boisterous celebration filled with lots of candy, food, and family. Once my brother and I have opened all our red envelopes, my mom would take us to the bank to deposit. But I always kept a little to buy something fun. Like a new Hello Kitty erasure that rings when you shake it.

Now that I'm married, the tables have turned. I now give out red envelopes to unmarried children and adults. I'm a little sad that I will no longer get them b/c they always remind me of my childhood. And who would be sad w/ money? At the same time I'm super excited that I get to give out cute envelopes by well wishers. This is my second year of handing them out and so far all my younger cousins have visited or called me. Makes me so happy to have a large family.

I wish you all a prosperous and wonderful new year.

Red Hot

2008-02-07T20:53:00.000-08:00

After seeing Wan's new do, I knew I should visit Rochelle. The only problem, slightly on the far side. After talking to Wan, I was convinced that it's definitely worth the drive. I've never been to Downtown Glendora; it's such a cute town similar to Monrovia that I wanted to spend more time exploring the shoppes and restaurants. Maybe next time since I had an appt.

Rochelle is one hip lady and one of the sweetest. She immediately knew what to do w/ me. I usually give the stylist free reign (which could be a bad idea) . She listened to what I had to say about the things I do, my hair regimen (just blow drying) and what I wanted. I usually give the stylist free reign which could've been a bad idea but I trusted her. Right away she started snipping and chatting making me feel at ease. All a sudden she got a bright idea to color my front bangs red.

Uhhhh...really? Ya she sure did.

I've had different color highlights before but never my bangs.

Alright. Ya only live once. At first I was shocked and scared. Worried what people might think. After looking at the mirror again, I liked it. I love the cut, it's super easy to care for. I felt so mod and punkish.

Thanks Wan, I'm definitely going back to Rochelle and can't wait to see what she's going to do next.

Rock the vote

2008-02-05T09:07:00.000-08:00

It's Super Tuesday. Remember to get out there and vote.

jovovich-hawk for target

2008-02-04T22:08:00.000-08:00

Oh Joy! just announced the next Go Designer, Jovovich-Hawk. Yay!!!!

I just love their collection of feminine classic pieces similar to Anthropology. I've been eying their stuff since they were featured on Domino but can't bring myself to spend $$$. Thanks to Tar-jay, now I can. I can't wait till March 2nd.

Back to the Holidays

2008-02-04T20:31:00.000-08:00

[getting into my time machine]

beep, bloop, blip, beep, beep...

1. Xmas week was spent w/ the inlaws in Norcal living in gluttony. All we did was sleep, eat, watch tv and repeat. One great thing about visiting them is going up to Napa. We hit up Lavender Hill spa for our couples massage, at brunch at The Girl and the Fig, and dined at The Culinary Institute of Arts (CIA) otherwise known as the Wine Spectator Greystone Restaurant which is cooked by culinary students. The food was soo good that Mr. Cee and I were pratically licking our plates. We would definitely go back there and take some cooking classes. I decided against it this time b/c the only class they had was making Mexican chocolate. I need something more challenging.

Although the prices are a bit steep, it was definitely a worthy experience and fun to watch the chefs do work in the open kitchen. If you're ever in Napa, I recommend dining here or taking a class.

2. After Xmas, we met up w/ some of Mr. Cee's Norcal friends for dinner. What do a bunch of Asians do on a cold winter's eve? Hot pot of course! We went to Little Sheep Mongolian Hot Pot, an oxymoron IMO but neverthess, you do walk out a little fatter from eating all that laaaamb.

Hot pot is essentially Chinese fondue w/ a pot of broth. It's similar to shabu shabu with a plethora of meats, meatballs, and veggies that will warm up your body on a cold winter's night. You can choose from plain broth to so spicy it could make your head itch. Gotta love these imports from Hong Kong.

3. Couple of my friends threw an NYE at Flight Bistro & Social Lounge in Huntington Beach w/ a couple hundred of our closest friends. Newly opened, my gf Peipei knew the owner so we ended of having the place to ourselves w/ dinner and drinks. We had a blast and it was so good to see so many friends all at once.

I was pleasantly surprised how delish the food was despite it being a fixed dinner and served to the mass. The steak was cooked perfectly and accompanied by a Cabernet sauce. The molten chocolate cake w/ caramelized bananas was a great way to end the 4 course meal.

Our first kiss at midnight.

Cheers!

A new Year = A new Me

2008-02-03T20:45:00.000-08:00

2007 has came and gone just like that. I got to ring in the new year with some close friends in Huntington Beach. More on that later.

I started with 2008 with a bad start. I ended up catching a severe flu, close to pneumonia if I didn't see the dr. It was awful. I have never been this sick where I bed stricken w/ the fever for 3 days and coughing out a lung. Not only was I sick, we had to pack and move by the 18th which I was really excited say for the packing. I don't know how I made it through w/o Mr. Cee; he did majority of the packing and moving. He's definitely a keeper. I digress.

Since I had such a bad start, I thought I would officially start the new me on Chinese New Year revamping the blog. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and great new year.

kisses!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-21T10:11:00.000-08:00

Teddy & Yoshi

2007-11-14T15:49:00.001-08:00

Gma update

2007-11-13T14:12:00.001-08:00

Dear All,

Thank you for your well wishes, hugs, and prayers. My Gma had her hip surgery and it was successful. She is slowly healing at the hospital.

Luv,
Cee

I went to visit her last night and she was her healthy self. She spoke in a low voice which isn't like her at all. It was actually pleasant. (she usually talks really loud that you can hear her from the other side of the building) Even DK notice the slight change. She just started therapy and is starting to take couple steps a day. Yay! Before you know it, she'll be walking down the aisle next year for my Cousin's wedding in Maui.

Happy Halloweenie

2007-10-31T22:14:00.000-07:00

**Warning: Sad post ahead**

I wish everyone a wonderful day and ghastly fun tonight. I love dressing up for this time of year. And no, I don't mean the slut costumes either. It's fun dressing up. But this year I didn't. Last night I received a phone call from my mom. My grandmother has fallen and wasn't able to get up. It took her 3 hrs to crawl to the phone to call someone. I immediately rushed to my parents house to find my brother, aunt and uncle already there. She refused to go to the hospital despite unable to move her right leg.

I knew something was wrong so we dragged her to the hospital. There I stayed w/ her from checking in to x-rays. Since I was the only one who could translate the best, I stayed w/ her till they checked her into a room. She had fractured her pelvis in three areas and will require surgery. I didn't get home till 1 am completely exhausted.

Today I spent the day w/ her making sure she was alright. Tomorrow she is to see the cardiologist to approve that she is okay for sugery. My grandma doesn't want it. She's scared that she may not wake up. I don't know what to do or say. Not only that, who's going to take care of her after she is released from the hospital?

D and I talked about how our parents aren't 'invincible' as they used to be. They're getting much older and it scares us. How are we going to take care of them? Who's going to take care of them? Esp since D's dad is in his 70s. We're both worried for the future. How did our parents do it? I don't like all these grown up questions.

New Addition

2007-10-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

No I'm not pregnant. Please get out of my ovaries. TYVM.

Teddy has a new brother! Meet Yoshi.

Sorry if I've been MIA. DK and I have been busy with this lil guy. Trying to keep him separated from Teddy since he hasn't had all his shots yet. They both are super excited to see each other w/ their tales wagging violently. I can't wait till this wkend for Yoshi to get his shot so that they can have their first play date.

Yes, Yoshi, as in the lil green dragon-like that eats eggs and hops. See for yourself...

Photos courtesy of Dapotato

Meet Emily and Morris

2007-10-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

Saturday DK and I went to the Pet Adoption & Environmental Fair at Hermon Dog Park in Los Angeles. We were there with a purpose, pick up the kittens my brother adopted since he had to work that day. Of course I was happy to fulfill the task. Plus we wanted to see if we might have found a lil brother for Teddy.

There were so many cute lil furry animals there. I wanted to bring them all home but of course where would they sleep? There were mostly dogs at this even and I got to pet a horse. We picked up Emily and Morris, brother and sister, named by their foster mom. D and I adored them that we wanted to keep them. I wonder if Teddy will like them as much as we do.

So much for hoping, Teddy went ballistic when he saw them. I picked up Emily hoping that Teddy will calm down and see how sweet she was. She did the opposite, hissed and tried to claw Teddy. That's when Teddy barked up a storm and wouldn't stop till I threw him in the bedroom and hide the kittens. So sad. I guess they are going home w/ my bro.

D and I decided that we would visit them once a week to see how they're doing. You can you not love these faces?

Shopping during lunch

2007-10-14T22:11:00.000-07:00

is a dangerous combo. Last week I had to get out of the office during my lunch hour and escape the insanity. I went to Phoenix Food Boutique for their yummy quick lunch. I had their beef with string beans over rice. It was heaven. And it's not the typical chinese fast food sitting on the steam table. It's made to order. I was good and controlled my portions and ate only half and boxed the rest to save for tomorrow's lunch.

I still have some time so away I went to this new store that has been catching my eye every morning on my 15 min commute to work.

I pulled up to the front of the store and realized, they have Tarina Tarantino accessories! Oh. My. God. I practically stumbled inside the store. I got to meet the owner Mike who is an authorized Tarina seller. His store had all my favorite girly stuff. This is bad. I wanted to buy everything in the store. They had majority of the tiaras from her line and her new collection in their show room. I walked in deeper and found Juicy Couture goodies from clothes to bags. Le sigh....I'm in heaven.

Since Mike and I had a great chat, he offered me 15% off anything in the store. Hells no am I going to turn that down. I happily walked out of the store w/ this piece from her new Lolita Pink Head Collection:

Teddy in a bed

2007-10-09T23:01:00.000-07:00

Teddy has been ripping his pet bed apart the past month. It has gotten to the point where he has ripped a major hole and I can see the sponge. It's so ripped up that when I tossed him his ball to play fetch, he jumped on his bed and the ball slipped inside. The crazy dog that he is went after it. All I could see was a tail sticking out from under the cover. I laughed so hard that I had to take pics to show you how my dog cracks me up:

In his predicament, he couldn't grab his ball and get out at the same time. I had to stop laughing to rescue him. Pretty soon I'll have to get him a new bed. For now, he loves sleeping on our bed.

Project: Wristlet

2007-10-09T22:30:00.000-07:00

When I first saw the wristlet and make up bags posted in Weddingbee and on Etsy by Angela Liu Designs, I thought they made great bridesmaid gifts. I never had the chance to purchase them since I got lazy and couldn't order them on time. Her fabrics are pretty and cute w/ Japanese Anime prints. They are pretty original and I love
how the black zipper complements her logo.

Since I first started sewing, I have been wanting to make one. I found several tutorials online. It's actually quite simple to make. Sewing the zipper is such a pain. Since this week's class is about zippers, I hope I can learn a simpler way of sewing them.

Couple weeks ago, I learned how to make a strap on the plastic bag dispenser. This proved helpful. I made the same strap for the clutch and sewed it in the inside so that you can pull it out to use as a clutch or slip it inside for a makeup bag.

Project Nike+ Pouch

2007-10-09T21:55:00.001-07:00

As an early bday present for DK, I bought him the new ipod nano and the nike+ to monitor his running since he was getting back into it. I get bored easily when I work out and I thought he would love this gadget. It tells you what mile you have finished running through your ipod and how long it took you. Then you can upload your results and keep tally seeing how you have improved.

He loved it. The only problem, the nike+. It has to be inserted inside your shoe, so that means having to purchase the nike+ shoe. Ummm, no. So he decided to tape it to his laces which won't hold long.

DK came up with a brilliant idea. He wanted me to make a lil pouch for his chip that would attach to his shoe. He sketched what he envisioned and I brought it to life.

He said it almost what he wanted and it was similar to what they're selling on amazon. Yay! Hopefully it stays on when he runs.

Blog Party and some new friends

2007-10-09T21:29:00.001-07:00

This Sunday Weemo planned a blog party to get to know our stalkers. It as held at 26 Beach in Venice. Although it was at 11:30, I was dragging my foot. Wasn't really looking forward to the drive. But the possibility of trying a new restaurant and meeting new people won me over.

It was a lot of fun. I got to meet 2007 Journey, A Crazy Little Thing Called Life, Kidultery, Till We Run Out of Road, Ballin and Joe's friend. They are absolutely the coolest girls IRL. Although I have been lurking at their blogs, I felt at ease talking to these ladies as if we were old friends.

Plus Ballin works for Sanrio! How cool is that?! My dream job. Le sigh. She was all decked out in Hello Kitty stuff. I love it. Plus she brought some goodies. Yay for HK stuff. I can't wait till next month's brunch. Weemo has a great recap on the party.

Tiara Cafe

2007-10-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

This early Saturday morning, I convinced DK to go to downtown w/ me instead of running. I know terrible but I like his company plus he can drive. As a treat, I took him to Tiara Cafe. Weemo has been raving about it and she just went there yesterday for the goodbye lunch for Curly Fries.

DK before and After coffee

Our waiter Buck sat us immediately and made us felt like home. He brought me a hot steaming cup of coffee and recommended his favorites breakfast plates. DK ordered the Omelet La Soer - organic eggs whipped up into a duvet covering of mushrooms, ricotta cheese, spinach and salami, side of toasted brioche and potato pancake. I ordered Eggs R Us - two organic eggs w/ toasted Brioche. I felt like something simple and not heavy. I was looking forward to brioche since it's so hard to find it here in L.A.

Buck brought us complimentary pancakes to taste while we waited for our food. It was so fluffy and sweet that I wanted to change my order. But I'm trying to eat good so I kept my trap shut. Our piping hot food was sooo good. My eggs were cooked perfectly and the brioche was warm and buttery. Yum. Buck immediately brought me another cup of joe w/o me asking. DK and I definitely will be back with some friends since the service was great and the food was delish. This was a great way to start my Sat.

Onward we went to Michael Levine so that I can purchase supplies for next week's class. I ended up picking up some fabrics for my magic bag, zippers and more fabrics for the clutches i'm planning on making. I got to meet Pilar, my fav fabric cutter again. She gave me some extra fabric. Yay for free stuff. I'm ready to sew some more.

Week 4: Pillow case

2007-10-04T22:41:00.000-07:00

I brought my brand spanking new sewing machine. Everyone noticed my machine. My classmate screamed w/ glee at how much more stitches I had compared to hers. Even the instructor noticed and asked me if it was new. Hee hee.

Tonight we assembled pillow cases. Which proved difficult. There are simply too many steps from sewing, pressing, measuring, cutting, marking and then back to sewing .

Thank goodness I bought and extra yard so that I can make another pillow case for DK. My classmates really liked the fabric and again asked where I got it from. Even the instructor knew that Amy Butler designed my fabric. Her stuff is so pretty. I'm so glad that I found it at Michael Levine. I'll be definitely be hitting it again this weekend since I have to get some more supplies for next week's class.

Halfway through class the teacher sat down to chat w/ me asking me why I bought a new machine. I told her that DK and I went to the L.A County fair for our date night and a friend told me that last time she was there, they had sewing machines. I got to test out other brands and ended loving the Janome HT2008.

I finished the pillow case by the time class ended. This project took me awhile to finish but I learned a lot tonight and how to do the French Seam. I'm really excited that now I can make pillow cases to my heart's content. Can't wait to start on my second one.

Pillow case in action

I'm still trying to perfect the clutch so I made another one. This time taking down notes and assembling it slowly that that everything lines up. Hopefully it'll be nice enough to give away.

Project: Pleated Clutch

2007-10-01T21:53:00.000-07:00

I know I promised pics of the projects and things I learned in class. I keep forgetting to bring my camera. Sorry. So far this is what I have been doing:

Week 1: Intro to the class

Week 2: Machine Orientation

Week 3: Plastic Bag Dispenser

This past Thursday we made the plastic bag dispenser in class. It was quite easy for me to sew. But I did learn how to measure and cut it so that the grain of the fabric won't stretch. Heh. Who knew it was this complicated.

Tonight I decided to try to make a pleated clutch with a tutorial I found on craftster. I wanted to make it w/ a zipper on top instead of a clasp so things don't fall out. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Maybe I should've followed directions. What do you think?

Doggone Weekend

2007-10-01T00:38:00.001-07:00

Weekend Update

Friday

D and I went to the LA County Fair for our date night. I was super excited since Wan told me that they would sell sewing machines at show prices. It's been ages since I've been so I thought why not? We hopped in the car, parked in BFE and ate like pigs, a 12 in sausage hot dog and a cube of curly fries the size of my head. Carnival food is the best. Yum. Sorry no pics, I forgot my camera.
I got to try several machines and opted for the Janome, The Heart Truth 2008 model. I was clapping w/ glee at all the stuff I could do with this machine. It's a new model dedicated to promoting women and heart disease. A great way to spend my money for a good cause. yay! Good bye Singer (you suck!), hello better machine.

Saturday

I've been searching for new fabric stores to hit so I dragged D w/ me out to the westside to F&S Fabrics. They had an alright selection. Slightly costs more than the fabrics in Downtown. So I left empty handed since there wasn't anything I liked. But we did see something outside which I thought was cute so I had to take a pic.

Afterwards we headed to Crumbs! Thanks to twentysomething's review on their cupcakes, I had to taste why it totally blows Sprinkles out of the water. Their cupcakes are huge. Since I'm on a semi diet, I controlled myself and ordered the:

Artie Lange (from Howard Stern Show) cupcake - vanilla sponge cake with chocolate buttercream filling and Crumbs signature vanilla frosting topped with a layer of chocolate fondant and then finished with chocolate and vanilla sprinkles around the edge

Red Velvet - Traditional red velvet cake frosted with vanilla cream cheese frosting and drizzled in chocolate with red sprinkles around the edge and a cherry to finish it off

Blackout - Rich chocolate cake filled with a creamy mixture of chocolate buttercream and ganache. The cupcake is frosted with a layer of Crumbs signature chocolate buttercream and topped with chocolate crumbs and then drizzled with chocolate

Oreo - Heavenly chocolate cake frosted with Crumbs signature vanilla buttercream with crushed Oreos mixed in the frosting and decorated with large chunks of Oreo cookies.

So far we only tasted the Blackout (moist and perfectly sweet), Red Velvet (moist and the frosting wasn't overwhelming the cake), the Strawberry (tastes like the Strawberry Pocky but in cupcake form) and Hostess mini which we tried at the store. So dam good. They DO blow Sprinkles out of the water. Even D who isn't much of a sweets person, said these are the best tasting cupcakes he has ever had. (Sorry Dots, we still love you)

Since I didn't find anything at F&S, we drove over to Michael Levine, my default fabric/craft store. That's where I found Amy Butler fabrics. Her fabrics are so pretty and I can't believe she's from the midwest. She also has some great tutorials on making purses, bags, dresses, and some hats. EEEEE I can't wait for my next project, a pleated clutch.

Sunday

Pei Pei threw her pug, Bailey her first bday doggie party at Parkbench Cafe in Huntington Beach. All doggie attendees received doggie treats and lots of play time. Brunch was so yummy and they even have a puppy menu. Too cute.

After brunch we headed over to the dog park. This park is so huge that we got lost even w/ directions from our waiter. So we just found a nice secluded spot and let the doggies run free tossing tennis balls and lots of treats to be handed out.
This was so much fun that we decided to do it again. So we'll be hosting the next one. Teddy can't wait.
If you'd like your puppy to come to the next one let me know. I'll send you the invite when I have the date set.

Wicked

2007-09-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

Last night D and I finally got to see the 'thrilling' Wicked at Pantages. We had bought the tickets back in January and in order to get great seats, we had to wait 9 mths. Our seats were awesome that I could see their expressions and not close enough for them to spit on me. [not that they would]

I went there w/o any expectations since there has been so much hype about it. I LOVED IT!

The music and lyrics was so much fun to listen to. Glinda was a riot and Elphaba played a fantastic 'good' witch. Who knew they were the best of friends and like some friendships, they end up liking the same guy. Le sigh.

It told the 'real' story behind the wicked and good witch and how they came about. I want to go see it again.

Goodbye Kitty

2007-09-13T22:14:00.000-07:00

[crying] I just printed my return receipt for my Hello Kitty machine. Tonight I attended my 1st sewing class. The instructor handed out a sewing basic supplies list consisting of what qualities we should look for in a sewing machine. HK didn't cut it. Wah!

So now I'm on the hunt for a new sewing machine. I'm just so sad that the HK machine is limited in what it does. Maybe I'll slap on some HK stickers on the machine. heehee

She spent the next hour explaining what we'll be making for the next 6 weeks, types of fabrics and how they're made along with a bunch of terms that got me confizzled. Overall, I'm pretty excited what I'll be making even though I won't be caught dead walking out in it. Stay tuned.

Simply Vera

2007-09-12T18:48:00.002-07:00

I was elated to find out one of my favorite wedding gown designers, Vera Wang will be releasing a more afforadable collection at Kohls, Simply Vera by Vera Wang. Her current ready to wear collection and bridal collection is out of my wallets reach. I love how romantic and feminine clothes are. I scream with excitement on the inside when I see her Kohls ads in magazines knowing full well that this time, I can buy something Vera even if I can't afford her gowns.

Since I couldn't get to the store for the opening on Sun, Sept. 9th; I decided to go shopping online. Her clothes are just amazing and look like they're from the runway and very New York sophisticate. Velvet and purple are the colors to wear for fall w/ feminine dresses to keep you warm and stylish by layering. She even has accessories, handbags, shoes, lingerie and a home collection. Price is isn't so bad but not as cheap as Bitten.

The sad thing is that I didn't bust out my credit card and buy, buy, buy. What held me back? Let's just say, I'm just not ready to wear/shop/buy fall clothing yet. Living in L.A. from now till Oct. I can still sport my sandals and tank tops. Sorry Vera, maybe in a couple of months. The sad thing is that starting tomorrow, her stuff goes on sale, 30% off. Booo.

How Addicted to Blogging are You?

2007-09-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

67%

Mingle² - Free Dating Site

Good thing, I'm only 67%. Otherwise the hubs is going to leave me.

May & Scott's Wedding

2007-09-10T22:43:00.000-07:00

Last night I was kindly invited to witness May and Scott exchange vows. The venue was fabulous and right next to the beach. Their ceremony had me in tears and the set up was very intimate w/ 150 friends and family. The weather was absolutely perfect and the view was amazing. It was a simple and elegant event with personal touches.

The crazy thing about these two is that they are both twins. Scott has a twin sister and May is twins with Way (who is also married to a twin). What are the chances and how crazy is that? And no they didn't meet at a twins convention, they met at work. Their entrance song was appropriately 'The Office'. Too freaking cute.

I had a chance to bump into a friend and play catch up. What a small world. D and I had such a great time and we boogied on down. Congrats to you both and may you both have lotsa twins!

venue - The Adamson House in Malibu
caterer - Event Professionals
photog - Next Exit Photography
video - Thomas Buckley
hair/makeup - Sherry Yong
music - Jamiee at Edge Entertainment
flowers/decorations - DIY

cake - Portos

I found Neemo!

2007-09-10T21:02:00.000-07:00

What a cra-haz-zy way to end the week. Last Thurs, D's company held a private party for their employees and Dealers at Disneyland. Afterwork, I waited for traffic to die down before I headed down. When I got there, they were kicking people out and were shoving us to the private showing of Fantasmic. It was awesome but w/ his company touches.

Immediately after Fantasmic, we were releashed to roam about the park. Of course I started running to Finding Neemo which is across the park. Made it there in 1 minute w/ D in tow. That ride brought back memories when my parents used to take me on the Submarine ride and I could barely reach the window so my dad had to hold me up. I remember the mermaids swimming by and lots of fake fishes. And yes I found Neemo!

Save Yoda, I must.

On Sat, with the hubs we met up with Gonger, Wifezilla, and Will for our tasting of Pizzeria Osteria. I had made reservations about a month ago and after our stunning dinner at Osteria Mozza, we had to try next door. You can see the pics here.

It was quite disappointing to say the least. Altho, the crust was awesome and THIN. The dessert was delish and decadent. I'll leave it at that.

Sewing Basics

2007-09-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

I did it! I signed up for sewing classes where I will formally learn how to sew. I learned how to use a heavy duty machine when my family sold me to the sweat shops. I used to sew cuffs to shirts, collars, sleeves to the shirt, etc. I only did what I was told. Now I get to learn this:

Courses: Arts: Creative Skills

Sewing Basics [3311X]

Calling all those who want to start sewing or who use to sew and want to again. This is the perfect course to get your machine, and you, humming. Students will learn machine sewing by making small projects such as pillowcases and shoe bags. Types of machines and purchasing options will be discussed at the first class. Students provide their own machine at the second class. $10 materials fee payable to the presenter in class; and additional supplies will be needed for the projects.

Wooohooo. I can't wait, classes start next Thurs and I'm sure my Hello Kitty sewing machine can't wait to come out and play.

Clean House

2007-09-05T19:35:00.000-07:00

All weekend D and I watched Clean House on the Style Network. The crew comes in and removes the clutter out of the house; sells their stuff at a yard sale; and at the end, they use the funds, match it and uses it towards redecorating the family's home. We were appalled at how other families lived with so much clutter. They showed an episode of the family with the WORST mess ever. This one family had five garbage bins of stuff, and kept trying to put stuff back into the house. I have to say, after seeing that episode, I feel so much better that our place isn't so bad.

It inspired us to clean up our apt some more. Again I went to Ikea and bought a bigger craft desk. Did laundry, got rid of some boxes and clutter (stuff we didn't need anymore). And tossed a whole mess of stuff. After multiple rounds to the trash bin, our place is now clutter free! Everything we have now has a home.

I'm super excited that now I have a desk to do all my crafts and sewing. I can't wait. Now I need to start signing up for a sewing class. There's so much room now that Teddy was super excited to run around the living room several times hoping I'd chase after him.

I'm thinking about submitting my BIL's house to the show. He lives alone, three bedrooms, a formal dining room, a kitchen, dining room and living room. EVERY ROOM is full of stuff. What? Computer parts and I have no idea what else. You can barely sit in his living room. We can't stay there whenever we're visiting up north. It's terrible. Sorry BIL but you really need help.

Home is now sweet.

Bitten by Sarah Jessica Parker

2007-09-01T23:42:00.001-07:00

Sarah Jessica Parker is following other celebrities, start their own clothing line; Bitten. Except her concept is that nothing is over $20. It'll be a little bit of SJP and some Carrie. I was so excited to see the collection that Kgo and I went to the only Steve and Barrys in my area.

The store front kinda reminds me of Old Navy. Steve and Barrys have REALLY affordable clothing and accessories. If I was a struggling college student, this is where I would shop. Great casual and trendy pieces for an affordable price. Her collection was really cute. Quality isn't so bad. Slightly better than Forever 21. At least there's no clothing made of PVC or polyester. I only picked up a regular tshirt and a sleeveless black blouse perfect for the office. Kgo bought several pieces citing her Sacramento ppl will be soo jealous. I wanted that shirt, "Fashion is not a luxury" but they were sold out. Booo!

Wan's Baby Shower

2007-09-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

We threw a baby shower in honor of our fabulous friend Wan. We all gathered at for some tea & sandwiches, laughs, and of course baby games. We had a private patio where we can be as loud as we want. The tea set was catered by Patina.

Weezermonkey, Married Not Buried, and Wan have a great recap.

Wan looked amazing and had a fabulous glow about her. I hope that I'll look as fantastic as she does when the time comes. Congrats Wan, we all can't wait to be aunties.

Credits:
Invitations designed by: Confessions of the Pink Obsessed
Centerpieces, Table Decor & Coordination: Ricci riccimarie@gmail.com
Favor Bags designed & printed: My Candy Paper
Baby Shower Games: Married Not Buried
Guestbook: Tasty Tater Talks
Cupcakes baked w/ love: Say it, don't spray it!
Venue: Kinara Spa & Cafe
Pro Photog: Jeff S. Lee
Food: Patina Catering
Favors: Boudreaux's Butt Paste, Strawberry Pocky, and Orion Choco Pie
Menu, Toys, Prizes, & coordination: Moi

Thank you Ricci for your help and coordination. It couldn't have been done w/o you my dear!

Taylor's Refresher

2007-08-28T18:03:00.000-07:00

Guy's Dives, Diners and Drive-inns on the Food Network has been going around toting that Taylor's Refresher in St. Helena has the best burgers in the US. I have been to Taylor's in St. Helena 5 years ago and I remember it been a fabulous burger. The line to order was long but you could smell the burgers and garlic fries a mile away.

D discovered that Taylor's has a location at the Ferry Building in SF so we decided to try that one instead since we ran out of time in Napa. We took MIL D shopping at Union Square at the new Bloomies at the newly restored Emporium Building. We worked up an appetite ready to devour out food. Of course my eyes are bigger than my stomach. I ate until I was clutching my tummy. Best. Dam. $9 Burger. Ever.

Black & White Milk Shake - made w/ Double Rainbow Ice cream
Chili Bowl - House made beef & chili bean topped w/ cheddar and green onions
Wisconsin Sourdough - A burger w/ grilled mushrooms, bacon, cheddar cheese, mayo & BBQ sauce on grilled sourdough
Fish & Chips - Fresh Mahi Mahi battered and fried, served w/ fries, slaw, tarter sauce, lemon wedge and green onions
Garlic Fries - Tossed in garlic butter and parsley

Everything was my favorite. The mahi mahi was so fresh that when I bite into it, the juices came out. It was moist and juicy. I dipped my garlic fries into the chili. Two things that go so well together. Just heaven. The burger was juicy and huge. So.Dam.Good. Yep, I'm coming here again.

Happy Anniversary to us!

2007-08-28T17:56:00.000-07:00

A dare brought on by some friends, I suggested that D and I dress up in full wedding garb for our anniversary dinner Sunday night. El Dorado Kitchen is a VERY casual restaurant opened a former sous chef at The French Laundry. Since D and I can't picture spending $300+/person yet, we figured the next best thing would be EDK.

D was super excited about the idea of dressing up. He woke me up the morning of to see what he should pack and if I really did still fit in my dress. Of course I didn't. It wouldn't zip up halfway but the amateur seamstress that I am figured out how to wear the dress. I sewed strips of satin ribbon to the back and turned it into a corset. Then draped a shawl covering it. Voila!

When we got out of the car, we got so many stare and lookers. A woman stopped while driving in the middle of the street to roll down the window to congratulate us. We were giggling the whole time.

Proof positive:

In the car all gussed up. We had to change and get dressed in the car.

We told our waitress that we were celebrating our 1st anniversary so she brought out two flute of bubbly for us. Awwww...

The Food

Soft Shell Crab Prince Edward Island Mussels

Niman Ranch Osso Bucco Beef Tenderloin

We were too full for our complimentary dessert. And a bit tipsy from drinking the bubbly. heehee

D said he had such a great time dressing up, that he wanted to do it again. I'm so glad I married this guy. He's just as crazy as I am. Happy Anniversary to us!

Last but not least, Married @ EDK!!!

Pony up suckas!

Sonoma/Napa

2007-08-28T17:46:00.000-07:00

D planned a weekend getaway to Napa/Sonoma for our anniversary. He did such a fantastic job where I didn't have to lift a finger. Everything was taken care of. He's such a great hubby. We flew into San Jose (long story) and got into our rental car; drove to IL's house for the night.

Next morning we drove up to Sonoma for brunch at The Girl and the Fig Cafe. We sat in the patio area. It was really nice and beautiful out back. The only downer were the flies buzzing around. EW.

The food was fabulous and heavy. Nothing like the American fare of pancakes. See for yourself.

We ordered:

croques madame consisting of 2 slices of brioche, “St George” cheese, Niman Ranch jambon, mornay sauce, poached egg

leek & chevre tart with a side salad

We had some time to kill so we walked around the town. D knows how much I love cheese that he steered me to the Sonoma Cheese Factory. They had different variations of jack cheeses for you to try. But I was more interested in the brie. Plus full from breakfast, my stomach couldn't hold anymore. It's a great place to pick up sandwiches and cheese if you plan on picnicking in the area.

D has made an appointment for a couples and massage at Lavender Hill Spa in Calistoga. It's a cute little refuge. We lounged by the garden before our Volcanic Ash Mud bath for two. We were led to a suite where two tubs were side by side. After our bath, we laid down on the bed for a cool down and foot rub. Ahhhhhh, such bliss.

After our muscles had a chance to loosen, it was time for our couples massage. The only thing that sucks is that it's across the street. In our robes, we crossed the busy street and entered another suite where our masseuses were waiting for us. My masseuse worked my back and turned it to jello. He said there was so many knots that he kept asking me if the pressure was ok. His magic fingers dissolved the knots and I have never felt better.

Passing through Napa we stopped at Beaulieu Vineyard and Beringer for some tasting. We walked out w/ some sparkling wine and couple bottles of chardonnay and pinot noir. Eventho we're not much wine drinkers, we loved the taste and would enjoy it at home.

D did such a wonderful job of planning our anniversary trip that I think he should plan all our vacations from now on.

Memetag: 8 random things

2007-08-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

I've been memetagged by the monkey. Woohoo my first one so here goes:

1. I <3 Hello Kitty, her little white face and red bow. So.Dam.Cute. Plus I read Hello Kitty Hell hoping he would post news of other HK products.

2. Secretly, I'm a nerd. I love playing video games and my current game I must finish is Rayman. I love this game. I get to scream along w/ the bunnies, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaack!" and blast them off the page. heehee. I even got Paper Mario for my bday present which is waiting to be opened once I finish Rayman.

3. Teddy has my heart. I love that furry lil' stinker. I don't know what I'd do w/o him. If I don't see his boba eyes for more than 12 hours, I end up missing him and have to go home and play w/ him. We chase each other around the house and and roll on the floor together. Plus he lets me put clothes on him. The best dress up toy ever. sigh...

4. I love to window, online, blog, or outlet shop. Hence the name hag w/ a big bag.

5. I can't eat sweets as much as I used to. This really sucks and my sweet tooth now has an affinity to fried stuff.

6. Food is another passion of mine. You can tell from how much weight I've gained. I love reading recipe books and watch the Food Network like it's CNN. I love to cook and try new notable restaurants. I just love the dinning experience and also a great home cooked meal. (I miss my mom's cooking.)

7. I love eating popcorn. But I stay away from it as much as I can. If I eat too much, I get sick and toss it all back out. It has happened more than I can remember. Ya, very sad.

8. Currently I'm obsessed w/ decorating magazines and their aesthetics. The pages in the magazine like Domino are the new porn.

Dear Mr. FedEx man

2007-08-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

Where are you? I need the package for tomorrow. Otherwise I'm screwed. I'm getting ready to hunt you down. Believe me, I've hunted down the UPS man before and was successful. I'll put that story in my pocket for a rainy day. Better deliver my package.

Hello Kitty 2yo party

2007-08-19T23:51:00.000-07:00

D and I ended our Sat attending a 2 yo's bday party out in the 909, Ri-ver-side! Holla! It was Hello Kitty themed w/ a side of Korean BBQ. Hello Kitty themed! Now that's my kind of party.

My friends just bought a house out there. It was a four bdr, 2 bath, swimming pool/jacuzzi house. I was super jealous since D and I have been searching for a home to start the Cee clan. The value of her home equates to a 2 bdr condo in my area. It's soo depressing b/c she had what I've been looking for. Am I willing to live in the 909 and commute like her husband to downtown for work? Riverside? D and I thought long and hard and weren't ready to take that step yet. Hopefully the housing market will improve in the next year. But I am really happy for my friend. She has a beautiful house for her daughter to grow up in and glad that it'll be a happy home. Congrats.

The bday girl and her HK sweets. Happy bday M! You are becoming such the lil' diva just like your momma.

D and I ran to the jumper once the kids left. heehee.

Poor Kitty.

Tour of LA, party shopping style

2007-08-19T23:42:00.000-07:00

My Sat was spent driving all over L.A. Thank goodness I wasn't stuck in traffic majority of the time. My day started out w/ a drive out to BH to look for some party supplies for future events since I've heard great things about Party on La Cienega and Vine-American Party Store. I first made a stop to Mood Fabrics since taters and Miss Pearl blogged about the place. I scoured the place for materials for my upcoming veil collection. My to my excitement, the selection wasn't as great as Michael Levine. Plus it was even more expensive but I have to admit, their fabrics are luxurious and quality is so much better. If I was planning on making a gown, I would for sure hit it up but for $50/yd, I'll hold off for now.

Onward to Party on La Cienega; was a dud. They were remodeling the place so their selections on baby shower stuff wasn't so great so I left empty handed. They did have a plethora of paper supplies great for making your own invitations and printing shoppe.

Since I had some time to kill before meeting up with Jennifer at Kinara I drove up to the Beverly Center to pay a visit to Momoberry, headquarters of Hello Kitty goodies for big kids like me. I did pick up some charms for my purse and cell phone. WHEEEE.

Time for my meeting with Jennifer. It went really well and I got to take a peek at a bridal shower that was currently going one. An SCCC that I am took tons of pictures. It's going to be a fabulous baby shower for Wan next wkend. I can't wait.

Sorry, you only get this photo since I want it to a be surprise for the ladies who are reading my blog. I'll definitely put up the photos once the shower is over.

I was a Starvin Marvin so I took D to Mario's Peruvian, owned by a Japanese Peruvian family which was along the way home. I've heard great reviews about this place and have been wanting to try it. I ordered the Everything Ceviche and D had the Lomo Saltado. The ceviche was refreshing for the hot weather and very sour. The Lomo Saltado was delish and tasty, strips of beef sauteed in onions, tomatoes, and french fried potatoes served with rice w/ a side of the spicy 'green' sauce (Peruvian version of the Sriracha sauce). D really liked the food since he's never had Peruvian before. The place isn't a posh spot nor it it THAT ghetto like some people have said. Definitely be coming back here if I plan on being in the area.

Osteria Mozza: Bday Dinner 3.0

2007-08-16T19:04:00.000-07:00

D and I celebrated My Bday Part III at Osteria Mozza. This is the second restaurant on the West Coast for Mario Batali (Iron Chef America, Molto Mario, and owner of Babbo in NY) along w/ Nancy Silverton (La Brea Bread Co). It's situated right next door to Pizzeria Mozza.

I had made reservations a month ago and was extremely excited of dining out again. We arrived and was seated promptly. From where we sat, we could view the whole restaurant. In the middle there was a bar which accepts first come first serve. We were seated next to a young couple w/a newborn. Thank goodness the baby was mostly sleeping and didn't stir throughout the meal. We got to know the couple next to us and they offered us a glass of their red wine which they had procured while on vacation in Tuscany. The wine smelled rich and full of fruit. The taste was amazing and I don't even like red wine all that much. The flavor was bold and went well w/ our lamb. I digress. Back to Osteria.

A mozzarella roll w/ sundried tomatoes and basil over pesto compliments of the chef

We started w/ Grilled Octopus with potatoes, celery & lemon. I'm not crazy about octopus but since I heard rave reviews, I had to try it. The octopus wasn't chewy at all, it was a meaty smokiness paired well with the lemon and the crunchiness of the celery.

Another appetizer from the Mozzarella Bar [so awesome] was the Burrata with bacon, marinated escarole, and caramelized shallots over a grilled slice of sourdough. Oh. My. God. It was awesome. Bacon and mozzarella together on a slice of sourdough. Need I say more?

Third course was the Garganelli. Ragu bolognese meat sauce combined w/ pasta ridges. I love me some meat sauce. D was licking the plate practially. He sopped up the meat w/ our baguette.

Sorry no picture. I ate it all before I realized.

Fourth, Grilled Lamb Scottadita w/ Insalata di Fregola Sarda and Yogurt. Baaaaah [bleeting like a lamb] The lamb wasn't gamey at all. The texture was like a marbled steak. Juicy, fatty, and seared that melted in my mouth. I'm drooling just thinking about it. The Sardinia couscous flavored w/ mint, olive oil and yogurt complimented the lamb nicely.

I heard about the Olive Oil Cake and knew I had to try it for dessert. It was served w/ mini olive oil rosemary cakes and a scoop of olive oil ice cream which tasted faintly salty and sweet at the same time. It kinda reminded me of ginger ice cream. I'm sure it's something Batali concocted on Iron Chef America. My dessert was washed down w/ a cup of joe. I heard on yelp how great the coffee was. For a caffiene-fiend, I had to have a cup. The coffee was full of flavor, rich and you could taste how fresh the coffee was. Ahhhhh....

The service was impeccable and attentive. They're constantly making sure our glasses are filled w/ sparkling water, our dirty plates were removed and the bread basket was constantly offered. I want to go back and try the rest of the menu.

It's My Party and I'll Cry if I want to

2007-08-16T05:42:00.000-07:00

Well, okay I didn't cry but I could've if I wanted to. I having too much fun to even bother. D threw me a Super Sweet 30th at Zip Fusion at the Art's District by Little Tokyo on Sat. It was such a mad dash there b/c I was running late and there was so many things to set up. Thanks to Kgo, things were taken care of and guests started arriving.

I had so much fun that before I knew it, the party was over. We have 50+ friends come by and wish me Happy Bday. There were so many people that I didn't have a chance to really catch up with everyone.

D did a really good job of booking the vendors and handling things when there was a slight glitch. Like how they double booked the room w/ a bachelorette party but resolved it since I have reserved it months in advanced.

Brian the Balloon Artist was a major hit at the party. I've never seen so many adults eager to have an animal balloon made for them. Brian was a real trooper b/c I know people were dying for him to make a bike courtesy of The Wedding Crashers. It would seriously take too long to make. All I got was a flower corsage. Brian didn't have time to make me another balloon. It's ok. Another time.

The candy bar and cupcakes from Dot's was a huge success also. I even saw couple of friends eat 3 minis. I know who you are! j/k. It's ok. You snooze, you lose. That means ya'll gotta head over to Dot's to pick some up. I'm glad everyone enjoyed the candy. There was so much leftover that I gave it to the restaurant staff which they were super excited about.

Thanks to everyone who came out from close and far, far away to come celebrate my big 3-0 into oh hag-dom. I had a blast and seriously, 30 is the new 20 except I got money!

The bumble bee loves my flower.

The Details

A tower of cupcakes Photobooth

The Candy Buffet which was a hit

Brian the Balloon man; Aki spinning 80's music

It's my birthday! It's my birthday!

2007-08-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

Friday, August 10
[shaking my booty]

Woohooo Dirrty 30! I'm really excited and looking forward to this weekend. First thing in the morning D wishes me 'Happy Birthday!' That's the great thing about being married and waking up next to D. heehee.

It's going to be a great and short workday. CWs got me the cutest card ever. It's got Teddy look alike on the front and a JCrew gc. Yay! More reasons to go shopping. The boss took us all out to Julienne's for lunch. It was a nice treat and they sang me happy birthday to an orange tart topped w/ a candle. So sweet.

I took the half day off to run last minute errands for the party. After reading Wan's blog about Candy Warehouse, it sounded like a great place to pick up candy for the buffet. The receptionist was really cool who took me to the back and showed me the stacks and stacks of candy goodness. I ended up getting 10% off my total purchase and a free bag of chocolate candy.

Candy Warehouse
5314 Third Street
Irwindale, CA 91706

Later in the afternoon, Kgo arrived from Sacramento to help celebrate and take boudoir photos w/ Crissy. She booked the Maison 140 in Beverly Hills. I'm super excited for her and can't wait to see her photos.

We had dinner reservations at Craft, Tom Colicchio from Top Cheft has a new restaurant in West Coast. We picked up Kgo and headed over. Our tummies rumbling in hunger as we waited at the bar for our table to be set.

We were seated right in the middle of the room facing the extravagant wine collection. With the waitress' suggestion, we ordered Pork Belly & Madras Curry to start with. It was big chunks of bacon deep fried to perfection. So. Dam. Good. But. So. Bad. For. You.

I can't recall what amuse bouche came next but I remember liking it. Next came our main dishes.

Hawaiian Blue Prawns - grilled shrimp
Alaskan Halibut & Salsa Verde - seared halibut
Beef Short Rib & Root Vegetables - braised chunks of beef
Sweet Corn - soaked in butter
Assorted Mushrooms - assorted mushrooms

Everything was so good. The one dish that stood out the most was the corn. It was sitting in a bed of butter and cream. What a great combo. I could just sit there and make a meal out of that w/ some mashed potatoes. The grilled shrimp were giant prawns grilled and was cooked just right. I wasn't too crazy about the halibut. There wasn't anything exciting about it other than it being seared. The beef short ribs just fell apart when you ate it. The flavor was amazing like it's been marinating for days.

Next came another amuse bouche consisting of melon soup with cucumber sorbet. The sorbet really cleansed my palate which readied my taste buds for dessert. The waiter brought out my Lemon-Thyme Glazed Donuts with Blueberry Compote, Vanilla Cream & Chocolate Pudding on a plate wishing me Happy Bday in chocolate. What a great way to end the meal. Kgo ordered the Caramel Parfait which had chunks of toffee that crunched when you bit into the creamy caramel dessert.

The waiter told me that Tom wasn't in this week and that he'll be back in 2 weeks. Awww sadness but I'm not sure I can come back in two weeks. I might be trying another new restaurant that's popping up in L.A. Overall the service was slow but the nice waiter made up for it. Our server wasn't so friendly but she did what she had to do.

Some pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Recovery

2007-08-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

Trying to recover from the weekend. I'm just too exhausted that all I want to do is sleep or just sit down and do nothing. I don't think I can keep up w/ this schedule w/ constant activities on the weekend. Thank goodness it'll all end this month and life will go back to normal.

One Helluva Crazy Week

2007-08-12T20:06:00.000-07:00

It's been an insane week. I can't believe how fast it came and went. Such a whirlwind. Let's start shall we?

Sun, August 5

D and I woke up real early to grab some HK style breakfast at Hong Kong Cafe. It's been ages since we've been and I've been looking forward to the toasted pineapple bun. Yum.

We headed over to IKEA b/c the night before we saw in the 'as is' section this:

Anedoba Wardrobe

Marked down from $79.99 to $50! Such a great deal There was no way that wardrobe was going to fit in my two door car. That's why this morning we borrowed my parents mini van and sat there waiting for IKEA to open before someone could snake our find.

We ended up purchasing tons of more things since we knew our vehicle could handle it. Of course we had to get the matching chest drawer:

And a new table for my sweat shoppe corner:

VIKA AMON/ VIKA CURRY in birch effect

I did pick up some containers for my candy buffet. What a steal!

I attended a wedding later in the afternoon w/ my fellow e-friends IRL in Santa Fe Springs. Dapotato tied the knot at The Clarke Estate in Santa Fe Springs. Everyone was such a good sport and sat through the entire ceremony in the HEAT. Weemo has the best recap.

K.S. and I had the job duty of being guest book nazis. It was really cool to take pictures of taters guest and see them get excited over the polaroid picture and writing a sweet sentiment. Congrats dapotat + bear. May you live happily ever after.

Sat, August 4

D went to pick up our brand new fridge. It was such a tiring day b/c I had to clean out our 14 year old fridge. It was an energy guzzler and the new one we were getting was energy efficient. Another way we can go green.

Amana bottom freezer fridge

The fridge is absolutely beautiful. Everytime I open it the top light shines down sounds like angels singing. Every now and then I just walk up and open the fridge to hear the angels sing. Music to my ears. Now to go grocery shopping.

Dahlias you say?

2007-08-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

Who knew dahlias were in season? If I would've known, I would've used them at my wedding. Dapotato had them in her bouquet and it looked beautiful.

Tater and BM's bouquets

I saw them again on {frolic} blogging how great centerpieces they would make.

Indeed they would. Plus the colors are poi-fect for my table. Woohoo!! The only is I would omit is the bear grass. I might find some other type of green leaves at the flowermart. I can't wait to go on Sat morning. It's a great way to start the day.

The photos were linked courtesy of Rose and Radish, another great design website. I love how they showcase the flowers of the season and display them creatively as arrangements. Ah, another link I will add to my daily reads.

Such a Tease

2007-08-02T11:56:00.000-07:00

I got my b-pic teasers! Oh. Em. Gee. I can't believe they're meeee!? I want to see more!

Tar-jay

2007-07-31T20:19:00.000-07:00

That store is owned by the devil. I walk in there to buy a photo album and floss...$50 later, two shopping bags full of stuff. No clue what I bought. Something at the card aisle did catch my eye.

EEEEE!!!! My party colors, pink and orange [thanks Weemo for the inspiration]. Sooo cool. I quickly snatched it up. I think it'll go great as table runners for the dinner. I hope the dots isn't too crazy. I'll keep it for safe keeping for now.

"My Super Sweet 30th" invites

P-I-N-K-B-E-R-R-Y

2007-07-30T18:53:00.001-07:00

Has finally opened in Pasadena on Fair Oaks where Lamonica's Pizza used to be. It's about fucking time. This sign has been posted for the last 5 months taunting me.

Lo and behold, today I get an email today:

Step Inside as Old Town Pasadena welcomes its very own Pinkberry.

19 S Fair Oaks Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
Map626 744 0505

Swirling Hours
Sun - Thur 11 am - 11 pm
Fri + Sat 11 am - 12 am

For a complete Store Listing please visit Pinkberry.com

Sincerely,Your Fellow Groupi

Aww hell, that means I have to make a trek up in my hood. Parking is going to be a bitch. I guess tomorrow is a good of a day to taste that sweet tartness on my lips.

Tansformers. More than meets the eye.

2007-07-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

On Sat morning, I went to a Lisa See book signing a the Barnes & Noble in Tustin for her new book Peony in Love. This is her 7th book in print. I was just super excited to meet her in person since I read On Gold Mountain. I felt a connection when I read the book. My great grandfather like hers, came to California to build the railroad and to better their lives since California aka, Gold Mountain, was where you would find riches. Like everyone else, that dream was shattered when they realized that gold couldn't be plucked off the ground and he returned home to China. Lisa's grandfather stayed and build his life by opening a curios shop and marrying a Caucasian woman. He then moved down to L.A. Chinatown and opened up shop there and later on, two more stores in Pasadena and Long Beach. To this day, it still exists which is currently managed by Lisa's uncle. I practically grew up in Chinatown and remember going into that store w/ my parents when I was a kid. It always amazes me to read the history behind my culture. I don't know why but I just love it. It's sad to realize that one day, that piece of history may no longer be there.

I wish I had brought my book, On Gold Mountain for her to sign. But I couldn't find it. Either I lost it when I moved or one of my cousins borrowed it and hasn't [never] will return it. Sigh....I guess I order another copy.

Lisa was a great speaker at the event. Very entertaining, even D had a great time. She explained the background and research behind her new book Peony in Love. It's about a story of Maidens in China who fall in love w/ the lyrics from The Peony Pavillion, an epic opera and wastes away as a result since they will never have the chance to fall in love since they are in arranged marriages.

I did pick up a copy and one for Mei. I'm sure she'll love it. First I have to finish Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows first.

D and I finally had a chance to watch it on Sat night at our local theater, the old Alhambra Edwards. Brings back HS memories of the days when we used to movie hop. I digress.

Best. Movie. Ever. Josh Duhamel is dam smoking as usual. Shiloh LeBeouf has grown up a lot and is hilarious as a teenager w/ raging hormones can be. I noticed there are some inconsistencies w/ the movie like where the hell are Optimus Prime and the others when Bumblebee lost his legs? The best scenes are when they transform. So cool and awesome. I want to go see it again. But first, must watch Ratatouille.

Nordstroms' Anniversary Sale

2007-07-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

Last night I went on a returning spree for all the clothes or shall i say lingerie for the b-pics. I ended up returning $100 worth of merchandise. Instead of leaving like I planned to, I went to Sports Chalet to buy D some shoes for tennis. He was complaining about his running shoes aren't cutting it on the court. So the nice wifey that I am bought him a new pair of New Balance tennis shoes with the help of the sales boy.

I finally got a chance to hit up the anniversary sale at Nordies despite Kristie's disappointment when she went. Yep, I found nothing to buy. Most of the stores in the mall are already carrying fall clothing. I'm not ready for fall yet, I'm just getting started on my summer. sigh...

But I did purchase my first set of pearl studs at Nords. I feel so grown up now. I thought they would look great w/ my dress for tater's wedding next weekend. I can't wait!

Majorica Pearl Studs/8mm, photo Saks 5th Avenue $45

New Balance CT1002 Tennis Shoe Mens

All in all, not bad. I controlled my spending. I felt like I needed to something nice to wear. Also, when I meet vendors, I can wear pearls and look all grown up so that they'll take me seriously.

Forever 21 Florencia Dress $27.80

I can't wait to wear my newly purchased dress from F21. It reminds me of Springchic's wedding. Her wedding was absolutely fabulous.

B is for Boudoir

2007-07-24T20:14:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to take these photos forever. It's just too expensive and the list of photographers who are currently doing it have different styles.

After much researching, I decided on using Christine Farah. She started out as a knottie, understudied w/ Michael Norwood Photography and eventually improved so much that her blog is getting lots of hits and bookings. Good for her. I met her at in person at Weemo's bday party and immediately felt comfortable with her.

photo courtesy of Christine Farah Photography

Never knew how much prep work went into boudoir. I'm not talking about the primping but looking for location [since my apt really wasn't great to photograph and a mess]. Thank goodness I wasn't planning it alone. If it wasn't for K. I wouldn't have gone through with it. We went through a list of hotels and chose Figueroa Hotel in downtown. I ended up booking the Medina suite b/c of the colors on the walls, it's going to look amazing.

Now we got the hotel down; but I wanted pictures associated w/ water. I got the idea from Jim Kennedy boudoir shoots. I love the bathtub and beach scenes. I think those are so cool. I don't think I could go through with it if a man shot my pictures. Kinda creepy. I remember a party I went to for LaLa's going away party. The rooftop pool at PE Lofts was really cool. Immediately I knew this was the second scene. We ended up booking the place for freee! My kinda words.

The locations are set. Time to figure out my outfit(s). I shopped at Victorias Secret, Fredericks of Hollywood, Leg Avenue, and countless hours on the internet looking for inspirations.

Kwa: (n) A Chinese Wedding Dress

2007-07-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

I finally decided to sell my kwa. I know I won't be able to wear it again. Maybe for Halloween but that might prove difficult since it would be considered an expensive, delicate costume made of silk and beautiful beading.

I purchased it during my fevor wedding stuff shopping in Hong Kong. I realized this is the only time I can wear a kwa instead of a cheongsam and I thought it would be neat. I really loved wearing the kwa.

I put it up on , a wedding forum for Chinese brides. Eventually I got a bite, it was sold to a bride in New York after much email exchanges and haggling. While I was wrapping it up, I felt an attachment to the dress. I didn't want to sell it. This is what I wore for our Tea Ceremony and MY wedding. But I knew if I kept it, it would sit in my closet. I would rather another bride unexpectly love the dress as much as I did. I was saddened once I left the Post Office. I never knew I would be so sentimentally attached to a kwa.

2006-07-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

It's been ages since I've posted. There are just too many things to do in prep of the wedding and other weddings I've been attending.

I got to know Knottie Klessard through Clif&me. She's totally gorgeous in person and she's marrying a Korean. They are such a cute couple. And she's super sweet. We could only attend the ceremony at the Embassy Suites El Segundo.

She looked so gorgeous. Peter is one lucky guy. The ceremony was quick and funny. P and K wrote their own vows and they were so cute. Sucha crackup.

2006-06-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

June 10, 2006

Yay!!! Teddy's tuxedo came in the mail today! I'm sooo excited. I ordered it from ebay. He's gonna be such a cute ring bearer.

OMG, he looks so freaking cute. Is it wrong to want to squeeze him tight?

It comes w/ a top hat but he doesn't like it. it's ok. I think he looks handsome already.

2006-06-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

Saturday, June 10, 2006

The day is finally here! Way and Kevin are getting married at the Athenaeum Caltech, Pasadena. It was so beautiful and she looked so gorgeous. They wrote their own vows. The ceremony was nice and simple. It was a very touching ceremony. As D would say, I was multitasking, crying and taking pics at the same time. That explains alot since some pictures were really blurry. oops.

Immediately after the ceremony was cocktail and h'ordourves. It was alot of fun b/c I got to see alot of aunts and uncles I haven't seen since I was a kid. What was also neat was that Way displayed wedding pictures of her parents and grandparents, Kevin's parents and granparents.

2006-06-27T12:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Way's sister May, threw her a bridal tea shower at the Pasadena Huntington Ritz Carlton. The site itself is beautiful. We were seated next the to window and got a gorgeous view of the San Gabriel valley. I wish I could have my wedding here but we cannot afford it. My mom also attended the event and this was her first time. She had alot of fun and enjoyed the tea sandwiches and yummies that were accompanied. We had such a fun time playing games, like guess how old Way was, and telling stories about her. I got to meet some really nice girls. Way is going to be such a beautiful bride.

2006-06-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

May 19, 2006

I loved the monogram cake toppers w/ the crystals. It's really different from the typical cheesy bride and groom. Everyone has different tastes. But I didn't want to spend over $80 for them for the metal plated one being sold at weddingcuts.com or other sites. I found a vendor who made them from wood, it's just the same, just a lil more elbow grease to decorate. I also ordered the famous 'I DO' letters for our cake table.

I received them today and when I opened up the box, i was brought to tears at how beautiful it came out. Ed did a wonderful job. He was really patient and helpful with helping me figure what designs and size to choose from. He can do anything your heart desires. And he has plenty of samples.

Letters from Ed

The famous 'I DO' letters

knottie Monkees_meow cake

Monogram/letter vendor
Edward Reitler
ereitler@sc.rr.com

Where have I been???

2006-06-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

Ok it's been ages since I've posted so I'm going to recap a months worth of activites and stuff. It's alot

Friday,May 26, 2006

Today kicks off the Memorial 3day wkend and I'm taking half day off to rush down to Torrance to pick up D for knottie Cliffy's wedding down in Newport Beach aboard The Destiny. It started out as a gloomy day and the clouds dispersed to show a clear beautiful blue sky.

Thank goodness b/c they have endured a very dramatic day before their 'big day'. The night before I recieved a phone call from a very emotional Ms. Cliffy. She told me that Mr. Cliffy totalled his car! WTF? OMG. Is he ok? Yes, he's fine, Ms. Cliffy just dropped him off at the hotel where he's staying at since they won't see each other till the ceremony. Mr. Cliffy had fallen asleep at the wheel after hanging out w/ his buddies so late after rehersal dinner. He had lost his tux along w/ his ID during the crash. They had to go back to the crash site to look for his missing items. That's just really scary to know that right before the big day, you don't get much sleep from doing so much stuff.

The next day their wedding went w/o a hitch. The boat was absolutely beautiful. Too bad some people get sea sick very easily. Ms. Cliffy was gorgeous when she walked down the aisle. I nearly wanted to cry. D and I had a lot of fun, the food was fantastic. I got the job of taking poloroids of the guests for the guest book. alot of the guests decided that they liked their photos and kept them! So needless to say, their guest book was kinda empty. I feel pretty bad about that. Here are some photos to lull you over.

You're cordially invited

2006-05-25T16:33:00.000-07:00

Our invites are finally in! I've been waiting for 2 mths for them. We ordered them from Joy's Card when we were in Hong Kong. It was so hard b/c I knew what I wanted but they didn't have it. So Mike helped us design our card. He did a great job. The only thing they messed up on was the front chinese characters of our last names are suppose to be red. We paid xtra money for them to do that. I was really pissed off. I wanted to cry and yell at Mike. But him being in HK, there was nothing really I could do since HK businesses do not beleive in giving refunds. Also, when I looked at the proof, it says nothing whatsoever about the color. sigh....

So I started playing around w/ the front trying to figure out how to add some color. Went to Michael's and scoured their ribbon area. This is what I came up with.

I was really surprised. It's really pretty and authentic. Overall I really love our invites.

The inside is really beautiful. I'm so excited to send these out. Everyone is asking us but I'm not ready yet. It's still too early, I'm 3 months away.

STDs

2006-05-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

No it's not the disease, it's short for 'Save the Date'. It's recommended to send these out for couples who plan on having their special day during holidays and for out of town guests to make plans to attend.

There are different versions out there, Martha Stewart always has some great ideas. That woman is a genius. Some knotties opt to send out STD magnets. They're pretty cute but honestly, we can't afford to send out 300 of these. So D designed a STD for us to send out by email.

He did a fantastic job. All these images are from our photographers website. I absolutely think they're really impressive. I found them from Young_Love's bio who was her photographer. I just hope they'll do something just as fantastic for me.

Walking down the aisle

2006-05-25T11:02:00.001-07:00

There are so many choices when to decorate the ceremony and the aisle is one of them. It's the most important aspect of the wedding b/c this is where you will walk down to where at the end is your future husband is waiting at the altar. This is the time for you to shine as a bride. All eyes are on you. As frightening as it sounds, I just hope that I don't trip.

Option #1
Aisle w/ some light or heavy petals.

Option #2
Aisle runner w/ petals

girliebride2b

such a beautiful effect. But as always there are problems with the aisle runner. How dangerous it is if it isn't secured down b/c you might trip over it or if the wind picks up, petals and all will start to blow away.

I really like the monogramed aisle runners. It personalizes the ceremony alot.

Bridestarr

I think it would look fantastic that we could incorporate our invitations into the ceremony. I absolutely love it. I wonder if I could pull it off. Plus I could do one for the reception red carpeting with the words that say: "From this day forward...."

Calm soothing sounds

2006-05-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

I've done a lot of researching on centerpieces hoping I would find a cheaper alternative to the regular floral ones. There were some slight problems w/ the regular centerpieces.

1. Cost per centerpiece is $45+ (since we have 30 tables, it's $45 x 30 tables = $1,575) ouch!

2. Lazy susan. Since we're having a 10 course meal w/ the lazy susan, most restaurants take off the centerpiece from the table to make room for the dishes. As a result, would waste the $45 centerpiece placed on the floor for no one to enjoy. [:(]

3. and lastly, $1,575 for centerpieces just isn't worth it. I would rather use that for better food or entertainment.

I decided to head to downtown one morning hoping to come up w/ my own centerpiece.
Target budget: $10
Degree of difficulty: easy and quick
and NO FAKE FLOWERS (ew to that)

so pretty, a field of orchids

Moskatels vases: $1.75
Roses: $5
Filler flowers: $3
Result: not all that great looking.

What to do? I've been racking my brain for ages. And found this on the knot.

photo courtesy of knottie Joobee

Unfortunately they don't sell them anymore at Pier1. She had bought them on sale for $10. So I have started the hunt!

I found it! It's not quite the same as hers but just as good.

photo courtesy of knottie Young_Love

I might do something similar to Young_Love but not sure yet. Will work on that around August. I already ordered them and they're sitting in the garage waiting to be opened and turned on for a calming waterfountain effect. aaaaaaaaahhhhh....

2006-05-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

Mon, May 8

Teddy is constantly coughing and sneezing so I took him to the vet to make sure he's ok. He caught a cold, ended up w/ two shots, and some meds to take. Poor lil guy.

Plus no bath makes him a stinker. ew

Sun, May 7

There was a GTG today afternoon at the park in Torrance. So D, Teddy, and I trekked out to Torrance to hang w/ several other couples who will also bring thier furbabies. I didn't want to unleash T b/c I was afraid that he might run off and I can't catch him.

D started to play soccer w/ Clif&Me's kids. Teddy got sooo excited that we just had to unleash him to play.

Go T go!

They're so cute!

2006-05-19T16:31:00.000-07:00

Sat, May 6

Jay and June's Wedding was this weekend and the ceremony/reception was held at Hilton Huntington Beach Waterfront. D and I overslept so we ended up missing the quick ceremony but arrived just in time for cocktails. yummy.

The festivities started and I couldn't wait to see June and Jay's grand entrance. Jay walked around like he was king while June clinging on was looking downward b/c she was so shy w/ all the attention and hollering. His wedding was hosted by ABC San Diego news anchor. They had a Korean drum performance, Helen sang Up, Up by Shania Twain, and I won the centerpiece. Woohoo!!!!

the cake came from Great Dane Bakery and the Lounge area was provided by Jay's partner who owns a rental company

Overall the food was really good which surprised us being hotel food and all.

Our table was the most rowdy table at the reception. We were the only ones on the dance floor. It went by really quick and very simple wedding. congrats Jay and June.

2006-05-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 5

D and I went out to Twin Palms in Old Town Pasadena b/c his friend Missy was performing w/ her band. I've heard great things about her and D told me that she was going to be performing at our wedding. She was in Miss Saigon and other movies like the Jackie Chan ones.

Of course I'm gonna order the dessert. It was ok though

After dinner and Missy's performance we decided to bar hop. Started out at the new restaurant that opened up but there's a cover charge so we decided to go to Jake's to shoot some pool. Unfortunately, there's a half hour wait and walked over to Wokcano's bar and this is what we saw above the bar.

I wonder who's bras are these? Reminds me of Coyote Ugly

2006-05-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

Back in Feb'06 D, his bro and I went to Hong Kong to vacay and mostly for wedding stuff. We were there from Feb 9 thru 23 and stayed at Mayfair Hotel in Jordan. It was fun and exciting but stressed at the same time.

Purchase majority of things that were on our list but omg I can't believe how relieved we were afterwards. We mostly spent our time at Golden Plaza, a building w/ five floors dedicated to wedding stuff. OMFG

Finally found a dress I like. Seriously the price couldn't be beat! It came w/ a veil, crinoline, alterations, and the dress! How could I say no. Plus I love the train and it's what I really wanted.

me in the dress!!

D decided to get a custom tux made for him and all his GM. This is what they'll basically look like.

They're so handsome.

Also ended up getting these other things...

Knottie GTGs

2006-05-01T16:39:00.000-07:00

I so love them. It gives me a chance to get to know the girls who I talk to all day a face. The very first one I went to was really uncomfortable but eventually it got easier. D thinks it's totally hilarious that I get on the knot and chat w/ this girls all day w/ random things.

Sunday, April 29, 2006

We met at Wokcano in Old Town Pasadena organized by Wan-naBe, since her DH was out of town. They put us out in the patio and we just started talking and laughing so loud that they turned up the music to drown us out. OMG, the stories I could tell. I just can't beleive Clif&me's first wedding. Talk about ghetto. Holy Shit. The pastor comes down the ailse doing the electric slide in his metallic suit, her aunt is drunk walks up I'i while she's walking down the ailse and tells her that she loves her and thinks she's absolutely beautiful. Not only that, her uncle was videotaping the whole thing. Well, apparently the uncle got really bored of it so he starts taping himself booging. lol....i never laughed so hard where I had to go pee and didn't want to leave the table for fear that i'd miss something.

Oh and Pee&Bea shared her story about her boss, whom they call "lord of the rings" ROFLMAO what a winner. we took so many random pics. We were there from 5-8:45. Seriously didn't want it to end. Hopefully we'll do this again real soon.

What a doozie

2006-04-05T16:20:00.000-07:00

I'm surfing the knot today and we're talking about photographers and places to take e-pics. Well, there was this site posted to show ie of her work. Lo and behold, I see John and Steph's e-pics. OMFG!!! They're getting married?! HOLY SHIT. I guess I shouldn't be shocked, they've been together forever, I just never thought it would be true, I just never liked her and thought John deserved better. I can't believe it. And they're getting married the same year as me. It makes me think of J. Will I ever get over him? My first true love? I dunno. But everytime something associated w/ him comes up, I start freaking out and hyperventillating. Especially when I talked to J's dad the other day b/c officially now I own my car. I no longer have any ties w/ THAT family.

maybe I should schedule an appt. w/ them. I know I should just drop it and forget about that family. I don't know why I hold onto it. They made my life a living hell. I've never been so depresses like that before. I guess Jacky was right, if it wasn't for that family, I wouldn't have started seeing a psych.

Oh what a weekend! Starting Fri, March 31, 2006

2006-04-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

Friday night was Mei's last night in L.A. and she had to catch a ride back up to Berkely early the next morning. So we took her to have some Shanghainese food, yum Shaolung bao. Eventhough we did spend a little time w/ each other, it was totally worth it. It was really good to see her again. She got to see our new apt. as cozy and messy it was, she really liked it. Plus Teddy was so excited to see her again too!

So Sat downtown shopping was cancelled since Mei was leaving already, D woke up w/ a major cold. It was really early and raining and since we don't have groceries yet, I went out in search of jook for him. Garden was open but didn't really feel like getting anything from there. Went down to Har Lam Kee, closed. Darn! Hey, JJ was open and they have some really good prices. So I picked up a HK breakfast, jook, ham and macaroni soup, luncheon meat sandwich, hot milk tea, and hot honey lemon for D. Well, stupid me wore my jcrew slippers which are so worn down that have no traction, so I knew I had to becareful when I walked outside since it was still raining. I carried the two bags out walking ever so carefully. I looked down at one of the bags to make sure it wasn't going to leak, then *swishhhhh* I fall flat on my ass on the concrete hitting my head and the food spilling into the bag. OH no!!!!!!! The chef came running out to help me and asked if I was ok. I had the wind knocked out of me. Still completely confused, the chef grabbed the bag of food from me, and started to replace the food that had spilled. Awww,he was such a nice guy. At this time, I still didnt' know what hit me. I feel so stupid and probably looked like a retard w/ my butt all wet and the side of my jacket w/ stains. This blows. So basically I spent the whole day home tending to D and playing w/ Teddy.

Sunday, April 2, 2006
Woke up really early to make sure I make it on time. It's spring forward the time so I ended up losing an hour of sleep. yawn. Picked up mom and headed over to Jannie's house. We all piled into the car caravaning to downtown to hit Santee st. Started at Cinderella store. Kannie, Amy, and Jessica started trying on dresses that Jannie and I started picking out.

These are all ok but alas, no they're not the one.

Jannie's BM dresses
this dress is definitely cute but Jannie decided on this dress

So we left the store and proceeded w/ our quest. I still have BM and MOB dress. Jannie was all done. Lucky. We stopped at Christie's since I've heard so much about them from the knot. I immediately liked this one. So I had Jessica try this on.
It looks perfect but in pink!

Yay! I'm done w/ BM dresses. Now for my mom since we were all being really picky. I didn't want my mom looking like a drab nor too covered. Then we saw this and had to have her try this on!

She looks so good in this dress. I can't beleive it, she was happy w/ it eventhough it was pretty revealing (i don't think so)

Overall we were really productive and got everything we needed done! yay!!!!

Hair Raising

2006-03-28T09:22:00.000-08:00

So I've started looking for hairstyles and so far I don't really like any of them except for this...

Nicole Richie's hair for her engagement party w/ Adam Goldstein. I just absolutely love it. I would also like to include a flower or a hairpin along w/ my veil. I just hope it's long enough for a cathedral length.

Let them eat cake!

2006-03-27T16:41:00.000-08:00

I decided to do cupcakes to cut down the cost of the cake cutting fee. Basically to make it nonexistent since there won't be any and we'll be serving mango pudding too. I wanted to order about 100 for the cupcake tower and a 6in to top the tower.

I decided to try cupcakes from BluRuby

D said how are we going to serve them? We obviously just have them go up and get their own.
D's response, "chinese ppl will take 2. There won't be enough for anyone and they'll complain." My response, "no way. I don't think so. How could they." So I started thinking and thinking....started freaking out. OMFG. It's true.

So I called Y. my coordinator from the hotel. "OMG, I have a problem and I don't know what to do!" I explained to her the situation and he concurred that they will snatch more than 2 cupcakes! Holy shit! So I meekly asked her if she could nicely waive the cake cutting charges. "Sure, that's not a problem." she replied calmly. WHEW....."Is that all?" she questioned. YES! that is is. She was so relieved and thought it was something a lot worse. lol I feel like sucha Bridezilla.

So now I get to order a tiered cake. Yay!!!!!!!!!

I quickly made an appt w/ Phoenix Bakery b/c I know that alot of pple order their cakes from there and they've been business ever since I could remember eating dim sum at chinatown.

2006-03-27T16:17:00.000-08:00

Omg, I can't believe I started another blog. I guess this will be my wedding one and whatever comes to mind since D is always logged into my other one.