Truly Everyday

Summer (and Autumn) Hiatus

2013-12-03T16:59:00.002-08:00

I blinked my eyes and it's already December! The past few months have been filled with travel, birthdays, spiritual milestones, and plenty of turkey. Unlike this photo of Will leisurely admiring the scenery at the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, we haven't actually had too many purely peaceful, kick back and relax moments lately....but that's precisely why this picture is such a lovely little reminder. Life will always be busy but I don't want to become so immersed in events, schedules, meetings, and general mindless rushing around that I miss the beauty of the world around me, taking time to stop and smell the roses, so to speak. Or perhaps in this case, sit down on a random chair in the middle of a park, and simply enjoy the view.

Happy December!

Confessions of a Red-eyed Monster

2013-08-05T11:55:00.001-07:00

It seems that since getting married, once a year I've been plagued with some sort of disfiguring malady. Last year it was a severe case of cold sores complicated by an allergic reaction to a topical medication that left me looking like the Joker for an entire month. It was particularly frustrating when the sores were full blown during a trip Will and I took together. I remember how miserable I felt curled up in the bed of our New York hotel room, nauseous both from my sickness and the overwhelming feeling of disappointment that somehow I had ruined our long awaited New York vacation. I couldn't eat. I couldn't stand for very long. I had an ugly, oozing sore, the size of Texas on my face.

Thankfully, Will and the fantastic friends who hosted us managed to salvage my experience with lots of fun, understanding, and care. And thank God for Photoshop-- all the pictures that captured my transformation into the Joker can now be edited with just a few simple brush strokes. Today, all that remains from the whole cold sore ordeal is the faintest scar under my lower lip that is only noticeable in very good light.

Then this year came the mysterious eye rash. It started as a dry patch on the corner of my left eye and steadily erupted into an itchy, bumpy, bright red rash. My entire eyelid began to swell so heavily that it began to weigh down on my eyelashes, which started getting in my eye and irritated it even more!

"I've become a red-eyed monster!" I wailed to Will the other night. He stopped to take a good look at my eye and then hugged me tight and said, "No you're not, you're still beautiful." Those words have never meant so much to me.

Looking back, I believe God had in mind an important lesson and reminder for me about my misconceptions of beauty. I hate being sick as much as anyone else I suppose, but I believe these two bouts of illness hit me particularly hard because of the way it affected my appearance and dealt a heavy blow to my vanity. I must confess that often times I can become pretty fixated on outward appearances, particularly my outward appearance.

But I know God could care less about the clothes I wear, the bag I carry, or the way I style my hair. 1 Peter 3:3-4 says, "Your beauty should not come from the outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth if God's sight." Skin-deep beauty is fleeting but God sees into my heart and I want to make my heart and spirit clean and beautiful for Him.

Fancy Brunch at San Ysidro Ranch

2013-07-30T11:09:00.001-07:00

"There's this really nice ranch hotel in the mountains with an amazing restaurant and beautiful gardens," remarked a friend when Will and I mentioned that we were planning a weekend trip to Santa Barbara for a wedding this past June. Of course my ears perked up at the sound of the words "restaurant" and "gardens". "Oh and make sure you bring your camera," he added, "you'll probably want to take lots of pictures." Will probably saw the way my face lit up and mentally noted that San Ysidro Ranch would be added to our itinerary.

If there was a place that exemplified "idyllic" it would probably be San Ysidro Ranch. Hidden away in the Montecito foothills, San Ysidro Ranch is composed of forty one charming little cottages and the rustic Stonehouse restaurant, all surround by a dreamy landscape of flower gardens, fruit trees, vine-covered trellises, lily ponds, and running creeks. Have you ever seen a romantic field of lavender in a Jose Villa wedding shoot or a garden colored in gorgeous soft pastels featured on Style Me Pretty and wonder where in the world all of these incredible places are? San Ysidro Ranch is undoubtedly one of those incredible places.

We drove up a winding country road and arrived at the ranch well before our reservation so we could have some time to stroll around the lovely grounds. We took a leisurely walk through the enchanting gardens, explored the restaurant's organic vegetable garden, said hello to a large stone turtle sunbathing by a fountain filled with lilies, and finally circled back around to catch our brunch reservation at the Stonehouse.

We were seated in the dining room, next to a cozy fireplace, side-by-side so we could both enjoy the view from the open window and patio doors that overlooked the beautiful gardens. What followed was all a wonderful blur (perhaps due in part to the bottomless orange mimosas and pear bellinis, yum). Salty Scottish smoked salmon and Idaho trout topped with quail egg and caviar, oysters on the half shell with watermelon mignonette, juicy lobster omelet, and a rich duck confit hash....but my favorite was dessert: the perfectly sweet, perfectly tart creamy plum sorbet. Afterwards we walked off the wooziness from the luxurious fare by making another round through the gardens.

It certainly was a splurge, probably the most we have ever spent on brunch, but thank you to my sweet husband for indulging me so.

San Ysidro Ranch
900 San Ysidro Lane
Montecito, CA 93108
Website: http://www.sanysidroranch.com/

Travel Planning: Guided Tours

2013-07-24T17:31:00.001-07:00

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It's less than T minus one month before our trip to Europe! Planning is now in the phase of working out all the nitty-gritty little details of our daily itineraries. When I first started planning our trip, guided tours were the last thing on my mind; Will's first trip to Europe can be characterized by constant herding on and off tour buses, flash photography, and eating exclusively in Chinese restaurants all over Europe (though the tour group did manage to visit more countries in 3 weeks than I've ever stepped foot in my entire life, so mission accomplished I guess).

I made it my goal to plan a very different experience for our trip to Europe together (and my very first!), steering clear of the impersonal and cursory itinerary of tour groups. I envisioned self-guided leisurely strolls through the beautiful and historic neighborhoods of Paris, exploring the markets and local life, wandering the lush garden and parks of Copenhagen, and getting lost in the winding canals of Venice.

But then I began to realize that in a foreign, unfamiliar city where we don't speak the language, "getting lost" was a real possibility and probably not as romantic as it seems (especially in the summer heat). So I began researching guided tours and as I delved deeper, I found that there are actually many unique tours that are far from the depthless and formulaic experience I had deemed them to be. In fact, the best local guides often have insider tips, local secrets, and entertaining stories to tell along the tour, making even the most crowded and popular attractions feel less touristy and more charming.

Guided tours come in many different flavors: "free" tips-only local tour guides, photography tours, bike tours (if we have the time, I would love to try this in either Paris or Copenhagen; both are fantastic cities to see by bike from what I hear), boat tours, food tours, wine tours, etc. I think the key to booking a fun and memorable tour is to keep in mind the characteristic virtues of a particular city and as well as your personal interests. Don't take a bike tour if you hate biking or a boat tour if you get sea sick; if you aren't intensely interested in art history, an 8-hour guided tour of the Louvre may bore you to tears.

So far, we plan to take a "free" walking tour of Montmartre with a local guide in Paris, a guided castle tour (so we can explore the scenic countryside areas that are unreached by the city metro) and boat canal tour in Copenhagen, and a walking tour with gondola ride in Venice (also considering the "Secret Itineraries Tour" for Doge's Palace; we probably won't be able to truly appreciate all of the history behind this landmark without a guide).

I also found that tours can actually save us both time (of getting lost and some tour groups have front-of-the-line privileges at popular attractions) and money (in Venice a gondola ride booked in advance with a tour is much cheaper than negotiating the price on-the-spot). At the very least, you will always have someone to ask where the bathrooms are (super important, to me at least!)

Sunset Cliffs: A Fleeting Beauty

2013-07-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

Will and I took a trip down to San Diego this past July 4th holiday weekend to spend some time with family. In my humble opinion, San Diego probably has some of the most beautiful and unique coastlines in the world (of course I am completely biased and not an expert in beaches and coastlines by any means...). "Beautiful beaches" usually inspires imagery of white sand, swaying palm trees, and clear turquoise waters, but San Diego beaches are picturesque in a very different way-- dramatic sea cliffs, coastal chaparral and wildflowers, graceful arches, and mysterious caves.

We took a family excursion to Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, about ten miles south of some of my usual beach favorites (La Jolla Cove and Torrey Pines State Reserve), to explore a lesser known side of the San Diego shoreline. We studied a very faded park map near the entrance and found that we were close to two scenic points, the "Badlands" and "Garbage Beach". Hm, no thank you. I'm sure they are probably quite lovely sights but whoever named them sure was a real grouch. Luckily, we found that the park was actually divided into two areas, the larger "hillside section" on the south side where we had parked (featuring the badlands and garbage beach), and a long and narrow "linear section" that extends 1.5 miles to the north adjacent to the ocean. The linear section of the park is covered with stunning geological formations waiting to be explored!

The weather was perfect, cloudy but warm with a constant breeze. We followed the cliff side "trail" that can be considered run-down at best-- the makeshift trail has no railings, one is literally strolling along the edge of the cliff along the narrowest region of the park while other portions of the trail abruptly end, directing walkers onto the roadside bike lane of sunset cliffs blvd. for a few hundred feet before reverting back onto the unpaved park path.

Haphazard as it may be, the panoramic ocean view as we meandered along the cliffs was unobstructed and spectacular. Along the way we observed sea bluffs, caves, arches, and tide pools all intricately sculpted from the sandstone by erosion. In fact, some areas of the park were so eroded that they were fenced off for safety (in particular we found a large doughnut-like hole formation in the ground that had a tiny hidden beach tucked underneath it); yet, we noticed even the fence itself was rusting and eroding from the relentless wind and waves.

In addition to the derelict condition of the trail, along our walk we also spotted quite a few curious remnants of what appeared to be the eroded foundations of some sort of structure. Later, I found this fascinating article on the rather hapless history of Sunset Cliffs. In 1915, Albert Spaulding spent 2 million dollars to landscape Sunset Cliffs which included rustic railings, pebbled stairways, arched bridges, and even a saltwater swimming pool carved into the natural rock. Sounds pretty amazing, especially considering the delicate landscape!

The article follows the ill-fated cycle of construction and refurbishment of the park by a series of generous individuals, gifting of the park to the city, subsequent neglect and decline of the park before being retaken by another private patron, further neglect by the city and so forth until finally the park had deteriorated so much, most features were considered unsafe and removed. A series of unfortunate events indeed.

source 1 | source 2

Sunset cliffs was on this list of the top 5 disappearing natural formations in the U.S. (along with the Everglades and Glacier National Park) as urban runoff and pollution has greatly exacerbated the erosion of this fragile environment. A dramatic arch called Ye 'ol Needle's Eye pictured above in an old photograph of Sunset Cliffs, is just one example of a beautiful formation that has since collapsed due to erosion, wind, and surf.

It was a wonderful afternoon enjoying the majestic scenery of Sunset Cliffs with pelicans gliding overhead, exploring all the secret crevices of the park, and finally finding our way to Sandstone Arch, a popular scenic point where we spotted a group of adventurous locals cliff jumping (reminded me of Waimea Bay in Hawaii!). After learning about the long and intriguing history of Sunset Cliffs, I have an even deeper appreciation for the fleeting beauty and uniqueness of this remarkable scenic treasure.

Sunset Cliffs Natural Park
1253 Sunset Cliffs Blvd
(between Adair St & Osprey St)
San Diego, CA 92107
Website: http://www.sunsetcliffs.info/

A Touch of Paint

2013-07-12T12:48:00.000-07:00

Clay that is heated, shaped, cooled, painted, and glazed become lovely ceramics that add a touch of artistry to even the most ordinary household objects. Lately, I've spotted quite a few household items that have incorporated pretty painted ceramic designs and it's super cute! Amazing what a splash of colors and patterns can do to transform everyday pieces into something eye catching!

Soba Noodle Salad

2013-07-09T18:03:00.001-07:00

Summer weather has been slowly settling in-- I've started wearing sunglasses everyday and no longer have to put on a jacket when going out at night. Some days, cooking hot food in a stuffy kitchen is the last thing I feel like doing... plopping on the couch in t-shirt and shorts with a pint of ice cream (Haagen-Dazs dulce de leche please) seems ever so tempting. But, according to the wise words of my mother when I was five, ice cream is not a proper meal. So instead, I've been making a cool bowl of soba noodle salad as a simple, tasty summer meal. Salty with a citrus tang, a touch of sweetness, fragrant sesame oil, crisp fresh vegetables, and juicy shrimp makes for a refreshing reprieve from the summer heat (and I do believe my mother would approve).

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

6-8 ounces soba noodles
2 teaspoon dashi
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
3 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup ponzu soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken stock
3 green onions
1 red bell pepper
1 cucumber
1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined

Directions:
1. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in the dashi. Add the soba noodles and cook for about 6 minutes stirring occasionally. Drain the noodles, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
2. Bring water to a boil in a separate pot and salt generously. Add shrimp to the boiling water, remove from heat and stir. Leave the pot covered until all the shrimp have change color and are just cooked through. Drain, remove cooked shrimp and set aside to cool.
3. Wash the bell pepper, cucumber, and green onion. Peel the cucumber and slice thinly into 2 inch long strips. Remove the core and seeds from the bell pepper and slice thinly into 2 inch long strips. Finely chop the green onion and set aside.
4. For the dressing, whisk together the ponzu soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, lemon juice, and honey. Stir in the chicken stock and taste to check for seasoning. Add vinegar for more tang, ponzu if you like it saltier, or honey it you like it sweeter.
5. In a large bowl, toss together the bell pepper, cucumber, half of the green onion, shrimp, and soba noodles. Pour the dressing on top and toss several times to evenly coat. Garnish with a sprinkling of remaining green onions on top.
6. Serve at room temperature or after chilling in the fridge.

Of course, following up this summery dish with plopping on the couch with a pint of ice cream is not such a bad idea either... Enjoy!

Love in Santa Barbara

2013-07-02T12:34:00.001-07:00

We took a short but sweet trip to Santa Barbara a few weekends ago to attend the lovely wedding of our dear friends Carol and Jezreel. Carol is the talented wedding photographer behind the lens of our Santa Monica engagement photos, so with her artistic sensibility and passion for weddings, we knew their wedding was bound to be a fabulous, picture-perfect affair!

Santa Barbara is such a lovely city, with distinctive Spanish style architecture and a wonderfully rustic flair.

We stayed in a small but quaint room nestled in a quiet hillside neighborhood just half a dozen blocks or so from downtown State Street. It was our first booking with airbnb and a very pleasant experience.

After enduring a long traffic-congested drive, we enjoyed a scrumptious seafood dinner at Hungry Cat. Fresh crab claws, fennel stuffed snapper, and halibut with crispy garlic... delicious!

The next morning we had brunch at the adorable Crushcakes & Cafe. Crushcakes has competed on Food Network's Cupcake Wars so I ordered the breakfast version of their signature red velvet cupcake, the red velvet pancake! With fresh strawberries, syrup, and a big dollop of cream cheese frosting, the pancakes were a perfect rendition of "dessert for breakfast", yum!

We worked off our morning indulgence by climbing to the top of Santa Barbara county courthouse clock tower for a great view of the city... ok, so we actually cheated and took an elevator up to the top, but we did take a nice long stroll around the courthouse grounds and nearby downtown streets.

Then it was off to the wedding~

The wedding festivities were held at the beautiful Santa Barbara Historic Museum and the entire affair was filled to the brim with sweet and charming details (some literally SWEET, aka the amazing dessert bar!). Think hand-painted floral invitation and program designs, adorable animal place card holders (Rhinos!), gold chevron, rustic terrariums, stacks of vintage novels, and soft pastel florals. We sipped refreshing blood orange spritzers from mason jars alongside lovely table settings embellished with a palette of warm peachy coral, soft minty green, and elegant gold. After sunset the magical string lights twinkling overhead was the perfect canopy for dancing the night away beneath the stars. Of course the beaming bride and groom were shining all the brighter!

Marriage is often described as an earthly shadow of what our relationship will be like with Christ in heaven, so in moments like these, I can't help but marvel at God's great love for us and what kind of celebration and pure joy will abound when we are united with Him in eternity.

Much love Santa Barbara, we had a fantastic time!

Summer Solstice Shopping

2013-06-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

Last Friday was summer solstice, officially the first day of summer! After work I made a beeline to the promenade for some shopping; I've really been loving the long hours of daylight lately, those few extra hours of precious sunlight after work are much adored. To make things sweeter, summer sales were in full swing!

Oh the rush of finding something you love on sale! Almost every store I set foot in had a sale sign glistening in the window and red tags dangling from the displays: Zara, Mango, Anthropologie, Madewell... some sales are still ongoing (so there's still time to snag a great deal!)

Sunglasses, a rosy pink open knit sweater, and pastel silk scarf are just few of my new summer sale finds. Cheers to treasure hunting success!

Foodventures: Man Sun Uni Bowls

2013-06-18T10:44:00.001-07:00

Sea urchins aren't the friendliest looking critters. I wonder who was the first person to make the magnificent discovery that there is in fact heavenly deliciousness hidden inside their spiny, fortified, exterior. Uni has a subtle sweetness, lusciously creamy texture, and very little brininess when served fresh. I've had uni in several different preparations including sushi, hand roll, and pasta (one of my favorites!), so when I heard about the fresh uni bowls served on the half-shell from Man Sun Japanese, I was intrigued!

One Saturday afternoon I finally managed to convince Will to make the long drive east to satisfy my curiosity (and our stomachs!). We ordered the sushi boat dinner, which quite literally included a boat-load of food: miso soup, salad, rolls, nigiri, chicken teriyaki, tempura, green tea ice cream, all served alongside an assortment of Korean banchan. But of course the highlight of the meal was the fresh uni bowl, an "off menu" item.

The uni shells were much larger than I expected and it's daunting spikes were actually quite brittle and not nearly as sharp as I would have imagined (though I still wouldn't recommend playing catch with it). The half-shell bowl was filled with rice and uni, topped with masago, pickled vegetables, seaweed salad, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Yum.

After we devoured our bowls with our plastic spoons (I found the plastic utensils hm, interesting... I normally think of uni as rather luxurious fare) and scraped every last delicious morsel out of the spiny exoskeletons, we raced over to the next door Diamond Fresh Farmer's Market right before their closing time and snagged two whole bags of fresh produce for under $5! Icing on the cake!

For the Love of Fonts

2013-06-12T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've come across a few great resources on fonts and typography on Pinterest recently that I wanted to share because I've been gradually learning the importance of arranging and styling type in design. As a person who loves words (spoken yes, but particularly in this case the written) I find it actually quite fascinating that the same word, if displayed in a different fashion, size, or color, can take on completely different flavors and tones. Reading, after all, is a primarily visual activity so in order to effectively get your message across, the way you display words becomes just as important as the words themselves.

source 1 | source 2 | source 3 | source 4

Travel Planning: Copenhagen's Modern Aesthetic

2013-06-10T16:52:00.000-07:00

Copenhagen is a very hip and modern city. Paris is timelessly romantic and Venice is a world heritage site with history etched into every stone laid along its century old canals; but Copenhagen in the last half-century has melded the old with the new, Renaissance castles and neoclassical churches share the cityscape with modern housing complexes and contemporary urban design.

Copenhagen will be the second destination on our summer Europe trip and it is also the city I was the least familiar with at the onset of travel planning. I learned that in the last decade, thanks to tremendous investments into city infrastructural and culture, Copenhagen has become home to a fresh wave of extremely successful architects, designers, and chefs. Perhaps this is why Denmark has been topping the charts for the U.N.'s "World's Happiest Country" in recent years (I mean, great food and great design has always made me pretty happy). Scandinavian design (popularized by Ikea; simple, functional, affordable) has been integrated into many aspects of the Danish urban lifestyle.

We will be staying at the Bella Sky Comwell and I am super excited about this unique, modish hotel! Bella Sky is the largest hotel in northern Europe with 812 rooms and one entire floor designed exclusively for women (the Bella Donna floor, no boys allowed!). Bella Sky's double curving towers, geometric facade, clean lines, pops of colors, and stylish furnishings are all reminiscent of Copenhagen's modern aesthetic. Will's research conference will be held at the adjacent Bella Convention Center so this leg of our trip will be a work-cation but I am so glad it has landed us at such a landmark venue!

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This hotel definitely wants to be the cool kid on the block, and I dare say from the pictures it looks pretty fabulous, but I will substantiate in person come August! I love that so much of the building is made from glass; the floor-to-ceiling windows let in so much wonderful natural light and a fantastic view of the city! When traveling, I think it is such a treat to find accommodations that have a touch of uniqueness reflecting the local culture and lifestyle; Bella Sky certainly embodies the stylish and modern aesthetic of Denmark!

DIY Photo booth for World Impact

2013-06-05T15:44:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Will and I volunteered with our church at the World Impact Teen Center in downtown to help put on a carnival to connect with the local community in preparation for a church plant. Every time we've had the opportunity to partner with World Impact, I've been humbled by the amazing people I meet who have such compassionate, servant hearts dedicated to sharing God's redeeming love. Supporting the local inner city missions has been such an eye-opening experience that has challenged me to reevaluate my values and my attitude towards God and life... but it has definitely been such a blessing!

For the community outreach carnival Will and I helped put together a little DIY photo booth. A group of us were able to purchase equipment, materials, and put together our homemade photo booth in less than a week! Since I usually plan projects far in advance and like having plenty of time to work on them (perfectionist), this was definitely a timeline that put me outside my element; but in the end, teamwork really paid off!

1. Building the Backdrop
An easy way to build a backdrop without any messy glue or adhesives is using PVC piping (Home Depot or Lowe's), shower rings (any hardware store), and fabric (Joann). This tutorial shows how to build a basic frame from PVC pipes. We also had weights (sandbags) to stabilize the frame on the bottom.

Burlap or a thicker cotton are probably the best fabric choices because they sturdy, easy to decorate, and fairly cheap. I think lighter solids such as cream, natural burlap, or light grey work best for pictures. A faintly patterned fabric may also work with less decorations or it may verge on being "too busy".

2. Equipment
We already had a camera (two actually, one for backup), tripod, and laptop. Our biggest investment in the whole project was the photo printer. Our friend found this adorable, portable photo printer on amazon; it prints the perfect size (4" x 6"), the print quality is crisp and the colors are vibrant, and it's so light and compact-- when you are finished it even folds up and has a handle making it easy to carry!

3. Making it Pretty
This is the fun part (at least for me)! I only had a day to prepare the decorations for the backdrop so I went to party city and picked our some colorful paper fan rosettes (various size and colors, 6" - 16" diameter), and a brightly colored garland. We pinned all of the decorations to the backdrop using safety pins, much easier than dealing with tape or glue. Pinning the embellishments also made it easier to adjust their positioning later to best fit the frame of the photos. There are also lots of pretty pennant banners, poms, and tassels you can find on Etsy that make it super easy to customize the color and theme of your photo booth.

4. Get Creative!
Party City, Etsy, and even Dollar Tree are great places to find fun photo booth props on a budget. My favorite from our photo booth was a giant pair of nerd glasses, it looked so funny on everyone! Chalk board or dry-erase boards are also great props for encouraging creative and personalized photos.

Additional materials: Photo booth software (such as Spark Booth), table (one small table for the laptop and printer, another larger table for the props), umbrella (to shade the camera and equipment if outside), power strip, cables, and colored tape (marking area to stand for the pictures).

Lighting is another important consideration for a photo booth. If the photo booth will be outdoors and it's a bright sunny day, the booth should be positioned in the shade to prevent harsh contrast and washed out photos. If the photo booth will be indoors, make sure there will be sufficient lighting around the photo booth.

There you have it-- my notes on creating a fun, versatile, budget-friendly, DIY photo booth!

It wasn't perfect (there were definitely quite a few technical difficulties throughout the day...), but it was a big hit at the carnival anyways. The families loved having their pictures taken, especially the kids; some came back to the photo booth three or four times!

Will and I were exhausted by the end of the day but what a blessing it was to serve God and the community in such a fun way!

The Mansion on a Hill

2013-05-29T20:18:00.002-07:00

Part I

Do you ever discover something new to love about your neighborhood? Ok, so the lovely Greystone Mansion is not exactly in our "neighborhood" (and certainly not new), but since it's only a five mile drive away, I was surprised when we visited for the first time last winter that Will and I hadn't explored this iconic Beverly Hills estate earlier.

We visited the elegant Greystone Mansion on a rather grey (how appropriate) day last December. I had planned the excursion because of an assignment for my photography class, but when it started pouring around 10 o'clock that morning, I was terribly disappointed. Finally, around noon things started to lighten up a bit so we decided to put on our rainy day shoes, bring our biggest umbrella, and visit the Mansion in the rain.

I was pleasantly surprised as we drove up the winding road of the hills; the whole landscape of the normally sunny and hedge-lined streets of Beverly Hills was covered in a lovely soft mist that gave the stereotypically ritzy neighborhood a mysterious somberness. When we reached Greystone Mansion nestled at the top of a lush hill, the rain had reduced to a light drizzle. We pulled into the empty parking lot and wandered the quiet grounds that had the wonderful peaceful calm that comes after a storm.

The distinctive Tudor-style mansion and gardens was the home of Edward Doheny Jr. and his family from the 1930s through the 1950s. Greystone Mansion, with 55 rooms and over 46,000 square feet, was the most expensive home built in California at the time. Eventually, the estate became a public park through restoration and preservation efforts from the City of Beverly Hills.

As we meandered through the romantic gardens and admired the refined architecture of the Greystone, I found inspiration in the surroundings at every turn. Over the past few decades the Mansion has inspired the imagination of many others as well-- the estate has been the set of numerous movies and TV shows including X-Men, National Treasure, The Prestige, all three Spider-Man movies, Gilmore Girls, and The Social Network.

It turns out that the cloudy, misty weather with light rain was actually perfect for photographs! I still remember how gorgeous the light was, perfectly soft and luminous at every angle. Greystone Mansion on a grey day was just perfect!

The Summer (Sand) Bucket List 2013

2013-05-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

With all of the changes at work lately, I feel like the days have been going by at lightning speed! This past Memorial Day weekend was a much needed (and anticipated) three day break, though it felt no less busy. Will and I enjoyed a fun day in the sun at our church Memorial Day picnic (and got terribly sunburned; spent the rest of the weekend lathering on aloe), saw the new Star Trek movie, cooked Sunday dinner for church, tidied up the house, and went shopping at Third Street Promenade (twice). Whew.

With time going by so quickly, I thought it would be a good idea to make a list (naturally, because I'm a planner) of ideas for things to do and places to go this summer. I channeled some inspiration from this fun LA times summer guide calendar.

Our Bucket List for Summer 2013!

Practice guitar with Will and learn to play one praise song we can sing together
Improve my flexibility! Will and I recently attended the annual dance showcase for the Chinese Cultural Dance Club I used to be a part of in college and I got so nostalgic for my dancing days... with dance classes a few times a week it was easy to keep fit and limber. It's really been a downward hill ever since I graduated...
Universal Studios: We still have a free pass to go before September!
New Restaurants: Have a dozen bookmarks on Yelp I can't wait to try, more foodventures are on the way!
New Recipes:

This no-bake creamy frozen lemon souffle with raspberries
(Finally) use our ice cream maker
make simple strawberry lemonade with our new blender
Fantastic salads from the list of 51 colorful and delicious ways to eat spring vegetables (even though its summer, most spring veggies are available year-round in California)
...and if I ever run out of ideas there is always this list of 100 great summer receipes

Visit the Adamson House
Photograph the Watts Towers: This fascinating piece of artistic architecture has an amazing story-- built by a single man in his spare time over 33 years using only hand tools!
Purple Sand beach near Big Sur (this would make a fun weekend trip!)
Go on at least two hikes: The weather may get a little too hot for hikes in the summer so we'll have to wait for a sufficiently cloudy/breezy weekend to accomplish this one. I've been wanting to explore the Grotto in Malibu and the famous Potato Chip Rock in Poway!
Update and summer-ize my makeup bag (already in progress, made some purchases online this past weekend): I don't wear makeup often but I realized that with a few weddings coming up, I should probably freshen things up (the last time I bought new makeup was probably almost two years ago!)
Find fashionable and comfortable walking/travel shoes
And of course EUROPE! August can't come soon enough!

Bike Ride

2013-05-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's been ages since I've gone on a bike ride. The weather in LA has been so gorgeous lately, just perfect for a meandering ride down a sunny beach boardwalk or exploring a winding tree-lined park park path with the wind in your hair...When I was in elementary school, my brother and I used to ride our bikes every single afternoon. My first "big girl bicycle" was pink and purple (but no tassels, that's for little kids) and I remember all of the fun and mischief my brother and I had with our friends riding together (we had our kids' "biker gang", ha!).

Biking in LA can be a little tricky. In fact, even though my work is only 3.5 miles away from home, a totally bike-able distance, I would never even consider biking to work. The bike lanes in west LA, if existent at all, are narrow, haphazardly organized, and appear and disappear as fast as yesterday's Hollywood gossip. While sharing the traffic congested surface streets of my local neighborhood with a few all-too-aggressive LA drivers (myself included) is not my idea of pleasant bike ride, I found a few nice list of fantastic bike trails in routes in LA on laist and hikespeak. Going to file these ideas away for a day when Will and I are feeling up for an adventure!

Snowball Viburnum

2013-05-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

I spotted these pretty little puffs the other day at Trader Joe's. I love flowers at Trader Joe's by the way, blooms are budget friendly (earlier this month I picked up 20 yellow daffodils for under $3!) and there is always a fair seasonal variety (other markets seem to just carry the same plain 'ol dozen roses, daisies, and such). These lovely round clusters caught my eye, especially their gorgeous colors, a bright citron green fading to a softer cream.

I later learned that these little darlings are called snowball viburnum, a large flowering shrub that can produce snowball flowers as large as 8 inches across! The bunch I brought home from Trader Joe's aren't nearly as large-- they are about the size of large button mums, but they were a perfect fit for my new bottle vase. Soon they will be shedding all over our house (much like a snowball, poof! dissolving into flurry of tiny petals), but in the meantime they have been bringing quite a bit of springtime cheer to our home.

Foodventures: Literati Cafe

2013-05-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

Will sometimes has to work on the weekends. Actually as a professor, he can never really "leave his work behind" at the end of the day, so to speak. The good thing about his work though is that for the most part, he can do it anywhere as long as he has a laptop and internet connection. So sometimes, I find a nice cafe to spend our Saturday afternoons-- somehow when I have a nice drink, a good book, and something to nibble on, I don't seem to mind so much that my husband has to do a little work on our weekends.

Recently, Literati Cafe on Wilshire has transitioned from a full service sit-down restaurant to an order-at-the-counter cafe ("inspired change has occurred" according to their website). I've noticed there have been mixed reviews from customers regarding the change but personally, we've been loving the new style so far.

I enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, bright and cheery ambiance, and thoughtful little details like setting out crosswords and newspapers for the lingering patrons. There is also a vine-covered shaded patio in the back for enjoying those warm sunshine days.

Nothing says "weekend" like brunch, coffee, and a crossword.

PS: We've only been visiting for weekend brunch so far, but I think we will be back to try their "Grilled Cheese Tuesdays" (grilled cheese sandwich, chips, and salad for $4.99 on Tuesday evenings!), sounds like a great idea for a busy weeknight/study-night meal!

Finding Rest this Mother's Day Weekend

2013-05-10T12:53:00.001-07:00

Happy Friday! What a week! Will and I have both had a whirlwind week work-wise. Will had a marathon of a schedule with back-to-back classes and meetings (and repeat) most days this past week while things were no less crazy on my end with days replete with drama and surprises, both good and bad. On Wednesday I received some shocking news at work that evolved at lightning speed into an opportunity that made me feel excited, apprehensive, conflicted, and overwhelmed all at once. My head was spinning by the time I got home that day so I had a quick dinner and then went off to dance class to clear my mind.

Will was waiting for me when I got home later that night (he had quite a long day himself and didn't get home until past 9), we curled up on the couch together and discussed the situation, possibilities, and all of my hopes and reservations that came with the new opportunity...we talked for hours straight until Will finally declared it was past my bed time (but he stayed up a bit longer to finish preparing for his classes. My husband is incredible and I don't know how he does it sometimes).

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Finally, the crazy week has come to an end (though no doubt the changes at work will continue the drama for weeks to come), but we are definitely looking forward to some time to relax, pray, and spend time with our family. Looking forward to seeing my mom and grandma tomorrow for an early mother's day celebration!

Have a love-filled Mother's day weekend!

Dining Lighting Dilemma

2013-05-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

Do you have that one project around the house that you always think about and talk about doing but just never get around to actually starting it? For me, that's our dining room lighting situation (well... there's a few others too but this is the main one).

Our home is very open concept so we don't have a formal dining room but I've always wanted a pretty light fixture over our dining table. Since last year I have been eyeing the capiz pendant from West Elm; I love its shape and the shimmering capiz shells. Then more recently I saw the firefly pendant from CB2. It has a bit more of a modern and industrial feel than the capiz pendant but I love how the glass globes look like big floating bubbles of light. I really like both so I've been putting off making a decision.

Every time Will catches me staring thoughtfully over at our dining table he asks, why don't you just call an electrician? Our recess lighting would need to be re-wired to allow for a lighting fixture to be installed in our dining area, so that task alone has left me to further procrastinate on the project...

Another idea for a dining fixture is hanging mini globe terrariums. I recently got a set of hanging glass bubbles from West Elm's Shane Powers "bringing the outdoors in" collection. I was planning to fill them with pebbles and air plants but I've been debating where to hang and display them in the house. Grouping them as a cluster over the dining table would be a cute alternative to a lighting fixture, and no electrician needed!

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Those have been the ideas that have been floating around my head since last year...hopefully sometime this year we will finally be able to make up our mind and actually make our idea come true!

Travel Planning: What to eat in Paris

2013-05-05T12:33:00.000-07:00

I've been researching restaurants and cafes in Paris for our upcoming summer trip (in three-and-a-half months!). As a world renown culinary haven, narrowing down the search from thousands of unique Parisian eateries has been a dizzying task. Instead of parsing through the plethora of restaurants recommendations, reviews, and food guides, I thought it might be easier to focus my search by listing specific foods or culinary experiences we would like to have and then find restaurants that would fit each category. I've consulted several articles of "Must Try Foods in Paris" and based on our taste and preferences, came up with a list of our own.

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Our Paris Food List

Macarons: Of course, they're my favorite! These colorful confections are beautiful and delicious. The top two contenders in this category are definitely Ladurée and Pierre Hermé. Curiously, I've also read that in France macarons can also be found in McCafe's, a coffee shop chain owned and operated by McDonald's.

Crepes: A very thin pancake that can be filled with all sorts of delicious toppings, whether savory or sweet (though my favorite is definitely the sweet variety). I love when crepes are thin but still have a chew-able almost doughy texture.

Steak and Frites: The old joke of whether "french fries" in France are just called "fries" can be put to rest; "fries" are actually called "frites" in French. How can you go wrong with this delicious combination?

Pastries and Breads: So many people have said that bread and pastries in France are simply amazing. I found a mouthwatering list (with pictures!) here of 38 top Patisseries in Paris.

Champagne: Sparkling wine produced from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France. What can be more romantic than a starlit evening in Paris with a glass of bubbly?

Michelin Star Restaurant: France has by far, the most Michelin star restaurants among all of the countries in the world (although Tokyo actually holds the title for the city with the most Michelin stars, Paris comes in at second). Many food guides suggest dining at a Michelin star restaurant for lunch instead of dinner as many tasting menus will be considerably more affordable. I found a thorough answer to the question "What is the best value Michelin star restaurant in Paris" here as well as a map!

Prixe Fixe Meal: A way of dining that is popular in Europe (though its becoming more familiar in American restaurants as well). The menu has a set price and usually includes several course. A restaurant that piqued my interest in this category is Les Papilles. Instead of menu options, a chef's choice seasonal set menu is served every evening to all of the patrons and all you have to do is choose the wine to go along with your meal (it's a very extensive list as the restaurant is a wine shop by day).

and a few maybes...if we are feeling adventurous
Cheese (Formage): This is a major "must" on many Paris food lists, but since Will and I aren't huge fans of cheese (especially the more pungent sort), we will play by ear on this one.

Pâté: A spreadable meat paste? It actually sounds strangely appetizing...

Foie Gras: Fattened duck liver. This popular and controversial French delicacy was recently banned in California so I guess there's no better opportunity to get "the real thing" than in France.

Escargot: This is a big maybe. Something about snails inevitably grosses me out.

One of my favorite things about traveling abroad is having culinary experiences from different cultures in a completely authentic, unadulterated way. I've already heard and read so many fantastic things about the food in Paris, Will and I are going to have to get our "fat pants ready", so to speak.

Springtime Picnic

2013-05-03T10:40:00.000-07:00

Lately, the beautiful weather has been perfect for al fresco dining. Will and I went on a picnic last summer (time sure goes by quickly!) as a family outing with our parents. It was very warm that day but we found some nice shade beneath a few trees at the park where we enjoyed our lunch while watching a little league game playing in the distance. We laughed about how it was a very "American thing to do". With more warm spring and summer months ahead there are sure to many more picnics to come!

Sun Hat: Cole Haan

Dress: ModCloth

Sunglasses: Mango

iphone Case: Paper Source

Sandals: ModCloth

Water bottle: Nest

Picnic Blanket: Lamps Plus

Picnic Basket: Crate and Barrel

Sunshine and Weekend Eats

2013-04-30T16:53:00.000-07:00

The weather was positively lovely this weekend! Warm sunshine, clear skies, and the occasional cool breeze. I put on a nautical blue and white striped sundress that had been buried deep in the back of my closet during the winter months, Will donned his usual professorly getup (collared shirt under a v-neck sweater...I've teased him that rain or shine, summer or winter, he always wears the same outfit!) and treated me to a spontaneous day of eating our way through LA. We enjoyed a leisurely brunch at La Provence Patisserie in Beverly Hills (a check off this delicious list of the top 10 macarons in LA), strolled through Cal Tech campus (I've never been before, it's quite nice! lovely Spanish architecture), cooled off with some gelato at Piccomolo in Old Pasadena downtown, and finished off with milk tea and soup dumplings at Din Tai Fung, one of our favorite Chinese Restaurants!

We were able to enjoy our weekend indulgence guilt-free because Will had gone running twice this past week (usually he only has time to go once) and I had dance class... it's all about balance right? The not-so-glamorous part of my weekend was the terrible blisters I got on the back of my heel from a pair of new shoes... ow. Just short of a perfect day.

Society6

2013-04-26T15:24:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered Society6, an online shop where artists sell their unique designs as a variety of products. I wanted to share about Society6 because often times as a consumer, I come across beautiful and inspiring works of art and design online, but finding a way to own a version of the piece and support the original creator of the work can be pretty elusive. Society6 fosters support for the creative community by making it easier for artists to market their original works and admirers to purchase their favorite designs in a very practical form. I've been finding lots of fabulous decorative graphic prints, unique iphone cases, and even a handful of pretty throw pillows!

I'm really loving that "Up" inspired graphic print by Derek Temple! I am thinking about ordering one for our bedroom. The woodland creatures series by Teagan White is also super adorable and would be really cute for a baby's room (for future reference?) or on a tote bag. And those throw pillows with colorful artwork by Garima Dhawan-- whimsical and playful, I love them all.

Foodventures: Nook Bistro and Eating at the Bar

2013-04-24T18:52:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I had dinner with a friend at Nook Bistro. It's tucked away in the corner of an unassuming strip mall (quite literally the "nook" of the plaza), but the interior of the restaurant is modern and rich in wood tones giving the space a warm and cozy feel. I missed the opportunity to make a reservation and instantly regretted my oversight when we arrived and saw that every table was filled. It's such a hidden little place, who would have thought it would be so packed on a Tuesday night?

Thankfully, the waiter kindly informed us that there was space at the bar where they also served the full dinner menu. Usually eating at the bar would not be my first choice (except perhaps if I were at a sushi bar enjoying omakase). Eating at the bar reminds me of communal dining tables, which seem to be a growing trend in restaurants lately; I can appreciate the concept, but I just personally much prefer the more intimate setting of separate tables especially when I am catching up with a friend and looking forward to sharing some uninterrupted conversation.

Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised by our dinner-at-the-bar experience at Nook Bistro. The food was great (we especially enjoyed the kurobuta pork belly with tomatillo), the service didn't miss a beat, and best of all we still had wonderful, unbridled conversation all dinner long. Perhaps my prejudice against eating at the bar is amiss? Come to think of it, one of the best meals Will and I had on our honeymoon in Hawaii was also served to us at the bar; again, it was because the restaurant was wildly popular and we didn't make reservations...but afterwards we definitely understood why it was packed; the food was fantastic and we had the added bonus of having refreshing drinks from the bartender right at our fingertips. Eating a full dinner at the bar can actually be quite a fine experience!