s t e f o r i o u s

DIY Faux Ceramic Vases

2012-02-05T22:02:00.000-08:00

Difficulty Level: Easy
Time Spent: One afternoon

Materials Used:
- Free empty glass jars / containers
- Puff Paint (I bought a 1 oz bottle for $1.19 from Michael's)
- Flat white spray paint (I bought one can of spray paint -- also from Michael's. The original price was $6.99 but I used a special $5 off coupon so it ended up only being $1.99 ^__^)

DIY Dresser

2012-01-29T22:04:00.000-08:00

Difficulty Level: Easy
Time Spent: One weekend

Materials Used:
- Free Ikea dresser (Thanks Amy and Mako!)
- Behr Paint in "Gallery White" and "Antique Tin" (Home Depot sells small 8oz samples of paint for $3 each. This was great b/c I didn't want to buy two quart sized cans of paint).
- Painters tape
- Silver knobs (Target)
- Painting supplies include - 1 normal sized paint roller, 1 baby sized paint roller, 1 small paintbrush, 1 small artists paintbrush (for touch ups), 1 paint tray

Our Visitor

2012-01-14T23:43:00.000-08:00

Our neighborhood doesn't have squirrels. Only peacocks.

DAY 24 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-10-03T04:31:00.000-07:00

I wish I could trade living rooms. I love the open floor plan and the large wall of glass doors that lead to the backyard and city view.

DAY 23 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-10-02T04:26:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite books is:

DAY 22 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-10-01T04:21:00.000-07:00

I wish I was better at drawing and sketching and crafting...

Source: Rouge Louboutin | Garance Dore

DAY 21 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-30T04:16:00.000-07:00

What do I wish I could forget? Having a terrible boy haircut as a child.
No picture for this one. Posting a picture would be defeating the purpose of trying to forget.

DAY 20 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-29T04:11:00.000-07:00

I would love to visit China one day.

Source: Shannon Smith via Pinterest

DAY 19 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

And here is little mini Stef.
Age: unknown

DAY 18 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

I often speak/react without thinking and my greatest insecurity is saying or doing something that makes me look stupid. At least I know someone else will come along and say/do something even STUPIDER than what I've said/done and I'll soon be forgotten. There's always that. ;)

Source: Piccsy via Pinterest

DAY 17 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-26T15:45:00.000-07:00

It's funny to say that any singular website could ever have an impact on my life but Pinterest has impacted my life in several little ways. Pinterest is inspiring and addicting (and sometimes a little infuriating).

Source: Pinterest

DAY 16 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

Inspiration comes from many places and I'm inspired by tons of different things (design blogs, artists, writers, HGTV, actors/actresses, major political figures, Steve Jobs+Apple...the list goes on and on). However, if I had to pick one person that inspires me in tangible in-your-face and on-my-level kind of way, it would be Heather Armstrong from Dooce. I know I could pick a world leader or some sort of business tycoon or a mega fashionista...but Armstrong's blunt sarcastic writing style and artistic photographs inspire me on a daily basis.

P.S. You don't have to be a mommy to appreciate her blog. She's wicked funny and all kinds of crazy. It's awesome.

Source: Dooce

DAY 15 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

One day I would love to write a book.

Source: SilverHorsePhotos

DAY 14 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-23T03:18:00.000-07:00

I couldn't imagine my life without my husband. Awww.

DAY 13 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite paintings. Everytime I visit Florence, Italy I make a stop at the Uffizi Museum to see it. It's amazing to see art that is larger than life.

The Birth of Venus | Botticelli

This is why I heart Colbert

2011-09-21T14:58:00.001-07:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Rain Dance-Off

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

Video Archive

DAY 12 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-21T02:45:00.000-07:00

This combines my two loves...coffee+pandas. Haha

Source: StumbleUpon | WomansDay

DAY 11 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-20T02:31:00.000-07:00

I truly hate seeing people litter. It's disgusting and selfish.

I was at a gas station once and saw someone litter right in front of me. I actually walked over to the trash, picked it up and threw it into the trashcan (which was only 10 ft away). I wish we could adopt Singapore's strict anti-littering laws. You're not even allowed to chew gum in Singapore! And we all know gum chewers are some of the worst litter offenders. Speaking of gum, the hubby stepped in some gum the other day and then proceeded to step inside my car. Of course the gum was transferred onto my car carpets and made a nice little mess. My OCD pretty much exploded. If you are the person that spit their gum out onto the sidewalk, then I dream of covering you with 1,000 pieces of chewed up nasty gum. Please enjoy my spit and sticky gum residue.

Source: Coroflot | 10steps.ie

DAY 10 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

My bestie Lori and I do the most BORING things together that end up becoming CRAZY.

Ex 1:
Boring - Cheap lunch at Costco (I think we were enjoying a chicken bake and a slice of pizza...)
Crazy - Old man almost drove into our tables.

Ex 2:
Boring - Driving around downtown LA looking for the flower district.
Crazy - Almost driving the WRONG way down a one-way street and having a wild homeless mary-poppins-bird-lady-look-alike wave you down.

Ex 3:
Boring - Watching TV
Crazy - Pan over to the right and see a giant neon green grasshopper chillin' on the table. The crazy part wasn't the fact that he got INTO the house -- the crazy part was trying to get him OUT of the house.

Rule #37: Besties always match.

DAY 9 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-18T19:46:00.000-07:00

My sister has always been there for me and has gotten me through all kinds of highs and lows.
Love you Seeester! I'm so lucky to have a sister like you!

Fruit Tartlets | nom nom nom

2011-09-18T06:47:00.000-07:00

Source: Martha Stewart Weddings

I'm drooling right now. I need a special occasion so I can make these cute little guys!
nom nom nom yummy!

DAY 8 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-17T19:25:00.000-07:00

This makes me laugh SO much b/c it speaks volumes about the kind of relationship we have together
(ie: the sexiest and the bestest).

So close to getting forked. It's dangerous at the Cheesecake Factory.

Luggage Tags | HARLEX

2011-09-17T18:31:00.000-07:00

Double Sided Luggage Tag | Harlex

I've been day dreaming about my next vacation destination (Bora Bora anyone?). And I totally want one of these adorable nude luggage tags (even IF I'm not going anywhere any time soon. On that note, who would like to sponsor my next trip? Anyone? Anyone?).

I think my fav is the one that says "DIRTY CLOTHES INSIDE" ;)

Colorboard #3 >> Lace is Great

2011-09-17T18:00:00.000-07:00

Source: Tahlia / Vitaee

DAY 7 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-16T19:17:00.000-07:00

This will sound cheesy but my most treasured item is my engagement ring and the man that came along with it.

My Wedding Highlight Video | Media by Makoto

2011-09-16T18:02:00.000-07:00

Stephanie + Jonathan Wedding Highlight from Media by Makoto on Vimeo.

My wedding day went by SO quickly that I barely remember it. Everything happens so fast and I LOVE the wedding highlight video that my friend Makoto created for us. I thought he did a beautiful job capturing the day. We're lucky to have such talented friends!

DAY 6 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

I think it would be fascinating to spend a day in the life of Elizabeth Taylor. She was fabulous and elegant in so many ways. I'm sure she had innumerable adventures in life.

Taylor's adventures = lounging on a private yaght through the South of France.
My adventures = holding down the back trunk of my car with a piece of twine while driving home from Ikea.


Elizabeth Taylor Source: TheMagazineMaker

Colorboard #2 >> Mellow Yellow

2011-09-15T17:51:00.000-07:00


Gertrud Hegelund by Andreas Ohlund for Cover Magazine { Feb 2011 } Source: Fasion Gone Rogue

DAY 5 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-09-14T18:53:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of one of my favorite memories.

A couple different thoughts were floating around in my mind as we walked out of the church:
1) Yippee! We did it!
2) I didn't faint, trip, or fall down at the alter! Thank you Jesus.

Walking out as man+wife for the very first time.

Stunt Poetry

2011-09-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Stunt Poetry from Rishi Kaneria on Vimeo.

Kind of amazing. This makes me want to study some sort of martial art.
(Coming from the girl who can't do a cartwheel and can't put her heels flat on the floor when doing downward dog in yoga).

The Help | BOOKS

2011-09-13T17:05:00.000-07:00

I finished reading The Help and I can't help but smile. Watching the movie is next on my big "to do" list. Stockett drew me into the story through her concise and descriptive writing. Even though the stories and events were heart wrenching at times, I was encouraged by the comradery and growth that I saw in the key female characters. This book was a breath of fresh air and touched on some hard topics from America's history. It felt really good to read a book and also be challenged to become a more thoughtful, thankful, and sensitive human being towards others.

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother | BOOKS

2011-09-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

I actually read Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother a couple months ago but I'm a bad little blogger and haven't gotten around to digesting what I thought about it. I totally related to Tiger Mother (nevermind the fact that I'm Chinese and was raised by a Tiger Papa myself). Chua is about 50x's more hardcore than I am (hello 8 hour violin practice sessions) but I was able to glean a few key principles that I definitely want to instill within my future little kiddies. On the list? Respectful, Hardworking, Thoughtful, Discipline, Boldness/Independence, and Humbleness. I really appreciate Chua's conversational tone as well as her blunt honest storytelling. It was an easy read and I was thoroughly intrigued by her battle with Eastern and Western child-rearing as well as her experience raising children of mixed ethnicity.

Colorboard #1 >> Lovely Lavender

2011-08-24T00:02:00.000-07:00

WATER DROPS BY IRIDIE / VIA CATHERINE HENNE PINTEREST

DAY 4 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-08-12T01:19:00.000-07:00

This is technically not a picture of my night...but I wish it was!

June 2011 | Blue Palace | Crete, Greece
This was one of the beautiful Moroccan inspired lounges at the hotel bar.
Don't mind me, I'm just checking email on the hubby's iPad.

DAY 3 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-08-11T00:54:00.000-07:00

I love TV. In fact, I love having it on in the background while I do things around the house. I know it's a huge waste of energy but there is something comforting about hearing the voices of your favorite television cast (especially if they're the voices of everyone's favorite-est New Yorkers! Yep! This one's for you -- Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda & Samantha!)

I love SATC. And MOST of their outfits are fabulous... No comment on the outfits here...

One of my favorite episodes is "Ghost Town" from season 4. Carrie goes to Aidan's bar opening and there's a sexy little scene towards the end of the episode where she eats cake and Aidan smokes a cigar. He looks amazing and the lighting/mood in the alley is just SO intoxicating. You can feel all the relationship angst and it opens the door for Carrie+Aidan yet again.

Sex and the City | Season 4 | "Ghost Town"

DAY 2 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-08-10T00:54:00.000-07:00

And it's alive! The blog fell off the face of the earth because I was tremendously busy getting married, going on my honeymoon, and moving into a new house. Whew!

My beautiful sister, Tiffany.

I love my seeeester. We're best buddies and I can talk to her about anything. She just GETS me. My favorite childhood memory has to be all the hours/days/months/years we spent playing pretend and using our imaginations together. We'd create special worlds for our barbies, trolls, & stuffed animals. We'd flip over chairs to make "boats" and create fishing polls and pretend to "fish." My favorite adult memory with my sister has to be our recent holiday Twilight-vege-fest on the sofa. We watched all 3 movies from start to finish and stuffed our faces while doing so. I'm sure Edward would have found us super sexy.

DAY 1 | 30 DAYS OF PICTURES

2011-04-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

I got this idea from my friend Karen. I don't know if I will be able to post something every day but I'll try!!! I think the idea is cute and it will help pull me out of my blogging slump.

Foot of Diamond Head (Waikiki, Oʻahu) state park after a long hike

...and here are 15 facts about myself...

I'm a proud UCLA bruin...however...I've never done the full 8 clap successfully or in rhythm. Sad.
I love strawberries. A LOT.
I don't like it when pets lick me. Or shed on me. Or jump on me. I pretty much don't like pets unless it's my Sister's corgi, Tyler.
Pink is my favorite color but I also love bright pops of blue, yellow and lime green. (So I guess that means I pretty much like all colors...)
My middle name LOOKS Japanese, but it's not. C'mon, 'Maeki' doesn't look that Japanese, does it?
My favorite book is Gone With the Wind.
My favorite TV show is Sex and the City.
I love to read. I own a kindle (which is a nifty and handy device) but I still love actual paperback/hardcover books the most. Nothing beats the feeling of turning an actual page of paper!!
The Coffee Bean is my favorite coffee house.
I'm OCD about a lot of things. When I was young I used to tap my left and right feet an equal number of times. Somehow it seemed unbalanced to tap the right foot 20 times and leave the left foot hanging with only 19 taps.
I really enjoy designing things and laying out scrapbook pages/spreads. In another lifetime I wish I was a magazine editor for a major publication.
I get motion sickness.
I've been to a shuttle launch @ Kennedy Space Center. It was noisy.
I hate spiders. My spine tingles, my skin crawls, and I feel like puking when I see them.
I've played dozens of games of scrabble with my sister and lost each game. Sad.

Dwell Studio for Target | LIVING ROOM

2011-04-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

I've been eyeballing pretty living room furniture for no reason at all and the Dwell Studio for Target collection is AMAZING. They're beautiful and the best part is the price. They are on sale for $129.99. Needless to say, I want them all. =P

Dwell Studio for Target - Swoop Arm Chair

Dwell Studio for Target Peony Swoop Arm Chair Brown

If I had $899, I would get the beautiful Chloe Chair from Crate & Barrel. But alas, I don't have $899. *tear*

Chloe Chair - Bella Porte Citrine

Update: I ended up getting the Dwell Studio Swoop Arm Chair in brown with the blue flowers for my home office. It is super comfy and looks GREAT with my white desk and bookcases. Home decorating win! ;)

Fox Bookmarks | FREEBIE

2011-04-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

How cute are these?!

Fox Bookmark Front

Fox Bookmark Back

Download them for free on Sharon Rowan's blog!

Payless

2011-02-07T15:25:00.000-08:00

Holy smokes! Christian Siriano's latest line of shoes for Payless has my mind spinning! These are FIERCE!

draw it modern VDAY | FREEBIES

2011-02-04T17:11:00.000-08:00

I don't believe in this holiday but these printable Valentine's Day tags on Draw It Modern made me a believer. Check out the cuteness here!

Happy Chinese New Year! | rabbit

2011-02-03T12:24:00.000-08:00

{ Who knew Starbucks was so ethnic? They posted this ultra cute graphic on their site today. }

Gung Hay Fat Choy! | Best Wishes and Congratulations!
Happy Chinese New Year!

Made by Grace | Leather & Canvas Purse

2011-01-31T15:57:00.000-08:00

Goodness gracious. Made by Grace is DEFINITELY the asian Martha Stewart. Check out the homemade Leather & Canvas purse she made from SCRATCH.

Check out all the details here!

Blue Rooms

2011-01-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

Blue isn't just for boys anymore. ;)

These bedrooms are so happy and stylish. The dark colors don't make the rooms "moody" at all.

I was thinking about painting the walls in my future living room a gray color but this navy blue has me second guessing my decision...

Now THIS would be the ultimate basement hang out room!!!

Style Me Pretty Magazine | Volume 1

2011-01-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Volume 1 of Style Me Pretty's eMagazine is adorable! If I had an unlimited budget I would incorporate all of the awesome ideas within those pages into my own wedding. Ah well, one can dream, right?

Check out the eMagazine here!

Kindle

2011-01-27T22:29:00.000-08:00

My new addiction...

I've already read 6 books in the last 10 days. =P

heart | SIMPLE DESKTOPS

2011-01-27T20:51:00.000-08:00

This heart wallpaper is perfect for Valentine's Day. ^_^
Go check out simpledesktops.com for more free downloadable wallpapers!

All white might be too white for a desktop wallpaper but the heart-air-balloon is adorable. I'd love to turn this design into a Valentine's Day card for by hubby-to-be.

This is my current wallpaper...

And this one is just plain hilarious hahaha.

B&N | Stationary

2011-01-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

Dayam...when did Barnes & Nobles get super cute stationary?!

Close | Martin Stranka

2011-01-04T21:36:00.000-08:00

I know there's some photoshop magic going on but...wow!

{ Close by Martin Stranka }

You can download more awesome photography for iPhone's & iPad's on Tseventy.

scratch off save the date | UNLESSSOMEONELIKEYOU

2011-01-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

DUDE. Scratch off Save the Date cards?! OMG.

It's like winning the lottery! ;)

You can find them on etsy at unlesssomeonelikeyou's store.
I'm not baller enough to actually buy them but I can definitely admire them from afar.

screen prints | SARAH WINTER

2011-01-03T18:27:00.000-08:00

I saw these cute screen prints on Design*Sponge and made my way over to Sarah Winter's etsy store. These prints are really great and inspirational. =)

"All You Need is Love" has to be my favorite because it's pink and has hearts. Oh, and The Beatles kind of rock.

2010 Merry Newsinator | PLAID

2010-12-29T19:11:00.000-08:00

This is a pretty fun app...create your own 2010 Newsletter here!

Mom Inc Daily Bookmarks | FREEBIES

2010-12-26T16:08:00.000-08:00

These free bookmarks are crazy cute and perfect to use when I re-read the Twilight saga books over the next week....

Download them here!

Holiday Gift Tags | FREEBIES

2010-12-16T18:56:00.000-08:00

Awww these are so cute! I like the acorn the best. ^___^

Download them at orange you lucky here:

{ orange you lucky! }

These deer tags are soooo adorable!

{ we love to illustrate }

Treat Holiday Labels | FREEBIES

2010-12-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

Creature Comforts is AWESOME. Check out her set of free holiday labels here! They're for home baked holiday treats but I think you can use them for a wide variety of gifts. =)

She created a few different pdf files of her labels. Get all three here!
* Fleur de Sel Caramel To/From Labels
* Fleur de Sel Caramel Holiday Greetings Labels
* Blank Holiday Treat Labels

love, CALIFORNIA

2010-12-14T02:30:00.000-08:00

My heart belongs to California. ^__^

You can get this cute CA pillow here at the love,California etsy store.
OR if you're a fan of a different state you can buy a pillow for the other states here.

Holiday Gift Tags | FREEBIE

2010-12-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

Check out these cuuuuuuuuuute holiday gift tags from domestifluff!
You can download them here.

The Fashion File | MAD MEN

2010-12-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

If there's something I LOVE it is the 60's fashion and chicness of Mad Men. The costume designer for Mad Men is a genius and she's written a book of fashion advice, tips, and inspiration for us commoners. I don't know how I'll ever be able to infuse my wardrobe with a little "Betty" or "Joan" but we'll see if this book helps me come close.

The Fashion File by Janie Bryant

Macarons

2010-12-10T01:33:00.000-08:00

They're so pretty and sugary! They even come in weird flavors like rose (which really does taste like a rose. Not that I eat roses or anything...)

I'm not much of a baker in the kitchen but maybe if I give my sister one of these cookbooks for Christmas she will make some for me. ^__^

I Love Macarons

Macarons

west elm | FREEBIE

2010-12-09T22:13:00.000-08:00

Go get 'em here!

unknown

2010-12-09T01:23:00.000-08:00

This is another sweet print. The colors are a really pretty blend of purple.

{ Style Me Pretty - Brooklyn Factory Wedding}

EIGHT HOUR DAY | design & illustration

2010-12-08T01:05:00.000-08:00

Speaking of inspirational posters....
Eight Hour Day has a cute "office" themed poster.

{ Office Letterpress Print }

You can find more cool stuff on their website...

do what you love what you do

2010-12-07T00:13:00.000-08:00

My eyes have been very drawn to inspirational posters lately. For those of you who zone out a lot at your desk (I never do....) this would be a great print to meditate on.

{ letterhappy }

This is what I'm currently looking at for all the times that I'm not zoning out...

SASS & PERIL

2010-12-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

Since I'm on a wedding diet maybe I should put up this cute poster. I can feast with my eyes and not with my mouth. nom nom nom...

{ SASS & PERIL - Doughnut Love }

This one is so witty! Open your heart. Get it?!

{ SASS & PERIL - Open Heart }

Check out the etsy shop here.

Paper + Cup

2010-12-06T05:28:00.000-08:00

The creators of Paper + Cup have this super cute book about crafting with paper! Cuuuuuuuuuuuute!

Buy a copy here!

Chronicle Books | gifts

2010-12-03T17:15:00.000-08:00

Did you know Chronicle Books has a whole gift section full of cute stuff?!

{ Our Love Is Here To Stay Postcards }

SWEET PAUL MAGAZINE

2010-12-03T12:15:00.000-08:00

There are a bunch of cute e-magazines online and Sweet Paul has some great Holiday ideas in their current issue here.

My favorite section was on gift wrapping. I have a disaster of a scarf that I tried to knit a couple years ago...so most of my presents are going to be wrapped up in YARN (as I unravel the disaster scarf) instead of ribbon.

cozy colorblock | GAP

2010-12-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

This super soft, super long, super comfy, super COZY colorblock scarf from Gap is on my soon-to-own list (as soon as it goes on sale).

Not sure what Posh spice is wearing but I like it! I highly doubt her colorblock scarf is from the Gap.

Her scarf is probably spun from the golden fleece of virgin lambs and stitched together by hand...

{ cozy colorblock scarf | GAP | winter peony }

Sperry

2010-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

My coworker has a pair of these cheerful sperry topsiders and everytime I see them I want to run out and buy a pair! Is this too big for a stocking stuffer?

{ Sperry Top-Sider Montauk Mocasin }

They are currently on sale on the Sperry website for $50...but if you head over to Endless.com you can find the same shoes for only $49.47 AND they have free 2 day shipping.

mae wrapping paper | FREEBIE

2010-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know if my printer has enough ink to handle printing wrapping paper...but if YOUR printer can handle it then you should definitely download and print out these darling papers!

Visit mae here.

GLOBE-TROTTER

2010-11-30T00:01:00.000-08:00

I know it is incredibly impractical and cumbersome to travel with a bag that you can't sling over your shoulder or cram into an overhead bin...BUT...I can't help falling in love with this bright yellow luggage!

{ Globe-Trotter® Centenary 21" trolley case }

Chance Eau Tendre | CHANEL

2010-11-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

I'm in love with the Chance Eau Tendre scent...it's very light and very "young." It has a really beautiful and fresh floral scent that doesn't make me sneeze or feel choked/covered in fragrances.

Chance Eau Tendre By Chanel

All that glitters...

2010-11-29T00:01:00.000-08:00

{ Photo Credit: Crate&Barrel }

I can't wait for Jonathan to come home next weekend so we can put up our Christmas decorations! ^___^ I love love love love Christmas!!! I know my wedding isn't until May...but I kind of want to put Christmas decorations on the Crate&Barrel registry...haha.

It's time...

2010-11-29T00:00:00.000-08:00

Holiday Lounge - The Christmas Remixes

iPhone 4.2

2010-11-28T23:04:00.000-08:00

Dear Apple,

Why is the iPhone 4.2 software download 624.3 MB? I have sh*tty Verizon "High Speed" Internet (I use the word "high speed" very loosely here) and it's taking over an hour to download.

P.S. This software better not F-up my phone and make it slow as all hell (kind of like the last software update that basically killed my iPhone 3G).

Sincerely,
Steforious

It's Complicated

2010-11-28T21:28:00.000-08:00

It's Complicated

Over Thanksgiving weekend I watched It's Complicated, Eat Pray Love, and the new Harry Potter movie (twice in theaters). It's Complicated is abso-freaking-lutely hilarious. John Krasinski only had a supporting actor's role in the film but he kept stealing the show in every scene that he was in. His comedic timing is spot on. Go rent this movie if you haven't seen it!

On a random note, the kitchen that Jane (Meryl Streep) has at her Santa Barbara ranch style home is fabulous. Check out that open shelving, elegant (and functional) island, and chef style stove!! Duel ovens! Sexy!

P.S. Don't waste your time with Eat Pray Love. The movie is as awful as the book. It's a montage of random bits and pieces with a very weak story line.

P.P.S. Boy wizards rock. I need more Harry Potter -- I can't wait for Part II!!!

Now that Thanksgiving is over...

2010-11-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

All holidays pale in comparison to Christmas. Now that Thanksgiving is over it's time for Christmas music, decorations, movies, and commercials with big red bows on cars... !!! But the best commercials are the TARGET ones. Oh, how I love thee Target!

Happy Slapsgiving!

2010-11-24T23:16:00.000-08:00

I love holiday themed episodes. ESPECIALLY the 'How I Met Your Mother' holiday episodes.

HAPPY SLAPSGIVING!!! And happy watching! ^__^

Fall

2010-11-23T11:07:00.000-08:00

If there's one thing I miss MOST about living on the East coast it's the TREES and the beautiful colors.

{ Photo Credit: The Cherry Blossom Girl }

CAKE TOPPERS | kikuike

2010-11-22T12:32:00.000-08:00

I love birds. And I like love birds. So I was thinking that it would be super cute to have a cake topper that was a pair of love birds. And then I found kikuike. I assume the designer is a girl because I can't imagine a boy making such CUTE cake toppers. They have a million different ones in their etsy shop...but here's a small sampling of the cuteness!

Cherry Blossom Girl

2010-11-21T00:26:00.000-08:00

I'm probably the last person to hear about the cherry blossom girl. She is a journalist/photographer/fashionista and posts pictures of her outfits and world travels on her blog. She's absolutely fabulous and effortlessly chic. I wish I had 10% of her wardrobe.

Yellow Accents

2010-11-20T00:10:00.000-08:00

These rooms are fantastic because of the big windows, natural light, and pops of yellow accents!

ESSIE

2010-11-19T22:56:00.000-08:00

If you're my friend then you know I'm obsessed with Essie nail polish. It's the best nail polish because of the fantastic colors, the polish always covers the nail flawlessly (no streaks!) and I always end up with a perfect home manicure if I use Essie.

My friend Serena was super excited that her Essie Fall 2010 Collection 4 piece Mega Mini Color Cube arrived in the mail. That's when I gave her a confused looking emoticon over gchat.

What in the world is a Mini Color Cube? IT'S GENIUS. That's what it is. No one ever uses a FULL bottle of nail polish (and if you do it gets hard to use about halfway down b/c the bristles don't reach the polish anymore). The mini cube is exactly what it sounds like...you get a set of 4 mini bottles of polish (perfect size!) and in all of the season's hottest colors!!! Oh, and you can buy it off of Amazon. HELL YES!

{ Essie Summer 2010 Collection 4 Mini Nail Polishes }

P.S. The off-season mini polish sets are CHEAPER since it's no longer in season. The Chinese in me says this is a MUST-BUY. Shoot, I'll wear summer colors in winter. I don't care! It's half off for crying out loud!

Billy Balls | Calendar

2010-11-18T07:08:00.000-08:00

Billy Balls are so trendy and cute! Here's a 2011 calendar cushion cover:

{ le papier studio }

I'm tempted to get it and put it in one of my gray rooms in my future house that I don't own yet (minor detail) but $40 is pretty steep for a pillow cover that will be out of date in one year. =X

Holiday Gift Tag | FREEBIE

2010-11-17T06:55:00.000-08:00

How cute are these? My favorite is the gift tag that says "this gift is" =)

Download and print them out here.

Bridesmaid Dresses | Erin Leigh Heart

2010-11-16T07:34:00.000-08:00

I already bought my bridesmaid dresses from J.Crew but I kind of wish I had waited and bought these dresses instead. They are one size fits all (VERY IMPORTANT) and they are a high quality jersey satin fabric (I imagine this is very flattering...)

The best part? It's a convertible dress and can be worn a ton of different ways!

Buy them on Erin Leigh Heart's etsy store, here!

Grey Rooms

2010-11-15T10:26:00.000-08:00

I'm seeing grey everywhere and I can't wait to buy my first house and paint some walls grey!

Have fun decorating! If you happen to have some grey-room inspiration drop me a comment! I would love to see it!

Bad Vendor

2010-11-14T17:44:00.000-08:00

Wedding planning has been fairly easy (well, as "easy" as doing hours of research and pouring over dozens of vendor pricing sheets can be) and almost all of the vendors that I've spoken too have been great! Most will offer helpful suggestions or recommendations even if they are unable to partner up with me on my wedding day.

I've only had one really bad experience and that was with a photographer couple that I had wanted to meet. This particular photographer is a 2-person operation consisting of a married couple in SD. My fiance set up a meeting for a Sunday afternoon, which they had happily and politely agreed too. The morning of the meeting they canceled on us and feigned illness claiming "my wife is feeling sick." Ok, great. If you're sick, then you're sick. No problem. I suspected it was a cop-out reason but gave them the benefit of the doubt anyways.

I should have realized something was amiss when they never followed up to reschedule our meeting. Instead I reached out again to confirm their availability and set up another meeting. Lo and behold, they cancel on us a SECOND time! The morning of our second meeting I get an email canceling our meeting -- this time they claimed that they just happened to book the day of our wedding with another client.

Look, I'm a super gullible person but this really pissed me off.

Their email canceling our appointment sounded fake
What kind of crappy vendor are you that you would cancel on the day of the meeting. Also, what kind of vendor are you that you would cancel on the same client TWICE?
I work in sales and I think it's common courtesy to let your clients know when there is another client interested in the same date that you're inquiring for. How hard is it to tell someone that another couple is inquiring for the same date that you are? When I booked my lighting vendor he let me know as soon as another couple inquired about the same date. He also assured me that he told the other couple that I had inquired first (which I really appreciated).

In the end it's a good thing I never met with them in person. I wouldn't want to do business with vendors that aren't courteous and upfront with their clients. I got a bad vibe from them and I think they are completely unprofessional. Anyways, I wont put them on blast and mention their name here. You can ask me offline if you want to know who it is.

The Golden Ticket!

2010-11-14T09:43:00.000-08:00

Awww Tiffany is so cute! She gave me a bag of Willy Wonka candy with a gold bar that also contained THE GOLDEN TICKET! It said,

Type A Moment | Drinks in the NEW Car

2010-11-13T21:31:00.000-08:00

When I first bought my car I used to spot clean her EVERYDAY in the garage. I wouldn't let any offending mark or dust particle settle on her. I had a strict no food/drinks policy and tonight I allowed two drinks in my car. Tonight was also the night that my car was robbed of her innocence. My sister spilled hot Almond Milk Tea allllll over her. We're not talking about a couple drops of liquid...we're talking about the TOP popped off the cup and 1/4 of the drink was spilled all over the center console/car shift knob. My heart is still racing and my OCD-ness almost imploded.

Needless to say, the NO FOOD OR DRINKS ALLOWED rule has been reinstated and is in effect immediately.

P.S. Tiffany, I'm sorry your hands are still red and burned by the hot drink. BUT COME ON. OMG!

Operation Christmas Child | 2010

2010-11-12T23:45:00.000-08:00

Every year our church, Harvest South Bay, organizes a night for the Youth Group (IGNITE) and for the Children's Youth Ministry (CYM) to write notes, wrap, and pack shoe box gifts for Operation Christmas Child. This year we managed to put together 30 shoe boxes and we couldn't be prouder of our youth for their time and generous spirit.

Samaritan's Purse is a really good organization that sends millions of shoebox gifts to over 130 different countries around the world. Not only do these children receive a gift this Christmas but they also receive a gospel track telling them the "Good News." There's still time for you to pack your own shoebox gift! Collection week is November 15-22, 2010 and you can search for the drop off center nearest to you here.

Here's a picture of our kids hard at work. ^___^

Tom's

2010-11-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Serena I got the Classic Canvas Tom's in Ash Grey. These shoes are so stinking comfortable and I love that Tom's matches every pair of shoes purchased with a pair of new shoes given to a child in need. Now I want a pair in Red and Gilded Herringbone! Haha.

UPDATE 11/22: I bought the Gilded Herringbone Tom's and they're faaaaabulous. My sister got a pair of the Ash Grey classic canvas Tom's. That means two more kids got a free pair of shoes! yay!

Entertaining Paradise

2010-10-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

The view is magical and the deck area is an entertainer's paradise. Me likey!

INFINITI and beyond!

2010-10-13T11:14:00.000-07:00

Meet my new baby. She's a beauty. ^___^
I couldn't find a pretty photo of the 2010 model so this picture is just an Euro shot of the 2009 body. Mine doesn't have those rails on the roof so it looks smoother (and I think sleeker).

LUST

2010-10-12T10:40:00.000-07:00

To kill time during Jury Duty I ended up doing some important research. The fruits of my labor is now a new love interest. It's name is Marc Jacobs and hopefully one day he can be mine.

UPDATE 11/1: The fiance was super thoughtful and bought me the purse for my birthday, anniversary, Christmas present! I had told him the only thing I wanted was the SATC2 DVD and the thought of a C-level movie made him sad. He went above and beyond by going to two different stores in search of the bag. But alas, little did he know I am wayyy too cheap and stingy to accept SUCH an extravagant present. Thus, I made him return it. I know, I am a terrible gift receiver...but once it was in my hand it was simply TOO nice and TOO expensive for me to use. Bye bye Marc!

EXTREME

2010-10-10T23:20:00.000-07:00

I don't always watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition but when I do I usually end up tearing up. This week's episode was all about laughter and for once the makeover blew me away in a good way. They tend to do overly crazy decor and accents but the shared living areas in this home turned out beautiful and elegant! (Don't worry, they still went crazy over-the-top on the kids rooms).

I am especially in love with the coffee table and homey decor (mantel, coffee table/end table, use of mirrors etc.)

This kitchen is truly to die for! I love a large island. The room would have been overwhelming with dark cabinetry. The white cabinets and cupboards are PERFECT.

The kitchen is enormous yet still feels warm and inviting. I want to eat breakfast sitting on those cute bar stools! This kitchen is probably bigger than my bedroom & master bathroom combined >.<

These dining room chairs have a great shape and weight to them. No hard backs here!

Burke Williams ain't got nothing on this bathroom!

{ Photo Credits: ABC Extreme Makeover Home Edition }

VINCE CAMUTO

2010-10-07T23:38:00.000-07:00

I had never heard of Vince Camuto before but apparently he's kind of a big deal!

Maybe I should return the Badgley Mischka's I bought for the wedding and get these heels from the Fall 2010 catalog instead.........

{ Photo Source: Vince Camuto }

I ended up buying these hawt cage heels for VEGAS this past weekend. ^___^

I paid full price for them at Nordstrom's but I see they are on sale on the official Camuto website: here. Lucky for me, Nordstrom does price matching if you find the item for cheaper at a different store. =)

Update: It turns out the shoes also went on sale @ Nordstrom's! They do price adjustments within 2 weeks of purchase so they happily credited me the price difference. Woot woot!

Anna Dello Russo Knows How to Masquerade

2010-10-04T21:25:00.000-07:00

Can I be Anna Dello Russo for Halloween? Dang...

Anna Dello Russo getting dressed for the VOGUE Paris Ball.

{ Source: Jak & Jil Blog }

Update 10/29: Not quite as elaborate as Anna Dello Russo's costume.

KNIT ME UP!

2010-10-03T14:44:00.000-07:00

Damn. I am a blogging deadbeat. I've been really busy planning my wedding/honeymoon and co-leading Friday night youth group at church. More details later...

Even with all that stuff going on I still have time to do the online equivalent of window shopping. :)
We had some blistering hot days in LA and now we just got hit with a cold chill. Time to bundle up!

The new "in" item is the grey knit blazer. The J.Crew version looks longer and has some cute mens-wearish details/buttons while the Ann Taylor Loft version looks more like a standard blazer.

I'm not buying anything without a sale coupon/discount code...haha. BUT when I DO get my hands on one it will be really hard to decide which one to buy.

Badgley Mischka | Randall

2010-08-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

The Randee heels didn't work out so let's see if these are any better........

Please be wearable...please be wearable...

Update 10/4: I've decided to keep them. WINNER! Now I just have to practice walking without falling...