Ugh.

I don't think I've ever been so consistently ill-feeling ever before. Working with kids (who don't cover their mouth when they cough and sneeze) is taking a toll on my health. I can't wait to feel healthy again!

Also, one of the kids kicked me in the shin after I tried to get him to write in complete sentences. He simply put, "It is," in front of his previous answers, and when I told him that he can't just put, "It is," before everything because sometimes it doesn't work (he's done this before,) he got all bratty on me. By the fourth grade, complete sentences should come so easily to students, but this kid is so lazy. He also puts down his other classmates who are doing 20x better than him. Any chance he gets, he makes fun of something they can't do, or a word they say wrong. It's so rude!

What happened to manners? What happened to saying, "Thank you," and listening to your elders?

Netflix

I decided to renew my Netflix since I've been wanting to watch a ton of new releases but don't want to spend $40+ in one month doing so. While browsing what's been released during my hiatus, I came across a movie called "The Gay Bed & Breakfast of Terror." Seriously? What is wrong with movies these days? One of my dreams is to open my own B&B, so it kind of amused me... but then I started to imagine what could happen in the movie.... *shudder*

LorisShoes.com

$15 Calvin Klein "Dolly" pumps in Navy, originally $84!

*edit* how lame, they jacked the price back up to $25.

I if I were a size 8 or 8.5 I would be snatching these up in a second. The navy looks dark enough to pass for black, so it would be great neutral heel. The heel is also low enough to be work appropriate/comfortable.

Ugh...

So, the Hautelook sample sale does have earrings that are almost identical to the ones I wanted, but after seeing that shipping costs $8 and I can't return the earrings, I will not buy them...

$62.50

$52.50

KORS Michael Kors "Bleeker" Wedges

I wanted these shoes 2 years ago when they were at full price, but I decided against it because the cost wasn't worth how often I would wear them. I recently rediscovered them because one of my favorite fashion bloggers wore them in a picture. They looked so adorable on her that I had to search for them, mostly to see if they were even available still. I found them for 51% off but still wasn't convinced, so I looked at some reviews and so many people said they are their favorite pair of shoes/they are really comfortable! I decided to buy them just to try them on (I can return them for a full refund,) and if I love them, I will keep them. I've always wanted a pair of espadrille style wedges!!

I also have an outfit and event I want to wear the shoes with/to. My anniversary dinner with Darryl! Katsuya's dress code is "smart casual," whatever the fuck that means. I'm assuming my shirt-dress with a belt and espadrilles works?

Dress: H&M, Belt: AE from like 6 years ago.

My experience with DineLA week.

To: Hanna :)

Sadly I've only been to one restaurant for DineLA. It was Ruth's Chris in Beverly Hills, but you can definitely try Ruth's Chris in Pasadena or elsewhere. I think the service was way better at Pasadena anyway. Last year they only offered the filet as their beef option (the other entrees were chicken or shrimp, lame!) but THIS YEAR, they are offering the RIB-EYE!!! OMG delicious. If only it were the bone-in rib-eye.... even better! Plus, if you ask for it "blackened" they put a nice cajun rub on it. It's delicious. I also love Ruth's Chris' creamed spinach and their mashed potatoes. Both are wonderfully buttery, and the spinach is cheesy.

Morton's is only offering a filet for meat (laaame hehe) but I've never been there so I can't say anything other than, "I think Ruth's Chris is offering a better deal." Flemings at L.A. Live would be pretty cool, though. Mostly because it's all new and pretty, but chicken saltimbocca sounds good as well.

I've also eaten at Yard House (I'm shocked they're doing DineLA) but it's honestly like a Cheesecake Factory with better beer and slightly better food.

If you want to go a cheaper route, Santorini's in Pasadena is a great choice. Really adorable restaurant with a cute balcony/patio and really good sangria. I would only eat on the balcony at lunch, though. It's located north of Colorado blvd., but still in Old Town.

DineLA week(s)

I'm a bit late mentioning this since it started a few days ago, but this year, DineLA week is going to run from January 28-30 and February 1-6.

I barely discovered this event last year (lame), but a ton of awesome restaurants (typically overpriced) create prix-fixe menus for us regular folk to choose from. The restaurants that are participating range in location from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach, with the majority being near Beverly Hills and West LA.

I'm 99% sure I'm going to Katsuya in Glendale because 1.) they're participating, 2.) I've never eaten there, and 3.) it's relatively close. Darryl and I are going to celebrate our four year anniversary there to try and be economical without skimping too much.

One of my favorite restaurants in Pasadena is also participating: Cafe Santorini. If you go there, two of the three entrees they are offering on the prix-fixe menu are amazing: the beef brochette and the farfalle con pollo al pesto. The pesto is made from cilantro, but it adds a really nice kick to the dish. Their chicken (pollo) is also really moist and flavorful. I would also suggest getting the apple tart with cinnamon ice cream for dessert. It's the best dessert they offer!

Have any of you guys participated in DineLA week before? Which restaurant did you go to?

Boo iPod touch.

I went to the Apple store in Pasadena to take a look at the different iPods. I was so disappointed that I didn't like the keyboard's style. I don't think anybody has fingers tiny enough to only hit one letter, so maybe I'm the only one bothered by it. I had to delete erroneous letters multiple times just to put "google" in the web browser. I can't even imagine typing out an email on it. Since the Internet and email were what really drew me to the touch, I don't think it's worth it to get :(

Sigh. One day you and I will be together, iPod touch, but only when you have a better keyboard.

Hautelook.com

I never really paid attention to fashion until this past year, so I can't say this is true, but it seems like online sample sales have become a big trend recently. With gilt.com, ruelala.com, and hautelook.com, it's become easier to get your hands on cheap designer goods without having to leave your house. Although I've been using Hautelook.com for at least half a year, I still haven't purchased anything. I blame it on the fact that I never wake up early enough to get the good stuff.

On Thursday morning, Hautelook is going to have a sample sale for Lauren Schaefer Green's jewelry line. I've been looking for some gorgeous turqouise earrings for the longest time, and I'm hoping that they put these beauties in the sample sale lineup. Highly wishful thinking.


If you want a referral to any of those sample sale sites, just leave a comment with your email.

Pictures from Cook's Tortas

1. Delicious sweet potato fries.
2. Delicious chicken basil torta. Sounds like an oxymoron... Italian mixed with Mexican food.

Decisions, decisions...

Debating whether to get a 16 GB iPod touch or nothing. I have an 8 GB nano so I'm not desperate for a new iPod, but I would love the convenience of being able to access my email and the Internet when I'm near a WiFi signal. The nano was also a birthday gift so it isn't like I spent my own money on it...

I would be getting the refurbished iPod touch from the Apple store. I'm always nervous when it comes to refurbished electronics, but it's a nice discount! Down from $299 to $219, and shipping is free. I read that the refurbished products are simply returns from customers within their 30-day return period. They're also tested and given new software. Sounds safe?

I think I'll stop by an Apple store tomorrow to play with iPods.

Any iPod touch owners who want to sing their praises? Leave a comment. :)

Food

I haven't had a food post in a while... whoops.

I've been meaning to experiment with making homemade pastry dough, and I've been craving chicken pot pie. I might as well add the two and make chicken pot pie with a delicious homemade crust!

Ina Garten has a relatively simple recipe that I want to try, so if I suddenly become un-lazy I will definitely attempt that either tomorrow or Tuesday night. I'm super busy Wed.-Sunday with work and watching sporting events, but I should have time to make some homemade hummus and 7-layer bean dip for a Super Bowl Party even if I don't have time for real food...

First steps.

Tuesday morning at 6 a.m. I finally get to enroll in my grad. school classes!

I'm so excited to finally be starting the next chapter of my life. Even though my undergraduate days and classes were fun, I feel like they didn't really matter since they couldn't get me a real job. Now I'm finally taking classes that can get me a real job, haha.

I'm going to sign up for Intro. to Communicative Disorders, Neuroscience of COMD, and The Development of Verbal Behavior in Children. I think they'll be relatively easy, mostly because they're undergraduate pre-req courses, and I've already taken neuroscience and tons of developmental classes as an undergrad. Also, I've sat in on some COMD classes at CSULA before, and I knew everything the prof. was talking about. Maybe that's why I'm so excited...? I felt like I knew nothing during discussions at UCLA... now I can finally be one of the smarter people in class!!!

Gap coupon!

I used to hate the Gap, but their clothes have become more stylish. I'm not sure when it started, but the fact that they got Phillip Lim and others to design classic white shirts a while back must have helped. I can't get enough of the bright, saturated hues they use for their cardigans, and now they're only $34.99! I got these colors, but they have a ton more.

Right now they're having a 30% off sale until Jan. 25. Sadly, it's only on clothes in the "New Arrivals"category, but it's good at Gap.com, Bananarepublic.com, and Oldnavy.com. Use the code SPRING when you checkout (and it also gives you free shipping if you spend >$150.)

Here are my picks from the New Arrivals at Gap. I already own the striped shirt, and I'm so tempted to buy the skirt! The muted gradient of grays would look amazing with a bright sweater and a white tank for Spring. Now all I need are some tanned legs...

Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent

image courtesy of shopbop.com

I absolutely adore everything by 12th St. by Cynthia Vincent...

I guess it's a good thing I got my neon sweater. Neon seems to be one of the trends this Spring, and I love the bright pop of pink inside the neutral yet unique cardigan. Sadly this whole outfit costs a cool $1,161, but I'm going to be on the lookout so I can recreate it!

Quitting...

I've decided on a final day for my unsatisfying second job: February 12, 2009. I think I should celebrate that night haha.

Despite my relief, I feel like a failure since I'm giving up on helping these kids. I know that I am a good tutor because I've had such great success with my other tutees, but the kids at MLC are incorrigible and the effort I put into my work is not worth the benefits (erm... if there are any?)

I feel like it isn't normal for someone to want to quit a job where they're supposed to help kids, but when all your efforts are met with refusals and vacant stares, what can you do? There are a couple kids who have improved, but others need help from professionals who can deal with ADD, dyslexia, and other issues. I can identify the signs, but I definitely haven't learned about ways to cure them.

Anyway, I'm glad I can put all my focus on my other tutees.

High-waisted skirt

I recently made one of my smarter purchases and bought a really cute black, high-waisted skirt at Gap for $20. It was on sale!

I also bought a highly discounted neon yellow 3/4 sleeved sweater from J.Crew. It looked pale yellow online, but since it was final sale I couldn't return it... I think it might have also been around $20.

Anyway, what I'm trying to get at is that I think they'd go really well together. Neon is a bit strong for my look, but when tucked into a neutral high-waisted skirt it becomes bearable. The only thing I'm unsure about is what kind of accessories do I wear with this outfit?



Please excuse my dusty, dirty mirror.

Basically I went for "casual" with my pink American Apparel top, and a little more business-like with the other three outfits. I wish my skirt was a little shorter, but meh, that is unimportant at the moment, and I can always fix that later. The first yellow picture is with my H&M scarf and Express satin belt. Second yellow is with my Forever 21 belt. Third is with only my Express belt. I am horrible at accessorizing, especially because I rarely buy accessories. What would you wear with these outfits? A black, chunky necklace? A great statement belt?

Scarves and WinkNYC, Tobi discounts

An accessory that I've started to incorporate into my wardrobe is the scarf, but now that LA temperatures are reaching the 80s (ridiculous!) I have no use for them. Despite this, I've been on the lookout for cheap Love Quotes scarves.

I recently bought one in Solar from Tobi.com with a 25% discount, and one in Merlot at WinkNYC.com with a 30% discount! Although Tobi's 25% discount is gone, they've replaced it with a 30% discount in honor of Obama :) How much did you guys love the clips of him dancing at the different balls on Tuesday night?? Tuesday was pretty exciting!

WinkNYC.com - CSS8 for 30% off if it's your FIRST purchase with them. Luckybreaks13 for 25% off all other purchases. (free shipping!)
Tobi.com - INAUG30 for 30% off everything until 1/22/09 11:59 pst. (free shipping!)

One thing that influenced my purchases is the fact that I always wear low-cut v-necks from American Apparel. Any time I'm in an air-conditioned room, there's a chance that my neck/décolletage are freezing. Another influence is the fact that I have almost the exact same purse as Vanessa Hudgens (we both have Rebecca Minkoff bags in Wine, as pictured) and that rich shade of burgandy looks so cozy and wintry. Another (I'm trying to make good reasons for why I purchased two scarves hahaha) is the fact that pale yellow is my FAVORITE color. Sadly, pale yellow shirts tend to be see-through so I rarely buy anything in pale yellow...



This post also means I have already failed at my shopping ban. Whoops.... I swear I'll start the ban after this!

My car

I'm starting to think that my VW Jetta is a lemon...

I got it during my junior year in high school, I believe, and I've had numerous problems with it over the past 6-7 years despite only reaching 34,000 miles.

Apparently the engine and the car's brain are so sensitive that they need the premium gas instead of regular gas. I disregarded that during the first month of ownership due to how ridiculously expensive premium is/was, and I had to take my car in at least twice due to engine failure/brain failure. Mostly my fault, but after that I switched to premium....

Then, my car started making weird sputtering noises when I would accelerate above around 60 mph. I took it in and they said nothing was wrong, it just makes noises like that for no reason (ugh.) Shouldn't they at least know why such strange noises are occurring? It continues to make those noises every day.

My car radio died twice in one year! I finally replaced the stock radio with one from Circuit City. So far that one has worked fine, probably because it wasn't made or installed by VW!

This past weekend my car sat untouched for two days and the battery died. My dad said he had it replaced 3 years ago with one that is definitely supposed to last longer than three years. I looked this problem up on the internet, and low and behold a ton of Jetta owners have been having the same dead battery issues. One bought a new battery after her original died, and that battery died in 2 weeks after she let her car sit around a few days. No wonder VW gives us solar-powered battery chargers for everyday use... Sadly that didn't even work since my battery was still dead after jumping it, driving it around 30 minutes, AND plugging the charger in.

Tomorrow I'm praying that my car will start on its own.... if not, I don't know if I want to go through the hell that other Jetta owners had to deal with once their cars started mysteriously draining their batteries.

Petrillo's and more...

Tonight I finally tried Petrillo's Pizza! I'm such a lame-o. I hung out with Allie, Kacey, and Darryl, and both Allie and Kacey have had Petrillo's their entire life (or at least Allie has.) What is sad is that we've all lived in the same houses since we were tiny little children, so it shows just how deprived I am of good, LOCAL pizza.

I liked their specialty pizza, but it was so overloaded with toppings! It wasn't a bad thing, but I could only eat one slice because it was so huge. Next time I think I'll get just a pepperoni and bell peppers pizza to really get a good idea of the cheese and sauce. I really liked the crust, plus the quality of the ingredients was 100x better than Dominoes or Pizza Hut. Their Italian sausage was one of the best sausages I've had on a pizza, and I've eaten a lot of pizza.

Tonight we played a bunch of games and talked. It was fun, and it was even more fun watching Allie's new dog run around, sleep, and attempt to hide a pizza crust she stole from the table while we weren't looking. Everywhere I go I am reminded of the fact that I want a new dog haha. It's not that my current dog isn't cool enough, but I'm used to having two dogs who play and run around a lot. Ever since my female dog died last year, my male dog hasn't been the same.... he just sleeps all day :(

Anyway, on Friday Darryl and I ventured over to this cute little restaurant called Cook's Tortas for lunch. I was pleasantly surprised by the restaurant because it reminded me of West LA, not Monterey Park. That was mostly due to the decor. There were a ton of tortas to choose from, but I got the Chicken Basil (chicken, pesto mayo, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato) and Darryl got the Carne Asada (carne asada, avocado, pico de gallo, and some sort of chipotle mayo.) I enjoyed mine, but Darryl's was amazing. I also loved the crusty bread they use. For $6.45 (plus tax,) you can get any sandwich plus a small side. I thought the almost footlong sandwich and red (sweet potato) fries were worth it!

The 100...

Bold things you've eaten.

42/100... wow I'm lame.

1. Venison

2. Nettle tea

3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare

5. Crocodile

6. Black pudding

7. Cheese fondue

8. Carp

9. Borscht

10. Baba ghanoush

11. Calamari

12. Pho

13. PB&J sandwich

14. Aloo gobi

15. Hot dog from a street cart

16. Epoisses

17. Black truffle

18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes

19. Steamed pork buns

20. Pistachio ice cream

21. Heirloom tomatoes

22. Fresh wild berries

23. Foie gras

24. Rice and beans

25. Brawn, or head cheese

26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper

27. Dulce de leche

28. Oysters (technically... like in a pasta/soup)

29. Baklava

30. Bagna cauda

31. Wasabi peas

32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl

33. Salted lassi

34. Sauerkraut

35. Root beer float

36. Cognac with a fat cigar

37. Clotted cream tea

38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O

39. Gumbo

40. Oxtail

41. Curried goat

42. Whole insects

43. Phaal

44. Goat’s milk

45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more

46. Fugu

47. Chicken tikka masala

48. Eel

49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut

50. Sea urchin

51. Prickly pear

52. Umeboshi

53. Abalone

54. Paneer

55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal

56. Spaetzle

57. Dirty gin martini

58. Beer above 8% ABV (I've had IPA... and that MIGHT be >8%)

59. Poutine

60. Carob chips

61. S’mores

62. Sweetbreads

63. Kaolin

64. Currywurst

65. Durian

66. Frogs’ legs

67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake

68. Haggis

69. Fried plantain

70. Chitterlings, or andouillette

71. Gazpacho

72. Caviar and blini

73. Louche absinthe

74. Gjetost, or brunost

75. Roadkill (seriously?)

76. Baijiu

77. Hostess Fruit Pie

78. Snail

79. Lapsang souchong

80. Bellini

81. Tom yum

82. Eggs Benedict

83. Pocky

84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.

85. Kobe beef

86. Hare

87. Goulash

88. Flowers

89. Horse

90. Criollo chocolate

91. Spam

92. Soft shell crab

93. Rose harissa

94. Catfish

95. Mole poblano

96. Bagel and lox

97. Lobster Thermidor

98. Polenta

99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee

100. Snake

New Restaurants...

One of my resolutions was to try a new restaurant every month, so since this month is almost halfway over I thought it would be a good idea to think about where I'm going. Here are the finalists for January (any input would be awesome!):

1. Petrillo's Pizza, 833 E. Valley Blvd., San Gabriel, CA 91776.

For the past 6 years I've been hearing about how good Petrillo's is. It's local, moderately priced, and who doesn't love pizza?

2. Elements Kitchen, 107 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105.

Ever since college, I've become a self proclaimed foodie. From what the Yelp reviewers have been saying, this is a foodie heaven. Their mac and cheese seems to be pretty popular, and being the comfort food lover that I am, I cannot resist a good mac and cheese.

3. Grub, 911 Seward St., Los Angeles, CA 90038.

I'm a big Top Chef fan, and former Top Chef contestant Betty Fraser is one of the ladies behind this restaurant. I've been looking for a yummy brunch place, and although this one's far, it sounds promising. Their afterschool special (grilled cheese and tomato soup,) "crack" bacon, and french toast are popular and sound deliciously fatty.

Of course, my fall back choice is Petrillo's, but if any of you have heard anything good about ANY of these places, leave a comment! Even if you haven't heard anything about these places, any comments are welcome :)

Banned

Although I have the funds to buy clothes, I'm choosing to stop buying unnecessary clothing for at least a few years. Hopefully I can actually stay true to this statement and curb my shopping habits! The only reason I would buy new clothes is if I gain or lose a massive amount of weight, but that shouldn't happen. With grad. school tuition coming up and the economy so horrible, I want to save as much money as I can so that I can actually put a sizable down payment on a house/condo when I'm ready. Thank goodness I'm going to a Cal State that's 10 minutes from my house! I would die if I had to pay rent for the next 3 years.

I guess my blog will only be a cooking and "daily ramblings" blog from now on, heh.

Speaking of non-shopping things, UCLA beat USC on Sunday night at the Galen Center! The whole game was a little too close for comfort, in terms of scoring. I hate close games, especially when it's not on our home turf. I hope I get to see them play each other at Pauley!

On to more good news.... I found my bluetooth headset that's been missing for 3 weeks! If I had to plop down $30 for another headset I would be extremely upset with myself. Don't you hate misplacing things? I tore up two rooms in my house trying to find that tiny thing, and after all that searching, it was in a new, UNUSED purse that was hanging on my bedroom door. I tend to wear my bluetooth while shopping so I must have put it in there right after I brought the purse home. SUCH a stupid place to put such a tiny thing.....

"That's what she said."

Tamale Pie

My camera was not working properly when I was done making my tamale pie so I don't have a picture of it, but it was a hit! My dad actually ate two helpings of it, my boyfriend loved it, and my brother's friends finished what my family couldn't.

If you don't know what tamale pie is, it's basically a "pie" with chili (like beef chili) as its filling and with cheese and cornbread as its crust/topping. It's a deliciously fatty comfort food that I think most men would enjoy. I'm a comfort food kind of girl so I loved it. I'll have to put the recipe up sometime soon since it was such a hit.

Tutoring

I've missed my adorable tutees :) Well, I only saw one of them today, but she's so cute! Whenever she messes up she goes, "Whoopsies!" I really don't want to stop tutoring her and her older sister in March, but I must. It would be cool if I could help them all the way up to college, but I should have a real job by then (hopefully.)

Darryl got mad at me for shopping yesterday, haha. He says it's because shopping was the reason I got sick in the first place, but I think it's also because he doesn't like me spending money. I always tell him that he has no say over my spending habits until we're married, so HA! to him. Also, I am still feeling healthy, so another HA! to him. I'm much nicer to my boyfriend than I sound right now :)

Yay!

Finally, I feel well!

To celebrate my newfound wellness... I went shopping hehe. I got multiple items from Gap and a pair of shorts from Express. I was going to wait for the Gap sale on Thursday, but there weren't too many items in the size and colors I wanted and I didn't want to risk not getting them at all.

Here are some of the items I bought today:



1. Gap pants. I've never worn white pants before but I've always wanted a pair. I finally found one that looks good on me so I figured, why not? We'll see how much bravery it takes to wear it around town....

2. Gap shirt: I absolutely LOVED this shirt!! I want more of them in every color. It's comfy, soft, and it has a nice shape. The color looks really washed out on the model, but it looked a lot better in person. I got it in a medium because the larger size gives it more of a casual menswear look.

I also bought a cardigan that wasn't on the Gap website. Here's a color similar to it:



I bought another cardigan at Nordstroms with a gift card, but after trying it on at home, it doesn't look as good as in the store. I hate when that happens!! Now I must return it some time soon...

Green Bean Risotto

Since I've been sick I haven't been able to cook, but Darryl is visiting me later this week so I told him I'd attempt to make tamale pie. Sadly, my dad doesn't enjoy tamale pie because he had to eat it often as a child, but Darryl really likes it. Hopefully the recipe I am going to use can make both of them happy. I'm reluctant to post the recipe since it's so long (it has a ton of ingredients!) but I will definitely post pictures of the results! I should be making it Thursday night, but we'll see...

I will post a recipe for my favorite risotto, though! It's so simple, it just takes some patience since you have to constantly stir and/or watch it.

Green Bean Risotto (from Southern Living)

• 1 pound fresh green beans
• 1 (32-ounce) container low-sodium chicken broth, divided
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
  
• 1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Trim beans and cut into bite-size pieces. Bring beans and 1/4 cup broth to a boil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat; cook 10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove beans, and set aside.

Bring remaining broth to a simmer in a saucepan (do not boil), keeping warm over low heat.

Add butter, chopped onion, and garlic to broth in Dutch oven; cook 3 minutes. Add rice and white wine, and cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Reduce heat to medium.

Add 1 cup simmering broth to rice mixture in Dutch oven, and cook, stirring often, until liquid is absorbed. Repeat procedure with remaining broth, 1 cup at a time. (Takes about 20 minutes.)

Stir in beans, thyme, pepper, and Parmesan cheese.

My favorite parts of this recipe are the thyme and Parmesan cheese. They just add such a perfect flavor and texture to risotto.

Still sick...

So I'm still sick... what is wrong with me??? I've been laying in bed and pretty much doing nothing for the past 4 days, yet I'm still not feeling good. Back in the day, I would be going to class and acting like a normal person while sick, yet I would be better in like 3 days. Granted, I'm also having lady troubles so that might have weakened my system more (sorry tmi,) but this is an unusually long cold for me.

Now that I'm going back to "work" I've been thinking about grad. school (yay?) and the future (ugh.) I feel bad ditching my students for grad. school in March, but I am actually kind of excited about going back to school. I've been teaching nouns, verbs, adjectives, and algebra for much too long and I need something that challenges my brain. I feel like I've lost brain cells since graduation!

Speaking about losing brain cells... I want to start speaking Spanish again so that I don't forget my verbs and conjugations. When I was at Trader Joe's like a month ago I think the cashier was hitting on me haha (sorry, Darryl.) Anyway, he was Korean or something, and since he carded me for alcohol he noticed I was Japanese so he said stuff in Japanese to me. I know some Japanese, but being the idiot I am I responded in Spanish because that was the most recent foreign language I've learned. Of course he started talking to me in Spanish after that, and talking in Spanish made me realize just how rusty I've gotten in just 5 months. I guess that's a long time to go without using a language, but still, my brain is getting dusty!

Hopefully I'm well enough to tutor on Wednesday :(

Sick...

I haven't been stuck-in-bed sick in a long time so this really sucks. I've been out of commission the last day and a half, and I'm thinking I'll still be for the next day and a half...

I don't think I was majorly sick at all last year. I had to take Spanish every day all three quarters, and you were only allowed 3 absences per quarter. I never missed more than one day each quarter. One absence was to go to Sun God, too, so I wasn't even sick. Hopefully I get better before tutoring on Wednesday!

I'm also hoping to get better before Thursday because Gap is having a special sale from Jan. 8-11. I've been eying (that looks strangely spelled..) a few shirts that I'm hoping to use my 35% discount on. I'll be SO sad if I can't find these shirts in-store since the discount is not valid online...



Although it isn't shorts weather, I can see myself wearing the pink and blue button-up shirts partially tucked into white shorts with flip flops. Spring is so far away...

I love the purplish-pink shirt, but I'm afraid it's going to be too billowy for me. I have broad shoulders and billowy arms tend to make them look broader :(

Crisp, white shirts are my favorite, and the scalloped details on the last shirt add a little flair to it.

Purchases...

1. My new planner. I am obsessed with list-making and sticking to schedules!

2. A gray Forever 21 shirt that's made of a sweater-ish material (front and back.)

3. A black Forever 21 top that's a little more "dressy" than my normal shirts.

4. My new sweater from Urban Outfitters! I look super fat in this picture, but it's such a comfy and warm sweater, I love it.

Shopping!

Today I went to the Americana at Brand and I am tiiiiired. I think I'm still a little sick so 2.5 hours of shopping really did me in.

I mostly browsed and didn't see too much that I liked, but I wanted so many things at Barney's Co-Op! They were having a pretty decent sale, too. Twelfth St. by Cynthia Vincent dresses reduced from $200 to $69! I wanted a pair of Seven For All Mankind "Dojo" jeans, but they were still $192 (after being reduced) and I figured I can just buy my jeans at Nordstrom (where I actually have gift cards to.) They also had my favorite Marc by Marc Jacobs handbags.... sigh...

Anyway, I ended up buying stuff from Forever 21 (yay gift cards,) Paperchase, and Urban Outfitters. I absolutely LOVED this high waisted skirt at Martin + Osa, but I have no place or reason to wear such a thing in the near future so I didn't buy it. It was very corporate looking, and I can wear jeans and a tank top to work, so yeah...

I'll post pictures of my purchases later :)

Highlights of 2008

-New Year's Eve/New Year's with old and new friends at my apartment.

- Vegas and my first time clubbing (hah) with Kacey, Alli, Hanna, and Terri!



-3 years with Darryl (2/05/05)



Such an old picture of us!

-UCLA men's basketball team wins the Pac-10 tournament

-UCLA men's basketball makes it to the Final Four.

-Graduation!



-Mammoth with college friends. Hiking, biking, drinking, tennis, ping pong, fun!



-Weekend trip up north in September to visit friends and go wine tasting.

-Disneyland for the first time in like 8 years!



-Tailgating at a bunch of the UCLA football games! (most of the games are NOT highlights haha)



Can you find me in the picture??

-Tutoring/teaching, mostly because I've learned so much from both my jobs.

-Random eating/talking/board game/birthday hangouts with the girls.

-My most recent Vegas trip with the UCLA guys.

-Learning that cooking is FUN!

-So much more... mostly things that I can't remember...

New Year!

New Year's Eve was fun! During the daytime I celebrated with my relatives and Darryl (my BF... I'm just going to use his real name from now on haha.) We had a ton of food and played some Rock Band. After that Kacey, Hanna, Thomas, and Kacey's friends Andy and Daichi came over. Kacey, Darryl, and I played some Rock Band, and then we played some Sceneit (which I won 1 vs. 2 and 1 vs. 4 hehehe.) I made an amazing comeback in the 2nd game! I wouldn't have been sad to lose 1 vs. 4, but it was an intense game. We also played Cranium, but the boys won.... booooo. The girls were close! Everyone left after midnight since they all had stuff to do this morning, so it was an early night.

We need another drunken apartment NYE party like last year haha. Pretty soon everyone will be settling down elsewhere, so hopefully those of us who are in the SGV can still get together for a few more years.

Right now I'm watching the Penn State/USC Rose Bowl game. I hope USC loses, but those assholes just scored a TD. I hope it ends up being like the Texas/USC Rose Bowl game a few years ago...