.: Life of MOd :.

.: Travel Illustrated:.

2012-02-07T16:17:00.001-08:00

I'm loving this blogsy thing! I'm using Pulse on my iPad and most of the time when I saw a great article or blog post I just bookmarked them; hoping to share them later when I'm on the computer. Now I can immediately share them :) Remember the 'They Draw and cook' website I posted awhile ago? Now they come up with the travel version. They Draw and Travel features illustrative maps and they are amazing. Here are a few of my favorites:

By Jennifer Reynolds

By Kelsey Garrity-Riley

.: new way to blog?:.

2012-02-06T21:51:00.001-08:00

I'm trying a new app called 'blogsy' to do this post. It looks pretty straightforward, and i can post my instagram pics instantly without having to save it to my computer first.

Last week I really, really wanted to eat kaastengels and after scouring for recipes i got one that looks pretty tame for a newbie. It did call for a 'mature' edam cheese. How do i know it's mature or simply childish? :p I did not know, so I ended up with a rather mild kaastengels. It did not have the pungent, cheesy smells that store-bought kaastengels does. But at least I learned something new :)

.: Seattle :.

2012-01-23T15:46:00.000-08:00

When my parents were here for the holiday we took them to Seattle. I absolutely love Seattle; not only because I love the weather, but it also reminds me a lot of San Francisco. Funny how I use to hate San Francisco with a passion :D Seattle is gorgeous. Too bad we didn't get to explore Bainbridge island, it sounded lovely according to this book that I read after the trip. I hope we can visit it again in the near future :)

A grand welcome at the airport

Gingerbread house exhibition at our hotel

Pikes Market at night

There IS another way...

Piroshky Piroshky delights

Best. Glazed. Donut. Ever @ Top Pot

First Starbucks in the world!!! Of course I have to go although

we have to wait for a while... in the rain...

Fresh shrimp!

Fresh fruits & veggies.

.: recipe, illustrated :.

2011-11-18T11:20:00.001-08:00

So happy when I found this site through Creature Comforts. You can search the recipe by ingredients, meal type (and if you're like me who only care about how pretty things look: by illustration style) and you can submit your own. Here are a few of my favorites:

by Wilma Sanchez

by Sara Zampedri

by Fabiana Attanasio

.: Gift Guide #3 :.

2011-11-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

1. Olivia Headboard Decal from Blik

2. Pretty pillow by Sukan Art

3. Batik Tea Towel by Tulisan

4. Laser Wall Clock by decoylab

5. Red Riding Hood tea set

6. Heart cup & saucer set

.: Gift Guide #2 :.

2011-11-17T08:00:00.000-08:00

I want to give these to myself, really. Not that I'm claiming that I'm an artsy gal, but with these I can pretend to be one.

1. Spotted Clutch from Anthropologie

2. Orla Kiely Scarf from Pop Deluxe

3. Work/Life from Uppercase

4. Dottie Angel from Uppercase

5. Leather Satchel from Cambridge Satchel Co.

6. Chains watch from La Mer Collections

7. Mini purse necklace from Kiko's Attic

8. La Sardina camera

9. iPad Sleeve by Clara Uribe (store temporarily closed)

10. Brooch by Yoshie Watanabe and Yayako Uchida

.: Gift Guide #1 :.

2011-11-16T15:46:00.001-08:00

While the argument goes on about the true meaning of Christmas, bloggers around the world stand corrected: Christmas is for shopping and gifting. Almost every blogs that I haunt published their own version of holiday gift guides. (All of them makes me want to shop, naturally). My favorite is still Ez' Gifted Magazine. It's free, full of pretty goodies and you get printable gift tags. I'm trying to compress the gift guides into my own fave selection of goodies that I may want to get for myself (ha!). Today I have the girly girl gift guide:

1. Handmade bangle by Sara Kim

2. Lace & bow by Juicy Couture

3. Knitted lace scarf from Shop Ruche

4. Glittery bow flats from Elle Shop

5. Tokyo Milk soap from Anthropologie

6. Cabuchon Resin necklace from Nest Pretty Things

.: beautifully shot video :.

2011-11-16T14:14:00.001-08:00

this is just amazingly meticulous!!

.: afternoon snack :.

2011-11-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

.: Sing Off Wednesdays :.

2011-10-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

Sing Off has replaced Glee from my watch-list. It's just so much more realistic and fun to watch the arrangements. I think Pentatonix did a great job last week. What a fun performance!

.: persistent summer :.

2011-10-11T15:57:00.000-07:00

Aargh, summer has returned. Why?! It's October dammit. I really despise summer; the one season I never look forward to. And our bedroom seems to absorb all the heat it can get; no air circulation whatsoever! I hope summer ends soon and never to return again. Ever. Good thing I got this from Dogster's newsletter: a blog about one traveling shih tzu named Raja. What an appropriate name for a shih tzu! He's super cute and has seen so much of the world. Read more about Raja here.

.: Rain, rain don't go away... :.

2011-10-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

It rained almost all day yesterday and I was ecstatic. Finally summer is over, and with it goes all my woes (sorry). Finally I can sleep throughout the night without having to wake up every couple of hours drenched in sweat. I went out to my porch and took a deep breath of fresh, cold air. Don't you love the smell of wet ground mixed with cool breeze? I love Fall. Time to make warm milk tea and wear my boots again. Hope it rains again very soon (today, perhaps?) and hope the weatherman is very wrong; it WILL not be 90º next week.

.: The Great Missoni Race :.

2011-09-28T12:37:00.001-07:00

I've never owned a Missoni before; aside from their products are ridiculously expensive I also don't think I can pull off wearing colorful chevron pattern all over my shapeless body. There's a possibility that some lines may look über-stretched in several areas and I don't want to risk it. Then Target announced a collaboration project with Missoni. Suddenly I'm crazy about zigzags. Since my sister-in-law and her mother are big fans we decided to go on Missoni hunts, or shall I say Missoni race. It did feel like a crazy race. I woke up at 4AM on Sept 13, went on target.com only to find that the site was down. We went to the store at 8AM and the Pasadena location was practically raid. In another location, women ran from parking lot to the store, knock each other over a pair of shoes. Hoarding of zigzag stuff everywhere. There were some women who form a coalition and only trade stuff between themselves. A woman left her son with a complete stranger while she was trying a cart of clothes, and ended up buying clothes that are 3 sizes too big. We haunt fitting rooms and customer service, digging on stuff that people returned. I went to Target in cities I've never heard before. It was madness. I wasn't planning to get a lot of stuff but in the spirit of the day ended up with tons of Missoni goods. My Missoni fever went on for a couple of days, but thankfully I'm quite recovered now. I'm returning most of the clothes (or eBay...) and will only keep the home goods.

.: the bakezilla returns :.

2011-09-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

I was feeling rather under the weather after we went to Disneyland last week. Can you believe it? I need a week to recover from a one day trip to Disneyland!! What a total grandma. (I think even my grandma was a lot stronger than me) My back ache, my feet sore, and I couldn't get up because all my bones hurt. As I was lying down on the couch while waiting for the pain killer to kick in, I turned the TV on to Giada's Sweet Treat episode. She was making scones for her husband and the inner bakezilla in me thought 'I can totally do that!'. So I did. And they turned out so yummy I can't stop eating them.

Testing my new measuring spoon

I got it right this time! Super cold butter and heavy cream are the keys!

et voila: strawberry & rosemary scones. yum!

.: Wedding Shtuff! :.

2011-09-26T17:07:00.000-07:00

Our wedding video highlight & photos are ready! So happy to be able to see the day from a different perspective. Nick & Wilson from LT3 Productions are amazingly talented, we're so glad we chose them.

.: button cookies :.

2011-09-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

I found this posting through my endless blogventure, fell in love with the illustrated recipe and declared that one day I will make them.
An opportunity presented itself: after a super failed attempt to bake strawberry macarons.

{macaron-wannabe turned into almond-flavored cookies}

I have too much egg yolks waiting to be turned into something edible. And I refuse to make another egg foo young.

Somehow an image of the gorgeous button cookies appeared in my head. I switched the shortbread recipe into Emeril's butter cookies. I don't have food coloring so the cookies stay natural-looking. They tasted pretty good and they're just as cute as buttons (ahaha... sorry, can't help it) Wish I have food coloring so they look prettier.

.: vegas gluttony trip :.

2011-09-08T17:06:00.000-07:00

I'm not a gambler at all, so when I go to Vegas I spend my money on the real deals: food, lots of them. On this trip we went home with so many sugary treats and very bloated tummies from the buffet. I also tried Payard's macarons because I failed his recipe. Want to see if he really know what he's talking about. Heh. I was disappointed because the packaging was so lame. For $8 surely they can come up with a nicer box? The macarons came pre-packaged in a thin plastic bag and taped with the label. That's it. I prefer Paulette's macarons because theirs are less sweet, but that's probably just my personal preference. Plus their box is nice. We also went to Wicked Spoon. The food was okay, but the dessert section was to die for. We probably tried 8 flavors of ice cream there and I ate almost all of their pretty desserts.

Yummy macarons.

Assorted dessert from Wicked Spoon

Payard's macarons.

Payard's meringue. Love the mint.

Dunkin Donuts

Bouchon's Croissant

.: singsong :.

2011-09-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Back to my Youtube Wednesday. I do want to be sent away with words of a love song and I'll be wearing white. Hope someone remember me liking this song when I die old.

.: relentless baker :.

2011-08-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

The barely edible scones didn't squash my baking spirit (well it did for a few hours...). If anything, I wanted to tackle a slightly more complicated baking project: macarons. A bit ambitious for someone who can't bake without disaster, but what the hell. Never know until you try it, right? This time I made sure I have all ingredients are available. I got the recipe from David Leibovitz' website because he already tried several baking techniques and this one was the no-fail-guaranteed-it-will-look-like-macaron-so-help-me-God recipe. I did switch the cocoa powder with Starbucks' mocha powder. (caffeine+sugar! woohoo!) At first everything fell according to plan...

Then I bang my head on the cabinet door and drop my egg yolks into the bowl of egg whites that I separated earlier. What a coincidence that the egg whites bowl was just right there?! So I redid the egg whites and that was why we ate egg foo young for dinner that night. :p

I used double layers of parchment paper because some people commented that their macarons stick to the parchment paper and cracked when they tried to remove it. My piping job was inconsistent so the sizes sort of varied. After a few minutes in the oven I was so pleased to see the 'little feet'. However this was done closer to 10-12 minutes as opposed to 15-18 minutes as mentioned in the recipe. I tried leaving one batch for 18 minutes and they cracked.

I use the chocolate ganache filling using Ghirardelli's bittersweet 70% chocolate bar, but maybe next time I'll use the 100% cacao unsweetened because it balances out the sweetness of the macarons (5 cups of sugar is too sweet for my taste)

And voila! The rugged, natural-looking macarons.

.: clueless housewife chronicle :.

2011-08-24T11:44:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to see if being a homemaker is my calling, since the graphic-designer thing didn't seem to work out lately. So far it's been quite interesting; try to take care of cactus, cactus dying, replace dying cactus with new ones to calm my conscience, trying new recipes, meal planning, change meal plans because I suddenly lost my appetite for a particular meal... You know, the usual wifey-duty. I originally thought that cooking and baking will not be super hard. I am a woman after all, supposedly it's in my genes and whatnot, right? Wrong! Cooking I'm quite okay with, but baking requires patience, organization and precision; all of which I don't have if you know me quite well.

So it all started on a bright, sunny day. All is calm, so I decided to bake scones out of the blue. I have flour, sugar, eggs, salt and milk. Yup, scones coming right up! I was confidently whipping the dough, quite happy because it smells yummy.

While comparing my dough with the picture on the recipe book, I realized my dough is too soft. I transferred it to a floured surface anyways and it became this piece of disaster:

What makes sense in my head is to add more flour. Then I realized I used up all the flour. Then I begged my beloved husband, who didn't ask for scones in the first place, to get flour. My husband, the flour-bearing hero saved the day!

After I got almost-unlimited flour, I went nuts. I put flour everywhere. When it started to resemble the picture on the recipe book, I was so relieved. And after 15 minutes there were scones to be had:

Not the best scones I've ever had, but it smells like them. Good enough for now.

.: introduction to domestic life :.

2011-08-20T19:40:00.000-07:00

(the happy, healthy cactus the day we brought it home)

So I'm not built for domestic life. My baking skill is lacking (a blog post will follow); I prefer Swiffer for cleaning as oppose to manual, down-on-four-knees sweeping (and the dust return in the morning, wth?); and I can't even take care of a freaking mini cactus. It sorta died on me in less than TWO weeks!! A cactus!
That's one thing to add to my series of failures this year. Maybe I'm one of those people who just can't do anything right, so that someone (aka husband) can step in and become a hero. Right?

.: instagram :.

2011-04-01T10:01:00.000-07:00

The very important reason i bought ipad is because i love instagram. I have very serious iphone envy everytime my friends posted their instagram photos. I absolutely love my ipad, although there are times I sort of wished I bought the 3G instead :p My academic career has been ignored for quite sometimes, but now that I got ipad it's been completely abandoned :p
So many games to play, books to read... If only I can do my homework on ipad...

.: I am ... :.

2011-03-28T13:55:00.000-07:00

.: i hate school :.

2011-03-16T00:02:00.001-07:00

I really do. I'd rather browse youtube.

.: pin it! :.

2011-03-13T00:37:00.000-08:00

I thought I'm already in big trouble when I can't stop playing facebook games, then after I reduce my game time, I found pinterest. I can't stop browsing other people's boards, browse for inspiration to pin on my own boards, and admiring my virtual mood boards. I can pin almost anything on the boards, make it a lot easier than collecting images on tumblr. It's addictive! Any of you pinning? Can I follow you around? :p

.: OWLY! :.

2011-03-09T22:13:00.000-08:00

image belongs to Andy Runton

My favorite book character is now animated! Visit Sprite Animation here. He's just as cute in 3D as he is in 2D. And so flufffyyy!

.: wise words :.

2011-03-07T03:20:00.000-08:00

Found this through Unstitched blog (another amazing find!)

Excellent advice from John C Jay of Wieden+Kennedy:

1: Be authentic. The most powerful asset you have is your individuality, what makes you unique. It’s time to stop listening to others on what you should do. 2: Work harder than anyone else and you will always benefit from the effort. 3: Get off the computer and connect with real people and culture. Life is visceral. 4: Constantly improve your craft. Make things with your hands. Innovation in thinking is not enough. 5: Travel as much as you can. It is a humbling and inspiring experience to learn just how much you don’t know. 6: Being original is still king, especially in this tech-driven, group-grope world. 7: Try not to work for stupid people or you’ll soon become one of them. 8: Instinct and intuition are all-powerful. Learn to trust them. 9: The Golden Rule actually works. Do good. 10: If all else fails, No. 2 is the greatest competitive advantage of any career.
via Edwin Himself

.: confession :.

2011-03-06T03:46:00.000-08:00

6AM in San Francisco

I want all these to stop; thesis and portfolio and the likes.
I want to like graphic design again. I don't want to be a typezilla.
I like hand-written fonts. So sue me.
I still hate Comic Sans and Papyrus. And Brush Script. And those curly fonts they use in boutiques.
I want to sleep less than 7hrs again and still feel the world is okay.
For one day, I just want to create meaningless design–graphic design for design sake. Pure aesthetic, with no purpose at all. No smart concept behind it. Just something nice to look at.
Screw grids and gutters.
Just give me the freakin diploma already.

.: on blog hunt :.

2011-03-02T01:11:00.001-08:00

These two Californian gals got me on a non-stop blog reading. Both of them have share my love for vintage goodies and homemade crafts. Katrina from Pugly Pixel lives in San Francisco, and it's very surreal to see SF from a different set of eyes. She went to places that I've been, too (Starbucks @ West Portal) but to see her photographs it looks like a fancy coffee shop in Europe. Danni from Oh Hello Friend is so crafty, and her wedding is amazing. I wish someone can make me the photo wall her father made :)

.: feeling lyrical :.

2011-03-01T21:12:00.001-08:00

.: a trip to remember :.

2011-02-25T20:46:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I went on an all-girls trip. I usually shy away from such trips because I fear the drama that usually pop-up between some self-proclaimed divas and there's also the bathroom-sharing dilemma. So when my roomie/maid of honor planned this Vegas trip for 6, I got nervous. However from what I've known, the other 5 are sensible grown-ups who aren't known to create live soap operas. And my roomie found an affordable room with 2.5 bathroom so we should be spared from the bathroom drama. I thought to myself, so far so good. My roomie and my other friend planned everything from spa, dinner, etc beforehand so I felt relaxed & sure that this will be a smooth trip. That was before we missed our flight and my roomie lost her ID along the way. It was president's day weekend so all flights were fully booked. The only way we can go to Vegas was to hop on a much later flight that had one stop in Phoenix. The fun started immediately after we arrived in Vegas 6 hrs after our original plan. We all had amazing experiences at the spa. Then much later I was willingly violated by a hot Colombian by the name of Carla and her Czech friend whose name slipped my mind right now. We drank, ate in bed, share ghost stories and laughed carelessly. We begin with minor drama but left in such a high spirit. It was a perfectly girlie trip; we had lots of fun and we left Vegas feeling much closer to everyone. Now I have to recover from cough and return to my thesis, both are not fun. :p

.: rain :.

2011-02-15T21:41:00.000-08:00

warm milk tea. good to the last drop.

As if I haven't said this enough, I love the sounds of rain. The smell of fresh ground. And to be indoor under my blanket with a warm cup of milk tea within a walking distance :) It has been raining for two straight days and I love it.

.: lucky girl :.

2011-02-15T02:37:00.000-08:00

I'm loved.

Happy Valentine's Day

.: an anthro wedding :.

2011-02-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

Oh dear, oh dear! If only I haven't got my dress I would totally go with any of this wedding gown from Anthro! They will complete my dream Anthro wedding! (Images from A Million Little Pieces)

.: a house is not a home :.

2011-02-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

As my sleeping pattern is still irregular, sometimes I took an hour (or two) nap in the afternoon. It's like a sneak preview to my later years, perhaps? Because since I hit 30 I desperately need that 8hrs sleep. I can't stay awake as long as I used to do when I was, say, 29. Weird huh? Anyway, in one of those naps I dreamt of my childhood home and how happy we all were. My home was a cozy, warm, welcoming kind of home. In the afternoon we opened the double door to let the cool breeze in. We had a small koi pond and a big mango tree along with smaller plants and flower bushes. It was a decent sized house, with decent sized bedrooms. I loved it so much although it looks super dated (1950s). I loved my bedroom and my 31 yrs old soft bed. I woke up feeling so very sad that we don't have that house anymore. My parents want a nicer, bigger and more modern house, a decision that I did not approve even until this day. I know the old house is falling apart, literally. The bricks were moldy and the wooden stairs gave up a while ago. But it is repairable. Now I even refuse to call it 'my' house because I feel like I don't belong there. The new house is modern, luxurious looking and a tad pretentious, I think. With its marble floor that drives people crazy whenever there's spillage, and how Chester always slipped when he run around the house. We need air conditioner all the time now because the house gets super hot & suffocating during the day. My mom built the rooms to resemble hotel rooms with its amenities: private bathroom, a tv in each room. It's just missing a maid services because I made my own bed and clean the room+bathroom myself (unlike other Indonesians with their army of maids, we do things ourselves) It feels exactly like that; a temporary room. Cold, uncomfortable, and impersonal. I tried to put most of what I had in my old bedroom to recreate the feeling but I failed. I really miss my home, and I can never get it back. I guess it is a part of growing up. Now all I can do is move on.

.: Dec 17, 2010 :.

2010-12-17T11:01:00.000-08:00

wow.. it's almost the end of the year again. And this year, I'll be spending Christmas at home. Well, technically I'll be spending some of it in Changi terminal 3 and on the flight home... This time it's special because I'll be flying home with beb for the first time :) For the past 10 years, I've been flying solo on all my US-Indo trips so it'll be nice to have someone to snuggle with :)

merry xmas me!

today... Dec 17th, 2010
outside my window... It's pouring and I love it
i am thankful for... not failing my class
I am wearing... my polkadot pajama bottom & pink long sleeve pajama top. not matching at all
noticing that... my room is a total mess after final
i am re-reading... Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows. I miss Harry Potter's series
i can hear... Ina Garten's voice on tv
on my mind... is a strong signal to shop that I tried to ignore
from the kitchen...warm milk tea
around the house... looks like Amazon cardboard jungle. Piles of Amazon boxes from tiny ones to extra large ones. And I'm tired of cleaning those.

.: utter failure :.

2010-12-17T01:32:00.000-08:00

So I had my last studio class today. What a disappointment. I thought I did not do so bad; and my professor seem to lead me to believe I did okay. She approved everything, including the paper choices. But today I was just shut down; the book cover is not appealing. Poster not good. Layout was okay but my paper choice was my downfall (her exact words). Totally fall flat on my face. And there goes my chance to actually accomplish something in this painful 4 years of graduate school. So bummed. Good thing I have a blog; I'll just showcase it here and pretend that I actually accomplish something—for my own mental health.

.: been awhile... :.

2010-12-06T01:48:00.000-08:00

Hello there... I didn't have much stories lately. I spent my waking hours doing projects and playing way too much Facebook games :p. I do miss having my daily photo+journaling.

today... Dec 6th, 2010
outside my window... I can see raindrops
i am thankful for... everything that has ever happened in my life
I am wearing... my favorite birdcage pajama bottom, t-shirt and super warm FCUK hoodie
noticing that... I slept more this year
i am reading... the Devil in the White City
i can hear... the rain. so very soothing
on my mind... is total chaos
from the kitchen... tons of good food leftovers, courtesy of my roomie's mom + dinner dates with beb :)
around the house... is full of boxes

.: Love is never gone :.

2010-11-18T03:17:00.000-08:00

Kiss today goodbye,
The sweetness and the sorrow.
Wish me luck, the same to you.
But I can't regret
What I did for love, what I did for love.

Look my eyes are dry.
The gift was ours to borrow.
It's as if we always knew,
And I won't forget what I did for love,
What I did for love.

Gone, love is never gone.
As we travel on,
Love's what we'll remember.
Kiss today goodbye,
And point me t'ward tomorrow.
We did what we had to do.
Won't forget, can't regret
What I did for Love

What I did for Love

What I did for...Love
Love is never gone
As we travel one
Love's what we'll remember
Kiss today goodbye.

And point me t'ward tomorrow.

Point me t'ward tomorrow
We did what we had to do.
Won't forget, can't regret
What I did for love.
What I did for love.

What I did for love

.: gwyneth luv :.

2010-11-18T00:58:00.001-08:00

Basically my life is Glee replay on youtube now. Bored yet? No way, you can't get bored with Glee, it's AWESOME! Especially when they have Gwyneth. Top 40, sweet cheeks!

.: I hate SF part 2 :.

2010-11-14T14:30:00.000-08:00

Honestly everytime I said:"You know what, I kinda like it here", something happened. I was seriously considering staying here and trying to convince beb to moved up north because it is so hard to give up this gorgeous weather (I hate sun+hot weather, fyi) Just last night I told my friends that I certainly don't mind living here; I have a group of friends that I really, really like thanks to my beb+roomies. Then earlier today I walked into my car and found this:

It does not look so bad because I immediately cleaned the broken pieces of glass. But seriously, SF. You don't want me here, I get it. Stop hurting my car!! I went from extremely upset to accepting this as part of life in about 10 minutes. Can't say anything, really. I'm just asking for it. I parked a fairly nice car on a ghetto street leading up to the project. I can't afford living on an apartment with a garage in SF and yet I still want to live here. And the messed up part of this whole thing is, I was calculating the time I have to take care of this and still finishing my homework.

.: GLEEK ALERT :.

2010-11-12T02:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm officially a Gleek now. I watch the clips everyday. And may I say that the last episode was my favorite, because of this guy. How cute is he?? He made me feel like a teenage again, with my F4 mania .. oh wait I wasn't a teenager then. Anyway, I'm really hoping Blaine and Kurt will be dating :D

.: welcome back Coco :) :.

2010-11-09T02:12:00.001-08:00

.: Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are :.

2010-11-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

love the graphics... and of course the song! *swoon*

.: Secondhand Serenade - Fall For You :.

2010-11-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

.: truly gifted :.

2010-11-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

I've been following Ez' amazing blog for about 2 years, and amazed with her excellent taste in everything. Now she has compile a holiday gift list in a beautifully arranged e-zine. I'm still in awe in her photographs and elegant DIY projects. Click here for the Gifted magazine.

.: chill... :.

2010-10-28T01:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, my last post was harsh, I know. I don't know what triggered that post; probably just a major fear of me turning into one dumb woman if I don't spend time catching up with what's going on in this world.

Saw this video on my friend's FB after another friend mentioned the song last weekend. Love the poker-faced couple :p

.: HATER! :.

2010-10-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

I hate people. I found out about that early enough in my life. I just can't stand a lot of people. If there's a choice to hang out with dogs or human, I'll choose dogs in a heartbeat. My being born as an only child may have something to do with it. An only child with no one around but stuffed animals and books and toys. I've been very lucky to have some amazing friends with good hearts, good sense of humor and have great points of view in life. And then, there are some 'interesting' acquaintances with their quirks that irritate me to the t:

1. Shallow airheads who knows nothing. This world is so interesting and dynamic. How come you're not interested in anything?!
2. Smarty-pants-know-it-all. Come on, you don't know everything. And if you do, why do you think I care? Just save your breath.
3. Bossy spoiled brats. Yo, clean up after your own mess. Or if you can afford it, pay someone to pick them up for you. sheesh. Oh and by the way, street food is good!
4. Jerks. (who are shallow airheads in disguised, really). You have no good qualities in you so you make fun of others. classic.
5. shallow-airheads-spoiled-brats. omg. seriously. they're like, the worst. *giggle* (and yes i was being sarcastic)

I feel that hanging out with these people is really wasting my energy, but sometimes you can't avoid them. Now I can easily ignore these people but I don't want to be one grumpy lady. Solution: suck it up. It's so hard not to be cranky around them but for the sake of being a social human being I should just deal with them. Smile. And drink as much sugary beverage as possible to calm my nerves. Because I can really explode and yell at them for being dumb. But I shouldn't. Right? Right. And be grateful that I still have amazing friends.

.: he speaks to my heart :.

2010-10-21T04:07:00.001-07:00

who? James Morrison, that is ;) . Anyone sane enough to be my shelter when the rain falls?

.: graphic designers' toys :.

2010-10-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

from BIS publishers

.: crashed, burned, goodbye :.

2010-10-12T16:38:00.000-07:00

That's how I feel about my schooling right now. Tried so hard every semester to come up with amazing design with flawless typography and strong concept. I fall flat on my face every single semester. Came close to failing a class once only to be saved by one good-natured professor that I constantly disappoint every semester. Maybe it is time to admit that it was a good ride, lesson learned, and end this misery? Because frankly, I'm miserable. My brain is fried. My creative juice has been squeezed to the last drop, and now all that's left are the dry, withering skins. I don't like doubting myself and my confidence has disappeared since my 2nd semester. Who am I kidding? I've never been one of those design prodigy. What am I trying to prove? Those who said I should feel so lucky for being able to continue my education, just shut the hell up. How do you know how I feel on those weekends I spent locked up in my room doing projects? At this point I just do not care anymore. Just trying to stay afloat so I won't get deported for falling out of status way too many times.

.: 8-bit love :.

2010-10-11T17:58:00.001-07:00

.: ADD part 2 :.

2010-10-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

Researching ADD and I stumbled upon these goodies. Not cool, modcloth and anthropologie. Not cool at all. Why do you have such awesome goodies? I want them all!!! *bawl*

.: ADD? :.

2010-10-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

While researching for ADD/ADHD for my school project, I came across this article. Funny, it sort of describes me to a T. Am I in denial to say that ADD is slightly overrated? It's such a perfect excuse for lazy people like me. Oh, I'm simply unorganized, easily overwhelmed and an impulsive shopper because I have ADD. I don't like to socialize because I have ADD. I'm irresponsible and easily distracted because ... guess what, I have ADD! Seriously though, do I have ADD?

.: Gleek :.

2010-10-01T03:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay ... I admit I'm a total dork. I heart Glee. Not the storyline, but the songs! And yes, the auto-tune... but these guys can really sing and dance (watch the audition tapes)! I think the Asian dude (harry shum jr) from Step Up movies is impressive! I hope he'll get more parts in the future.

I keep listening to these two while staying up late doing my homework... :D

.: future of book :.

2010-09-22T10:13:00.001-07:00

The Future of the Book. from IDEO on Vimeo.
via swissmiss

.: singapore FOUND :.

2010-09-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Look what I found at Singapore's Changi airport Times bookstore: A very cool Alice in Wonderland book. They have To Kill a Mockingbird and a few others but the typography inside this book was the reason why I bought it.

For Mrs M : you can sneak a shopping spree in the airport while your husband is not looking! Just give him enough distractions hehehe... I bought these at the accessories shop in terminal 3:

.: sleepyhead :.

2010-09-20T00:19:00.000-07:00

I think I'm getting lazier everyday. Now I can't function well without at least 7hrs of sleep. I used to stay up all night doing homework and still felt very much alive in the morning. Now every night I sleep like a log. I'd like to blame it on SF weather as always *because I can't really blame it on jetlag after almost a month, really* Anyhoo... I'd like to give a major shoutout to Steven+Margie for helping us with pictures yesterday; it was an amazing day, great job you guys!

.: Cepichic by Lucia Antonietti :.

2010-09-05T23:04:00.001-07:00

Cepichic
Originally uploaded by luciantonietti

My professor share this pretty cool video. I love the mix of 2D and 3D, as much as I love all stop motion ads. *note: the dog, THE DOG!*

.: rant rant rant rant rant :.

2010-08-29T05:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, I was totally wrong when I thought Indo is not that bad. Indo IS bad for me. I am so glad to be given the chance to live abroad because if I continue on living in Indo, I die already. I cannot stand the people. I cannot stand the weather. The traffic. How shallow people around me are. I am me no matter how fat I get, deal with it. My fat content does not change my point of view on life, and you don't have a say in what I wear nor what I do just like I don't have a say in what you wear and what you do. And boy living here is so dull now that everyone has their own babies. I don't belong here. I've taken San Francisco for granted. Can't wait to be home.

.: bits of indo trip :.

2010-08-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

99 Ranch is a place to hangout in Jakarta,
selling healthy food options. (!!!)

MmMmMm yummm.... Jelly Donuts

Right, 46 y.o are looking for 21 years old...

Mr S : this can be yours. Just YM me.

If anyone is interested : $6 - $4 - $4 - $6

.: roll! :.

2010-08-13T09:17:00.001-07:00

Finally, Chester learn how to rollover!

.: away we go :.

2010-08-02T09:33:00.001-07:00

See you guys on september! :)

.: amazing stop motion save the date :.

2010-07-29T00:59:00.001-07:00

Save the date! 31 july 2010 from Kishi-Grover on Vimeo.

.: i hate SF :.

2010-07-26T23:44:00.000-07:00

My poor, poor pearlie that is not so pearly anymore. It has been very much abused by me and this city's inhabitants. First someone dented the side with a shopping cart at Office Depot, the crazy van owner who lived in my building bumped his rusty van onto the rear bumper, countless number of scratches from some failed parallel parking attempts and someone scratch along the side with a green crayon. And now, the masterpiece :

I think some drunk people in North Beach did it because I found a big bottle of beer and beer cans underneath the side view mirror that weren't there before. Why would somebody did that, nobody knows. SanFran's (yes, don't give me attitude when I call your city freakin FRISCO, you sanFran monsters!) residents have been known for their rudeness and ignorance (I planned to advocate against this issue once but my advisors said it's a lost cause) so unfortunately I was not surprised. Very, very upset because it is hard to drive without the right side view mirror. I curse whoever did this to pearlie, may you roast in hell.

.: LA MART trip :.

2010-07-26T02:14:00.000-07:00

Thanks to miss DT I got the chance to see preview of California Gift Show in LA. Oh how I wish I have a store full of adorable goodies... that people want to buy, of course. LA Mart was full of amazing stuff, and I saw cute things from companies that I've never heard before. The energy in this show gave me some comfort that print, publishing and stationery companies are not dying yet. Here are some pictures that I took with my cellphone (unfortunately...)

.: one shopaholic hermit :.

2010-07-08T18:16:00.000-07:00

I've been too busy juggling scrapbooking, playing facebook games and researching thesis (2% of my time) that I haven't got the time to haunt blogs and etsy. Some cute findings on my web haunts:

sleepyking via paisleepress

buttercupbloom

Sweet sachet dress from modcloth ...
if only i can afford it :(

cute for summer nights!

cardigan of MY dreams by modcloth

.: summer minded :.

2010-07-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

perhaps because of my growing up alone, there's always that moment that I felt lonely amidst all the people and dogs in my household. I have a sense that while they've treated me very kindly, I'm still not a part of their family. I'm still a stranger. I felt like I don't belong to anyone the way they belong to one another in this house. I think it is time to go home. I wish I can throw all this schooling away and run home for the rest of this summer, although I no longer have a childhood home to go back to. Not so sure how I feel about this, but my parents are definitely delighted to live in a brand new house where the ceiling won't fall in the middle of the night.

America's Cutest Dog: Play Dead

2010-07-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

.: lazy, lazy bum :.

2010-06-22T15:09:00.000-07:00

I think I've lost you all, since I never posted anything lately :p I'm too lazy to transfer pictures from my camera because my computer HD is getting full, and I'm too lazy to transfer files to my external HD. Basically, it's a lazy summer. Plus it's been wedding madness this month. I went to Milwaukee for hunny's cousin's wedding. Then I went to my friend's friends' wedding... because she needed a girly date. And my roommates' wedding is coming soon! I can't believe how fast time flies. While both of them went crazy with entertaining family who flew all the way from Indo, me and my roomie's sister are taking care of the household: cleaning, washing dishes, folding laundry, organized boxes to take to the venues... All the while roomie's Grandma is cooking for us :D (yess!) So let me entertain you with some pictures from Milwaukee while I'm making the beeline to the kitchen.

.: new addictions :.

2010-06-08T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm crazy for fabric flowers... they'll instantly dressed up a regular outfit. I've been crazy about them ever since I saw them in J.Crew (another recent addiction) I was walking by this shop last weekend and was blown away. Almost every knit products were handmade by the owner. The shop is super charming. I had a hard time deciding which color I'm going for because everything looks so pretty. If only I'm good in knitting! On another note, I decided to learn on making fabric flowers because this addiction is getting expensive... so I made two. Can you guess which two? :)

.: i want, i want! :.

2010-06-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

Polaroid made an instax camera! How cuuute!!! I must have, must must have this! :p

.: reconnect :.

2010-06-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

cupcakes from cako, sf

For the whole week last week I set up a working station in our dining table, because I couldn't connect to the network from my room. My engineer bf (hi beb!) analyzed everything and came to the conclusion that I need an external wi-fi card. Instead I bought a pair of shoes...how typical of me. Toothache? New dress. School sucks? New purse. Busted wi-fi card? Buy shoes! I've finally gain connection in my room and managed to reconnect with the card reader for my camera. So there will be pictures again in this blog. Hurrah!

today... june 3rd, 2010
outside my window... is nice and sunny
i am thankful for... my tooth recovery. I did pray :)
I am wearing... t-shirt I got for free in school and pink+white striped pajama bottom
noticing that... time slipped away faster when I'm having fun
i am re-reading... A Life of One's Own - guide to better living through the wisdom of Virginia Woolf
i can hear... my tummy... it's asking for lunch :D
on my mind... it is time to return to thesis research
from the kitchen... there will be a pre-marinated pork belly to be made into kimchi fried rice, I hope...
around the house... is full of my roommates' wedding paraphernalias
my favorite thing... cupcakes... especially lemon-flavored ones

.: miserable :.

2010-05-29T01:14:00.000-07:00

whoever said that heartache is worse than toothache (that's you, meggy z, RIP) probably haven't experienced my kind of pain. there are no doctors for heartache, yes, but hanging out with friends help a bit. crying help a lot. I almost wanted to kick my roommate for saying she has never had any teeth problem in her life ever and don't understand how people can have bad teeth, so scratch hanging out with friends... and crying only makes it worse. I think it's about time to just go to the dentist and get rid of my molar forever. I won't miss it for sure. I may miss the money I'm going to hand to the dentist, though... The bright side of this is that I'm not eating as much anymore, yay! I can't even imagine eating rice (which is not unusual... I don't like rice that much) or anything solid... My nicer roommates bought me KFC and immediately my tooth hurts, so no KFC and korean bbq for me.

.: blooming peonies :.

2010-05-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

day 1 of peonies

day 2

day 3

today... may 21st, 2010

outside my window... is cloudy
i am thankful for... finishing my semester without any major drama
I was wearing... a black wool sweater, knit wrap and flannel pajama bottom with cloud & star patterns
noticing that... my room is in dire need of reorganization

i am reading... other people's blogs
i can hear... my teeth...they're making some weird, squeaky sound
on my mind... it's so good not having to worry about school projects for at least a week
from the kitchen... the smell of garlic I put into my stir-fried green beans
around the house... is oddly quiet
my favorite thing... peonies from trader joe's. they are short-lived but absolutely beautiful and elegant

.: The Smart List: 12 Shocking Ideas That Could Change the World :.

2010-05-11T22:25:00.001-07:00

The Smart List: 12 Shocking Ideas That Could Change the World
I feel that I have been sleeping too much and missing a lot of what's going on outside of my room, so I'm determine to catch up with my reading. Not only this article has interesting infographics, the ideas were daring. Reminds me of what Roland kept on saying: be an advance thinker.

Posted using ShareThis

.: cold, cold days :.

2010-05-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

It's been pouring since yesterday, and it looks like it's going to rain again today. My brain is practically fried, and my creative wires are not connecting. During the summer I need to reorganize how my mind works, because right now it's just keep on shutting down. Memory overload... need more external hard drive a.k.a new sketchbooks. What's with the computer lingo? I don't know why, really :D

.: yay me! :.

2010-05-07T17:01:00.000-07:00

It's my birthday today, yay! :) Thanks to technology such as Blackberry Messenger and facebook, I got more birthday wishes than I could asked for. My friends in Indo has been sending me tons of messages since yesterday. I want to share some birthday morning photos:

a gift for myself, anthropologie + lookalike

colorful tulip from beb

flower from my roomie

birthday doodles courtesy of busy bee :)

I already know what's inside! *glee*

wheee! thank you :)

My roommates basically spoiled me. They also bought me capuccino cake that I can't wait to sink my teeth into. And they let me eat bad, fatty food today.

2010-05-06T03:02:00.000-07:00

today... may 5th, 2010

outside my window... was bright and sunny
i am thankful for... knowing what I like and want
I was wearing... my polkidot top, yellow skirt that my roommate thought hideous, black cardigan and grey leather sandal. gotta love sandal weather
noticing that... I'm no longer capable of handling extreme stress

i am reading... The Art of Shigeo Fukuda
i can hear... my stomach growling
on my mind... turn on my 'whatever' attitude. don't care anymore, whatever.
from the kitchen... my roommate's semi-homemade sukiyaki
around the house...I see white dogs... everywhere!
my favorite thing... my stinky pillow

.: the daily chippie :.

2010-05-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

I cannot get enough of this dog. He's the Marley of Bichon Frise! I give my roommates daily update on their youngest's mischief, so we came up with the idea of having a daily chippie journal. Who's going to write it? Yours truly, of course.
Let me introduce you to Chippie a.k.a cipiak a.k.a monster. Number 1 hobby : licking everything. His daily misadventures will be available here. password: merdeka (don't ask, it's an inside joke)

.: cloudy... :.

2010-05-03T18:34:00.000-07:00

today... may 3rd, 2010

outside my window... was cloudy, a bit dark now

i am thankful for... being very healthy

I am wearing... my Mutts pajama, courtesy of my beb :)

noticing that... I'm flatulent when I'm nervous. yup, ew

i am still reading... The Geography of Bliss. It's a real page turner!

i can hear... the dogs loud chirps. must be cipi!

on my mind... coffee makes a very big difference between a sucky day and a lovely one

pondering these words... 'All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.'– Nietzsche

from the kitchen... I stole the household's favorite chip

around the house...glasses everywhere. we love to drink around here :D

my favorite things... my Anne-Julie collections. another one coming soon

2010-05-01T02:14:00.000-07:00

today... april 30, 2010

outside my window... was hot and sunny, I miss the fog

i am thankful for... finally have a place I can call home

I was wearing... white ruffle top, gray knit wrap, gray stripey skirt, and a black legging

noticing that... I'm flatulent when I'm nervous. yup, ew

i am still reading... The Geography of Bliss. apparently Iceland is the happiest place on earth, we went to the wrong theme park all these times.

i can hear... voices in my head. shut up!

on my mind... not sure why certain things are so hard when it's supposed to be so easy.

pondering these words... 'Buy the ticket, take the ride'– Hunter S. Thompson

from the kitchen... my roommate's homemade cooking is addictive

around the house... scattered plates and glasses. typical friday nights around here

one of my favorite things... my very versatile jcrew t-shirt

.: curse of online shopping :.

2010-05-01T01:42:00.000-07:00

Current obsessions:

Anthropologie basically rules my wardrobe. Every single season. Everything that I bought from them remains my favorite for the longest time. I still like everything I got from them 10 years ago (I just can't fit into them anymore :p)

.: I wish I can sleep :.

2010-04-28T17:11:00.000-07:00

today... april 28, 2010

outside my window... drizzling and cloudy, perfect weather for staying in

i am thankful for... knowing genuinely good people in my life

I am wearing... white ruffle top, gray knit wrap, gray stripey skirt, and a black legging

noticing that... my room has become a doggie daycare

i am still reading... The Tipping Point

i can hear... the sound of rain hitting the window

on my mind... wish I can take a nap with the dogs

pondering these words... Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint - Mark Twain

from the kitchen... big cup of coffee and homemade molen

around the house... smells like bath & body work coconut something

one of my favorite things... my roomie's giant coffee mug with pink-striped straw

.: day of pink :.

2010-04-27T19:19:00.000-07:00

I miss this, but I think it's a great cause to support. This badge was made by miss tiina as her support for Day of Pink which supports diversity and fight against discrimination, bullying and homophobia in schools. Wear this on your blog if you're agree with the cause.

.: short story :.

2010-04-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

{ makes me happy everytime I wear it ... }

today...
Outside my window the rain is falling since early morning
I am thinking about not having to explain myself for what I believe in. I don't understand why people love to force their opinion on others. weird.
I am thankful for having a decent taste in everything
From the kitchen I can see all the recent pee puddles
I am wearing my chicken farm pajama
I am creating a thesis guideline book. still
I am going to buy more ink for my printer
I am reading my mom's endless text messages
I am hoping to be less annoyed by a lot of things
I am hearing the beautiful sound of rain
Around the house is the 'kids' toys strewn everywhere
One of my favorite things is my anthropologie necklace that my mom bought me last christmas

.: simple daybook :.

2010-04-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a little challenging for me to do blogging lately, with thesis research and classes and scrapbooking responsibilities. Then I stumbled upon this journaling called Simple Woman's Daybook, with prompters that are easy to follow. I'll try to do this later perhaps.

{ please light my way, I am lost... }

Today...
Outside my window the sky was bright earlier today
I am thinking about how can I survive this thesis thing

I am thankful for not freaking out over smallest details. yet
From the kitchen I can see how dirty my car is
I am wearing my birdcages pajama that should go to the laundry bin
I am creating a thesis guideline book
I am going to take more pictures
I am reading The Tipping Point all over again
I am hoping to get a grip on my mind soon
I am hearing laughters from next door. hmmm.....
Around the house is still messy from the pajama party last weekend
One of my favorite things IKEA vanilla scented candle

.: why design :.

2010-04-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

People like him got me all excited about design again. He's extremely talented and he's just 18 years old. His work got a lot of attention already. This guy was approached by the FBI because his thesis is so convincing. I'm a 30 years old student who got stuck in her thesis approach and nobody in the industry knew who I am. Who will get hired first? Exactly.

.: daily thanks :.

2010-04-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

Dear Smile I Had Today

From Leah Dieterich's blog via Peppermint. What an amazing idea, huh?

.: browser-happy day :.

2010-04-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

I may have fallen into an internet vortex today... First I found a very interesting 'math' site with clean typography, fill an IQ quiz, and now this. I wear colored contact lens for kicks, but this company has taken it to another level. Anyone else find the 'Special Lens' sections disturbing or is it just me?

.: is this good or bad? :.

2010-04-19T10:30:00.001-07:00

Free-IQTest.net - Online IQ Test

.: new math :.

2010-04-19T02:41:00.000-07:00

image belongs to morenewmath.com

compassion

.: modern catnips :.

2010-04-19T02:14:00.000-07:00

#439

2010-04-18T20:10:00.001-07:00

#439 : Be Big Hearted

found at thingsweforget.blogspot.com

Posted using ShareThis

.: fun t-shirt :.

2010-04-18T16:55:00.000-07:00

Adventure Club T-Shirt by David Shrigley

support local designers! find this t-shirt and more selections here.

.: logorama :.

2010-04-16T23:11:00.000-07:00

Logorama from Marc Altshuler - Human Music on Vimeo.

Lots of symbolism, brilliant.

.: reminder :.

2010-04-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Everyone must have seen his Carnegie-Mellon talk. I saw it, touched by it, but after a while I forgot about it. He gave a shorter version of his Last Lecture on Oprah, and I was reminded again. Hope we won't forget it too soon.

.: how to eliminate disruptive behavior once and for all :.

2010-04-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

my professor roland young : poster boy for disruptive behavior.
via @jasonpermenter

a.k.a : the fantasy project. Everyone that I talk to about my thesis project were skeptical. They said it can't be done. It's like I'm trying to save the world. Promote world peace. All those things that are nice to say but can never be done. It's so far out, you can't really see it. I fear that this is the core problem. I've been yakking about lack of respect, lack of common understanding, but the core problem is these skeptical thoughts. There is a thin line between being realistic and just too lazy to think. It is challenging, but I don't believe that NOTHING can be done. I've been researching interesting stuff about the topic, but also I listen to the thing that people say. I'm just blown away. "Why do you have to be so loud?" "Because I want to. And, because I can. So what?" Sheer arrogance. "Why are you so arrogant?" "This is who I am. I won't change a damn thing about me. I'm awesome. Screw you." Well then, your arrogance has no base because you're only allowed to be slightly proud when you're actually capable of doing something out of the ordinary. But you can't even change yourself. Why so proud, then? I wish I can dare these arrogant schmucks to be kind or I'll shoot them. They'd rather be shot I suppose. Oh, don't forget the classic blaming game. "I annoy other people because other people annoyed me." "She does that, too! Why don't you yell at her?" What is wrong, people? Why so rude? What can I do to convince you not to be rude?

.: popular on fb :.

2010-04-06T11:39:00.001-07:00

Aiya auntie.... RX300 has a built in reverse camera mah?

.: fresh hope :.

2010-03-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

credit: atomic cupcake, pioneer woman

Here's a random gift for you. I shot this rose when I went to Huntington Library. There weren't that many flowers yet since it was technically still winter. Make it into postcards, print, anything you can think of.