Weekend Wrap Up through iPhone

Lovely food-tray at the T Room for a friend's baby shower

Artwork that took my breath away! You have to see it in person to know what I mean (currently at La Luz de Jesus Gallery). This piece is called "Born Again", acrylic on wood panel, by Nathan Ota.

A cozy dinner at our favorite Brazilian spot, M-Grill, compliments of Mr. R in celebration of my new job :)

Mr. R's cute message.....made out of meat, his other love....

Woof Woof for the Holidays!

The holidays are just around the corner and I LOVE how shopping malls are starting to deck their halls! I can't wait for it to start getting colder here in Los Angeles!
So from my many hectic last-minute shopping experiences in previous years, I've decided to look for Christmas gifts NOW, and of course with the handy-dandy Internet, shopping is so much easier!....although I still love the hustle and bustle of shopping malls :)

For my fellow dog-lovers, these are the cutest little guys that I'm currently lusting after! They are sold at the Tortoise General Store (TGS), and are the hand-made creations of a crafting group called Osu! Shugei-bu (fyi - the artists are all men in their 40's...who would've guessed!)

And guess what....they all come with batteries so you can walk these little bad boys!


Here's my version of a robot-dog....although this little boy has a non-stop battery, and left a little surprise for me next to my boots this morning! grRrr....too bad his little face always melts me and I can't stay angry. :)

My Boyfriend's Woman

I must say that my posts have been quite random as of late. From rants to wants to weekend recaps, I've strayed away from focusing on my muffin tops. That's what life is though I guess, random.
Anyways, I wanted to talk about my "boyfriend's woman", or at least that's the name I've given to the Harvard-grad, highly regarded actress, Natalie Portman. Having once mentioned that he fancied the actress, I have stuck by those words as peanut butter sticks to jelly, and am quick to give him a glance when her name is ever mentioned or she makes an appearance in a trailer or whatnot. Yes, it is juvenile, and yes he says she's more my woman than his, but I have to admit, after seeing the upcoming cover of V magazine, she is a little bit my woman now....

via My Fashion Life

I am absolutely infatuated with this cover! From the placement of her head to the magazine's title, to her make up, and her HAIR, love it all! She just looks so bad-ass but beautiful at the same time. I've got to admit that she definitely has some angles going on....look at that jawline and those eyebrows! Omg, I love the hair!!

Fall Cleaning!

I've been trying to organize my purses and clean them out when I realized I never really use a make up bag. Because my work atmosphere is pretty laid back, I don't go in all made up or actually even care what I look like unless I know a client is coming in or I have a red carpet to cover. I do realize however that whenever I reach in my big purse to search for some lip balm, I either end up frustrated not being able to find it or its been pushed and squeezed every which way with the top off...UGH!
So with my mission to "fall cleaning" my purses and keeping the insides clean and lip-balm-gunk-free, I'm in search for a cute make up bag. Here are some that I found....some are more realistic contenders than others :)Here's my #1 for now, a Toki Doki with cute little monsters....except I really can't see myself spending $50 on a make up bag....from Macys.

via Jildor Shoes

If I'm going to spend that much money, might as well purchase a classy one that would be age appropriate for a while hehe. Love Tory Burch~Here's a very cute set from Dillards. It's on sale and it comes with two pieces, love the little details and picnic-y look. I like that you can use the small one for everyday use and the larger one for travel.

I think it's only appropriate that as a Muffin Top Lover, I would look into fellow pastry-designed bags, and I do love my cupcakes! So cute! Found at Debenhams. Too bad they're located in the UK.

I'm all about uniqueness, so of course I perused through etsy and found this cute little guy from seller, thepurplehedgehog.

Here's a cute little fellow from etsy as well, made by seller MishmashDesigns. Love how there's a little pouch in the front for easy-access items.

Of course, you can never go wrong with a LeSportsac cosmetics purse....so cute, and functional with its durable material and multiple zippered pouches.If I could only afford it, I would LOVE this Marc Jacobs cutie (available at Bloomingdales)....one of my favorite designers....so purty :)
So many cute ones to choose from....like candyyyy :)

Remember Remember, the 5th of Novemeber....

The evenings now carry a nippy wind of...70 degrees, the leaves are dirty green, I can no longer wear flip flops everyday, and everyone is enjoying their extra hour of sleep...which can only mean, it's Autumn in Los Angeles!
Does your body ever feel a little off after springing forward or falling back? For some reason, my body seems to get out of whack and I get a little disoriented. I do love however that the holidays are-a-coming and I can't WAIT for Christmas!
This past Halloween weekend on the other hand was not the best as *rant coming ahead*....I did not receive my paycheck! Well, actually I did receive it, but was not allowed to deposit it until November 2nd (today), although the monies were supposed to be in my account by the 30th! Unfortunately, upon trial, there seemed to be insufficient funds and I was unable to deposit my check yet again. I was told to try again later this evening.... EEK! My rent and bills are all out and I am definitely in panic mode!
I'm actually at work now but am unable to focus as I'm extremely worried, and to be honest, my desire to work is out the window having not yet been paid.

Do you ever have one of those days, or weeks, where everything just seems to go wrong? I've been very stressed out lately, actually pretty upset and about to lay out some V for Vendetta! haha..not really, but it sounds cool, since it's November now, almost the 5th.
Anyways, my Muffin Top of the Day actually occurred over the weekend when Mr. R and I went children-viewing at the mall (that sounds so wrong!)
I absolutely LOVE seeing little children dressed up for Halloween, and since nobody comes trick-or-treating to my apartment, the mall is the best place to see all the cute little dinosaurs, princesses, superheroes and pumpkins running around, high on sugar.
My MTOTD moment happened when two little boys, maybe both about 4 years old, serendipitously bumped into each other, one dressed up as Woody from Toy Story, and the other as Buzz Lightyear! It was one of those Kodak moments, when it was just meant to be! They were the same height, even looked similar and were both as cute as can be! They gave each other high-fives and their proud mommies took some pictures while I stood in the background squealing with delight! It may seem like nothing, but it totally made my day, and even though I'm down today, I think about it and it makes me smile.

What are your Muffin Tops? :)

Image via Google

Skin Care & My Inspirations

I'm still on the hunt for great skin care products and secrets, so if anyone has any recommendations or great tips, please feel free to advise!
I've recently purchased the Wild Rose Brightening Serum from Korres, and so far I'm loving it! I've never really known the difference between serums, lotions, essences, all that good stuff, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to try one out.
I'm pretty on the light-pale side, but my face gets red easily and I am sensitive to the sun, so I thought I would invest into something that helped with sunspots, and would give just an overall brightening effect. The product does exactly what it promises, and gives a very healthy youthful glow right after you apply it. Hopefully it has just as good of a long-term effect, and I will see changes for the better soon! It also helps that the product is made of all natural ingredients, so it should work well for people with sensitive skin like myself!

Image via Korres

I also recently tried out an at-home skin remedy that is supposed to help with brightening and tightening. I read about it a while ago, and I recently saw it again at Viva Woman and thought I would try it out. The ingredients are fairly simple and affordable so it's great for this economy.
All you need are..
one egg white (no yoke)
one tbsp. of honey
That's it!...mix together, apply evenly onto the face, let sit until it hardens, and rinse! Easy enough!
I've only tried this once, so I can't tell you the effects yet. It is recommended to do this every two weeks, so we'll see how my skin turns out in a few months! I've read about another at-home mask that consists of yogurt and oatmeal, so I will try that next too! Maybe I should do before-and-after shots! :)

My inspirations for healthy clear skin include these lovelies..

My absolute favorite skin in Hollywood belongs to Anne Hathaway! She can definitely hold her own against all the tanorexic ladies. Love the tone, love the glow, just love everything about it!

I am Korean, and most likely my skin can probably relate best to other Asian-skin, so I am doing my best to achieve Song Hye Kyo-like skin (if possible) haha. I love how it always looks healthy and glowy while not overly-done. I'm sure there's photoshop done in this picture, but oh well, her skin looks good regardless!

One of our clients at work is on MTV's "The Hills", and unfortunately I must watch every week to keep track of what's going on (to be honest, I would probably watch anyways lol). But I am actually a bigger fan of "The City" because although I've never been, I'm enamored with the beauty that is NYC. I also loooveee looking at what they're all wearing, and I think Whitney Port has absolutely gorgeous skin, especially on the show when she's not fully made up.

Last but not least, I'm a big fan of Rachel Bilson's style in general, but I also love how she keeps her make up so natural. She's unafraid of letting her freckles shine through, and I think it's cute! She never looks overly-done, and she always seems to have the perfect shade of blush to complement whatever she's wearing.

All images via Google

What do you do to keep your skin healthy and bright? What are your favorite products you swear by?

Propaganda and Zombies

So over the weekend, I stood in line along with hundreds of fellow Angelenos, and waited almost two hours to receive my H1N1 vaccination. Before receiving the shot, I did my fair share of research...on the Internet of course, which actually caused more disturbing thoughts on misleading propaganda and the end of the world..not what I wanted to see.
To make it worse, after I already received the vaccination, Mr. R talked about the movie, "Invasion", with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, where the aliens were administering deadly vaccinations to kill off the human race. I then thought of the hundreds of zombie movies, where everything sprouted from a horrific pandemic.....uh oh what did I get myself into?..
From the many opinions I read online, it looks like many are actually against the vaccination, and are very wary of its long-term effects. From the scare that the media is throwing at us, combined with the propaganda you see everywhere urging people to be hygienic and get vaccinated (even a Clorox commercial said to get the flu shot!), it doesn't come to a surprise, that many are skeptical. Some people just don't believe any good thing comes without a cost....
Some even believe that the vaccination itself will cause a pandemic and kill off many, acting as a population control. Others believe President Obama is behind this "genocide" and that this H1N1 vaccination is a form of evil which the government is controlling.
To be honest, I don't know what to believe, and I've already been vaccinated with both the seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccinations, so I can't turn back.
One thing I can tell you is that on the day of receiving the vaccine, I did come down with the WORST headache, and in the middle of suffering, I thought I was slowly turning into a zombie..
Fortunately, I am better, and hopefully I will be protected from the different flu viruses this year, and that will be all....no zombie stories, no long-term effects.

What do you think about propaganda and its influence? Do you think it's just a great marketing strategy to do what America does best?...Sell Sell Sell!! Or do you think the people up there are really looking out for us?....

Here's an awesome propaganda poster I found...hahaha...hilarious!

Image via digghistory

Girls are Made of Sugar & Spice, and a Bunch of Products!!

I have come to the realization that it's time for me to seriously start taking care of my skin. For the most part, I've never really put into consideration the importance of investing in good quality, yet pricy products, and I've always been a Neutrogena girl, which btw has been pretty good so far. But with my age now, (eek I'm getting old!) and this horrible Los Angeles air-quality, I'm dabbling into the higher end skin care and make up lines. Here is my wish-list of products I'm looking to get into....slowly....as they're so pricy (gotta ease into it!)

I've heard mixed reviews of SK-II's Facial Treatment Essence. It's supposed to be a "miracle" worker, with their special 'pitera' ingredient. The inspiration for this product came from sake workers whose hands appeared baby soft and white from soaking their hands in sake/rice-water all day. Wonder if I should just dunk my face in my rice-maker hehe...maybe not....
The Shu Uemura Pro Concealer has received raving reviews on its quality and delivery of great coverage and a soft finish. I've never really used concealer, so maybe it's time to invest in one!



The Clarisonic has also received mixed reviews. Some say it's not necessary and to just practice exfoliation with a good microdermabrasion regimen. Others swear by it and cannot live without it. For almost $250, it better be doing some miracles! This may have to be on my wish-list for a while....

The La Mer line has been doing so well lately, and I'm not sure if its successful marketing or if the products really live up to the hype. Due to it's extreme price-range, I have yet to try them for myself. Again, another product that may be on my wish-list for a while. However, I am on the lookout for a light, second-skin-like loose powder and would love to try this one.


I've never tried any Bobbi Brown products, but this one in particular, the Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner has taken the cake in the world of make up. It looks like everyone who uses this has loved it, so maybe I should try it out as well.

So with my new journey to taking better care of my skin, my first new non-drugstore product I recently bought is the Dermalogica Precleanse. This is definitely not higher end, but it's a step up! I've read pretty good reviews on this, and at first, I was REALLY hesitant on slathering oil on my face, as this is a cleansing oil. However, I was surprised to see how much residue and make up this takes off of your face, prepping it for thorough cleansing. It's also fun to see the oil change to cleansing milk when you add water. After you use this, your skin feels squeaky clean!

Something Mr. R included in my care-package (read previous entry) was the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder. I've been looking for a good loose powder to set my foundation (I currently use Neutrogena...any good suggestions for oil free natural-looking foundation?) The make up artist at Sephora suggested this one for something to set foundation as well as to brighten. However upon using it a couple times, it just adds a shimmery effect, and doesn't really do anything to mattify/set my foundation. So I'm actually going to exchange it for the Make Up Forever HD Microfinish Powder. I've read some good reviews on this one and want to try it out!

So there you have it....my shallow list of superficial wants. But hey, I gotta take care of my skin now, when I still have time, before it's too late! :)

Photos courtesy of bobbibrown, shuuemura, sk-ii, sephora, and google images.

I'm a Pirate Today....

I'm a Pirate today because I can't stop going "AaAaaARrrRrGHhh"....
Why you may ask?
Well, here's my little rant....I've basically been working full-time for almost 3 years now, without a single vacation, minus the random weekend trip to San Diego and Vegas.
Long story short..I worked at my previous job for a little over a year until I got into a car accident, broke my wrist, and was basically laid off when I couldn't function correctly at work (which consisted of a lot of typing)...sucks since I lost my job right before acquiring vacation time! I guess you could call the month of me lying at home in a cast up to my upper arm (causing my arm to be in a constant 90 degree angle) a "vacation"....as I sat at home, unable to drive anywhere, cook on my own, shower correctly and constantly be on vicodin.... -_-
So here I am now, having been at my current job for almost two years now, without a vacation, again.
It's not because I don't want to go on vacation, it's because my employer cannot afford to let me go on one..
I work at a boutique PR firm, and with the economy, and my boss' circumstances, it looks like a vacation is nowhere in sight.
To make matters more "ArrGGghh"-ful, my boyfriend must use up his vacation time, so yesterday he left for Playa del Carmen for a week of relaxation :T
I know he deserves it, as he's been working very hard with a lot of constant pressure and stress, but it just accentuates the fact that I still haven't had mine.

....ArRrrGgGgHhhHhh....

On the brighter side, my sweet boyfriend made ME a care-package before he left, full of really nice goodies to soften the pain of being left behind (I made him one too, but mine was put to shame next to his, oops!)
I've come to accept that life is not fair, and it just gets more difficult as you grow up. It's with the everyday situations that you grow to learn to take in and appreciate the small good things in life.
Like today, I'm thankful for my 8-grain muffin and hot green tea to start off my morning, and I love that it's Autumn!
Counting the days until Mr. R returns from Mexico! hopefully sans the swine flu....I made him promise to use the Purell I got him, and to wear a mask at all times..hehe :P

I NEED A VACATION!

Everybody Loves a Little P&J

Pam & Jim got married! What a man-tear-ful episode. They are TOO cute! Saw the two at the Emmy's red carpet btw, and John Krasinski is a dapper fellow!

However my true-self cannot deny my obsession with Michael Scott....love Michael Scott! :)

Images via The Office Website

Hollywood!

The boyfriend and I decided to be tourists in our own city and made a field trip to the new Madame Tussauds Wax Museum at the Hollywood & Highland Complex....we made an honorary trip to the the MJ star of course (couldn't take a pic as the line was so long!)

Here however, are our pictures with the shiniest stars of Hollywood!

Brangelina's new adopted Asian baby....woman..

Hahaha...my favorite!

He wishes he could really do this to Kobe..

Just hangin around with Mr. Dean

Trying to be the new bond girl....Eva Green from Casino Royale is my fave btw..

Boyfriend coaching Mr. Tiger Woods

Shootin some webs with Spiderman

Boyfriend's turn to hang out with James Dean

With one of my top 3 fave women of Hollywood...."Uyiiuyyyy.."

With my other fave woman of Hollywood!....although I don't think the wax figure did her justice!

If you're ever in Los Angeles and have a free day, I highly suggest visiting the new wax museum. They let you get as close as you want, and they make the exhibit very interactive (we took a ton of more pics, very embarassing ones!)

So I've just recently gotten back into perusing my reader, and I couldn't help but indulge in a few wedding blogs! Here are some beautiful photos from Style Me Pretty that I couldn't help but share! This is totally the kind of wedding atmosphere I would want to have!

Gorgeous yet humble, and very intimate... love it!

Photos by Bryan Johnson via Style Me Pretty

Coo Coo for this Clock!

My new WANT for the day! How cool is this QLOCKTWO clock? Isn't it BeeYooTeeFul? And it's even sensitive to light, and will automatically adjust. Love it.

via Design Milk

I can't believe how quickly time flies! It's Toby's second Fourth of July already! I can remember the day I brought him home, and he fit in the palm of one hand....he's a big boy now =]

Getting ready for a day out!

The paparazzi shot of my boy and me

Taking in the warm summer day <3

For my fellow dog-lovers....there's nothing like spending a day with (wo)man's best friend! Hope you are all enjoying the wonderful summer~

DeeeeeeLish~!

So for work, I'm a faithful follower of HARO, and many times I come upon these great companies through the advertisements in the beginning of the posts! Anyone that knows me, knows that I have a killer sweet tooth, and so anytime treats and desserts come in pretty shapes and colors, it's a double thrill for me!
These cookies are hand-made, beautifully decorated by the Gumdrop Cookie Shop and I can't get over how detailed the designs are! You can even have them custom-designed for particular events! I think these would make lovely party-gifts, don't you? The only thing is, they're so adorable, I wouldn't be able to eat them!.....actually yes I would =]