Merry Christmas to Me!

This year, I received this awesome Lomo La Sardina from my partner in crime. I haven't shot any photos with an analogue camera in a very long time. And I started to feel a bit nostalgic upon opening this present. I miss how much I used to love photography and how many photos I used to take. I've just gotten too busy and bogged down by the responsibilities that come with growing up that I've forgotten how to have fun. 

A few years ago, I had sold my Lomo Color Splash and Super Sampler simply because I wasn't using them & not to mention, those two models were a bit too novelty for me. I love that the La Sardina has more shooting options and (my favorite) multiple exposures! The fact that it looks great is just an added bonus. 

I'm very excited to take this with me on my upcoming trip to Minneapolis. I just hope Minne-snow-ta decides to live up to its name when I get there. The snow has seem to be on vacation lately. 

Lovely Shade of Thanksgiving

Every year, I spend my Thanksgiving with my bf's family. His parents are avid gardening enthusiasts and have well over 42 rose bushes in their garden. This year, they decided to adorn the dinner table with some of their beauties. These coral ones were just absolutely beautiful.

Ridiculous Cat Lady

A few days ago, Fieldguided released their dreamcats calendar for 2012. It's nothing short of graphically beautiful and I totally want one. To have one in my possession will cement my crazy love for cats.

You can purchase them here or here.

Opposites Attract

In a few weeks, some of my friends are graduating from our BFA Graphic Design program at Cal State Long Beach. They'll be moving on to bigger & better things, but first they'll have to survive the super hectic next few weeks. To celebrate, they're throwing a really big & awesome show. Here's the promo video to their upcoming show for your viewing pleasure:

Be sure to check out their bios and a sneak peek at some of their work over at oa-show.com. And don't miss the show, up December 9–11 at MADhaus Gallery!

Signage Sunday!

Wednesday Want: Pendleton Point Blanket Cape

I'm totally obsessed with this Pendleton Point Blanket Cape available at UrbanOutfitters.com. Pendleton is most known by their vibrant colors and high quality wool. I just love the boldness of the stripes and the overall minimal look.

Getting Ready for a Long Winter

I have been talking about this for sometime now. That this winter will be my final year of producing knitwear. And that decision still stands. I am both relieved and sadden by this decision, but I feel that it is quite necessary. The time and energy I've been putting into it over the years just isn't worth it anymore. I'm tired of having too much yarn and bins full of finished product occupying every single inch of my very tiny room.  So I've started knitting up all my yarn in preparation for UniqueLA. Even if I don't get in, at least everything will already be made and I can just post it all to Etsy.

So what does that mean for the future? As some of you may know, I've been exploring the realm of laser cut jewelry. And although it has been received quite well so far, I don't see it as being a very permanent thing. It just doesn't really feel like me. I feel like this is just what people expect from me based on their perception of me/becausemaybe/whatever. I've been thinking about going back to my roots in writing and curating. Mostly writing about music and pop culture, with a touch of nostalgia. And that would carry over into the curation and sale of vintage items.

I spent a lot of my summer in self-reflection. I looked back at the early years of becausemaybe and even went as far back as the high school years. I thought about what inspires me and what drives me. I reminisced about old hobbies and old interests. I've been searching deep within myself to find what it is I really love. And what really makes me happy. And I don't know the answer to that anymore. I feel like I've strayed very far from where I started and not so much in a good way. I feel like I got distracted somewhere along the way and lost sight of things. 

Several of my friends have asked me this week about my experience interning at American Apparel so far and if I would ever consider working there. I told them, "If they want to pay me to be there, I would have no objection to that." Sometimes I wonder if this economy has made me desperate, because I know deep down inside the real answer to that question is "No." Sure, the environment is laidback and some of the employees are cool to talk to and hang out with. But the actual job itself, isn't really my thing. They don't really have anything to offer me in terms of what I want out of a job. 

So what do I really want to do? I still want to move to Minneapolis and live out there for a few years. Just be away from things for a while. Spend some alone time. Or maybe that's the problem. Maybe I already spend too much alone time. But at this age, everyone's always too busy: trying to startup their career, getting married, having kids, or just plain trying to graduate. Everyone's always too busy for everyone else. Right when you think you've found people you really connect with, it's already time to say goodbye. 

Life always manages to catch you by surprise. But I don't wait around for life anymore. Because every time I've been patient, life served me some disappointment.

Weekend Recap

So over the weekend, I originally had every intention of taking a trip to the LA Printer's Fair at The International Printing Museum. But I woke up late (just a little before 1PM). And being that I had to be back in Eagle Rock at Leanna Lin's Wonderland by 5PM, I decided that wasn't happening. 

Luckily, Gallery Nucleus was hosting the SC3 Party in collaboration with the Southern California Classic Collectors. There were over 30 classic arcade machines available for game play and with that, of course, comes BurgerTime!!!

Anyone who knows me really well knows that I have some serious beef with BurgerTime. (pun intended? sure!) Growing up, I had it on my original Nintendo NES console and I remember it being really hard. Well...now as an adult, I still think it's pretty damn hard. And even harder on a classic arcade machine that isn't as quick and responsive as it was in its prime. 

For those of you who have never played it, you play the role of a chef and the goal is to build burgers but in the process you're being chased by eggs, sausages, and pickles who are trying to stop/kill you. And your only weapon is pepper, which you get limited quantities of and it only stuns them temporarily. You also have to run across each layer (bun, patty, lettuce, bun) to get them to drop down. But they only drop down by one level each time, so you gotta repeatedly run over the layers to get them to drop. Sounds difficult? Yeah, I know.

Does that sound confusing? Here...why not watch some gameplay....

Then when I was done totally done with losing to BurgerTime, I moved on to the next machine to my left...Oh Hey! What do you know...it's Paperboy! I think we were all totally falling for the sweet novelty handlebar controller. But once playing it, we all realized how much it sucked. And I mean SUCKED! I don't think anyone spent more than 3 minutes with this machine. Too bad. It had the potential of being awesome.

Then came Sunday which is Kevin's day off (he works Tues–Sat. it's the typical art gallery schedule), so we took a trip over to Nickel Diner in Downtown LA (most known for their bacon donuts).

I love that the Nickel Diner serves bottled sodas...no soda fountains to be found here! Unfortunately, I didn't realize it until after the waitress brought out my Coke that they had Dr. Pepper. But it's ok, bottled Dr. Pepper is only 8oz. whereas the Coke is 12oz.

Kevin ordered the Biscuits and Gravy (comes with 2 poached eggs) that's only available on Saturdays and Sundays. The gravy was a sausage gravy which made it 10 times more delicious!

And I got the 5th and Main (which is spicy BBQ pulled pork on potato hash with 2 poached eggs). It didn't look like it was a lot of food but it was really HEAVY. But equally delicious. 

I want to eventually go back to try their Irish Car Bomb donuts, Strawberry Crumble donuts, and the Dutch Baby. They also have really great homemade poptarts!

At the end of my weekend, I came home to this:

Sebastian was super bummed out that he had to stay home and miss out on all the fun.

Exercises in Writing

I've been dabbling in the idea of dedicating time to running Quiet Tiger. I think of this as a creative outlet for my writing. As a counter-balance to design. But like all things, it takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work. I have every intention of branding Quiet Tiger. And this week, I came closer to narrowing down what exactly it will be and what it will do. I felt like what happened over summer when I started Quiet Tiger was that I was taking a shot in the dark. I didn't know what I was doing or what I wanted. And unfortunately, that resulted in the failure that is The Fabrication Dept. But now I feel like I'm finally on track. I need Quiet Tiger as much as I need becausemaybe. And with that, I'm going to commit a portion of my time to making this work out.

It's a Small World!

Back in late July/early August, I was invited by Joey Chou to contribute to the It's a Small World show.  I met Joey one night when I was stopping by Flock Shop to drop off some new items on consignment. It just so happened that it was the same night as the opening of his solo show.  We struck up a conversation about Comic Con and cats, and how much we love Mary Blair...and the next thing I knew, I was invited to take part in this show.

Well, that show is finally here! I stopped by Gallery Nucleus yesterday, and all the pieces look amazing. You'll just have to see for yourself in person.

The Opening Reception is tonight from 7PM–10PM

Timed with the release of illustrator Joey Chou's latest children's book from Disney Press, a select group of talent will contribute work paying homage to this beloved and enduring theme of global peace. The book features Chou's illustrations interpreting the Sherman Brothers classic song written for the popular Disney park attraction.

This is an all-ages event. Meet some of the artists including Joey Chou who will be on hand signing copies of the new release.

Here's the schedule for the night so you'll know what to expect:

7pm-8:30pm: Joey Chou Book Signing

8pm: First Raffle Drawing - Signed copy of Joey's book and a new print from Seb Mesnard!

8:30pm: Patrick Awa, Israel Sanchez and Joey Chou start live painting demos.

9pm: Second Raffle Drawing - Signed copy of Joey's book and 2 signed Joey Chou prints!

10pm: Final Raffle Drawing - Finished live demo artwork by Joey Chou, Patrick Awa and Israel Sanchez!


Exhibiting Artists Include:

Joey Chou
Lorelay Bové
Patrick Awa
Brittney Lee
Becky Dreistadt
Patrick Hruby
Michelle Romo
Eric Diaz
Michael Fleming
Grace Lee
Brendan Wenzel
Justin Parpan
Israel Sanchez
Seb Mesnard
Griselda Sastrawinata
Rad Sechrist
Nellie Le
Pete Oswald
Mark Sperber
Winnie Ho
Olga Stern
Christian Robinson
Victoria Ying
Ryan Kramer
Alex Chechik
Kevin Chan
Sean Sullivan
Ryuku Uratsuji
Chris Turnham
Josh Parpan
Jesse Tise
Elizabeth Ito
Jing Wei
Ben Butcher
Brigette Barrager
Chris Sasaki
Claire Keane
Uwe Heidschoetter
Oliver Akuin
Edward Juan
Linda Kim
Jackie Huang
Patrick Raines
Eren Blanquet
Drake Brodahl

Rethinking Relocation

I've been considering for some time now, the possibility of moving to Minneapolis after graduation. I've grown tired of making dream job lists that just scream "Get the hell out of LA!" The fact of the matter is, most of the firms out here just aren't doing the kind of work I want to be doing. And the people who are doing that kind of work...they're kinda like a rare breed of individuals, who run their own studios and run in the same circle of friends as the other individuals who run their own studio. It sometimes feels like it's an exclusive club that everyone wants to be a part of but no new kid knows how to get into. The only logical explanation I can come up with is to move to Minneapolis, work at some of the places (or similar places) I want to work at, then come back and start my own gig. I'll always have a place in my heart for LA (or more accurately, LA county). Sure the cost of living is high, and there have been many things said about it being fake, lacking culture & a sense of history. But that's what I love about it. It doesn't care. It's as individual as the people who occupy it.

Madewell was Made for Me.

Last week I received a catalog in the mail from Madewell. I almost entirely forgot that I had requested one in the first place. But upon first sight, I was instantly in love. From the typeface choices to the styling, I knew that this was a brand I can stand behind. And then, I found out that they were part of J. Crew. I don't necessarily hate J. Crew. I just remember some of the animal rights controversy they were involved with in the past. But Madewell is a very different brand and demographic than J. Crew. It has a very uniform and utilitarian feel to it. And I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt since it was just PETA that gave them hell in the past for where they got their fur and wool. (Sure as a cat owner and animal lover, I'm not cool with animal cruelty. But PETA hasn't exactly exercised favorable behavior either.)

Over the weekend, I met up with my bff Nisa who currently works at American Apparel at the corporate level. Nisa and I have been wearing American Apparel since our high school years and we remember when they used to only have 5 products. And whether or not a shirt was printed on American Apparel used to be the deciding factor in which online stores we would support. Well fast forward about a decade, and American Apparel is now this huge ever-expanding thing that just doesn't know when to stop (even when they're in financial trouble). Vintage watches & eyewear? Beauty products? WHAT?! We went from owning just a few American Apparel tees to wearing American Apparel every day. I wear at least 1 article of clothing from them every day. Nisa, for obvious reasons, wears American Apparel head-to-toe every day, but she was wearing them long before she got the job.

But what we laughed about over lunch was how we're still stuck on uniforms. We both attended Catholic school for 12 years of our lives where we had to wear uniforms every day. And every since we graduated from high school, we've managed to create our own uniform from pieces of different brands. Nisa has a rule about wearing mostly oxford shirts and cardigans. I have a specific color rule: I own mostly white, greys, black. With the exception of darks. So I can have color, but they have to be the dark shades of colors. So colors like navy, forest green, deep purple, burgundy, etc. Sure, some people think our wardrobe is boring, but it suits us just fine. The case we make for it is that everything in our closets will always match. We never have to worry about getting dressed and having our clothes not match. We can seriously be blindfolded and pick stuff from our closet and everything will match.

So what does Madewell have anything to do with this? Well Madewell looks like the next logical wardrobe upgrade. This year I'll be turning 25. I'm starting to hit that late 20s/early 30s age where I'm starting to transition out of young adulthood. And as comfy as an American Apparel V-neck is, it's not always going to be the appropriate choice. I've been looking to upgrade my everyday uniform from V-necks and jeans to casual button-ups with jeans. It's only been a matter of finding something I really like.

Here are some of my favorite looks:

And last but not least,

 this is my absolute favorite outfit!

I Finally Want to Use You

I'm so happy that Google finally changed the Blogger Interface. It just looks so clean and current. The old interface just felt very outdated...like the early 2000s. The new interface makes me really want to use Blogger. But I really just wish Blogger had better templates. Or at least be easier to edit the html so I can make my blog look the way I want it to.

Sometimes We Find Ourselves...

At a familiar place in our lives that we never expected to be back at. It's a place where all the familiar faces you once knew resides. And it's where they've been this whole time. Nothing could ever feel as good. You carry them with you in the back of your mind. And you've been searching for them all along. And you've been waiting for them to come back to you. Or is it them who's been waiting for you? It's the happiest place you could ever be and it makes you wonder how you lost your way in the first place. How did you make yourself so busy as to forget. How is it that we make it so easy to leave the lives we once knew. To leave it all behind. They're the people who hold the key to who we were and who we will be. They're the part of you you'll never forget, even if you wanted to. Even if you tried.

It's when you stumble back to the place that you once knew, that you try to hold onto it so tightly. As not to lose it ever again. And you wish it would last forever. But you know it can't, and in the end all you'll be left with are the memories of the time when you were once happy.

I get tired of believing in such things. I'm tired of all the missed opportunities. I'm tired of being left with just memories. And I'm just about tired of being content. I've outgrown my belief in sacrificing happiness for the greater good. I think deep down, I'll always have the greater good in mind. But I think I can become a much greater person if I could pursue all my goals with a much happier outlook.

Whatchamawhatzit?!

This week, TeenNick brought back classic Nickelodeon shows from the '90s. A two hour block every night starting at midnight called '90s Are All That. As you may have guessed, All That is part of the line up.  I was never really a fan of All That, but I was excited to be able to watch Doug again. But seeing it now, the stories still hold up. It's only the animation that looks and feels really dated. I'm excited for the coming weeks when they'll be showing Salute Your Shorts, Hey Arnold, Legends of the Hidden Temple, Pete & Pete and (hopefully) some Hey Dude!

All this nostalgia got me thinking about how I used to wake up early on Saturday mornings to watch whatever was on ABC. And one of first commercials to burn itself into my memory was Hershey's Whatchamacallit. I loved the super long ridiculous name! I doubt any kid now has ever heard of it. Hell, I don't even think most people my age remember it.

It was one of my favorite candy bars. I was never able to find the spinoff flavor called Thingamajig.

Next time on the nostalgia agenda: Daria. MTV is already bringing back Beavis and Butthead. Rumor has it, Daria is next. I think Viacom is onto something. It's either that or they're very well aware of the best decade of their life.

Agent Orange in the Window

I was starting to cleaned out all my unwanted/unnecessary files on my hard drive to get ready for the upcoming fall semester when I stumbled upon this:

This was taken last June when I was wandering the streets of Chicago's Chinatown. Growing up in the San Gabriel Valley, I was used to the sight of hanging pigs and ducks. But what really struck me was the bright orange cuttlefish. I loved snacking on dried cuttlefish as a kid. It was like the seafood alternative to beef jerky. But never in my life would I thought I'd see one that big... and that orange.

Wrapping Paper Fort

I will never understand the fascination cats have with bags. Tonight, Sebastian hid himself in a large plastic bag amongst scraps of wrapping paper. It took me a while to find him because he was laying still so I couldn't hear his bell ringing. And the color of his coat blended so well with the color of the paper.

Like Voltron

Last Wednesday, I took a trip to San Diego Comic Con with my friend Busc. Being as crowded as it was, I had absolutely no motivation to take any pictures...that is, except for Voltron.

If h is a Chair

Fine Piece of Wood

I've been in love with these wooden clutches since the day I set eyes on them. They're made by Lebanese designer, Nada Sawaya. Each clutch has a multi-faceted gem-like profile with details ranging from stingray, metal, and different wood grains. They all look absolutely stunning!

Things I Bought

Yesterday, I spent a good amount of the day in Little Tokyo. I was mostly there to check out Little Tokyo Design Week and to support my friends, We Are Matik, who were exhibiting in it. But since I figured I was there, I decided to do some shopping while I was at it.

So here's what I bought:

Vintage 60s frames

Solar-powered Lucky Tiger Cat

Misadventures in Job Hunting

I went to a job interview today. And it totally wasn't what I was expecting. Granted it was for a wholesale company, which I already had the expectations that it was going to be boring, tedious, and formulaic (essentially a desk job, laying out catalog pages). After the interview, I only found two of those things to be true: tedious & formulaic. The people who work there were cool and they liked me. But the work they do and the work they wanted me to do were totally what I wasn't expecting. It was a perfect example of their website not reflecting the products they make (which can't be found anywhere on their website). Bad branding? Their website looks very...well...wholesale company like. Very corporate looking. Very bland. But most of the products they make cater to kids in the 7–11 age range. (But my 11yr old self probably wouldn't buy what they're selling. And I used to like loud accessories!) I love how nowhere in the job description does it say "you'll be designing products for kids." And it obviously shows in their work and the end products. They really should try looking for someone who knows how to design for kids. But building them a website was also part of the job descriptions. And at no point did we talk about that being one of my duties.

The interview was with their art director who is completely self-taught. And the interview was only about 15 minutes. They really liked me but wanted to know if I can do illustration work too. And they'd have to take a look at that before they give me an answer. I agreed to send some work over but in my head I was thinking..."If you want me to do illustration work too, you're going to have to pay me more."They were really nice people, but I can't see myself working there. This is what was playing in my head as I walked out of that office.



Maybe I'm being a little too harsh. Or not harsh enough. Maybe I'm being a little too romantic or idealistic about my job options. But I like to stick to my principles. I ranked that job as being almost at the same level as working retail. I'm finding it hard to get myself to work on products I can't stand behind. I'd be essentially doing the same thing I'm doing for CROWDED TEETH there. Which is just product design and point-of-sale displays. But I love CROWDED TEETH, and it's definitely an experience I can enjoy. Whereas with the wholesale stuff, I'm constantly asking myself..."Who actually buys this stuff?!" (The only logical thing would be to use that stuff as party favors.) I guess I'm holding out a little for that on-campus job. At least my expectations of that job actually match reality.

Farmers' Market Grub

Waking up early has been such a challenge since the semester ended. And today I was finally able to wake up early enough to make it over to the Alhambra Farmers' Market. Alhambra's Farmers' Market is fairly small but I can always rely on it to provide me with an awesome brunch. Well what I really mean is, I love going there just to get pupusas. If you've never had or heard of a pupusa, it's this El Salvadorean dish that's kinda like a flattened grilled pancake version of a tamale. It looks like a thick pancake made of masa but it's filled with pork, beans, and cheese. Then it's topped with curtido, which is a vinegar-based cabbage slaw, and some salsa.

The pupusas are made on the premises by the folks from Pupusa Y Mas. And if you eat them while they're still hot, they're oh so gooey. 

After devouring the pupusas, I had to head over to the Paradise Cookies truck which parks themselves at the market every week. Their cookies are so perfect. They're crunchy around the outside but gooey & soft in the inside. I love their peanut butter chocolate cookies (chocolate cookie with peanut butter chips). And unlike other gourmet/specialty food trucks (that are trendy right now), they're local to the San Gabriel Valley (they usually only stay in the Alhambra/South Pas area) and support other Alhambra business (i.e. Fosselman's). They serve up Fosselman's ice cream and they also make ice cream sandwiches with it. 

Mocha Almond Fudge ice cream with Peanut Butter Chocolate cookies

And anyone who knows me knows that I can't talk about ice cream without talking about Fosselman's. I went to high school in Alhambra and it was very common for girls from my school to get a summer job at Fosselman's. They're a little family owned place that's been in business for 91 years. And they've consistently been voted best ice cream in LA. Their ice cream is made with 60% butter fat and handmade using fresh ingredients. I mostly love they're fresh fruit ice creams. They have seasonal flavors that are just as seasonal as the fruit they're made with. My personal favs are the Peach ice cream and the Blueberry. The Peach ice cream is available now until (roughly) the end of August. So go get some! You won't regret it! But also don't blame me if you start craving it at all hours of the day.

Claw Machine Skills

I've never been good at those stupic claw machines but tonight I struck gold! I was in Little Tokyo tonight checking out the Ham Ba Ga show over at Q Pop. Afterwards, I headed over to Mikawaya in the Japanese Village plaza to get some mochi. What I love about Mikawaya is that they make mochi from their gelato...appropriately named mochilato. Today, they had creme brulee flavored mochi and it was AMAZING! So naturally, I had to head over to the Sanrio store across the way. I checked out what was in the claw machine today and it was Apple and Strawberry Hello Kitty! So I just had to give it a try. $1 and one try later...I scored this sweet Apple Hello Kitty. I was pretty stoked.

Little Tiger Invades Mountain Village

Remembering ReadyMade

I just heard the news yesterday from my friends at Poketo that ReadyMade is closing shop. They made the announcement last week but the news has been slowly spreading amongst the DIY community. It was a big shocker to all of us, but the thought of it wasn't a complete surprise. Like many publications, they struggled to stay alive in this digital age where blogs/digital periodicals reign supreme. I felt a great sadness when I heard the news because I felt that ReadyMade played an important role in the making me the designer/creator/maker that I am today.

I remember when I first heard of ReadyMade, I was in high school and wanted to launch my own apparel company with my bff, Nisa. We had this brilliant idea to create our own polo shirt brand to sit amongst the ranks of Lacoste, LeTigre, Penguin, etc. That's what we wore back then: Lacoste or LeTigre polo shirts that we got off eBay with a Member's Only jacket, boot cut jeans, and a pair of Chucks (but only the ones made in the USA. aka pre-Nike acquisition). We thought that the whole silkscreened t-shirt company run out of one of our garages thing would be the more typical and expected thing to do. Which was why we didn't want to do that. Yeah, we thought we were too cool. But we would never openly admit it. Although we never took that jump into apparel, ReadyMade inspired us  that we could really make/build anything.

The first time I saw ReadyMade's website it was only made up of maybe 2 or 3 pages. They had an online store where you can buy one issue, 5 issues, a subscription, or various DIY kits. I even remember when Poketo made wallets out of ReadyMade. This was back when some of their first wallets were made of scantrons and measuring tape. One of the first projects I ever made shortly after discovering ReadyMade was a wallet made of old magazines and packing tape. I admired Poketo's wallets, but I was young & broke. It was very similar to this project which can be found on ReadyMade's website today. I called it the "I'm not a slut." wallet. I had used pages from a crappy teen magazine that I had lying around from junior high. I tore out a page with an article about teen body image and that was the headline. Looking back on it now, I only had those magazines to fit in with the rest of the girls. But moving on to high school, I had ditched those bitches and found a group of friends who shared my interests (the kind of girls who read Giant Robot and Juxtapoz). That wallet came out pretty cheesy. And I never used it as a wallet. At least not in public.

What I loved the most about ReadyMade was that it showed you how to do everything from something as simple as stenciling a rodeo cowboy onto a pillow to building a printing press with a hydraulic press. No project ever seemed too outrageous. And the best part was that they listed what exactly what you would need, what skills you would need, difficulty level, time it would take, and approximately how much it would cost you. Everything I ever needed to know before jumping into a project!

I love you ReadyMade! Thanks for making us want to build things! And not because they were things we needed, but because they were just really cool things to make!

Andrew Byrom on Business Cards

Hobo Cat

Sebastian thinks he's a bum. He loves the cheapest (and by cheap, I mean free) toys.

Favorite Toy: Q-tips
Favorite Place to Sleep: On a pile of unorganized stuff and (on occasion) plastic Target bag

It's not like he doesn't have a bed. He has a nice comfy black plush bed that matches with the majority of decor in my room. He just recently decided to stop sleeping in it.

Epic Eating

Today, my friend Carolyn joined us for a Sunday Food Adventure. The day started off with a trip to Galco's Soda Pop Stop. Galco's was once an Old World grocery store but to soda junkies, it's home. They have many familiar and not-so-familiar sodas. They even claim to have over 400 sodas. The once produce section of the market was also converted into a nostalgic candy corner. If you've never been, it's definitely a must if you LOVE soda. I decided to be good today and not get the 6 pack of Original formula Dr. Pepper. But I did get one of my favs: Cheerwine. If you like Dr. Pepper and/or Black Cherry soda, you'll love Cheerwine! And you don't even have to go all the way to Galco's to get it. I've seen it at most BevMos.

After Galco's, we headed over to Melrose  and wandered around peeping in & out of the various thrift shops and boutiques. We stopped by Japan LA to check out the Kittens & Ice Cream show. And I just had to get this one-of-a-kind kitten ice cream necklace by Axelhoney. She made quite a few for the show and they all sold out the night of the opening, but she recently dropped off a few more. I'm super happy I was able to snag one! They're just way too cute!

After a whole lot of window shopping, we decided that it was time to stuff our faces. So we decided to take a trip to Pink's. Honestly, if you're from LA, Pink's isn't even a big deal. But because Carolyn was with us, we figured "why not?!"

And then at this point we were trying to figure out what to do to kill some time before heading out to Glendora for Donut Man. Because obviously, we were way too full to head straight there after this meal. So we went to Old Town Pasadena. But it ended being a total bust because silly us forgot that it was Sunday and most places closed really early. (at some point, I checked my phone to make sure Donut Man was open but Google told me it was closed. we were totally bummed out and I was like WTF?! they're supposed to be 24hours.)

So New Plan: Bigfoot Lodge

And it being Sunday meant BINGO NIGHT! Had a few drinks and played bingo. We nearly won a few times but never did. Then we decided to double check again to see if Donut Man was open because we were really looking forward to it. We ended up calling them and we probably sounded really weird and crazy but they were indeed OPEN! So we drove our asses to Glendora STAT!

When we got there, the line wasn't looking bad at all. 

And of course, we bought more than we can eat so we would have them throughout the week.

So the grand total was: 5 strawberry donuts, 3 blueberry cream puffs, and 2 tigertails. Not bad at all compared to our usual damage.

And the best part? We totally beat the late night rush.

Ridiculous Skills

Dana Tanamachi is a graphic designer most known for her hand lettering skills with chalk. Just the amount of precision and depth she's able to create in her typography using a simple and low-tech medium, such as chalk, just blows my mind.

If you've never seen Dana work it, I suggest you take a gander.


Ace Hotel Room 1021 from Dana Tanamachi on Vimeo.

Lazy Saturday

Today has mostly been a day of lounging. Sebastian spent the whole day sleeping or basking in the sun.

I, on the otherhand, spent my time playing with Vignette. I remember when I used to carry a camera with me everywhere and document everything. And now with cell phone cameras and various apps, it's so much easier. Yet, it's something I don't do anymore. So I've been trying to get back into that habit.

Basic Space

The Newest Thing I Can't Live Without

For being unemployed, I have quite a busy summer ahead of me. Between launching a new jewelry line, looking for work, and working on my portfolio. It's getting much harder to keep track of things. I never thought I'd see the days when I would actually need to make a To-Do list. In the past, every time I made a list for myself I ended up failing to look at them. Or even worse, I acknowledge their existence but simply ignore what's written on them. Also, with the new trend of everyone having a smartphone, it makes it easier to always have the list on you. But for me I always find that I remember things easier when they're written than when they're typed. So I keep these Desk-Its from Poketo at my desk.

The awesome thing about Desk-Its is that they're pre-printed with the days of the week Monday–Sunday with lines for your list of things to do. and next to each item is a box to check things off when you're done. It's also conveniently almost the same size as your keyboard so it can also double as a wrist rest for when you're typing. Or if you want, you can just tear off the sheet and stick it anywhere you want like to the bottom of your computer monitor or your fridge. 

But one thing is for sure. It has made my list of things I cannot live without.

Minimal is the New Excess

Everyone who knows me knows about my obsession with white. For some, white is just a phase. A trend. A fad. But for me, white is a state of mind. A way of living. Some find it odd when I say this but, I love white because there's something very offensive about it. The thought of something being piercingly stark white against a dark background. Or being an opposition to color by lacking pigment/hue. When mixed with colors, it tones them down. And with enough of it, it can soften even the loudest colors into a pastel(there's nothing threatening about Easter eggs). But it says something different then, say, a neon yellow. White is like a silent rebellion. It gets your attention without having to yell. Hell, it gets your attention without having to mutter a word. It has a grace about it. Even when it's challenging you to keep it clean. It can cause so much frustration by just being itself. When you don't want to touch it out of fear of getting it dirty, it dares you to touch it. It taunts and teases you. I don't buy into the belief that white symbolizes innocence and purity. White is smart, cunning, and manipulative. If anything, it uses its pure image to outsmart us all.

I own quite a lot of white items. My nature response to every product is, "Does it come in white?"

And my latest white object of desire is this little timepiece from Uniform Wares.

I don't see my love for white objects as being any sort of style. I'm just in love with the simplicity and adaptability. When you walk away from bold/obnoxious/trendy colors, you realize how much you don't need them in your life. White is the ultimate chameleon. Without having to take on another color. It goes with everything. And rarely ever clashes.