Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday to me

Happy Birthday to me and Corinna...

Happy Birthday to me!

I'll be celebrating my 19th with cupcakes, sushi and some movies.  Then its back to homework and projects for the rest of the weekend!

image courtesy Chockylit

Seattle

Seattle was lovely, the weather was PERFECT, not a cloud in the sky and it was bright, sunny and cool (see above).  We went to Pike's Place Market,  I took some pictures, we walked around, had some tea and crumpets. haha :)  It was fun.  But...I must say I do like Portland much better.  Less people, more DIY and granola.  Have I turned into a hippy?  Who knows, but not being around them sure makes me feel like one!  The drive was nice, long, deserted roads and then all of a sudden theres a tiny little town.  I think I'll only live in cities in America, the rest just doesn't seem very fun.  Its a little depressing actually.  Here are some pictures...the rest you can find on facebook and my flickr site.  Enjoy :)

This is all you see...for 200 miles.

Yum, too bad I don't like seafood.

and I just thought this was funny...

Surprise!

So last night I was in my room talking to my neighbor when my phone rang.  It was my older sister back home in Hawaii, but I didn't answer it.  Luckily she called my sister and she picked it up because my sister CAME TO PORTLAND last night and surprised us!  Its really nice to see her and she rented a car (sweet!) and tomorrow we are all heading up to SEATTLE!!  I haven't been to sea-town since sophomore year and can't wait to revisit it again.  It's gonna be great getting out of Portland since spring break doesn't seem promising for much adventure.  

In other news, I got a job at a Starbucks several blocks from me!  My wish has come true!  I'll be working again, back to the bucks. (literally AND pun intended).  Now I just need to get my tax returns so I can get some outfits and shoes for work.  Hopefully this store will have some cool people and cool customers.  The store also doesn't serve oven-heated food! Hallelujah!!  No more 1st degree burns from molten sugar anymore :)  I'm hoping the transition back into the Starbucks world goes alright, so many standards and rules to get back into!  I'm also going to be doing mostly opening/morning shifts...so no more sleeping in for me! eep!  That means i'll have to be there at 4:15 AM. Oh. holy. jesus.  Oh well, at least that means I get a paycheck, TIPS, and free coffee.  My life is coming together!  I also have to be cautious of what classes I'll be taking (thank god I took so many credits this term! ).  I'm hoping this will all be good and I'll be able to handle it all.  

Pictures from Seattle will be coming up as soon as I get back to PDX.  Yay!

ZINEster

Today in my mentor session there was a presentation about zines (we're going to be making zines in groups!)  So after seeing the many different types of zines and how I can do one and have it on a shelf in a store the next day, this zine thing seemed pretty cool.  I already own a couple zines–one is a vegetarian recipe book and the other a review of books.  Maybe I could start my own zine and sell it at Reading Frenzy and possibly make a few extra dollars.  Here are some cool resources for zine making!

WikiHow

The Independent Publishing Resource Center 

DIY Zine Guide

and heres a lovely little video on how to make one!

It could be really cool to make a zine based on this blog or post some really good recipes (like the 3 and 4 ingredient cookbook! amazing stuff) because I really want to do some DIY stuff during spring break when I have the time for it. Enjoy!

Signs

I am learning about urban landscapes as well as perceived ones (last night's lecture from the Center for Land Use Interpretation was really cool.  check out their website for a database of interesting places around America)  and I've been noticing that there have been many instances of an image of a spiral that appear again and again.  Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty is the most common, but this image of a spiral has come up numerous times throughout the week.  Could it be a sign that all my hardwork could be paying off?  Today I received a call for a job interview on friday.  I couldn't be more happy–I have sent out 6 applications and heard from none until this afternoon.  AND its for Starbucks.  Is my life like a spiral?  Continuous and always connected?  It definitely doesn't seem to be linear at this point in time.  I just thought that was a cool symbol for life...

image courtesy hawaii.edu

V-Day

Happy Valentine's Day to all the lovers out there.  Love and be loved, but please do NOT buy anyone any of  these:

because nothing says "I Love you" like stale pink carnations with baby's breath and a predictable teddy bear that can only be truly relevant for ONE DAY.  Plus, what woman actually WANTS a stuffed animal these days?  Hello, this isn't kindergarten.  Women really want this stuff:

Okay, maybe I went too far on that last one.  What really matters isn't the fact that Valentine's Day is for cheesy card companies to make a profit or single people to drown their sorrows in a bottle of cheap wine and cry while watching Bridget Jones' Diary (as I might do tonight), its a reminder of our power to love and be loved by one another.  Friends, girlfriends, boyfriends, families...love is universal.  Who cares if you don't get a rose or a balloon or even a box of those terribly chalky candy hearts?  Go and celebrate the fact that you are loved at this moment, and that you can love others too.

The Moral (to take a quote from Hugh Grant, who I'm sad to say will not be my valentine):

Love actually, is all around.

Fall Fashion Week!

This fall is going to be a fashionable one! Just finished looking through most of the runway shows from NY Fashion Week. Very, very impressed and excited. Not that any of the clothes will be in my closets, of course, but it looks like the trends are trends I'd actually wear. The colors are also very jewel-toned–Proenza Schouler's looks were gorgeous, and the silhouettes classic with a modern twist. Here are some of my favorite looks (all images courtesy of Style.com):

Diane von Furstenberg

ADAM

Bill Blass

DKNY

Isaac Mizrahi

Elie Tahari

3.1 Phillip Lim

BCBG Max Azria

Proenza Schouler

That was just a very very small sample of the hundreds of amazing outfits gracing the tents at Bryant Park. I love fall fashion, theres just something about scarves, chunky-knit sweaters and tights that make me so happy. The London fashion shows just started too, I'm so excited to see those! It was great seeing opaque tights, rich fabrics and delicious Christian Louboutins on those stick thin legs (Chanel Iman, please eat something! You'd look even better with actual muscle on your legs. Trust me honey.) Oh how I love fashion. My great friend Vicen totally went to Proenza's show and Rodarte. Amazing! I live through him in times like these.

In other news, I got one half of a 4 part project done and am really happy with the turnout and will post pictures later. I've officially started my research projects and now need to concentrate on my art history midterm later this week. I'm a little scared but if I continue studying it should be no problem. This week is also Valentine's Day. Which means I'm getting some chocolate somehow– I have no expectations for this year so I'll buy myself as much chocolate as I can! Hopefully every one will have a great day no matter if they get something or not! To all my single girls out there, I salute you.

Til next time!

1,2,3,4

I think I've finally got a hold on school work.  I'm a total stranger to the Library, and yesterday made it clear that it isn't as hard as I think.  So...this weekend will be my one on one date with the library for my research purposes.  Kind of daunting, but it needs to be done.  I also finished my powerpoint (why do we still do these? am I 15?) for my Japanese Gardens presentation...OH and I'm really excited for all the projects i'm doing in color theory and drawing II.  I get to draw costumes for a Midsummer Night's Dream.  Is this not what I always wanted to do in class but the teacher wasn't cool enough? YES. So much fun.  And in drawing II im actually using my pens again and I keep forgetting how awesome they are.  Sorry charcoal.

I'm super jealous of a friend who went to see two fashion shows at NEW YORK FASHION WEEK.  Just kill me.  So. so. jealous.  

In other news, I really want a job, and I want to get all my stuff done.  The end.

Currently Reading: 

Listening to: Feist, Janet Jackson (old school), MTV Party to Go 1999

Swimming Strokes

marriedtothesea.com

Stay Tuned

Vampire Weekend–New full length album out NOW. Get it and enjoy.

Aloha!

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Portland Japanese Garden

Today I spent the day up in the southwest hills at the Portland Japanese Garden for a class project on parks with my sister and a couple other girls.  It was beautiful, freezing and extremely peaceful.  I'm definitely making a trip back in the spring, when the trees are in bloom.  There were little piles of snow around the gardens, the tiny ponds were freezing over, and yet, through all that cold, the trees remain green.  The gardens are a spectacular place to visit and get lost in, you won't regret it.

The tree on the right is the famous Japanese Maple that turns a fiery red-orange in the fall, I can't wait to see it in its glory.

I'd say it was a pretty nice day.

 japanesegarden.com 

Muffins

click for full picture

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