FINANCE//: [coin star | gift cards]

i was doing laundry last weekend and as i used our last quarter up i thought, "we have a whole lot of change that isn't quarters, what am i suppose to do with all that other change?" and then a light bulb when off... ding ding ding COIN STAR!

there's a tiny catch if you want coins for cash.. there's a $0.086 for every dollar fee. unless you want to turn you change into a gift card from their selected stores there's no fee, like starbucks (annie i thought of you!). click here if you'd like to see the other places you can get gift cards from. 

TECHNOLOGY//: [camera | phone]

those darn japanese and their nifty electronics. they're coming out the a flip phone and a 8.1 mega pixel camera all in one.. oh oh and video recorder. they also make phones that let you purchase things using the cell phone to scan it. it was only a matter of time until they came up with this. it's a sweet idea if you take lots of photos. maybe i would take lots of photos if my camera was this convenient to carry around.

{source: engadet.com}

PERSONAL//: [wardrobe | edit]

a few months ago i decided to go thru my entire wardrobe so that i could edit out all the pieces of clothing that i don't wear, wouldn't wear and shouldn't wear again. this past sunday i decided to go thru my wardrobe once again and edit even more. i feel like a second edit is always a good thing because your first edit you're more attached to things and are more hesitant to let go of things. at the second edit you've gotten use to letting things go and had time to rethink about what to keep and what to let go. 

i actually feel good to let things go and make more room for new and better clothing. ha! the weird thing tho, out of all the clothes i just edited out of my closet, it still feels like i have no room. *sigh*

next thing i have to do is edit out my accessories, especially the old tennis shoes. gotta make room for my fabulous new heels. ha!

MUST HAVE//: [dream | boots]

i know i've posted this boots before, which are my dream boots. not because who they're made by, but because they're seamless, classic, elegant and so much more. 

every girl out there knows that the PERFECT pair of boots are one of the hardest things to find and every girl out there has their own vision of what they're perfect boot is and every since i can remember i've always wanted one with rounded toes and NO seam. 

i've always dreamt about this boot and now i have FINALLY found them. yesterday was the first time i actually tried them on. it was like they were made especially for me. obviously i can't tell if they're long term comfortable but from what i could tell by just trying them on, my toes weren't cramped, the arch wasn't strained... from what i could tell i probably could walk a while in them.  

i was with my friend krista at the time and she's normally the one telling me that i'm crazy for even thinking about spending that type of money... but even when she saw them on me she said "i'm not even going to lie, they look HOT on you! you should get them." and to be completely honest if they had my size i probably would've got them no questions asked. (they only had my size in the suede) 

i had a OMFG moment when i zipped up these boots. OMFG! 

{source: net-a-porter}

MOBILE//: [rock band | store]

Who doesn't love Rock Band?! I was having dinner with my friend Krista on Thursday night at Koji's at hollywood and highland. After dinner, a little shopping we headed to starbucks and across the way was a Rock Band store. It was filled with 4 stations so that people can test the game out but it was crazy hot in there. My theory is they did that so
people don't stay long playing the games buy it made me not even wanna stay there long looking at the different product.

But what I did see was a drum set with 3 drum pads and 2 symbols just like the one gutiar heroes just released. If you happen to me in the area and you're a rock band fan you should go check it out.

----- Sent from my iPhone -----

MOBILE//: [music | tatum jones]

Wednesday night my friends performed at Room 5 lounge. Some of you
might know them as At Last from the first season of the tv show
America's Got Talent.

DJay left the group to head back to home to Dallas and the three that are left hans, justin and mike are now going by Tatum jones.

They recently do my night club sets which I haven't really been in the night club mood for a while now. So when they finally performed at a nice chill lounge I thought I'd go support.

They're crazy good and I suggest to go see them perform whenever possible and pick up their cd at the shows.

----- Sent from my iPhone -----

FASHION//: [polyvore | style set #4]

BEAUTY//: [fragrance | perfume]

when it comes to fragrances i by far like the fruity smell more than the flowery scent. in 2003 mina introduced me to my FAVORITE perfume thus far. (versus time for pleasure by versace, shown left.)

top notes are apricot and wild strawberry; middles notes are musk and vanilla

i don't have much left, so I'm trying to ration what i have left.. but soon i should just suck it up and find it some where online and order a ton of it. haha

a new fragrance i wanna smell/try is the new scent by Lanvin called Jeanne. i saw it in i think the October issue of the harper bazar mag. which i don't think has hit stores yet. 

top notes are blackberry, citrus and pear; middle notes are peony, freesia and raspberry; base notes are sandalwood, amber and musk.

i just hope the musk doesnt over power the fruity scents. 

we'll have to wait and see.. or should i say smell ^_^

INTERIOR//: [dresser | drawers]

last month while i was visiting my parents up in sacramento, my mom and i went shopping at stopped off at pottery barn kids. while we were there i found the CUTEST dresser. 

{resource: potterybarnkids.com]

if i wasn't married and if i wouldn't feel bad about having our bedroom be girlie i would so get this dresser. 

PERSONAL//: [laundry]

is it just me?! whenever i do laundry it's always seems like i'm doing 1% of my own clothes and 99% the hubby's. awful! haha he thinks that i have more clothes then him, but sadly he actually has more than me... maybe not nice clothes but none the less.. its still clothes ha. 

FOOD//: [chicken dijon]

the first time i had Chicken Dijon was probably 5 years ago while i was getting my hair done at Creative Cuts down in torrance. every wednesday they stay open late and provide entertainment and some food for the people. 

for a while it's only been a south bay (la) thing... until recently!!! they finally opened one up in west la... YAY! i'm SO happy. i use to make the hubby go down there every weekend just so i can have the CD house salad. DELISH! personally i love to add the garlic sauce to the salad, it's so yummie. 

i suggest it to all.. oh and they DELIVER!!! even better. lol i'm actually waiting for the to deliver my dinner as i type. ^_^

FASHION//: [polyvore | style set #3]

FASHION//: [shoes | i adore]

i don't have much of a shoe collection or at least one that i could be proud of that is. but these are just some of the few that i would LOVE to add to my collection one day.



i've been in love with these Giorgio Armani pumps for a while now some might recognize them from some of my previous post on my old blog . i love shoes that are a little different and that has some character. don't get me wrong i still love classic ones too.

$965 @ neiman marcus

i have some thing very similar but mine are somewhat trendy and less classic like these above. these lace-up booties are by steve madden. they're called Vulture for $110

i want!

i love these Christian Louboutin's Orlan Double-platform sandals.  if you watch Project Runway season 5, these are the shoes that Heidi wears in the opening with the red dress. they don't look too hot in the photo on the left, but they look FAB on heidi... and not just because they're ono heidi. 

$885 @ neiman marcus 

any sex and the city fans will recognize these Manolo Blahniks. if not, they were the main shoes in the movie, the shoes Mr. Big used to purpose and the "something blue" when they got married.

i adore these shoes but i think its funny how in the money they were $500 but in reality because it was in that movie they're charging $945 at neiman marcus. awful!

for a long while now i've been in search of a perfect red shoe and these Christian Louboutin's are such perfection.. i want! 

they're not too bright, they're not too pointy.. i love them! too bad they're $700 if only i had that kind of money to be spending on tons and tons of shoes. and get a closet like the one Mr. Big made for carrie. 

$700 @ neiman marcus

now these YSL Tribute pumps are too die for. they're classic, chic and modern all at the same time. this one i really really really want. i might really have to treat myself and fork out the $660 they cost. i adore them so...

these are Marni peep-tie ankle boots. i like that they're different. i love the play with different textures. 

however, i'm not too sure if they're worth $920. 

TV SHOWS//: [my own worst enemy | nbc]

i finally got a moment to watch the series premier of christian slater's new tv show My Own Worst Enemy on NBC and so far i like it. its on monday nights so of course i had to watch it online. 

Henry (Slater) is a middle-class efficiency expert living a humdrum life in the suburbs with his wife, Lily (Yara Martinez, "The Hitcher"), their two kids, a dog, and a minivan. Edward (Slater) is an operative who speaks 13 languages, runs a four-minute mile, and is trained to kill. Albright works at Janus Headquarters for Mavis Heller (Alfre Woodard, "Desperate Housewives"), a tough, extremely intelligent woman with a hidden compassionate side. Henry and Edward are polar opposites who share only one thing in common - the same body. When the carefully constructed wall between them breaks down, Henry and Edward are thrust into unfamiliar territory where each man is dangerously out of his element.

check it out and let me know what you think. 

PERSONAL//: [missing my brother]

i always miss my brother but some days are just a little harder than others. most of the time i'll just shed a few tears thinking about how much i miss him and how i wished he were still with us but then i brush it off, which normally last less than a minute. the other times are when i just can't shake it and i have to literally cry myself to sleep, which is really rare.

i've never thought negatively about him passing, well i take that back.. i have and sometimes still think "why him?" but for the most part i just cry out of missing him and wishing he was still here with us living his life. but I'm so grateful and thankful that he was such a trooper and fought every step of the way. even towards the end when things started to get worse he still stayed strong. he told me that he accepted his fate and that he found god. we're not a religious family so when he told me i was shocked... but i thought to myself i hope I'm as strong as he is at the very end.

growing up i never thought something like this could ever happen. i took for granted assuming he was going to be around until we got old. i thought that when mom and dad passed we'd be going thru it together and that he'd give them grandkids so i didn't have to feel pressured to. it saddens me when i think that i don't have any siblings and that now it's like I'm the only child. but i have wonderful, amazing friends and one of  them even told me that her and her siblings could now be mine. which i feel so blessed.. i honestly couldn't ask for better friends. 

i've said this before, but something so sad and tragic allowed me to find who my true close friends are. THANK YOU! you guys know who you are. it might be a very short list, but its quality not quantity. LOVE YOU!! xoxo

[for those of you that dont know, my older brother lost his flight with lymphoma at the age of 28 on january 04 2007]

TECHNOLOGY//: [laptop | macbook pro]

the new MacBook Pros come out tomorrow. i watched the video and let me just tell you, it's SEXY! if only i had a good reason to buy a new laptop. sigh!

MONEY//: [spending | debt | income]

LIVING WITHIN YOUR MEANS
i was watching tv (as usual) and i came across a commercial for one of the many day time talk shows. it was a lady yelling at people telling them that they're living way beyond what they can afford. it got me thinking about how the hubby and i spend our money and if we're in fact "living within our means". it's a hard thing to swallow but i think its so important to check and evaluate your finical situation... especially now that our economy is going down the Sh*tter. 

So i decided to search the web and see what it means to "live within your means".  i came across an article online from cnnmoney.com where the article starts off by asking you the reader, what's your definition of "living within your means"?

a) Not spending more than you earn (as in, you make $100 and can spend up to $100 but not more)?

b) Not spending more than you earn and having no debt (other than "good" debt like a mortgage or student loan)?

c) Spending less than you earn, saving the rest and having no debt (other than "good" debt)?

like most people out there the hubby and i have (at one point) spent more than our "means"... when times were rough that is. BUT based off this article, surprisingly we are (living within our means). personally i define "living in your means as the letter C (above). We spend less than we make, we pay off all our bills, pay our credit cards in full, the only debt we have are daren's school loan, and my car loan and we put money away each month, even though i wish we would put more in but we like living comfortable at the same time and even though we seem to be living within what we bring home i still want to evaluate and edit what we spend. 

MTV TRUE LIFE - I'M A COMPULSIVE SHOPPER

last month again i was watching TV and this episode came on and so of course i watched it. it truly baffles me how some people are so irresponsible that they'd rather go shop for clothes then pay their electric bills, rented furniture bills, and/or cell phone bills. my god people!

my parents aren't the best at how they save or spend their money. but when my brother and i were younger they did open up a checking account for us to save our money in. i honestly don't know how it got instilled in me, but ever since i got my first credit card i HAD to pay my balance off in full. no one was making me, but maybe the "chinese" (don't worry i'm chinese and not racist) in me didn't want to pay for the interest you'd have to pay if you didn't pay off your balance. haha it's funny but true and it's still very much true to this day. 

also if you start to let your debt grow just a little... it's way too easier for it to keep going. that another reason why i don't like to leave a balance.

but with all that said.. i need to go shopping. muwahaha jk... kinda! =p

money is always a sticky conversation for most, but ask yourself... 

ARE YOU LIVING WITHIN YOUR MEANS?

MUST HAVE//: [camera | polaroid]

must have a polaroid camera or its more like... must buy one. ^_^

INTERIOR//: [living room]

{photo source: design to inspire}

doesn't this living room look so welcoming and comfortable?? although i like this look i don't think this is what my living room is going to look like. 

TV SHOWS//: [ samantha who? | season2]

YAY! tonight is the season premier of SAMANTHA WHO? at 9:30 on abc. this show is too funny. sad part is.. i already have 2 shows recording at the same time this show is on. good thing they post the full episodes ONLINE!!. 

PERSONAL//: [evolving | change | style]

if you've knew me before i got married, you know that i was pretty much a tomboy growing up (tennis shoes, cargos, t-shirts, baggy jeans, no heels etc). But if you got to know me after i got married, you most likely see me as being very girlie and probably could never picture me as being a tomboy who played basketball and soccer. 

this weekend a friend from back home was in town visiting. we haven't gotten the chance to hang out in years. i met up with him and his friend at a bar on melrose called Village Idiots. he described me to his friend as tomboy and probably wearing a hat... and there i was walking up with a flower in my hear, pearls around my neck and high heels on. haha (don't get me wrong i still ear hats lol)

later my friend said that i was "trying to be girlie". it made me laugh. his friend who i had just met that day said that he thought that i probably grew into being girlie and that it probably comes naturally to me now. it truly amuses me when old friends can't picture me being girlie and my newer ones can't imagine me as a tomboy. Only a handful were actually around during the actual slow gradual transformation or should i say the evolution of my style. 

deep deep deep down inside the tomboy is still there. someone once told me that there's still a hint of the tomboy in my personal style... which make me so versatile when it comes to how i dress. which i like! ^_^ i'm happy with where i'm at in my personal style right now... EXCEPT, man it's not cheap being girlie. i feel sorry for the hubby, because he thought he was marrying a tomboy and look what he got ha. good thing he loves me! lol

FASHION//: [polyvore | style set #2]

FASHION//: [accessories | scarf]

(Ever's Burgh Circular Scarf @ Shopbop.com $121)

can someone please knit me this cable-knit circular scarf. 17 inches wide x 48 inches looped. 

thanks! lol

MOBILE//: [puma | soles]

I grew up being a tomboy. So I have a lot of sneakers. Yes, it's been
around 8 years since I've actually been a tomboy but still LOL.

The pumas photographed above is one if the many pairs of sneakers I
have and out of all the brands of sneakers I have, PUMAS are the ONLY
ones that the soles have fallen APART. The first pair of pumas that
fell apart on me I thought that it was because I wore them out, but
these above I only wore a handfull of times. it's like over time their soles melt away and become sticky and mushy. it's happened to 4 pairs of Pumas.

So WARNING pumas are CRAP!

FASHION//: [accessories | scarf]

i'm gearing up for the winter baby! here's a scarf i'm going to get. from urban outfitters 

FASHION//: [shoes | boots]

every girl/lady out there knows that finding the perfect pair off boots is one of the hardest things to do. i've found a pretty solid pair of brown ones a few years back... but now its time to replace my over used black ones that i bought in 2003. so the hunt begins!

so far these 2 catch my eye....

Left: Christian Louboutin Ginerva Tall Boot $1280 @ Neimain Marcus

Right: $178 @ Urbanoutfitters

i like both a lot, but both are completely different looks. i only wished that the one from urban didn't have a seam up the center of the boot. i've always hated that and thats what i love about the CL boots... seamLESS! love it! 

maybe the hubby will let me get both ha. *crossing fingers* jk jk kinda! lol

FASHION//: [jackets | leather]

even though the weather is extremely warm here in la la land, i'm still in need of finding a cute leather jacket in black. i found one that i like, but not in black... but i'm assuming that if cole haan makes it in brown, they most likely make it in black as well.. don't you think? *crossing fingers*

Cole Haan Pleated leather Jacket @ Neiman Marcus $725

TECHNOLOGY//: [blackberry bold | delayed]

{photo source: engadet}

delayed once again. first july, next was august, then it was october and now its...????? all they say is sometime this year. but to be honest i wouldn't be surprised if it was delayed until next year at this rate. i'm so close to being "over" this phone already. the excitement has left the building and irritation has set in. 

i guess it's better than pay that hefty price only to get a faulty device. (AT&T are doing tests on the BB Bold and it has yet to pass)

MOBILE//: [sunny | los angeles]

(photo taken with my iphone, on the way to the office)

I'm crossing my fingers praying that the weather is going to get
cooler and the rain will start falling. I need a good snowboarding
season... It's been 3 years since there was a good amount of snow fall
here in California.

But you know, one thing I can't complain about is that 3 years ago was
when I truly needed the good snow season and it was!!! That was the
season I found out my brother was told he had lymphoma and to keep my
mind off of his illness I took to the snow. Today I thought to myself
"I don't know how I would've gotten thru that time of my life if I
didn't go snowboarding." it was like someone was looking after me.

before 3 years ago I hadn't gone snowboarding in 3 years. Mostly
because I didn't know anyone who went boarding down here in lala land.
Luckly my friend Mina wanted to learn how to snowboard that year and
we went crazy. We pretty much went snowboarding almost ever weekend
since Xmas that year. We went so much that by the end of the season
she had already picked up carving.

We've been disappointed with every season since. We're hopping this
season is the season to bring it out of the slump so we're crossing
our fingers. It is a little too early to tell, but I'm over to sun and
I'm ready for the rain, cold and snow already.

FASHION//: [shoes | booties}

report boots at Zappos.com $304 

FASHION//: [polyvore | style set #1]

a while back when i first signed up for Facebook.com i came across Polyvore.com in one of the applications. i thought wow this is kind of cool, but its kinda crazy having to look though all the clothes, accessories, etc. it was and still is pretty overwhelming and time consuming. 

a couple of months ago i decided to express my fashion sense and styling by using Polyvore.com and wanted post them on my blog for everyone to see. well that day i did start my first set, but got overwhelmed and didnt finish it. time pasted and i completely forgot about it until.... my awesome and amazingly talented friend annie posted on her blog today that she was going to start using Polyvore. thanks a! ha

here is my very first Polyvore.com set i published. i'm still getting use to the site, so please bare with me. ha! for those of you that know me personally, know that... i LOVE layering, hence all the layers. i tried editing this set, but haven figure out how yet.

ill try and remember to find the time and post a new set at least once a week. so enjoy this one for now. 

ORGANIZE//: [home | closet]

i couple of years ago i organized my closet and shoes. (photo below)

i've ran into some problems with the shoes in the boxes. especially the ones on the bottom of the stack. so I'm going to have to trash the shoes boxes and opt for something more efficient like theses clear shoe drawers from The Container Store (photo below)

it'll be so much easier to put back the shoes and wont have to worry about the other shoe boxes falling on top of me anymore. ^_^

INTERIOR//: [home | decor]

for those of you that haven't been reading my old blog , i've started to keep a scrapbook of interior design ideas that i like and want to keep in mind once the hubby and i finally buy a place (which hopefully should be within a 1-2 years).

BEDROOM
one of the hardest for me is the bedroom, only because it's the room we're probably going to be spending the most time in. i'm thinking i would like to have it feel like a hotel room. (light bulb turns on) ill check out hotel websites to get ideas on the bedroom decor. why didn't i think of that earlier. ha

i did it the hard way by searching on Google Images but i did come across this cute blog called Inside Avenue that had a cute photo from Metropolitan Home Mag

doesnt this rooms look nice and cozy... a place you could spend hours in?! ^_^

BATHROOM

i LOVE this bathroom (above). i love the fact that you feel like you're not in the city and you one with nature. my only main issue would be.. knowing my hubby, he'd run outside around the house and try to scare me and take a peek. (typical daren for ya ha!) although i love what the all white look does, i would probably add a little color... but all in all i love the idea.

LIVING ROOM

i love the colors and the roman shades.

FASHION//: [lauren conrad | clothing]

to tell you the truth i'm a fan of the tv show The Hills but i'm not a fan of LC's clothing line. i feel like her designs are boring and WAY over priced. the same designs she sells for $150-300 you can pretty much find them at a store like forever 21 or the shops on melrose for less than $50.

but as i was bored surfing the web i decided to take a look at her clothing line's website... and to my surprise i did like 2 items. the only thing... there's NO WAY i'm about to spend that much on this pieces. 

the dress is $225 and the wrap/cardigan is $150... with those prices the quality better be awesome!

FASHION//: [halloween | costume]

October is here! which means that halloween i just around the corner.

every year my company (more like the company i work for) throws a HUGE halloween party that pretty much everyone has been to or heard about. last year i couldn't attend because it was a friends wedding (yay! mina and dave). but here are photos from past halloweens....

in 2006 i was a Harajuku Girl and in 2004-2005 i was a pin-up army girl. 

i was thinking of maybe going crazy and just dressing over the top, tons of make-up w/ my hair done crazy and say im walking the runway or i thought maybe ill dress up something like this (image below)

but not so hooched out. i love the head pieces... i'm so bad a deciding what i wanna do for halloween and its ALWAYS super last minute. ha  

any ideas? please keep in mind it's a work function. lol 

MOBILE//: [blogging | test]

Sending this from my phone.. Yay!

PERSONAL//: [welcome | new blog]

WELCOME! this is my very first post on my brand spanking NEW blog. For those of you that have been reading my other blog over at www.xanga.com/nunnbetter i've decided to try to start blogging here instead. the main reason...

1. so that EVERYONE and ANYONE can post a comment if they'd like too. you dont have to be a member to anything

2. i found out after i signed up was that i can post on my blog while im on the go, just by sending an email to a given email address. LOVE IT! 

so again welcome, enjoy and thanks again for coming. YAY!

PS... sorry about the layout, i'm still trying to figure things out. ^_^