PERSONAL: [internship | nyc | part 2]

Less than two weeks for me left here in NYC. My how time flies... can you believe its almost been 3 months already?! my goodness. Time here has been surreal, fun, exciting, and a great experience. There's so much i still want to do and experience while I'm out here... like check out all the vintage stores, NYC library (the one Carrie Bradshaw was going to get married at >_<), visit Ground Zero, check out the Central Park Zoo and so much more.

But with Fashion Week about to kick off this week and with all of our preparation kicking in for the fashion show, i don't think I'll have time to do even half of them. The design house I'm working for shows on Monday, February 15th. Which i have decided to be my last day interning for them. With my sublet let being up on the 19th, i felt that having my last day be the day of the show would be unfortunate but perfect so that i have a day or so to tie up loose ends and try to explore the city one last time before i have to head back to LA LA LAND.

This week we're finishing stuffing/sending out invites, casting for the models, and i can't wait for all of it. This was my goal, to be able to get behind the scene and see how its all goes down and even tho we're not showing in the "Tents" (which a lot of the designers aren't) it's still a well known brand from the 70s that has a new Creative Director, which everyone can't wait to see what he's done for his break out line for the company. I can't wait to see them myself, every things getting shipped from the UK. It's getting exciting!!

As most of you know, i headed out her with one of my closest friends. With a mission to find a internship and learn and experience the fashion industry here in NYC. She is very much an inspiration to all. When we first came out here we both had a hand full of interviews lined up with a list of which ones we wanted the most and which ones we would take for the last resort. For her it came to a point in time where almost all of them wanted her and she had to choose. She ended up narrowing her list down to a company that fit her design style to the T and a high-end, well know designer that was at the bottom of her original list. Even though her heart wanted to stay within her comforts of her style and aesthetic she decided to challenge herself and forced herself to break out of her shell and learn and experience something more. Plus with that Designers name on her resume along with the wealth of knowledge she learned, i believe has helped her get a JOB. Yes people i said it.. she got a JOB!! I'm so proud of her and i know that she's going to do/be great! We're going to run LA! lol

xoxo
j

PERSONAL: [internship | nyc | update 1]

As you can only imagine, I've been extremely busy since my last post. To fill you guys in (short version of course) we were lucky that my parents were nice enough to support our journey and get us a room at a hotel in Chelsey for 2 weeks, while we focus on our interviews and apartment hunt.

Fortunately enough for us, our hard work paid off for the both of us... we both got excepted to a handful of high end designers/Magazines as full time interns. Unfortunately we could only choose just one. It was an extremely hard decision for the both of us, but we think we've have chosen the right places of us and our futures.

Also from what we've both been told, we will both be able to attend and work our both companies' Fall 2010's Fashion Show doing Fashion Week in February 2010. We are both very excited and can't wait to dive into the preparation chaos starting in January 2010. If you guys are wondering if we intern together at the same place, as fun as that would be, we do not.

As for our Apartment hunt, lets just say it was an experience to remember. There were some crazies, drama & bedbugs (ewww!! i know!), but in the end we found a perfect place in NoHo with the prefect roommate. like the saying goes, "everything happens for a reason."

Just like our theme song says "Concrete jungle where dreams are made of, There's nothing you can’t do... These streets will make you feel brand new, the lights will inspire you. Let's hear it for NEW YORK!" -Empire State of Mind by Jay-Z feat. Alica Keys. Those words are so on point. We're loving it in NYC.


PS. The Sex and the City 2 trailer & teaser poster is out...


and on top of it having our theme song in it... one of the girls is actually wearing one of the dresses of the design house I'm working/interning for. YAY!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL & TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!!!

WEEKEND RECAP: [travels | sacramento]

This weekend the hubby (yes the hubby) and I headed up to Sacramento for my Aunty Judi's surprise 60th birthday party on Saturday.

FRIDAY:________________________________
I get home from work & finished packing using my brand spanking new luggage (YAY!). I seriously was shocked when I was able to pack both of our stuff in my luggage. Normally I have no space left to fit Daren's 2 t-shirts, 2 shocks, 1 jeans, 1 polo shirt & 1 undershirt... But I did it! Lol

Once Daren got home we were off to LAX to grab Mexican food @ the airport for dinner (like I always do before my flights) and to catch our short flight to the 916.

While @ the airport I got a text from my cousin Geof saying he didn't get the banner Nic (his sister) had asked me to make for their mom's party. Doh! I had sent to Wednesday afternoon thinking it would definitely get there by friday... Guess not! I knew I should've sent it over night or taken it with me on the plane. Oh well. Live and learn!

Oh and I didn't tell my parents that I was going to bring Daren with me, I wanted it to be small surprise. Plus I figured that since my parents are now planning to come down here for both Thanksgiving & Christmas this year the rest of my family won't be able to see him.

So once we landed safely in Sacramento my dad picked us up. When we arrived at my parents house we chatted for a few minutes but we were super tired and headed to bed. Plus my cousin Geof wanted me to wake up early to help him set up the party.

SATURDAY:_____________________________
I woke up around 8:30am so I could take a shower and get ready before my cousin Geof came to pick me up at 9:30am. As Daren of course slept in. Lol go figure right?!

Geof & I then headed over to Wishing Well (party store) to pick up balloons and a back up banner. After that we headed to Freeport Bakery to pick up the awesomely decorated cake (wish I took a photo of it). Then we headed to Geof's house to pick up the flowers. By this time it was already 10:45am (party started @ 11am) and the Party people were already heading to the venue (Fortune House Chinese Restaurant) so we headed over there to set up. We were hopping that banner I made would've made it just in time... But sadly it didn't.

The surprise was a success! She wasn't expecting it at all. My cousin's planned it out perfectly. They planned a family dinner Sat night so she wasn't expecting it. I guess geof also told her I probably wouldn't be able to come because I was just there and Daren hardly comes up so she wasn't expecting him either. But of course I didn't find this out until the end of the night when my mom had told me. I was wondering why she looked so surprised to see me there let alone daren. Good one guys ha!

After lunch Daren & I headed off to the movies to go see the Hangover. It was funny, but not as funny as I thought it was going to be.

And after the movies it was time for dinner (was still full from lunch & popcorn lol). Daren had TONS of work to do so he opted out of dinner and had us drop him off at startbucks so he could work with no distractions (I.e. TV, bed etc). So we did, and then head off to Scott's Seafood for dinner.

4 hours later we were finally done with dinner and went to go pick Daren up from starbucks. Lol

SUNDAY:______________________________
We had lunch with the Sato's (kellie, brent & my nephew brodie) & natalie at Paesano's (sp?) In elk grove or should I say Breakfast. For some strange reason they now don't serve lunch until 2pm on weekends... Its that weird?? We were so sad but decided to stick it out any ways.

After lunch it was time to pack up and head over to the cemetery to visit my brother's nitch. I haven't gotten to go the last few trips back and especially since Daren was with me this time, I thought we should definitely go pay him a visit.

Then it was off the airport. Sadly for Daren I accidentally scheduled our flight back during the Laker/Magic Game 2. But I got to catch the beginning and he would've caught the end if he wasn't a workaholic and didn't head into the office once we landed. Lol

All in all the weekend was nice. Nice to have the hubby around and with me... For the most part. Most weekends consist of him working a lot. (Thanks again for flying up with me babe! 123)

Welp that was my weekend. Sorry no pictures... I really need to get better at taking them ha. But I hope you guys all had great weekends.

Until next time...
Xoxo

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TRAVELS: [tumi | luggage]

guess what people?! i finally broke down and bought me my own luggage. no more hand-me-downs from my parents. YES! i'm finally a grown adult with her very own luggage yay! haha.

a while back daren told me to just go ahead and buy it at regular price but when i went into the store i just couldn't do it. But as i was returning/exchanging things over at H&M today i saw that the Tumi store was having a sale and decided to go in and check to see if the luggage i've been eye for over a year now was on sale... and guess what?! IT WAS!!! YAY!

i originally had my eye on the luggage in brown but when i went in and saw it in blue/navy i liked it even better. it has aqua colored lining!!! SOLD! lol i also decided to buy the matching smaller carry-on that fits over the handles. so for the price of the luggage at full price i got 2 pieces. can you say SCORE???!!!!

however i do feel somewhat bad about spending money, but i do travel every month and ill be heading to hawaii in a month and NYC in 3 months. so ill definitely get my monies worth. but i still can't help but have a little buyers remorse about buying them. maybe it's because i haven't spent that much money on one purchase in a very-very long time. >_< at least they were on sale right?! lol

TRAVELS: [mammoth lake | snowboarding]

this weekend i headed up to Mammoth lake mountain with Corey, Saki, Taryn and Andy.



we got hooked up this trip. Corey found a friends family cabin that they let us rent for cheap and Taryn, the craigslist master, got use a discount on our tickets. the whole weekend gas, cabin, food, tickets etc. cost a whopping $130. best trip ever!!!!

thanks guys!

PHOTO: [sacramento| jen & michelle]

Feb 2009
thanks for sending me the photo michelle!!
can't wait to see you again!
xoxo

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HUMOR: [gogirl | urination device]

today a friend sent me a link to this product. it's kind of funny, but yet perfect for traveling. (i.e. china where theres whole in the ground for toilets) OR for your boyfriend/husband that's having a hard time peeing in the toilet. lol

" Ok, so what’s a GoGirl?

Simply put, GoGirl is the way to stand up to crowded, disgusting, distant or non-existent bathrooms. It’s a female urination device (sometimes called a FUD) that allows you to urinate while standing up. It’s neat. It’s discreet. It’s hygienic.

GoGirl is easy to use. Just lower your panties, and put GoGirl against your body, forming a seal. Aim and, well, pee. Pretty simple, huh?

GoGirl fits easily in your purse, pocket, or glove compartment. It’s a must for travel and sports. And it’s great for everyday––no more crouching over or trying to cover up an unsanitary public toilet.

While the concept may be new to you, European women have used female urination devices for years. GoGirl’s not the first device of its kind. But try it. And we think you’ll agree it’s easily the best.

Only GoGirl is made with flexible, medical grade silicone. Dispose of it after use. Or clean and reuse as you like. (Urine is sterile, but the product can come into contact with contaminates during use, so take precautions when cleaning.) Our patented splash guard eliminates messing and spilling. Once you practice a time or two, using a GoGirl is going to feel like second nature. You won’t be like a man. You’ll just pee like one."

{source: Go-Girl.com}

PERSONAL: [weekend | recap]

I had a fab weekend up in Sacramento. Yes! You guessed it, my monthly trip back to Sac was this weekend.

I was debating on if I wanted to go to tahoe to go snowboarding or to stay in sac and visit with friends & family. But since I opted to go to tahoe the last trip I wasn't able to see many people. So I decided to just hang out in Sac... Yes! Even though it just dumped in tahoe, I know! Lol

But to be perfectly honest I made the right choice. My schedule was jam packed but it was all worth it! I got to see family & friends whom I haven't seen in a while. So it was great!

Here's a break down:
Friday:
• 945pm arrived in Sac
• 1030pm hung out with the parentals
• 1045pm eat moms jook.. Yum!
• 1130pm bed time... I know I'm an old lady!

Saturday:
• 10am wake up & got ready
• 1130pm drive to meet annie
• 12pm had lunch with my parents & annie at this yummie Vietnamese spot off Stockton blvd.
• 2pm head to a.judi & u.pk's to see nic & my nephew drew, geof & candace and the rest of the fam.

[me & my nephew drew!]
• 6pm had dinner with michelle. Thanks for coming up. Miss you! I had tons of fun just like the good ol days.
• 11pm headed to Hanger 17 for Candace's bday! HAPPY BDAY tomorrow!
• 1am headed to geof & candace's place. • 3pm went to bed. I haven't stayed out that late in a LONG time! Lol

Sunday:
• 10am woke up & got ready
• 1130pm went to arden mall w/kellie to shop and visit Kento at work.
• 230pm went to kellie parents house to hang out with my nephew brodie.

[my nephew brodie @ 7months holding his own bottle with one hand.. talented! lol]
• 445pm headed to the airport
• 605pm flight took off
• 735pm Back in La la land!!
• 8pm watch the movie taken

One of these trips back I MUST find the time to make it out to SF. I haven't been back in 3 years... Yes 3 YEARS!! I miss it dearly. SF use to be my second home. I use to go there almost every weekend. You'd think with me going up to Sac every month I'd be able to find the time but unfortunately that's not the case. Most of the time I have family things to do while other I NEED to see/hang out with my friends in Sac because I miss them a ton. So whenever they can fit me into their busy schedule I take it.

Hope you guys had a great weekend as well.

Xoxo


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PERSONAL: [weekend | recap]

SATURDAY:

i hope all of you who celebrated Valentine's Day had a wonderful one. as for the hubby & i, we headed down to Torrance to watch the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic with Morg, Stacy and Pravin. (wait until it comes to DVD, which should be in a month ha)

after the movie we headed back to Pravin's and watched NBA all-star Saturday. which by the way i think D. Howard got jacked.. i think his dunks were so much more entertaining. oh well... N. Robinson was good tho.

for dinner we headed to By Brazil... YUM!

SUNDAY:

mina and i prayed for clear skies, woke up hella early and head up to big bear to board. it was great! the snow was good, it wasn't too crowded and we jammed out of there before the traffic and got home in time for the NBA all-star game.

i took a nap, but im still drained.. but i have this bad feeling like i'm not going to be going back to sleep any time soon.

PERSONAL//: [experiences | travels]

Growing up my parents took my brother and I every where... Hawaii, Caribbean, Canada, Hong Kong, China, etc. Where ever they went we went.

One of the great things I've learned from my parents is the love for traveling. I wanna visit so many places and see so many things. Life is short and the world is an amazing place. But the one and only thing that's holding me back is the money.

A decent trip will normally cost you anywhere from $5000-$12000 (flights, hotels, food, souvenirs/shopping, transportation, etc). I know the experience is well worth the money but deep down inside I would feel extremely guilty spending that money on a vacation/trip while we're still saving for our first home.

If only we were rich and/or won the lotto. Lol

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TRAVELS//: [tahoe | northstar]

{photo taken with my bb at the top of the mt. at northstar in tahoe last weekend}

this past weekend was my monthly trip up north to visit my parents. i flew into Sacramento and they picked me up and we headed straight up to tahoe to our family's condo.

Saturday i woke up and my parents dropped me off to go snowboarding at Northstar. it was just me and the mt. of snow spending QT. although because i'm able to go at my own pace i noticed really fast how out of shape i really am. man am i sore... STILL! ha!

note to self: remember to do 100 squats a day a month before the season starts. lol

on a bad note, the airline baggage handlers broke one of the stripes on my board bag.. grr!

PERSONAL//: [souvenir | from hubby]

The hubby was gone to NYC and Orlando for almost 2 weeks and this is what he brought me back. Cute right?! He said everyone laughed at him when he bought it.

Thanks beluga! Xoxo

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PERSONAL//: [photographs | mammoth]

the day after xmas me and bunch of friend headed up to Mammoth for a snowboarding trip... first trip of the season. one of my friend brought his SLR and fisheye lens. i've always had an attraction to photography and i got me missing it... a lot! here are some of the photographs that i took that trip with his SLR and my point & shoot.

if you'd like to see more photos from our trip click here.

anyone wanna buy me a SLR with all the lens??? >_<

xoxo