Friday, December 31, 2010

I love my family

So every holiday for me has always been about being able to spend time with family and just chat, eat and enjoy everyone's company. Holidays are usually the only time a family of our size can really get together. This year, Christmas was just that, in a completely different way.

Every year, my dad's side always celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve. Due to everyone living so far away, we usually alternate from having it either in the Sacramento area, or the Bay Area. We got to have my uncle host Christmas Eve one last time. My uncle has been battling cancer for awhile, but the 2 weeks before Christmas, we watched it spiral downward pretty quickly. Yet no one ever saw him moping or complaining about the pain. Realizing the unfortunate truth, we all prayed for one more Christmas and a peaceful passing. We all got what we asked for. As of the afternoon on Christmas Day, my uncle has been in peace.

My dad had made this comment to me while we were both walking to my car. "Your uncle brought us all here to America. I can't believe he's gone now. Us aunties and uncles have been very close. You and your cousins all better be the same. Don't lose sight of your family." Me and the cousins are all pretty close already, and we definitely don't plan to change that.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Music Monday: The Holy City

Today's Music Monday is dedicated to my uncle. His favorite song. Rest in peace Uncle Joe. We love you.

May 25, 1935 - December 25, 2010

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Monday, December 20, 2010

Music Monday: Straight No Chaser

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays everyone!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Music Monday: Committed

Happy Monday all!

There's a new show that started up again this winter. This is the second season of the Sing Off. Basically, it's an acapella singing contest. No music accompaniment, just voices. I love it! I've always loved acapella, especially when the voices go so well together. I must say, this season has already proved that it is going to be better than the first season. It has so much more talent.

This group happens to be Seventh Day Adventist, which I happen to be also. They truly have a great sound. They remind me of Boyz II Men. Anyways, I posted their very first song on the Sing Off. This is the longer version, so it includes the introduction about the group and the comments by the judges. I love the comments! Shawn Stockman's reaction is great, probably because they sound like his old group. =D

If you want to just hear the song, just skip to about 1 minute and 40 seconds.

Enjoy!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Tis the Season for Giving

I was in the middle of working on my Christmas wish list for my blog when I got a call from one of my cousins. She asked me if I was planning to go to Breakfast with Friends at my church again this month. Breakfast with Friends is a program at my church where every Sunday, a small group of volunteers come to feed the homeless breakfast.

Last year, I brought that same cousin and her 2 little girls there so that the girls can learn how to help others. She told me that she had recently told the girls not to expect anything for Christmas and explained to them what the true meaning of Christmas is. They should learn to help the less fortunate and just be grateful and thankful for what they already have. I still want to give them something for Christmas, so she suggested the Dollar Store, just not the Dollar Store in Union City. (About a week ago, a child was sexually abused at that Dollar Store.)

Needless to say, that small conversation made me think again about my own Christmas wish list. So, with that said, instead of creating a list of what I'd like to get, I was inspired to creat a list of programs/foundations that help others and that mean something to me. I may follow up with a list of gift suggestions too though. I love giving gifts to other people. I love it. This season should be about helping others and giving, not what we'd like to get.

  • Alameda County Community Food Bank - Help donate some canned food to those in need. I believe you can even purchase a bag of food at every Safeway that will go to the food bank.
  • Salvation Army - Help donate clothing, furniture & household items to those that need it.
  • American Cancer Society - Cancer tends to show it's ugly head in my family, so I love how the ACS  help people reduce their risk of cancer; provide free programs and services for cancer patients. 
  • Heifer International - I found out about this program through Foodspotting. Foodspotting is having a Holiday Spotathon. For every challenge completed in Foodspotting, they'll help donate a gift to a family in need. Heifer International basically allows you to choose a gift to give a loved one and help children and families around the world receive. For example, you can choose to donate a goat to a family. That means the family can get tons of milk from that goat every day. They can make cheese, butter, you name it. This foundation is great! I am now obsessed with trying to food spot items in the various challenges.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Music Monday: Stan Walker



I'm going to change it up a bit for Music Monday and through out an Australian singer instead of someone from New Zealand. Stan Walker was actually the Australian Idol winner. His voice is very soothing. The song is very cute. He makes me miss New Zealand/Australia music.
Enjoy!

Friday, December 3, 2010

Happy Friday

Happy Friday!

What a day! This is not the way the last work day should feel like. But, aside from the hubby, my coworker & a bottle of corona, Zee Avi is making my day just a little better. Her Christmas song just makes me smile and sway to the music. Can't wait for dinner with the family to make the day even better. A weekend well needed. Enjoy Zee Avi's Christmas song.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Neat Organization

Okay, I must make a small confession. Every now and then I have the tendency to have some OCD traits. It definitely has gotten better, but I do notice them here and there. Pieces I own have to be in its own spot. The weird thing is that I'm not as organized as I'd like at home. (Our bedroom is becoming a war zone!) Well, that's something that will slowly come into place.

As I looked through Black Eiffel's blog, she posted some fantastic pictures that led me to a great blog, Things Organized Neatly.

Here's one of my favorite pictures from Things Organized Neatly. Beautiful color & completely organized. This truly made my OCD traits jump out.

Music Monday: Lawrence Arabia



Happy Monday all! Hope your day back at work/school went well. This is a little late, but here's a song to start off your week. Just like most of the other New Zealand music that we heard on our trip, this is the type of song that makes me want to go on a road trip. I remember the name of the music video come up on the TV screen and I thought it would be a weird song. The music video is definitely weird, but the song itself makes me smile. I can't help but repeat that New Zealand seriously has some of the best music.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Thanksgiving

It's that time of year again, where we get to celebrate everything we are thankful for. It's always great to be thankful for what we have, but with everything going on in our lives, we tend to forget to sit back and enjoy what we really have and show our thanks. I am so thankful for everything God has brought into my life. I have the best family, husband & friends a person could ever ask for. With that said, here are a few other things I'm very thankful for.
Sunsets
{photo taken by me in Tahiti}

Music
 Buttons

Cameras

Books

Cozy Fireplaces

Coffee - Coffee art is even better
 {Photo by me taken in Queenstown, New Zealand @ Vudu Cafe}

Pretty Pillows
 {Photo taken by me @ Target}

Chapstick
 Magazines (Although I love the feel of a physical magazine, my current favorite right now is Rue, an online magazine.)

Glasses
These ladies are great. I found out about them through Oh Joy! and in Rue's Holiday Issue. Love their style & their glasses. The fact that their holding pretty cupcakes is just icing on the top.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Music Monday: Opensouls



Happy Monday all! Here's a song to start off your week right. It's the type of tune that makes me want to go on a road trip and just cruise with all the windows down. We first heard of Opensouls in New Zealand. The music video for Telephone Song was played on their local music video channel. New Zealand seriously has some of the best music.

Enjoy!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Happy Friday

 Happy Friday everyone! I leave you with a picture taken in Queenstown, New Zealand from the outside of our hotel.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Fancy Nails

YSL line for 80's Purple

This picture completely inspired me. I love colors, and I love the different mixes you can come up with. I think the next time I go get a manicure, I'll be asking them to do this.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Faith

Lately I've been thinking about so many things and my faith has been questioned. I mean, I still pray and talk to God, but I have been questioning what I believe a lot lately. Honestly, its freaked me out a bit too.

Here are just a few questions and observations I've come to:

How do people know their religion is the right one? The truth is, you really don't. It just falls back on faith and truly believing that your God(s) are there. I've talked to a few people about this and a close friend of mine told me that its just whether I want to have God as my Savior or not and having faith in Him.

I've noticed how science and religion are sort of coming together too. All the natural events that keep happening and how it correlates to what the Bible says will happen before God comes. Earthquakes, war, sinkholes, etc. But how do I know that it'll end and God will come? What if the earth just blows up or freezes over because of the ozone? I guess we won't know until something happens. Frankly, it all scares me. Mainly because of how its going to end (supposedly). Its not peaceful. At all. Is that too much for me to ask for? A peaceful ending. The only way I can calm down is through prayer. That's one thing I have not questioned. Prayer has power. I pray all the time.

I just keep thinking about how I'm not ready to leave this world. There's so much for me to experience and see. Parts of the world, have my husbands baby, raise a family...so much more. But I know I'm just being selfish. Its something I have to get over personally. With all this questioning, I still find myself believing God does exist and He's watching over me. I just have to find a way to truly have my faith in Him at 100%. If God feels I'm ready or not, then so be it. I just have to live life now and enjoy it. Live life the way He wants me to. There is so much more to look forward to in Heaven. Until I can fully feel that way, I don't think I'll be ready.

Its easier said than done...

Monday, November 15, 2010

Music Monday: Gold Motel

When we went to Cafe Du Nord to watch Chairman Wow, we got to see Gold Motel. This was the first time we ever heard of them. From the very beginning of their first song, I fell in love with them. The main singer, Greta, reminded me of Gwen Stefani, when she was in No Doubt. The old, original No Doubt. She's a very sweet person, so I'm glad we got to talk to her for a bit after their show. I even got her to sign my CD.

I proceeded to look them up on YouTube when we got home. I love this video. The sparkle on her dress, the confetti, the photobooth pics...everything.

All their songs seriously just make me happy. Perfect Monday Morning CD.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Simple Pleasures


Today I got something in the mail that made me really excited; a real, handwritten letter!

Growing up, I lived a state away from my best friend and cousin. We loved to talk on the phone as much as possible when we had the chance. Mind you, this was also when the internet was just barely coming out and the internet connection was so slow that it was almost always quicker to just call or write a letter. Of course, we ended up talking so much that we would get in trouble for such a massive phone bill. This usually meant that my cousin would be grounded from all phone calls for up to a few months at a time. So what were we to do? That left us with mailing numerous letters to each other. I would even say that some were as long as short stories. 

Now that the lifestyles have changed and moved towards only texts, emails, tweets, or comments on Facebook, you tend to forget how great a personal, handwritten letter can be. Plus, there are some great stationary out there! Like this cute card stationary by Oh Joy! for Chronicle Books.
*Raises glass of wine.* Here's to personal, handwritten letters. May you never be forgotten and that you be read so many times the paper begins to fade. Cheers! *Takes sip of wine.*

Monday, November 8, 2010

Inspiration Boards/Wires

I love inspiration boards. I had a cork board on my bedroom door at my parents house. I'd tack on anything I liked on there. Now that I've co-inhabited with my husband, I'm trying to find a great way to begin my new inspiration board in our office. I have so many ideas on how I want the base to look like, but can't figure out on the final version. Of course, the inspiration on it will just be a whole mishmash of items.

Here are some great inspiration boards that I love.
Now who says your inspiration board actually has to be a board? What about an inspiration wire?  Geninne's Art Blog


Oh, decisions, decisions. What does your inspiration board look like?

Music Monday: Chairman Wow


Yeee! This is my friend's band. Me & my husband were lucky enough to be able to go see them play their first gig at Cafe Du Nord It was great. I love the concept of their video too. This video was created in celebration of their Cafe Du Nord gig

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Making my mark...

I love my parents house. It has so many memories tied to it. My parents made sure that my sister and I had our own piece of it too. We each have our own persimmon trees in the backyard. Every year, they both have so many fruit that all my aunts and uncles try and bring home bags full of persimmon. One of my uncles even brought a barrel to the house one year!

Anyways, my parents did something else to make sure I made my mark in that house. Something more permanent.I almost forgot about it until I passed by it to see my dads new tomato patch.

Toxic


If you haven't figured it out yet, I love Glee. This song is a great version of the original. It just would be better without the creepy perv...

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Random Comments: Brittany from Glee

I love random comments from people. Whether it's from someone I know or just a script from a TV show or movie. Nevertheless, they all make me happy and smile. The more random and unexpected, the better.

Here's one from my recent TV show obsession: Glee. If you're unfamiliar with the show, you must look it up and begin watching. I'm a sucker for music movies and shows. Glee is basically a show about what else, the Glee club at a high school.

Mr. Schuester: Alright. Question for the group. What is a duet?
Brittany: A blanket.

Haha. Classic. I love Brittany.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Little Ones & Books

I love reading, and I have my dad to thank for that. He taught me how to read with a newspaper. Definitely not your typical reading material for a child. One very clear memory I have with my dad is of me as a little girl, maybe even around 3 yrs. old, sitting on the floor of the living room next to the TV with the newspaper sprawled out in front of us. He was teaching me how to sound out big words. I loved every minute of it. This is probably why I love when I see little children into reading.

At our home, we bought a bookshelf for the living room to display our books. Well, mainly mine. It just makes me feel more at home. I was pleasantly surprised when my husbands 2 yr. old niece began to pick out some of the books from the shelf tonight. I have a fascination with some of the old childrens books I grew up with and have a few in our shelf. I pull out the Little Miss Sunshine book, which leads to me and her flipping the pages and telling our own stories about each page. After going through a few books, I end up having the cutest conversation with her. It went something like this:

Little One: Auntie Kafffffyyyy....I want to go to the library.
Me: Yea, that would be fun. Then you can borrow all the elephant books you like. (She was recently pointing out all the cute elephants in the books.)
Little One: But I need a library card.
Me: (trying to hide my surprise) Well, when you ask your mom to take you to the library, she can help you get one of your own. But you have to keep it and not lose it.
Little One: Yea. (She looks down at her skirt and realizes she has no pockets) I know! I can keep it in my hand. So I can hold it and it won't drop. Auntie Kafffyyy...I want to go to the library to get a library card.
Me: Yea, we'll definitely take you there so you can borrow all the books you like.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Music Monday: Brooke Fraser

Since I love music, whether it be old, new, or someone I just discovered, I decided to start a Music Monday's blog. While we were in New Zealand and Australia, we really got a chance to listen to new music. The great thing about New Zealand was that it actually had a TV music channel that played music videos! What a concept right?



Brooke Fraser is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. She has a new album "Flags", so they were playing this video quite a bit. I love the creativity of the video and the song just makes me happy. She is actually coming to San Francisco in December, but the show is already sold out.I'm sad about that, but she will be in Los Angeles & San Diego I believe, if anyone wants to check her out.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Wildlife

I love animals. They're all so unique. We got to see lots of different animals in Tahiti, Australia and New Zealand. Specifically in Australia, where we went to an actual wildlife park and even got to feed some of the animals. I'm still trying to figure out what some of these animals are.




Gulls in New Zealand looked so white and clean!
 Loved the colors on this mallard.
 We didn't get to see a real kiwi, but here is a fake, enlarged kiwi. They're actually quite small.
It was breeding season in Melbourne, Australia for these gulls. It was great to see all the baby birds and the protective parents.
Wombat! This chubby fellow was happy to hang out next to us humans.
I didn't see what type of bird this was, but it had lovely colors and was pretty vocal the day we saw it.
Barn owls.
The dingos were actually blocked off with electrical wired fences. They're very cute, but can be harmful to everyone.

 This echidna is too cute. I was kind of upset at this group of guys for throwing food at it, trying to get as many seeds stuck on its back. The echidna wasn't fazed though and somehow got clean when I saw it a second time.
My husband and I were able to feed these cute fellas. They're very nice if you don't run after it and pose any harm to it.
 I heart koalas.
Such a large pelican, but very beautiful.
We actually got to see a penguin parade. This furry guy was in its home underground. The wildlife park created holes where you can see some penguins in their home without bothering them. They're so cute and small. At night, when it gets too dark, the penguins all come home from their excursions in the ocean, otherwise known as the penguin parade.


We got to feed some wild birds.
 Yes, you are seeing correctly. This is a large ant in Melbourne. Scary! I almost stepped on it. I'm sure these guys bite.
{all photos taken by me & my husband}

Sustainability

Going to New Zealand and Australia really made us understand what a sustainable country really is and how to try and become more sustainable. The country in general seems pretty eco-conscious and tries not to waste anything when possible.

Here are some items I thought it would be nice to see the U.S. try and adopt:
  • All the toilets had 2 flushes: One half flush, and one full flush. This was to try and save water when possible.
  • Their public bathrooms all had the hand blow dryers so that paper towels weren't being wasted. They were usually the real strong blow dryers that don't stay on long either. 
  • The hotels require that you use your room key to turn on the electricity in your room.
  • Every plug outlet has a switch for it. You can have so many things plugged into the outlets, but the only ones that will work are the ones that have the switch turned on.
  • They had free trolleys and free shuttles around the city and at the airports! I must research to see if they have this in the Bay Area.
  • They had recycling cans almost everywhere right next to the "rubbish" bins. I have yet to see that truly get implemented here. 
The trip just made me all the more conscious of what I can do personally to be more eco-conscious. My husband and I made a deal that we were going to make our next house more sustainable and eco-friendly. What are you doing to be more sustainable?

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Travels

Going to a different country really allows you to get away from your every day life and open your eyes to the different culture. You get a great perspective of your life and what you really what or don't want to change in your life.

Our trip did just that for us. Especially when we did not have cell phone service with us unless we were in hot spots. Although we did have some access, free wifi was not readily available to us. We truly got to experience the new places without electronics. You don't really realize how often you pull out your cell phone to check your texts, social networking sites, emails, etc. That takes time away from spending quality time with whoever it is you are with.

Don't get me wrong, I love all that, but I've realized that it shouldn't take over your life.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

M.I.A.

I know, I've been M.I.A. I miss blogging, but I promise I'll have a lot to write about. I even have tons of food pics I'm excited to post in my food blog. But for now, I'll leave you with a picture of the bungalows at the hotel we stayed at in Tahiti.
{Photo taken by Me}

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Creative Inc

I got to see Meg Mateo Ilasco and Joy Cho at the Creative Inc. launch party in San Francisco. They held it at Candystore Collective, a very cute clothing store with even cuter cards and paper. They even had this whole wall dedicated to plants in canvas bags filled with dirt. Loved it.
Both their websites and design work really inspire me. Their book, Creative Inc, is a great book for anyone thinking about starting up their own freelancing business. It goes through what you should expect as you begin your business, and tips on how to succeed. There are various interviews with different freelancers on what their business is like, why they decided to go down that path, and much more. This book now has a spot in my purse all the time.

 They had champagne and mini cupcakes from Mission Minis. They had some fabulous cupcakes too. The Cinnamon Horchata was pretty good.

I'm very glad I got to meet them.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Ukulele


My uke! My birthday present from the Mister. I still only know a few cords, but I love the sound. I’ve actually already had to tune it. We didn’t purchase an automatic tuner, so I tuned it based on Ira’s guitar. Learned something new. Love it!