Summer Concerts Kick-off!

Once in a while, I will become obsessed with something. My obssesions have included Miss Saigon, dancers on So You Think You Can Dance, Michael Jackson (when he passed away), knitting, Green Day, the list goes on and on. But right now, I am obsessed with concerts. I purchased 5 pairs of tickets over the past 2 months! I kicked off my concerts obsession with the American Idol concert at the Staples Center last Thursday. Here are some of my favorite concert moments!

 Winner Kris Allen singing "Heartless"

Gasp! It's Adam Lambert and his amazing rendition of Mad World!

Matt Giraud aka Justin Timberlake dueling on the piano with Scott Mcintyre

View from Section 205 at the Staples Center

Anoop-dawg singing Mad by Ne-yo

Other concerts I have lined up? Check it out!

• 8/25 - Green Day @ Inglewood
• 10/7 - Ingrid Michaelson @ Troubador
• 10/10 - Jason Mraz @ Hollywood Bowl
• 10/25 - U2 @ Rose bowl (I might sell these tickets!

I wanted to get Daughtry tickets too, but absentminded me forgot to hop onto the computer at 10AM when they went on sale, and they sold out in less than 30 mins! Boohoo...

Channeling The Inner Artist In Me

Artwork is so expensive, so I decided to DIY and purchased a blank canvas a few months ago to paint something to put up on my blank bedroom wall. Finally, I got around to pulling out my paintbrushes and paints. My walls are green and my furniture is dark brown, so I tried to keep the colors consistent. I can't believe I started the painting at 11PM, and finally peeled myself away from the finished piece at 4:30AM. I sat through 3 movies: The Heartbreak Kid, Juno, and Bring It On 2 (yes, I did just admit that I watched it). Ta-da!

Still drying off on the easel

Voila!

Close up of my painting on the wall

Side view of my painting

Congratulations, Mike and Cathy!

This weekend, I attended my good friend Cathy's wedding in San Jose/Morgan Hill. What a perfect day! The best way I can think of to describe the wedding is that it was what every little girl dreams of, and what every big girl admires. Everything about the wedding was so personalized to both Cathy and Mike. I have never been to a wedding before where I thought to myself so many times, "That is so (insert name here!!!)" Here are my favorite memories of their special day:

• Cathy's h-o-t red/pink jeweled heels she wore with her beautiful wedding dress
  
• The non-traditional brown suit for the groom and green vest and tie with a cream suit for the groomsmen
  
• Cathy and Mike deciding that there would not be a groom's side and bride's side at the ceremony because they wanted everyone to mingle
  
• The Pastor pointing out that when asked to write three positives and three negatives about each other, both Cathy and Mike easily thought of three positives, but couldn't come up with three negatives, indicating that they both see and focus on the best in each other
  
• The Pastor giving Mike a hard time about always catering to Cathy even when she's not beautiful in 30 years (yes, he did say not beautiful!)
  
• Cathy’s high school friends' speeches about her believing that one of her teachers had a glass eye in high school because she is so gullible and also the sharing of a note Cathy wrote when she was sixteen about how she described herself (multi-personalities, haha) and what her dream guy would be like (i.e., FINE with a hint of a six pack, haha)
  
• Mike's Father's speech where he told Mike that he had exceeded all his expectations when he decided to marry Cathy, all the while getting really choked up (it was a tearjerker moment for everyone in the audience!)
  
• Mike sharing with everyone that on their first date his car was stolen before he was able to pick Cathy up, but went on the date anyway and is so happy he didn't let something so small like a stolen car stop him from going out with her (aww!)
  
• Cathy's and Mike's first dance toThe Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson while the wedding party were back-up dancers (that song fits them so perfectly, I absolutely love that song!)
  
• There was no bouquet nor garter toss (woohoo!)
  
• Last but definitely not least, being able to share such a perfect day with two kind-hearted and loving people who I know will truly live happily ever after!

The beautiful bride and her parents

I was honored to do a reading at the ceremony

Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Giese!

First dance with the cutest back-up dancers

Me with the beautiful bride

So many cakes to choose from!
  Cathy getting cake smooshed in her face! Shame, shame. =P

Congratulations you two! I love this picture!

Dinner For One, Please

Realizing that I consistently spend about $500/month on food, I believe it's time to cutback and become a little bit more resourceful with my meals. I love to cook, though I am no chef, but it's so hard to cook for just one person. Everything I buy at the grocery stores feeds at least two mouths per package. So, I usually split my vegetables and meats into smaller packages to spread it throughout the week, but then who wants to eat broccoli three days out of the seven? Or worse, if I have leftovers after dinner that I bring for lunch, it's like eating broccoli six times in one week! That's really all the time I have before my groceries starts to spoil. Sigh, such a conundrum I am in. Regardless, here's to creativity and my attempt to eat-in more often and eat healthier!

Day 1

Ong Choy (asian veggie), Beef stew in soy sauce (this was my first time making this so it came out too salty after 1.5 hours of cooking the meat so that it would soften up!), Egg (for protein!)

Day 2 Mmm, filet mignon! Wannabee Giovanni Shrimp Truck garlic/butter shrimp! And brocolli with oyster sauce.

Day 3

Pork and shrimp potstickers from scratch (for the most part) at 10PM at night. I even made enough to feed myself and my coworker for lunch the next day. Yay for leftovers!


Day 4
Got lazy and decided to boil a few wontons (made from a while back), steam up some Chinese broccoli, and fry an egg (no leftovers, sniff sniff)

Day 5

Okay, DO NOT be afraid. This tasted better than it looked. This is a product of super duper laziness. A friend in college taught me this: wheat penne pasta, cream of mushroom soup, and a can of tuna. It really is not bad!

Day 6

Curry fish ball and Chinese brocolli (see the repeat?)

Okay, so I admit, by the end of the week on Sunday, I was excited to go to my parents' place for my Mom's cooking. I even snatched her leftovers, mwuahaha. Have a great week!

It's Just Another Day For You and Me In Paradise

Welcome (me) back! I spent the last week out of the country enjoying the warm weather and beautiful views without the distractions of a cellphone and the internet. The week was filled with $20 sandwiches/burgers + fries (oink oink), driving around a ghetto 5-speed Panda (yes, I know how!) that needed to be pushed at times because the reverse gear was near impossible to find, sitting on the edge of a pier counting shooting stars in the star-filled skies, getting accustomed to the French language, sun bathing, playing Scrabble, and finally, sitting at the airport for 7 hours waiting for our flight home. All in all, it was a much needed vacation that flew by way too quickly!

Crystal clear waters

Is this how you swing?

Happy birthday to me!

Lily pads with koi fish

Beautiful sunsets

Sandwiches, sandwiches, and more sandwiches

Magnificent views

Where am I? =)