So I did it. I almost did it 3 years ago but somewhere along the way was smitten by a cute little Sony Vaio and therefore, it never happened. To be honest, I wasn’t ready then. But I am SO ready now.

Say hello to my new bebe:



The MacBook Pro. Shiny, sleek, speedy, and full of bright colors that I just can’t get enough of. And was anyone else as excited as I was about the welcome video that plays when you turn it on for the very first time? My mind thought “I’m never going to get to see this again”, my hand reached for my camera, and before I knew it, I had taken a picture of the welcome video. Yes I did.

In other news, I rented the 70-200mm 2.8 IS lens this weekend and got to play with it a bit. It is definitely next on my (neverending) list of lenses to buy. It was sharp, focused lightening fast, and didn’t snap my arm in two, which is totally what I was expecting from the behemoth of a lens. Below are just a couple shots I grabbed with it in Downtown Culver City (had dinner at Ugo – their dessert selection is mindblowing!)

So close! It’s like I can touch them!



I think this last one was taken with my 50 mm but just wanted to include it since it reminds of how crisp and beautiful Saturday morning was, and how summer is right around the corner! It’s going to be an exciting couple of months and I’ll do my best (better than I have been doing hopefully) of posting it all up on here!

Even though I have basically lived in and around LA my entire life, there are still so many parts of the city that I have yet to explore – restaurants to try, museums to visit, shops to hop into, colorful streets to walk along. Got to cross a couple places off my list recently though, which may sound productive but in actuality is not, since I always find myself wanting to go back and further explore the places I’ve already been!

One Saturday Scott and I did Abbot Kinney Blvd. – huge burritos at Tortilla Grill offset by dainty cakes at Jin Patisserie (thank you Scott for somewhat compromising your masculinity and venturing into the abyss of overabundant cuteness that is Jin.) So many cute shops line this quirky street in Venice, but my favorite has to be Firefly. You walk into this one and the cuteness just socks you square in the jaw. And it is WONDERFUL.

A little card I bought from Firefly… gotta love bicycles (especially with these gas prices).

Scott captured this pic of me walking along a colorful alley… so of course we had to get a flowery shot of him too.

Another Saturday was Silverlake – lots of cute cafes and shops. I loved the “green” theme of many of them, selling clothes, books, and other knicknacks all made from recycled goods. Cute, practical, AND good for the earth? I’m sold.

And one Sunday was a gig with my taiko group at the Long Beach Museum of Art – the most adorable little museum you ever will see, complete with a stunning view of the harbor. In a raging post-performance hunt for lunch, we stumbled upon 2nd Street in the Belmont Shore area and had crepes at the lovely La Creperie Cafe. How cool would it be to live around there, within walking distance of the rows of shops/restaurants and the beach!!



And one last little discovery…

While dining at the Comfort Cafe in Silverlake (highly recommended btw!), we perused a recent issue of the Los Angeles Magazine and came across the “64 Greatest Things about LA“. This list will eventually be whittled down into one BEST thing about LA. The Disney Hall? The Grove? Amoeba Music? There were so many awesome places on there that choosing between them would be pure torture, but our inkling is that “the weather” is going to come out on top. Because I only lived away from LA for a year, but wearing 2 pairs of pants in the winter time wasn’t as fun as it sounds. Neither is not being able to sleep in the summer without the air conditioner blasting in my face. But flip flops year round? And thinking the world is going to end whenever the temperature rises above 75 and drops below 68? That, is awesome.

To all those dwelling in the city of angels, where are your favorite places in LA? To those not in LA, where are your favorite places in your own little town?

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.  – Tenneva Jordan

A father carries pictures where his money used to be.  – Author Unknown


The first thing I saw upon entering my parents’ home this weekend…

My father’s birthday was on Saturday, so it is not fair to dedicate this post entirely to my mom. My parents are very different but growing up I felt an insurmountable amount of love from both of them. My mom is more candid – she announces “happy mother’s day!” with a smile every year before I even get a chance to say it to her and constantly tells me how being a mother is the greatest thing that has ever happened to her. My father is a little quieter, a little more subtle, but whenever I think of him I recall a conversation I had with my mom a few years back. She told me, “from the moment you were born, your father worked so hard, never buying anything for himself, so he could give you and your sister everything you could ever want.”

It’s hard to thank your parents for everything – for all the gajillions of places they drove you around growing up, for every school play/orchestra concert/taiko performance they came to watch, for all the nights they stayed up with you as you finished school projects or crammed for tests. And though it should really be done everyday – not just once or twice a year – this is my huge thank you for it all.

Mommy and me circa 1985 (?)



Family shot from this weekend (I’m a little less distraught in this one).