Places To Be ::: Coffee & Tea Shops

When I wake up and I'm getting ready for work, the first thing that i want is coffee or tea (the second would be that i worked somewhere else, the third is spending time with my bf). Coffee and Tea are especially essential during the winter times, when the air is chilly and there isn't much sun to warm you out. So when those days come around i love love love to go get something warm to make me feel better.

There are plenty of good shops around L.A but i know some of you don't live in CALI and I'm sure you have some good places around where you live :).

I think that I'm more of a tea person than a coffee person. I love the selections that you can have! Some of my favorites are Rooibos (with Camu Camu), Earl Grey, Black Tea, Chamomile, 7 Blossoms, Strawberry Teas and Hibiscus Teas. I tend to stick with bolder flavors. I think the only ones that i haven't liked are flowery teas because they make me feel like I'm drinking perfume. For example, Rose hips, Lavender, and Jasmine based teas.

Now for those of you that are in the LA County here are a few of the places that i have enjoyed experiencing. All of these mostly found by roaming around, waiting to go home, and of course to pass time in between classes.  Kaldi Coffee & Tea ** Located In Atwater Village in Glendale. I used to spend 3-5 hours here. They have an AWESOME tea selection plus the place is filled with pretty rad people and it has some cute shops nearby. Also its doubled as an art gallery!!! HOW COOL RIGHT?!

In Pasadena there is Bird Pick &**. They have All your tea needs!!! Super Cute.

Bricks & Scones  is also a trendy place. They have discounts and perks and LIVE MUSIC! They even have a study (which is a no talking room) :) yay!

                                          

Here a couple others :::

 Harlem Place Cafe (LA) , 

cafe MUSE (Hollywood) **,  

Paper or Plastik (W. LA) ,

T Salon (W. Hollywood) ,

Urth Caffe (Downtown La) ,

Groundwork (Hollywood) ,

Zephyr Coffee House  and Art Gallery (Pasadena) **,

The Drip Bar (LA) 

** Personal Favorites

Are You Listening? p8

This is pretty much random
1. Drink To Moving On - Grand National
2. An Echo In - The Sea and Cake
3. Shiny On The Inside - Leona Naess
4. Fingerprints - Minipop
5. Lazy Eye - Silverspun Pickups
6. Swingster Chain -  Loquat
7. The Tape- Working For A Nuclear Free City
8. Hanging High - Lykke Li
9. Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear
10. The Signal - Fair and Kind
11. Boardripple Is Burning - Margot & The Nuclear So And So's

PS. I'm working on getting you guys downloadable music playlists straight from me. But I'm technologically handicapped so its taking me some time....

UPDATE:::

OMG!!!! Seven hours later and i was able to find out how to download, upload, and compress. AND find music.... WOW... i'm not sure if i'll do this again but it was worth the experience. who knows maybe i'll get crazy good and fast.... i didnt find two songs but most of it is HERE (url link to mediafire)... 

I think i'm just going to work on doing dowloads all week so its not like this :)

(in parentheses) p8

1. When giving or shopping for a gift have the intention of giving because you want to, not because you have to. I always try to find things that my friends will love..... not just buy anything just to give.

2. Always try to pick up after yourself. It minimizes the mess and you dont have to have someone pick up after you.

3. Baking makes me happy, maybe it will make you happy?

4. Having cute winter accessories makes you look even cuter. Like earmuffs :)

5. Sharing is Caring.

6. Try not getting sick. It will make you feel crappy... besides you dont want to be the one that infects everybody.

7. If you have the remote control for the t.v PLEASE try to find a show or a movie that the majority will like.

8. Dont throw away batteries with your regular trash. I have recently been told that its not a good thing to do .... oops.

9. Time heals. Eventually everything will get better.

10. If someone is angry its usually not the best idea to annoy them even more.

Pine Cone Garland

I came across this DIY pine cone thing, and i thought it would be nice to have in any home. Now I've never really been a crafts person, but this seems easy enough for anyone to do!

you will need :::

1) Pine Cones

2) Ribbon

3) Something to hole punch

4) Screw Hooks

5) Scissors

It seems relatively easy. Its festive and pine cones are everywhere! First get your Pine Cones. Try to get enough to cover the desired space. Then,cut the ribbon and hole punch holes for each pine cone you're going to hang up. After that use the Screw Hooks. Place the Screw end into the pine cone once that's done you just hang them up! Easy Right?!

                                                                 And VOILA!!!



You should also try this with the garland wrapped around if you don't like it bare, AND while you're at it if you like the cinnamon scented pine cones it'll add a lovely scent to your home!

thanks Twig + Thistle

Ahhhh Thankgiving...

Haha ...i love this cat stuff.... Just something i found :)

♪♫ These are a few of my favorite things... ♪ ♫ ♪

1. Topshop- $90 Elbow Studded Sweater

2. Peeptoe- $199 Studded Pouch Bag

3. Jessica Simpson- $56 Studded Flats

4. Tasha- $28 Studded Bow Headband

5.Burberry- $195 Stud Ring

6. Stephen Webster- $439.62 Super Stud Ring

7. YSL- $295 Oval Ring

8. Sandra Dini- $660 Quarts Agate Ring

9. Dara Ettinger- $120 Disco Ball Ring

10. Dara Ettinger- $188 Mimi Druzy Double Ring

11. Liberty- $100 Rosemary Smokey Obsidian Ring

12. Topshop- $250 Sequined Scallop Dress

13. Arden B- $56 Sequined Black & Gold Tank

14. Alice + Olivia- $160 Stripe Sequin Top

15. Miss Ferriday- $104 Pink Sequined Top

16. Miss Selfridge- $24 Sequined Leopard Beret

17. Buckle- $35.59 Potter Vest

18. Dorothy Perkins- $45 Camel Faux Fur Gilet

19. Dorothy Perkins- $88 Faux Fur Purse

20. Ecote-$68 Faux Fur Backpack

21. Moonsoon- $21 Faux Fur Ear Muffs

22. Metropark- $26 Stripe Crop Tee

23. Oasis- $24 Navy Stripe Tee

24. Woolly Minded- $165 Stripe Woolly Sweater

25. Lipsy- $30 Stripe Sequin Top W/Bow

26. Lulu Guiness- $353 Sripe Bow Bag

27. Juicy Couture- $238 Sequined Stripe Dame

28. Mod Cloth- $153 Electric Light Flat

Photoshop by Matthew Shriver

Are You Listening? p7

1. Sleep- The Dandy Warhols

2. Im In Here- Sia

3. Teardrop- Massive Attack

4. Big Coat- Wiretree

5. Chicago- Sufjan Stevens

6. Mad World- Alex Parks
7. Extreme Ways- Moby
8.No Cars Go- Arcade Fire
9.Penelope- Pinback
10- Roads- Portishead
11. The Gift of Freedom- Charles Webster



Currently Obsessed With::: TV

Lately i've become a TV person! Especially with my favorite shows.... OMG.... love love love::::

House

Im a super sick person with a stupid immune system. So naturally i love this show because he tries really hard to find out what the matter is with his patients. This is what i look forward to every monday night....

Law & Order: SVU




I feel bad for my boyfriend because if this is on.... then this is what we'll watch. Even if its a marathon.

Ancient Aliens



I think you guys are laughing.... but why not?

Dragon Ball Z


OK... now you can laugh...
Yeah i know..... I didnt even want to post this but its the truth.... lol


ANYWAYS.......

TOTALLY STRESSED...

Sorry Sorry Sorry.... I've been totally lagging it lately. Work has been driving me nuts and its super busy so i havent really had a chance to post.... if you didnt know that i always do my blog at work because its the only thing that brings me in. I'm also trying to fix some issues at school so i can attend next year and so i'm trying to get all my crap together and figure this out. As if that wasnt enough with Thanksgiving coming up its just crazy.... well i'm working on good things for you... hope you like them ♥ ♥ ♥

Love,
O.

(in parentheses) p7

1. The only thing that you need to complete your wardrobe is  your confidence

2. If there is food sitting in the fridge for more than two days... i say its not safe to eat it. .. UNLESS its one of those foods that last forever....

3. If by some chance you're eating hot cheetos and an eyelash falls into your eye.... resist. The outcome isnt good.

4. You only have permission to be a lazy sloth when you're sick. Stay in your pajamas, sleep all day and do nothing....  in any other situation.... Get off your lazy butt you lazy bum!

5. If you're not doing what you really love, find a way to get there. It beats having to live the rest of your life in misery.

6. If you feel like crying. Go ahead.

7. Sometimes you dont need to say anything.

8. When someone treats you like shit. YOU have the right to key their car! jk. Dont listen to me.

9. If you're going to be one of those people that are in department stores at 2 o'clock in the morning on black friday.... Dont wear your pajamas. Actually... you should NEVER wear your pajamas ANYWHERE!

10. Love somebody ♥.

The Guy Edition

1. Kr3w- $49 Hoolman Thermal Henley

2. Gap- $49.50 Plaid Shirt

3. Levi's - $39.99 514 Dark Straight Denim

4. Obey- $24  Record Script Tee

5. Tafalgar- $70 Herringbone Embossed Leather Belt

6. Remo Tulliani- $75 Embossed Stripped Leather Belt

7. Bathing Ape- $23 Bathing Ape Key Chain Holder

8. Brixton- $27 Fingerless Gloves

9. UO- $42 Darth Vader Clock

10. Flud Watches- $70 The Tables Turn Leather Watch

11. Nixon- $100 The Newton Watch

12. Clinique- $13.50 Shaving Cream

13. Supra- $66  Cuban 1.5 Navy Poncho Sneaker

14. Supra- $104 Vaider Red Carpet Series Sneaker

O.P.I AXXIUM

This is a great manicure option. This is one of the new things from OPI. Its a Soak-Off Gel Lacquer. I First got this done a while ago when i used to work at a jewelry store and my manager did not approve of my yellow polish. I had already put in my two weeks notice and didn't want to get acrylics OR paint my nails every other day (because i work at a machine shop and my nails are always chipping and eventually get destroyed). Anyways... i wanted something durable for my natural nails and this is where i went! The process to getting soak off gel nails is long and tedious. But for me well worth it. They have to do apply each layer and then let it harden for 5 min. So basically you have the base, wait, nail polish coat, wait, nail polish coat way, then top coat, wait. Everything has to be super clean and well done, that's why it takes so long. OPI has a bunch of new colors and most of their signature colors available, and recently they added glitter! These nails lasted me a good 2 1/2 WEEKS! (which for me is a miracle). I would recommend this to anyone that wants something long lasting and low maintenance. If you like the longevity of acrylic but hate how much it damages your nails, i would certainly look into this! They can do French Manicures with the lacquer. The price of it though was a bit more expensive. For OPI it costs me $40 at the salon BUT i know there are others that have similar products for about half the price! Give it a try!

Places To Be:: Any Cupcake Store!

This is Velvet Cupcakes in the Valencia Town Center Mall @ The Patios. But really ANY cupcake store is good :) 

So Velvet Cupcakes Cupcakerie Opened up, and its been a buzz so far. Now this is in Santa Clarita, CA So the people that know this town can vouch that its way too boring. The only thing we really have is the mall, Six Flags, Bowling, Moveis, Wandering around and of course a TON of places to eat...

I think that this is one of the better stores to come to Valencia. We do have some cupcake stores around the city but none really like this (The Cupcake Tree, Lady Di's). I really like its location, Which is almost right in front, so you can park and go pick up a cuppie in a jiff.

Im glad that the cupcake is being more and more recognized. I told my mom about the opening and all she said was " you're obsessed with those things". Yes its true, but whats not to love about?! They're tiny, have a good serving size, delicious, its like eating a mini cake all for you!.




Cupcakes are all the rage, and rightfully so. So go find the nearest Cupcakerie!!!!!

Bunnies Bunnies Bunnies

Meet mine and my boyfriends new bunnies! We bought them on friday and they are absolutely adorable! We Havent named them yet but we'll do it soon! i'll take more pictures and put them up :)!

♥♥♥♥This one is his ♥♥♥♥

♥♥♥♥This one is mine ♥♥♥♥

Both of them are netherland dwarf bunnies. They'll grow up to be 2 1/2 pounds up to 3. Right now we dont know their gender because they're still babies (they're about a month old).

Obsession On :: Food

I have many things that i love.... but some i totally love more than others....

Here's a short list.... for now...

♥ Horchata ♥
(vallarta makes the best)

♥ Cupcakes ♥ 
(Crumbs in Glendale)

♥ Potato Leek Soup ♥
(Whole Foods)

♥ El Coyote Restaurant ♥

( In Hollywood)

Are You Listening? p6

(Electronica/Electro Influence)
1. People I Know- Lali Puna
2. Hiding/Fading- Ms.John Soda
3. Alpha Beta Gaga- Air
4. Sympathy 3000-21- Flaming Lips
5. Alma- TeddyBears
6. Nov 89- Sterehoes
7. South (def mix)- Make The Girl Dance
8. Vanished- Crystal Castles
9. Kom Sager Dom- Familjen
10. South Dakota- Magic Man
11. Glad (Delorean Remix)- Glasser
12. Weak Ends- Million Young
13. What Have I Done - Anna Ternheim
 

(in parentheses) p6

1. Make sure that you know the calories of whatever you eat..... because you might find out that you've been unknowingly eating 430 calories on a donut that you get twice a week for the past two years. yeah..


2. Don't watch The Walking Dead before you go to bed. Not even a little.... because you'll have zombie  nightmares.


3. Have all your essentials ready and with you, like your phone charger. Just in case you knock out the night before and forget to charge it.


4. Sleep talking is embarrassing.... but totally hilarious for the people that hear you.


5. Take care of yourself. ALWAYS! Its always more important to take care of your health, that way you won't be as screwed up when you're 65. If you make it.


6. The longer it takes you and the harder the struggle makes the accomplishment so much more rewarding.


7. Don't forget your pleases and thankyous.


8. If you're doing something that you shouldn't be doing, be prepared to get caught. If you do get caught be prepared with a way of getting out.


9. If you buy a pair of black jeans. Don't expect them to be as black after you wash them.


10. ONLY go into a pet store if you're going to buy something and you have the money. If you don't you'll come out disappointed and lonely.......

Flash Back

1. ASOS - $17.24 Grey Keyhole Sunglasses

2. Forever 21- $5.80 Tortoise Sunglasses

3. Topshop - $22 Leopard Print Sunglasses

4. Topshop - $70 Flannel Belted Shorts

5. Tibi - $285 Lace & Silk Shorts

6.Boutique Topshop - $110 Scallop Silk Shorts

7. Jeffrey Campbell - $128 Suede Wedge

8. Kimchi Blue - $38 Suede Skimmer

9. Pleaser - $48.95 Oxford Pump

10. MAC - $16 Prolong (Long Wear Lipstick)

Photoshop by Matthew Shriver

Blogosphere



 



Caramel Apples

So, During the weekend i made Caramel Apples for the first time. It was so much fun! A bit sticky, but totally worth it! They were surprisingly easy to make. I made them with my boyfriend and we had a great time :) How i made them:::

1. Ingredients: Apples of your choice: Fuji, Granny Smith, Mcintosh,Jonathan,
                         Jonagold
                         Caramel : I chose the softer Werthers Original Candies and Riesen
                                         Chocolat Caramel you should need about 20 oz. for about
                                         10 small apples.
                         Skewer Sticks
                         Toppings: Nuts, Chocolate, Marshmallows, Gummies Ect Ect.
                         2 Tbls of Milk, Water, or Creamer, ( I used milk)
                         Wax Paper or Aluminum Foil

Step 1. Skewer Apples and have your toppings ready.

Step 2. If you bought store apples that aren't organic most likely they have wax
            on it so its important to boil some water and dip them in apprx. 2-3 seconds
            then wipe dry.

Step 3. Unwrap your candies, prepare your tblsp. of milk/water/cream, and lay your
            wax paper down.

Step 4. Place your candies inside the pot (over low heat, you don't want to burn your
            caramel) and add milk/water/cream. Stir until caramel is creamy.

Step 5. Dipping Apples: I found it easier that if you have a good amount of caramel to
            tilt the pot sideways and place your apples in and roll them until they are
            covered. Now here is the tricky part....

Step 6. Decorating: Its easier if two people are doing this. That way one person is
            dipping and the other decorating and you're not putting your caramel in danger
            of burning. This step is to be done rather quickly. If you're using
            marshmallows, nuts, gummies, and anything that wont melt you should do
            this almost immediately. If you're using chocolates or melty substances you
            should wait until the caramel is a little bit more firm (which isn't long) and...

                                       TA-DA!!!!! YOU HAVE YOUR APPLES!

          

Clean Up:   Cleaning is a bit tricky. The easiest way to clean your pots and anything
                  else you used would be to run under steaming water until melted. It makes
                  it so much easier and wont stick to your sponge :)  

for the full recipe including how to make flavored caramel apples
( like vanilla, peanut butter, and chocolate)
you can click Here. Enjoy!

Are You Listening? p5 (Ladies Of Folk)

 Girl Bands/ Independent Artists

 1. Displaced - Azure ray
2. Diamond Day- Vashti Bunyan
3. Dance With Your Shadow- Rough Bunnies
4. Cross Bones Style- Cat Power
5. Master Hands- Charlotte Gainsbourg
  6. Goldfish- Kate Walsh
7. Tall Shoulders- Lille
  8. Peach, Plum, Pear- Joanna Newsom
9.Yellowcake- Kaki King
10. Mr.Blue- Catherine Feeny

(in parentheses) p5

1. If you have a bad habit (nail biting, face picking ect ect) ... try to stop doing it. I know its addicting because trust me i have my own, but lets try our best!


2. The holidays are coming! So dont be a grouch! I know times are tough, but its all about family, sharing, and giving....  and eating....


3. Have good intentions for others, and if you can help someone or do something good for somebody else, it'll score you mega karma points!


4. Be patient.... i know you dont want to be, but its important. Good things are worth waiting for.


5. Its ok to talk to yourself.... just dont do it in a crazy way, especially when people are watching. unless..... you want to seem crazy... then its totally ok.


6. Glasses dont really make people look smart, they just let everyone know that they have poor vision.


7. Water is healthier than tea (avec sugar), Tea is healthier than coffee, Coffee is healthier than hot chocolate. WHO CARES!?!?!??!?!??!?!?!??! Drink what you want!


8. Always have something to channel your feelings. Make sure you have an outlet so you dont explode.


9. There is nothing wrong with watching movies over and over again and eventually know it word for word....


10. YOU can do ANYTHING you want! All it takes is determintation and persitence! I know you can! just believe in yourself and keep at it. Please.

Chocolate Chip Often Confused

Dude, this happens to me ALL THE TIME !!! I tried not to crack up about this at work (since i was looking at it secretely...)

Thnx Matthew ♥

Lanvin for H&M

SEE THE LATEST VIDEO ABOUT THE H&M DESIGNER COLLABORATION.

For some reason H&M isn't really my store (not that I'm against it! totally love!). I always go in and for some reason i don't feel it. Occasionally i do find great finds but its on occasion. Seeing this new collection I'm sure to find something! Cant wait to go and shop! ♥

Comic Fx

Totally LOVE LOVE LOVE these! I've been trying to get my hands on one of these (especially the far left) for a while now :( .You can either buy these online at the orly site or go to a sally's but i would call first in case they dont have them.... because these are $10 a pop.

OR

Borghese- Stellare Notte. Which i say is pretty AMAZING! You can buy this one at a CVS (thats where i bought mine) and for $7.99. This color is a mix between a Forest Green in one light and switches to Plum. I just think that for the fall and winter seasons this is a great polish. :)

XO,

O.

this is so you can see the blend of both colors - borghese

whats so wrong about no make up?

i really wish i wasn't at work.

So, I'm doing my morning ritual, which consists of drinking coffee,checking email, reading up on news, and of course checking what i missed on blogs. I decided to check out on imboycrazy and i kinda got peeved. Her post this morning really aggravated me that i needed to write about it. Now, i understand her blog format. If you haven't visited her site its a pep talk in a form of a blog in a form of a slap in the face, enough said. I totally get that she's going to be obnoxiously straight forward and she is funny sometimes but this posting is about girls who don't wear make up.... her post Secret Face (go ahead read) didn't make me laugh or feel grateful for her advice. Its about how us girls should always wear make up. That 1.We don't look good and should never be without our face 2. People aren't used to it. 3. Guys who want natural girls really mean want a girl with a nice face because they don't know what a natural girl looks like.

You know, if thats the case then its pretty sad. Guys need to get used to the idea of girls not wearing make up. Its not like we're going to go to sleep with it on, swim/bathe with it, or exercise with it. Puh-leez! Like thats going to happen! (although i do know people who do that and its pretty sad because then they only rely on it to look/feel good about themselves because they cant live without it! ) Same with society. I feel really bad when i see tabloids that read "STARS WITHOUT MAKE UP" its like, havent you seen a normal human being without make up? Sometimes ,yeah,  they dont look that great, but we're so accustomed to them wearing tons of heavy make up that we dont even know what they look like!

I think all of this is bullshit. I think that if a girl doesn't want to wear make up then its fine. and there shouldn't be such a big deal from society... I don't wear make up most of the time. sure I'll put on a little bit of mascara but thats about it. unless I'm going out out then i wear foundation or something. Not because i feel yucky and am going to show my face in public, but because i want to.  I don't think its necessary to have it on at all time. if you want to wear make up and feel confident about yourself then why not? Who cares?! besides if you don't then you're doing yourself a favor! you'll look better when you're older, your skin will be healthier, and happier!  If you feel uncomfortable because you have something you want to touch up and it would make you feel better, thats ok too. We are human, we have imperfections, just because we're girls doesn't mean we have to look perfect. If you have killer looks good for you! but some of us aren't like that!. This isn't about women's movement or whatever. Its about bashing girls telling them that its not ok to do that. that they need it. besides this just feeds into what you have to be to be attractive, and that if you don't comply, then you're not ...why make someone feel bad when they don't need to feel that way. if that is what they choose fine, but no need to make everyone feel bad...  I don't know.... what do you think? anyone?