Films + Genres

via imgur

Saturday Special + Autumn is here

It's been a very, very long week, and I definitely have the bruises (both literal and figurative) to show for it. I hope this weekend lasts for a while longer.

via Pinterest

Time to move on from kale chips, and get to lotus root! (via Just One Cookbook)

Documentary about happiness. I want to watch it, but what do you think--are we too fixated with the idea of happiness? (via A CUP OF JO)

Interactive cloud. (via Colossal)

Kaleido trays. (via Design*Sponge)

NYFW trends. (via Refinery29)

Love this heart braid. (via A CUP OF JO)

"Blueberries" on Mars. (via Life Scientist)

Candy corn Oreos. Yay or nay? (via Washington Post blog)

Community is coming back soon. (via Entertainment Weekly)

Britney and Ellen dance to Psy's Gangnam Style. "Dress classy and dance cheesy." (via Youtube)

What law school feels like. Except with 99% more studying. (via Nedroid)

via Pinterest

Watching The Master tonight! Have a great rest of the weekend, everyone!

Behind the scenes + Atticus Finch

Great as a character and great as an actor. Swoon.

via imgur

Friday night links + An Olympic weekend

via Fancy

Here is an extra long list of links accumulated over the week:

Carmadgeddon is coming back. (via LA County)

Want. (via Herschel Supply)

The challenges of making friends as adults. (via NY Times)

Breaking Bad's hairstylist. (via Chun Li's Spinning Bird Kick)

Seals are dog mermaids. (via I Raff I Ruse)

These balloon lights. (via Voltex Store)

Scientists have made artificial jellyfish from rat hearts. (via Nature)

Oops. Scientists have also doomed us all. (via Disclose)

Trailer for The Master is out. (via Youtube)

Hidden NYC subway. I love this kind of stuff. (via Fast Co.design)

If I wasn't so lazy, I would try to win this. (via flavorpill)

Lenovo's CEO gives his bonus to 10,000 employees. Now I'm extra glad I just bought their laptop. (via Dailytech)

Bill Murray  Kaiser Soze is now party-crashing all over the United States. (via Super Official News)

Have a fantastic weekend! And remember the Opening Ceremony is tonight!

via Fancy

Friday night links + A cheery weekend

via Fancy

This would have been more appropriate last Friday, but it still makes me laugh. A darker character for Where's Waldo?. (via This isn't happiness)

Four animals that are mayors. (via mental_floss)

Rat snatching milk from a cat. Exactly as described. (via Youtube)

My kind of twitter war. (via Buzzfeed)

Pretty salad bowls. (via swissmiss)

A video of the very popular Michelle Jenneke set to music. (via Vimeo)

Marissa Mayer is Yahoo's new CEO. (via CNN)

Blurring lines. (via swissmiss)

I agree with this. (via Lainey Gossip)

Have a great week everyone. And stay safe.

via Eggheads

Friday night links + A sunny weekend

via eatdrinkchic

I definitely agree that changing one thing can lead to better habits all around. (via Refinery29)

Essential for ice cream cone parties. (via Oh Happy Day)

Despite recently discovering how terrible colored jeans look on me, I want a pair of these. Terribly. (via Arnsdorf)

I watched Moonrise Kingdom the other day and loved it. Like any other Wes Anderson movie, it was whimsical, witty, and visually gorgeous. It was also a bit sweeter than most of his movies and had some of my favorite actors. (via Youtube)

Speaking of fantastical movies, the trailer for Oz. (via Youtube)

I don't usually think of good service as the norm or even a necessity at a KBBQ restaurant, but Genwa had such great service that I feel obligated to point it out. (via Yelp)

Restaurant week is happening in LA for the next two weeks! (via dineLA)

And to offset that cost, freebies are happening everywhere. (via LA Times)

Happy National French Fry Day everyone. Have a great weekend!

via eatdrinkchic

Friday night links + A Memorial Day weekend

via Javier Carrete

Summer is starting, and it's a long weekend! We're celebrating my brothers' birthday, and I'm also thinking about making a last-minute drive up to San Francisco and Davis to visit more law schools. What are your plans?

More wallpaper! (via Design*Sponge)

10 uninhabited islands. (via mental_floss)

Summer wardrobe considerations. (via Refinery29)

Hungry Hungry Hippo and other game-inspired movies. If only. (via Flavorpill)

I'm in awe of this nine year-old's self control and taste. (via Never Seconds)

Who took the Zuckerbergs' wedding picture? (via Buzzfeed)

I want to watch Moonrise Kingdom. (via NPR)

Creative and simple DIYs for that Memorial Day BBQ. (via Oh Happy Day)

via Design*Sponge

As always, have a great one!

Friday night links + A fantastic weekend

via Colossal

More art, this time of the wire-mesh variety. It is a little spooky, but it's also completely amazing. (via Colossal)

This camera poops its pictures out. I wonder why this never took off. (via technabob)

If you think people are judging you every second of every day, you might be right. (via the Onion)

Hilarious Avengers mashup. (via Flavorpill)

Seattle has vigilantes and villains. (via Buzzfeed)

Laser-cut seaweed makes pretty sushi. (via The Fox is Black)

These Cinco de Mayo cupcakes are asking to be eaten. (via Pinterest)

DIY braided bracelet. (via State of Unique)

Clever and colorful DIY fruit balloon garland. (via Oh Happy Day)

18 lesser known gardens in LA. (via Curbed LA)

17 offbeat holidays celebrated in May. May the fourth be with you indeed. (via Mental Floss)

via Colossal

Jason Segel + Hillary Clinton

This is a rejection, but it's a classy one. And he is right about her. She is pretty darn funny.

via Politico

Friday night links + A springy weekend

via Oh Happy Day

More gorgeous free printables just in time for Easter. (via Creature Comforts)

Get enough of your buddies to buy tickets, and you could end up choosing which movie you want played at the theaters. (via Tugg)

This about sums up my view on Channing Tatum. He has pretty muscles, but zero acting skills, so I did not understand why he keeps getting these leading man roles. Plus, he's been casted in a dozen of big-shot movies. And has a Steven Soderbergh movie coming up about HIS life. He's thirty-one. But these pictures make him so likeable. And he sounds hard-working and respectful. I guess I'm becoming a fan too. (via Lainey Gossip)

Cute. I might choose San Diego law school for its masked, crime-fighting dean. (via Motions Online)

I'm not sure how accurate this is, but you can check the price of just about anything here. (via Priceonomics)

Want. (via Nordstrom)

Love these mirrored tiles. (via Design*Sponge)

One of my college roommates had a bet with her friend that flying cars will be readily available for the--excuse our snobbery--upper middle class in 50 years or less. Looks like she'll be coming into some money. (via NPR)

Have a good one.

via Fancy

Pop culture + Knowing that feel

Hilarious and witty drawings from tumblr Paperbeatsscissors. Here are a few several of my favorites. Can you name all the characters?

Imaginary friends

Expendable minions

Orphaned heroes

Lost their precious

Looking for a heart

Living in itty bitty places

via Paperbeatsscissors

Miles + Miles

I am about to embark on a law school visiting expedition. Starting from this Wednesday night, I'm heading pretty much straight from work to the airport to visit Wisconsin and will get back just in time for Monday. Following that, I plan to visit San Diego, go back to work, and then head over to Boston and New York for more law-related festivities. I'm also going to have to fit in watching The Hunger Games somewhere in all of this because you know...I've always been big on managing my priorities. It's going to be a tiring two weeks, but I'm excited to explore new places, eats lots of cheese and lobster (maybe not together), and visit/crash at my long-suffering cousins' and friends' places.

via Pretty Peach Peonies

As a result, the posts these couple of weeks might be on the skimpy side, but I'll try to write ahead of time. Focusing on Wisconsin, I'm planning on visiting the lakes, state parks and gardens, breweries and pubs, local shops, dairy farms, and of course, the school. I hope it goes well, and I'll have lots to update you on!

Freebies + Deals

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Just a few freebies I really like and don't want you to miss out on:

via Sephora

On your birthday, Sephora will give you a nice mini-set if you sign up on its website. This year, the gift is a Sugar lip duo. Guys get lotion.

via His and Hers DIY

If you register a gift card, Starbucks will send you a swanky-looking postcard which entitles you to any drink (any size) at their store.

via The Markoff Group

Twitter is also a great way to get awesome deals and freebies. Sprinkles, for example, is well-known for tweeting a password everyday. Usually, the first 50 or so people to whisper the password at the bakery will get a free cupcake. Also, did you know they're opening a cupcake ATM? I'm not a big fan, but I will wait in line and buy a $4 cupcake just so I can try the machine. I know, I know. I'm every commercial's target audience.

Finally, Gilt City is a great way to see free movies before they're even released. Sometimes, they even provide drinks and appetizers! The only catch is that you have to RSVP as quickly as possible before space runs out. There's usually a screening every few weeks and the cities the rewards are available in include San Francisco, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, DC, Chicago, and Miami. I'm watching Friends with Kids this week at the Grove. Doesn't it look fun?

And there you have it ☺.

Oscars + A few more golden statues to give

Overall, I enjoyed watching the Oscars even if it was safe and predictable. Some people were complaining about how Billy Crystal didn't have anything new or exciting planned, but I don't see how this came as a surprise. I do wish a few of these actors and movies below had received something as well.

via Vogue

Both Seth Myers and Kristen Wiig are such funny, talented people, and they're gorgeous in this shoot. I'm sad she didn't win anything last night, but judging from all the projects she has lined up, I'm sure she'll be at award shows again.

via Celeb Source

I haven't seen The Artist yet, but I'm a little disappointed that both these guys' and Gary Oldman's movies didn't get more love from the Oscars (except when The Descendants' won for adapted screenplay--Jim Rash!). Also, where did the Clooney/Pitt bromance go? I miss it!

via good wallpapers

And finally, I cannot believe that Transformers had more nominations than Drive. I don't even...

But what did everyone else think? I thought the Cirque du Soleil performance was fun, if a little random. Meryl Streep and Christopher Plummer had the best speeches. Fav dresses were Jessica Chastain's and Octavia Spencer's!

Friday night links + An award-winning weekend

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This could be useful. Send a private message like password information or a love letter with a unique URL that will be deleted once someone visits it. (via OneShar)

Banana cream puffs. (via The Food Pusher)

Modern titles for famous books. (via Chip Zdarsky)

Ten trends from NYFW. (via Refinery29)

I washed some lip balm with a coat last week -oops- and am now paying much closer attention to how I sort my laundry. Mrs. Lilien has some great tips, all while rhyming with some quips. (via Mrs. Lilien)

The makers of Snickers will stop selling king-size candy bars by the end of next year. You win this time, health. (via Reuters)

How Americans lost their British accents. (via mental_floss)

The Oscars are this weekend! I know I'm in the minority here...but I actually enjoy watching award shows. Yes, I know they're long and boring, but I like seeing how those brand-name stars mingle in their fancy dresses and how they react to winning or losing after such long campaigns. Besides listening to a great speech, I also like to hear the order in which people are thanked. The first thanks used to always be for God, but then they switched their priorities to moms, and now it's the academy they make sure to give a shout out to. Is that interesting to only me?

via HD wallpaper

...Have a good one ♥.

Jokers + Rabbits

via meditations in an emergency

I honestly don't know why the scene didn't play out like this in the movie.

Friday night links + A super-duper weekend

via The Fancy

A couple of my friends have been sending me these really interesting articles/videos lately. I love the puppy videos (keep sending them, please!), but I also appreciate these discussions that have been springing up. This video by RSA is about our education system. It's worth watching just to see the very cool animation and drawings, but the speaker also brings up some interesting points. For the most part, I feel like he doesn't come up with any solid alternatives, but I do agree with most of the issues he brings up. What do you think? (via Youtube)

This article about ending friendship is also worth reading. It's kind of scary to think about, but I'm sure everyone has felt this way about someone at one point or another. (via A CUP OF JO)

The second Hunger Games trailer. You know how I feel about trailers. (via THR)

Every Tuesday this February, Currywurst is serving free sausages for 20 minutes and 12 seconds starting at 7pm. If you're in the area, tell me how they are! (via LA Weekly Blogs)

A zombie role-playing game. You can download it for free. Why not. (via Outbreak Undead)

If the Superbowl isn't your thing, Jason Wu for Target is released in stores and online this Sunday. Even if shopping also isn't your thing, you can probably sell them for profit you get your hands on some of the items. (via LA Racked)

If Giants vs. Patriots is your thing, these sound like appropriate snacks. Have a good one! (via Flavorwire)

via The Fancy

Friday night links + A bright weekend

via The Fancy

More trees! Click here for pink and pinker ones. This scenic spot is photo-shopped sadly, but it'd be lovely to drive through regardless of the color.

Blackberrys, Apples, and Androids -- can't we all just get along? (via 9gag)

10 ways to start eating better. I hope cereal really isn't that bad or I'll end up like this Fat Tony the Tiger. (via Simple Organic)

How to troll someone who gives out too much information on Facebook. I would not mind subscribing to Cat Facts. (via reddit)

Picnik is closing in April :(. I've been shopping all my photos here. (via Picnik Blog)

In case you missed it, the highlights of the President's State of Union Address. I hope even a third of these priorities get worked on. (via NY Times)

The Oscar nominations. Do you see your favorites on the list? I'm sad Drive didn't get any love. (via Oscar)

Have a bright one☺.

Books + More books

I finally got a library card from my local library last Tuesday, and I'm on a bit of a reading rampage. I wanted to do a quick review just to share my opinion on the ones I've read this past week.

First up: Bossypants, a series of anecdotes about the life of a comedian by the comedian.

via Barnes&Nobles

Like almost everything Tina Fey is involved in, I enjoyed it and laughed at all her silly antics. I admired her professionalism and her feminist views that were firm, but unpretentiously expressed. At times, I thought she overdid it with the self-deprecating humor. While I definitely recommend this and read her stories with a smile, I would rather watch (and re-watch) her made-up ones on 30 Rock.

On the other hand, I liked The Help more in written form than on a screen.

via Barnes&Nobles

Aside from the performances by Viola Davis who breathed life into Aibileen Clark and Jessica Chastain who made a ridiculous character likeable, I thought the book did a better job of fleshing out its characters (which is a bit understandable given the time constraints of a movie). My criticism for the movie remains the same for the novel, however. I thought the protagonists and antagonists were too clearly defined as such and that Hilly Holbrook's comeuppance was served much too easily. For a tale told in an "authentic black voice", it's not the most believable. Still, I enjoyed Kathyrn Stockett's feel-good story and found it a quick read.

You know what's not a quick read? The Land of Painted Caves, which chronicles the life of Ayla during the Late Stone Age.

via Barnes&Nobles

Had I not been given the first book in the Earth's Children series more than ten years ago, I would not have picked up this tome of more than 700 pages. This is the sixth and final book in the series, and each one grew increasingly repetitive. Everything and I mean everything from the many characters' actions, reactions, looks, clothing, thoughts, and feelings are carefully explained and repeated throughout the novel. If you didn't catch what they use cattails for, don't worry! It'll be patiently restated at least five more times in each book. In case you're curious, they can be used for food, beverages, medicine, fuel, baskets, and more. They're apparently delicious as pancakes. Don't get me started on which part of the cattail is used for what.

via Wikipedia

But while I've been a little catty describing the series, Jean M. Auel has clearly done extensive research and her love for the time period is sincere. And for all my complaints, I did care enough about the protagonist to read each book whenever I stumbled across them over the years. There's no need to worry about Ayla though. She is an impossibly perfect woman. She's an expert hunter, gatherer, healer, cook, craftsman, artist, animal-whisperer, racial mediator, wife, mother, leader, and overall good person. Read the series if you're into the prehistoric times, and start with the famous first novel, The Clan of Cave Bear, which was by far the best.

Next up is The Night Circus, the debut novel by Erin Morgenstern about two illusionists battling it out in a wondrous and fantastical circus. The game ends only when one succumbs to death. Except...they happen to fall in love with each other.

via Barnes&Nobles

Cue dramatic music. Maybe it's because I feel we've been inundated with stories of children being used as pawns for whatever harebrained scheme people will come up with next, but I didn't like this book. I didn't feel for any of the characters, and I thought there was a lack of tension throughout. The two lovers didn't really understand the point of the game, and I didn't either by the end. One of the characters advises early on that "[t]he trick is to make it seem as thought none of it is purposeful, [t]o make the artificial feel natural." And yet, I didn't understand why the two fell in love except that it was essential for the plot to move along. If we are to be told another story involving child abuse, I wish the author had gone much darker. When a child's fingertips are slit open so that she can learn to magically heal them, I don't want her tormentors to be redeemed so easily, especially if one of them is her father. Instead, we are treated to pages to pages about a delightful circus, created for the most part, by two illusionists who should be much less inclined to do so. Don't get me wrong; the circus is the best part about the book. And I am no doubt being picky since The Night Circus is lauded by many and being made into a movie. A movie I'm very willing to watch because I'm sure the effects will be stunning, and for once, I won't mind the changes they'll make.

via notsoaveragemama

This post is much, much longer than I thought it'd be...and I might have gotten harsher with each book. I'm currently reading about the rise of modern Israel because I thought it'd be a nice change of pace and because I was getting tired of nonsensical tales. No matter how much I complain though, if Le Cirque des Rêves did roll into town, you can bet that I would be in line.

Friday night links + A resolute weekend

via Pinterest

It's Friday already. How are you doing on those resolutions this first week into 2012?

Apparently our problem isn't lack of motivation. It's not following-through. Oh, oookay. That solves everything. What the author is saying does make sense though. It's helpful to clearly identify the issues we actually need to work on, and he also has some useful tips for overcoming said issues. (via Harvard Business Review)

A plate for those (*ahem* me) who want to get into shape. (via Fishs Eddy)

Speaking of getting into shape, what do you think about those juice cleansers? Is it a miracle or scam? I've always wanted to try, but it's pricey. I think I'll try juicing my own fruits and veggies first to see if I can handle it. Joanna Vargas shares the necessary ingredients. (via DailyCandy)

But I'll start the week after I attend this all-day beer fest...don't judge. It benefits the Children's Tumor Foundation! (via Google Offers)

Machines now make your sushi just the way you like. Necessary? Apparently in Beverly Hills. (via U-Sushi)

This is so cool. (via Japan Trend Shop)

This trailer for the Oscars is not nearly cool enough. (via Youtube)

A nice, little poem for you to read out loud. If you get the whole thing right, I'll give you a cookie. (via Buzzfeed)

What do "bedtime stories for children you hate" sound like? (via Amazon)

Hilarious. Facebook is so judge-y. (via likeapairofbottlerockets)

Jenny Holzer, Mom, is on twitter. Also hilarious. (via @JennyHolzerMom)

Zoya is offering two free bottles of nail polish just because. But shipping is $7. It's for US citizens only :( and ends 8:59PM tonight. (via Refinery29)

Franky (dressed in black) is a guide dog for his blind friend, Elly. She leans on him so he can lead her. You're killing me, guys. Picture of the BFFs below.

(via Daily Mail)

I'm going to enjoy a slice of chestnut cake tonight, but I'm going to burn it off with a run too. Have a resolute weekend, everyone!

P.S. I just got accepted into my first law school an hour ago! ♥