Wednesday wishes + The city of ♥

Wish I could go to Paris with my friend. Be safe!

via The Fancy

And bring back a Frenchman!

Wednesday wishes + Anywhere new

via Fancy

Friday night links + A happy weekend

via Fancy

Find out what's wrong with this order of pizza. (via imgur)

These cool-looking pools. I want to go to the second one! (via A CUP OF JO)

Also, these cool-looking floating docks. (via CanDock)

The White House Honey Porter. (via The White House Blog)

Speaking of which, President Obama on reddit. (via reddit)

Gorgeous DIY parachute ceiling for a wedding (or big party!). (via My Modern Met)

Teaching students code seems like a really smart idea. Way to go Estonia. (via Venture Beat)

Oh good, finally a pen for women. (via Amazon)

Is fall arriving? (via Refinery29)

The stopped clock illusion. (via BBC)

They are absolutely correct. Law school turns everyone into alcoholics. Don't quote me on that. (via Above the Law)

via Fancy

Wednesday wishes + Exploring this cave

via Fancy

This is the Tham Nam Lang Cave in Thailand.

Team eXtreme + LA vs. SF car rally

In college, several friends and I started this silly, unofficial club called Team eXtreme (name to be taken extremely seriously) and went bungee jumping, sky diving, white-water rafting, and laser-tagging (also to be taken seriously) together every couple of semesters.

via Pinterest

A few weekends ago, we met up again for a car rally. Six friends and I drove from 11:30PM until 6PM the next day to look for the checkpoints (abandoned oil refineries, old missile bases, beautiful chapels) the organizers had entrusted us to find. Once we arrived, we had to hike, hop fences, climb over barbed wire, etc. to take a picture as proof. Along the way, there were vicious (but ultimately friendly) egg/condiment fights with other teams. And at the end, we met up with some friends from SF, who also had had their own checkpoints to complete. Needless to say, it was a lot of fun, and I probably won't do something so nonsensical again for a long time.

via Rental Car Rally

One of the things I most appreciated was the enthusiasm most of these participants had. There were more than 50 teams and many of them spent weeks preparing their costumes, decorating their cars, and matching their supplies with their themes (examples: Mario Kart team threw bananas, Ice Cream truck team left sundaes on everyone's cars). A couple of teams even bought an old limo and bus to compete in.

Shandon Chapel (one of the checkpoints) via gather

Although this wasn't the most dignified or intellectual event, the participants of the rally inspired me, and I could definitely learn something from them. Seeing these people in full costumes and ecstatically completing tasks even after several hours on the road, I felt as if this is the way life is meant to be lived. They signed up for something and committed 100% to it. Better yet, they stayed positive and cheerful the whole time.Whether my idea of a good time is eating my way through a seven-course meal, spending the night playing Taboo, signing up for a crazy car rally, or all of the above, this is how I want to live: fully, excitedly, and a little bit foolishly.

Sunflower fields + Appropriate ambling attire

via Fancy

I wish they had outfitted the poor model with clothes since I'm sure there must be bugs everywhere in this flower field, but it looks like a gorgeous place to be regardless, no? 

Friday night links + An exotic weekend

via Fancy

Some women can see more colors than the rest of us. How cool is that? (via reddit)

Screening of Dirty Dancing tonight with salsa lessons. Why not. (via Dance Camera West)

LA pools to visit this summer. (via Racked LA)

Build-a-Bear idea for Charm City Cakes bakery. (via LA Eater)

These literary posters for the BART are awesome. (via Owen Smith Art)

Food designs! (via Flavorwire)

Must have this immediately. (via A CUP OF JO)

This couple waited until their wedding day to have their first kiss. That's impressive. (via A CUP OF JO)
 
Clothing with SPF. (via Refinery29)

Pictures that will restore your faith in humanity. (via Buzzfeed)

Have a great weekend! ♥

Weekend update + The City

I'm doing it! A friend and I are driving up to Nor-cal at the crack of dawn today to visit college buddies and law schools. I probably won't be able to update the blog until Wednesday or Thursday, but I would love to know how your holiday weekend is going. Until then, continue having a good one.☺

via Javier-Carrete

Friday night links + A wonderful weekend

via Fancy

Is it Friday already? I have to make my final decision for law school next Monday! Unless I get off a wait-list, I've narrowed down my choices to either moving to Wisconsin or staying in LA. I really like the school in Madison, but the idea of leaving California leaves me torn. What to do?

I also have to keep my resolution of taking a MIT class☺. Physics stopped me, but I'm excited to hear that Harvard is joining the game. I'll update you on when they offer the next class! (via NY Times)

The Ultimate Volcano Adventure involves exploring-you guessed it-the inside of a volcano. Sign up here. (via Black Tomato)

All of the Earth's water. (via USGS)

I love this adorable mini BBQ/herb pot. (via Charles&Marie)

13 year-old sells out a restaurant's seating for the night. I'm not sure how to feel. (via Eater LA)

How trendy are these iPhone business cards? (via swiss-miss)

Cute. And somehow chic. (via Zara)

Beautiful flower light. (via Design*Sponge)

An honest post about how blogs over-embrace perfection and sweep real life under the rug. I have to admit that I like seeing (and posting) pretty things and shy away from anything too personal or serious, but it's nice to read such genuine thoughts and opinions. (via Creature Comforts)

Have a great weekend everyone, and remember to spend time with your momma ♥.

via Fancy

Cheese + Lobster

Hello hello! I said I would write about my experiences visiting schools in the Midwest and East Coast around a month ago and completely...did not. As a weak substitute, here are some pictures taken on my phone from the last couple of months. Several highlights for me include the unexpected beauty of Madison, the lobster in Boston, visiting Rhode Island for the first time, partying with a friend in New York City, and always, always, enjoying the creations of culinary artists all over. I also hope you noticed the cupcakes that my good friend from roxpaperscissors made. What a whoopensocker.

Yueyaquan Lake + An oasis

via Fancy

Friday night links + A peaceful weekend

via Fancy

Lawyer Dog meme. (via Quick meme)

How the Tupac hologram worked. Also, an upgraded lineup. (via I Love Charts)

Baby pictures of famous rappers. (via Flavorpill)

Desserts. (via Creature Comforts Blog)

What. Apparently my Kobe beef slider was a fake. (via Forbes)

Bar soap for germ-a-phobes. (via Dave Hakkens)

This sounds cool. Tell the founders of The Interesting Organization (interesting.org) about an idea that you're working on, and you might get a chance to stay on a private island in Palawan, Philippines to finish said idea for free (but really $50 a day for a caretaker and maintenance crew). (via Ideas Island)

This is uncool. Baylor Law School accidentally released the names, GPA, LSAT score, home address, undergraduate institution, scholarship offers, and ethnicity of every undecided admitted student to every undecided admitted student. The school later apologized and asked everyone to delete the email...obviously, somebody is getting sued. (via Above The Law)

If you're in LA, Beastie Boy Mike D is blending audio and visual art for your enjoyment. The event will run from April 20 - May 6 at the Geffen Contemporary at MoCA. (via Transmission LA: AV Club)

And for book lovers, LA Times is holding a book festival this weekend at USC. (via LA Times)

Have a good weekend, everyone ☺.

Friday night links + A joyous weekend

via Etsy

I'm running out of adjectives to describe a weekend.

These pictures of ants acting like humans are admittedly staged by the the photographer, but haven't been photo-shopped...real or not real? (via Lensart)

What a great application letter. (via everyday's a weekend)

Custom made jeans for $200+ in LA. (via den.m bar)

Starbucks will soon be serving beer + wine. (via Racked LA)

I wouldn't say these are the ten best authors of children's literature, but they are pretty darn awesome. (via Flavorwire)

By mimicking nature, a single robot fish can now lead a whole school of real fish. Scientists and engineers hope to use these robots to steer large groups of fish (and other animals) away from environmental disasters. Technology is so amazing, life-changing, and also, more than a little frightening. (via Science Daily)

I'm keeping this one short and sweet. Hopefully, Wisconsin is being good to me, and you're having a wonderful time wherever you are as well. Have a good one. ♥

Wednesday wishes + Tents in the air II

Last week's tent is clearly part of the training required for camping in these. I...would not be doing any jumping around here.

via EMAC

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!

Wednesday wishes + Tents in the air

I can see myself jumping around and breaking the tent, but the thought of falling would not stop me from camping in this should the opportunity ever arise. It just looks like too much fun.

via Tentstile

Friday night links + A fantastic weekend

via The Atlantic

This is awesome. And pretty. And creative. (via Griottes)

Kitty day spas. (via Lustik)

I want this more than last Friday's bike planter. Step #1 is still getting a bike. (via A CUP OF JO)

More Community fan-art. This time, they're drawn as Charlie Brown characters. (via CinemaBlend)

If you have time, Black Tomato is offering a 32 island tour of Mozambique. (via Black Tomato)

Butterfly beer cans. (via My Modern Met)

Literature for babies. (via Babble)

via The Atlantic

These pictures are two of 50 finalists for Smithsonian's annual photo contest. Have a fantastic weekend!

2011 Pretty Presents + From the high-rollers

Money =/= love, but I would say you probably spend more on close friends and family than on an acquaintance at work, amirite? If you can afford it "in this economy", why not drop a few extra dollars on those you're thankful to be with?

via Pinterest

My brothers and I got our dad an iPad 2 for his 60th (!) birthday this year, and he brings it everywhere. I will admit that it's both useful and easy to use. Also, it has some beautiful apps, so this tablet is definitely not an overrated product.

Where: Apple
Price: $499 - $829
Alternatives: If you don't mind buying from a personal seller, Ebay or Craigslist has much cheaper options. Just be careful!


This is beautiful.

Where: Design within Reach
Price: $275
Alternatives: This one's pretty different.


Give someone special the gift of a fancy breakfast in bed. Comes with flowers and a basket of muffins. You know how Ross feels about that (Youtube).

Where: Alchemist & Co. 
Price: $150
Alternatives: The site has a lot of other overpriced sweets and goodness. Swoooon.


I've heard of the automatic vacuums, but this is just ridiculous. Ridiculously awesome.

Where: Thinkgeek
Price: $1,999.99
Alternatives: Hire someone.


And finally...one of my favorite topics: VACATIONS.
I honestly would rather get a great experience than a very expensive object (unless that object is a brand new car). It's something that your lucky recipient will be talking about for years after, and you get to have a lot of fun too.

Cuximala

Hong Kong

Thailand

Where: Rent a villa in Cuximala (just a small private estate in Mexico) for the holidays, spend the night in a boat...on a roof...in the middle of London, frolic with tall friends at the Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, go crazy at a resort in Thailand, surf at private beaches in New Zealand by helicopter, experience life in a glass dome in Scotland, paraglide in Oman, go shopping in Hong Kong, help stimulate the economy in Greece, stop by that little-known Burj Al Arab in Dubai, escape the cold by living in a bungalow in Bora Bora, or embrace the cold by going skiing in the Alps.  
Price: $$$$$

Giraffe Manor

Alternatives: Okay, I'd say most of us shouldn't splurge on the dream places listed above. But there are still some very exotic places you can go on a budget. If you look carefully, you can get plane tickets to Europe for around $500. Stuff to do in Asia is usually cheaper, and there is A LOT of stuff to do. Seriously, I once rode on an ostrich for $10. I would also consider going on a cruise with trips starting at around just $300-400. I think cruises are worth it for what you're getting, which is a nice room, endless amounts of food (The ship doctor diagnosed me with eating-too-much-ice-cream sickness when I complained about a stomachache. With a 24 hour buffet at hand, I didn't even question it. True story.), a different place to visit almost everyday, a variety of entertainment onboard, and best of all, the service is wonderful. They treat you like a prince/ss. On a local scale, a skiing trip, would cost you around just $50+ a person. A weekend in Vegas is always exciting. A couple days spent roadtripping thru your neighboring states would cost you very little if you're careful, and those states have some pretty wonderful sights.

My point is that even if you have a budget, you can give your family and friends an unforgettable vacation with careful planning. If you do sleep on bags of money, even better. Finish it off by marking your visited destination on your scratch map.

Get creative!
Up next, something for the...I'll tell you later.

Wednesday Wishes + Dream vacation

I definitely don't deserve a vacation right now, but that doesn't stop me from dreaming about one. How cool does this underwater spaceship (or "submersibles") look? According to the website, the company will take you anywhere you want. I would explore a sunken ship for undiscovered treasure or go swimming with some very large fish. The only good thing about this imaginary trip is that I don't have to think about how much this would cost.

via U-Boat Worx

Speaking of vacations, my good friend Roxanne should have arrived in the Philippines by now for a month of adventure. If you're reading this, keep me updated ☺!

Friday night links + Beautiful weekend

Ready to kick back? The weekend is here ☺.

A tomato fight is happening on the 22nd at the LA County fairgrounds. Just to tide you over until you can get to Spain for the real battle. (via Thrillist Rewards)

Another fun-looking event. Has anyone been to the beer garden at the Standard in Downtown, LA yet? It seems so warm and cozy. Just to tide you over until you get to Germany. I guess. (via The Standard)

This colorful blog is participating in a giveaway! (via The Color Issue)

Remember pogs? The funniest part is the nodding. (via Completely Serious Comics)
  
Community is great again. And now my bathroom will always be stocked with toilet olives. Recap (via Hitflix) and review. (via TIME blog)

So relatable. What do you call your parents? (via A CUP OF JO)

I'll be the first to admit that how beautiful something is influences the decisions I make. Watch Richard Seymour explain our response to beauty in one of this week's TED talks. (via TED)

Pictures taken in Tahiti

Have a beautiful weekend.