Outfit of the Day + Makeup

Here I am being a fake fashion blogger.  Because I don't know much about fashion, and I usually shop at TJ Maxx and Forever 21.  I just love cute things.

My outfit of the day consists of a shirt from Marshall's, Uniqlo shorts, Forever 21 necklace, red leather bag from some NYC street fair, and kelly & katie shoes (which weren't so great because the entire wedge of one came off today while walking!)  Impressive labels, I know.

I sent some photos to my mom.  She replied, "Andrew looks so cute!  You, your legs look very healthy and strong."  Nice, Mom.

For makeup, I basically went for GLOWING.  My eyeshadow came from Urban Decay's Naked palette.  I used Smog, Half Baked, and Sidecar for my lids.  Then I dusted Virgin as a highlighter under my brow bone. I also added a shimmery light pink NYX eyeshadow in the center of my lid because that's what YouTube makeup gurus say to do ...it does something good.  Oh right. It gives a more wide-eyes illusion. I guess.  And I'm trying to use up that Lancome Artliner eye liner I dislike a lot.

I used Stila One Step Illuminate under my Tarte foundation to brighten my complexion.  The times I used the Illuminate alone or over my foundation, I looked really shiny and oily. Wearing my fave mascara:  Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Volumizing Mascara  Blush: Sisley Phyto Blush Eclat 3 Duo Mango  Lipstick: Clinique in Rose Envy Shimmer

Old San Juan: Day 1

We made it to Old San Juan! I've got a sweat-stache, but the weather is gorgeous. And the town is beautiful!

Spring (Really?!) in New York

Of course, one of the first places to get mobbed in the city when it warms up is Central Park!

Pic by Courtney

I got so excited about seeing the cherry blossoms in DC that I forgot how beautiful the trees in NY can be.

Pic by Courtney

Review: Cooking with Blue Apron

I was super excited when our friend sent us a trial of Blue Apron. Getting food sent to us and avoiding the hell that is grocery shopping in New York City (tiny aisles, tons of aggressive customers) is awesome in itself. But also getting the right amount of ingredients without any waste and easy-to-follow recipes.... I couldn't wait to get started!

The basic Blue Apron plan is $59.99 a week covering three meals for 2 people.  You can choose between vegetarian, pescetarian, and meat/fish meals. There are also options to feed more people, at $9.99 per person, per meal.

Our 3 meals came in a huge box with colorfully illustrated recipes.

The insulated liner holding all of the ingredients was monstrous. It's also biodegradable!

 All of the ingredients are included, down to the little bottles of vinegar and soy sauce.  And very neatly packaged!  According to the Blue Apron website, most of this can be recycled!

Levain Bakery

Beat the huge line at Levain Bakery this morning. Bringing FAT delicious cookie fun to a birthday brunch and pasta dinner. This bakery don't play when it comes to size.

I love the Chocolate Chip Walnut and Dark Chocolate Chocolate Chip!

Return of the Clinique Chubby Stick in Mega Melon!

Sent out some digitals and needed natural makeup. Love my Clinique Chubby Stick in mega melon!

Swatch

Here is a review video from a previous post when I compared Clinique Chubby Sticks and Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain.

Cali Love

Flew into Los Angeles as the starting point for our road trip to Napa.

While in LA, my friend Thuy and I squeezed in a hike at Runyon Canyon Park.

This picture I took looked like it came out of some encyclopedia entry about the prehistoric era. Couldn't you see a dinosaur popping out of here? (ignoring the skyline)

Cooking Korean Japchae (Stir-Fried Noodles with Beef and Veggies)

I used this fantastic, easy-to-follow video (with the cutest Korean lady) to make my Japchae.

The video and recipe can be found here.

I actually omitted the white onions since it gives my husband gas. (haha)  I then added 3 jalapenos (we like things SPICY) and about 7 Korean long green peppers (but I suggest only 2-3).  I stir-fried the peppers like all the other vegetables.  I found that the amounts of sesame oil and soy sauce suggested resulted in Japchae that was too bland for me. So I added a LOT more.  You should definitely add to your taste.

Prep Work

My husband had four helpings of the dish. I call that a success!  (Although now he's knocked out on the living room floor from what I imagine is the starch. Or maybe just plain food coma?  He did go H.A.M. on that Japchae!)

This circumference of this bowl is probably comparable to that of a hubcap.  That's a lot of food.

Hilarious Relationship Blog

The other night, my husband and I were looking at potential apt floor plans.

Him: This one has a secret door!

Me: Oooo, a secret door??

Him: Yeah, so if one of us has an affair, someone can sneak out without the other person knowing!

Me: ...

So romantic, right? It reminds me of all the awesome things said between partners. And this blog by a newlywed documents some hilarious stuff (read from Day 1!) :http://www.1styearofmarriage.com/

Some gems from the blog:

DAY 28

Posted on March 20, 2014

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Him:  “Are you having a medical issue?”

Me:  “I don’t know, why?”

Him:  “Because you’re so dry.  It’s like an old catcher’s mitt down here.”

#foreplay

DAY 159

Posted on March 20, 2014

0

Text Convo:

Me:  How was the apartment?

Him:  It smelled like a penis that’s been left out in the sun.

#apartmenthunting

Sweet Sakura Tea

When I was in DC, my friend let me try some Sweet Sakura Tea that she brought over from Japan.  It was really neat to see the blossoms open up in the water.  When I stirred the water, it was a beautiful sight to see the flowers dancing and twirling around. :)  If anything, you have to try it out just to see this "show".

The sticky buds that come in the packet.

For me, the flavor was not appealing. It reminded me of drinking water from a glass that still had a bit of vodka in it.  Like an odd lingering alcohol taste that's slightly tangy and...well, alcoholic. (I actually just read that the blossoms are preserved in alcohol. No wonder.)  But I don't enjoy sweet, fruity hot teas so you may very well like it.  My friend likes the taste a lot.  

If you want to purchase this tea, you can find it at jbox.com.  Let me know what you think!

Urban Decay Revolutionary Lipstick

I bought the Revolutionary Lipstick ($22) in the color Jilted, which Urban Decay's website describes as a deep fuchsia shimmer with a blue shift.  I gotta give it thumbs up for its creamy, moisturizing formula.  I usually avoid lipsticks because they tend to feel dry and accentuate any already chapped areas.  But the awesome blend of jojoba oil, avocado oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter kept my lips baby soft!  Oh, and this lipstick is vegan, too. Score!  I'm already a huge fan of Urban Decay's eye shadows, so I'm happy that I have a new go-to brand for lip colors!

Here is a close-up and swatch in natural light.

The gunmetal packaging is sexy!

Have you tried any of the Revolution Lipsticks?  Any favorite colors?

A Weekend in the Nation's Capital

This past weekend, I visited my friend Courtney in Washington, DC. 

She and I have this crazy parallel journey - in terms of our locations.  We met in Salamanca, Spain while we were studying abroad through Emory University.  When we were done, we returned to Atlanta to continue making some zany memories.  I taught in Korea for a year and a half and moved to Los Angeles from Asia.  Well, guess who was also on the West Coast?  Yup, Courtney's originally a California girl. And now I'm in New York. and she's in DC!

One of the first trees I encountered after I stepped off the bus.  You'll see that I'm kind of obsessed with flowering trees.  I'm warning you now.

I adore the colorful buildings in the city. 

As usual, I got really excited about the food.  In a span of an hour and a half, I did a couple of rounds.

We had brunch at Barcelona.  

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All of our friends were raving about it.  I thought it delivered!  That tapas were delicious!

Courtney showing approval.

We ordered Cava Sangria (Casas del Mar Blanc, St. Germain, 4 Orange Vodka), Gambas al Ajillo, Spicy Eggplant Caponata, Potato Tortilla (shown here), and the Grilled Pork Belly.

Travel Blog Posts Coming Soon!

Getting photos together for posts on my DC and Napa trip!

Yum!

That Bumpin' Hair!

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Snooki may think that she invented the "pouf", but people have been a fan of the hair bump for ages.

I noticed that my big roundish face looks more narrow with the bump.  The extra height on the head seems to lend to this illusion. Armed with hair spray that provides good hold and a plethora of bobby pins, it's pretty easy to get the look.  I did this in a couple of minutes.  When in doubt, just spray away!  When I got to work, people thought I got my hair done somewhere.  Others couldn't quite figure out why I looked "so different".  I'm telling you.  It's the big-face-to-more-narrow-face phenomenon.

Here are some celebrities who love their poufs!

Good Morning, DC!

Hello from DC! I'm hoping the sun will encourage the cherry blossoms to show themselves. Had my morning tea, heading to brunch, and then off the explore the city. Have a wonderful Saturday!

Beautiful Tulum

We were in Mexico at the end of March.  We stayed a couple of nights in Playa del Carmen and then moved on to Tulum for the rest of the trip.

We were greeted by a huge rain storm upon our arrival in Cancun.  It was a bit gloomy in Playa, but it encouraged a ridiculous amount of napping.  Luckily, the sun came out to play in Tulum.

We stayed in Cabanas Tulum.  We love it.  The staff is friendly.  The breakfast is delicious.  

The beach - gorgeous!

A lot of rustic stuff going on in the bathroom.

A lot of hotels in Mexico enjoy folding the towels into animals.  

This was the first time I've ever seen a towel folded into a baby.  It was creepy.  What was even more scary was when I went to go pick it (him/her?) up, the head fell off. I don't know if it was a hint.  Maybe the staff is appalled by the absence of procreation in our marriage?

The view from the room.  Many nights, we left the windows open.  I absolutely miss sleeping to the sound of the ocean waves.

My Attempt at Making Curry Chicken

I'm a terrible cook.  I take that back. I am a very inexperienced cook.  However, it's been a goal of mine to learn some simple recipes.  And since I love curry, I decided that it would be one of my first missions.

Look how excited I am about handling chicken.  Doesn't this meat have more risks from undercooking?  Salmonella and all?  Perhaps I should have started with beef.

Right after this photo, I was revved up to go. Then I realized that I didn't have a peeler for the potatoes...or curry powder.  So back to the grocery store for me.  *insert sad trumpet noise here

When I finally had all of my ingredients, it was time for the prep work.  I wanted to make it a more veggie heavy curry for my husband.  Unlike his Del Taco-obsessed wife, he likes to maintain a healthy diet.

Just the beginning: Ain't that beautiful?