IT'S FRIDAY!

photo of view from the 74

We are making another drive up the 5 for David and Becky's wedding in the Bay Area this weekend!  (Yep, that's how we do it here in Southen California. Freeways start with "the")  It's going to be a beautiful wedding and we can't wait to see them tie the knot!

This week was an interesting one:

• First off, to the surprise of many, the individual healthcare mandate has been upheld.  I know I'm not allowed to say this after the fact, but I totally called it!  Granted, it was just on a lark that Justice  Kennedy would be the swing vote. Yesterday morning while Taylor was getting ready for work, he was saying something in passing about  the healthcare being overturned, and I shot up for 5 seconds to say "no no, Justice Kennedy is going to be the swing vote to prove that the Court is a bipartisan institution, ok goodbye pookie have a great day at work" and then went back to sleep. But I mean wow, if you guessed that it would be Chief Justice Roberts instead to cause the swing- well my hat goes off to you as either being the most idealistic/pessimistic person on earth (depending on what you wanted the outcome to be), or the smartest person on earth.  I will buy you a beer the next I see you.
   
• Praise taught me how to do the freestyle and breaststroke on Wednesday!  I already knew how to get from point A to B when I'm in the water, but was never really strict about the proper form, so I was happy to finally learn! Praise is a really patient and encouraging teacher :).  It was so much fun, I used to love swimming when I was a kid!  My parents had a pool at our house and I'd practically live in the water  when I was younger and was always super tan!  My Filipino friends' moms would always be like, are you sure you are Chinese???  The only reason i stopped is because I became progressively vain and didn't want the chlorine to ruin my hair.
   
• Danny gave me some tips on speed reading and efficient note taking that I am trying out. A lot of it had to do with simplifying and knowing what to keep and what take out. I'm learning that that's the key to almost everything in life!
   
• I am thankful to my mom for giving me yummy food this week and always gives me really good marriage advice. Remind me why people get married and decide to leave their parents house again?
   
• Taylor's beautiful Grammy is having a birthday dinner on Sunday and I am excited to see her again!
   
• I made the switch to Taylor's dentist on Monday, and I am in love his dental hygenist Esther!  She is so sweet! I've been trying to floss twice a day now, but last night I got home late and really didn't want to, but Taylor (who is practically the flossing Nazi) was like- Come on! Do it for Esther! which was all the motivation I needed.

MONDAY DATE NIGHT #2 // 2 coupon clippings + a gift card = popcorn and a movie!

We saw Brave this week for our Monday date night.  I didn't know how much of a coupon clipper Taylor was a coupon clipper until we got married.  I've never really been one for coupons- I hate junk mail, and never have the patience to sift through everything, let alone cut portions out and save them and remember to bring them places!  However, if someone else does the work for you, well then coupons are great! You end up doing things you don't always do and for less money.We also used our gift card from my dear friend Hanna :) Thanks so much Hanna!

 We originally were going to try and catch the matinee, but didn't get there on time, so we caught the next show which was a 3d showing. I've never seen a movie in 3D before, but I always hear that it ruins the movie, so I figured I wasn't missing much.  After seeing for myself what it was like, I think I could do without it, but it was still fun to try on the glasses and satisfy my curiosity!  






I didn't hate the movie, but I wouldn't say I loved it either. I was totally charmed at the beginning, and then it started to go off into too many undeveloped directions for me towards the end.  Although the animation (at least to my untrained novice eyes) was pretty great... that hair! wowowow.  It definitely made me want to watch Up and How to Train Your Dragon again!  I loved those!

It was also interesting to note how much animated movies have evolved since I was a kid. I remember waiting all year for Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Lion King, Pocahontas.  Gosh those were great- but definitely of a different era.  Every movie was always centered around an epic romantic love story in some way, but it seems that "finding true love" is starting to take the backseat and that we are inching away from that more and more.

Oh! and we saw someone "famous" but I can't actually remember his name.  (I guess that tells you how "famous" he actually was!).  Taylor knew his name, I'll have to ask him again. He was in the dad of one of those family shows during the era of Family Matters, Full House etc..Ah! I loved those too when I was a kid!!


Anyway, date night has been really nice, I  hope we can keep it up!

JUNE IN PHOTOGRAPHS

I might be jumping the gun on this since June isn't technically over yet! But I've been accumulating a collection of random photos from the month that didn't necessarily warrant an entire post about them, but still capture some of the everyday moments in life.

From top to bottom, left to right:
1 and 2: my dad's record player.
3: Roof detail at Simi Valley library.
4 &5: At the NoHo metro station on our way to Dwell on Design Conference. I'm trying to learn to like the metro.  I got really winded walking about those stairs, how.... sad.
6,7,8: some pictures from the neighborhood while walking around after dinner.
9: On our way to get ice cream at Rite Aid (even though I thought we should get gelato from the place across the street from our apartment... but anyway, we've put that behind us now...)
10: plants in the office parking lot. 

I spent most of June in constant obsession over the weather and how it's just the perfect amount of warmness. The blooming flowers, the breezy sunlit evenings.  I LOVE the evenings!  I love the bright peaches, blues, yellows and earthy colors of summer, just makes you want to smile and relax the day away!

MONDAY DATE NIGHT// mom + mom-in-law recipes!

When we first got married, a lot of people gave us the advice of having a weekly date night. We've been trying on and off again to have a date night on Mondays, but a lot of times we end up not doing anything in particular because sometimes it feels a little pointless to have a date night when it's usually just the two of us most nights anyways! However, I'm realizing it's still nice to pick one night of the week to go out of our way to do something a little extra for each other, so I'm hoping we can start this up again.

We were both eating out a ton last week, so we decided to stay in for a home cooked meal. Plus, we finally cleaned our apartment, and nothing feels better than being in a clean apartment!!

This meal was definitely a gift from a lot of our loved ones. I used my mom's unbelievably simple lobster tail recipe, and Taylor's mom's insanely good mashed potatoes recipe.  Trust me guys, you haven't eaten mashed potatoes, until you've eaten these mashed potatoes!  And then to top it off, my Auntie Ruth gave us those delicious cherries. I don't know about you, but I feel like a queen and that the world is mine for the taking when I'm eating fresh fruits! Such a treat!

I also made a simple leaf garland to hang over our dining room table to bring some of the summer prettiness inside. Our apartment is still so blah right now. I wish I could find more time to decorate, but, here we are.  Regardless, home is still about who you live with and not the vintage sofa you've been eyeing, so no complaints here, I still have what's important to me  :)







**P.S. Thanks so much to my Auntie Ruth for the chairs,my mom for the silverware, and Taylor's brother Ryan for the dining table. Knowing how long it takes us to get around to buying furniture, we would probably still be eating with our hands on the floor without these!!

MY DAD // He's the happy kind

Had a lovely father's day visiting family last night.  Taylor and I are still recovering from all the surprise announcements that were made! First the night started out with the announcement of the engagement of my cousin Patrick and his girlfriend Meagan!  Granted, this wasn't a total surprise because my grandma called an hour before they got there to tell us the news (word travels fast in our family... sometimes i feel like I find out news about myself that I wasn't even aware of until hearing it through the family grapevine!)  The ring is super gorgeous, and the story is the cutest!  But if that wasn't enough right as Taylor and I are getting ready to leave, my other cousins Terrance and Regina (who is Patrick's sister) announce that they are pregnant with their third child!  This coming year is going to be an eventful one! 

For Father's day, I thought I'd share a drawing I made several years ago of my dad. I am not an expert artist by any regards, so I just want to put the disclaimer out there that despite what it looks like in my drawing, my dad actually has really smooth skin and is pretty wrinkle free, I just didn't know how to draw it like that!  He's always smiling, always slow to anger, always kind, and in such a genuine way- I never questioned it or felt like there was a limit to it. Throughout my childhood, through my teen years and college til now, he's never greeted me with anything but a smile. I have this one memory of him waiting for me at the airport- I spotted him through the crowd before he saw me, and he was just standing there with hands neatly folded in front of him patiently waiting with a smile on his face. Just in his own little world, looking happy as a clam. Sometimes we like to say that he's obliviously happy, because sometimes you want to say- ummmm, normal people would be really grumpy or tired or annoyed right now, what on earth are you smiling at?   There's so much more to my dad than his joyful character- he pretty much gave me the foundation for everything I know about chemistry, physics, music, drawing, biblical theology, design and and my weird love for renaissance movies no matter how bad they are.  He is even the one who taught me how to braid my hair!

In short, words and memories could never sum up what a blessing my dad is, but I am undoubtedly thankful for him every day!

THE POSSIBILITIES THIS WEEKEND

The weekend is officially full of possibilities that do not involve studying!!!   I'm not home free just yet since I still have more exams to take, but at the very least, this weekend will not be spent in front of any books!  I have mixed feelings about how the test went, but I'm too lazy to care/speculate right now haha, just glad it's over.  Thanks so much to dear friends and family for being so encouraging :)

Any fun plans for the weekend? I plan on catching up on the rest of my life I've been neglecting:

• Cleaning .........maybe? .... aaaah,we'll see, I  really really really don't want to.... but i really really really really should! our apartment is an absolute wreck!  there's a guitar on the floor in the middle of the dining room, papers everywhere, books everywhere piles of clothes everywhere. piles of dishes in the sink, half filled cups of tea everywhere.....aaaaaaaaah!
• Planning a date night.  I've been neglecting the poor husband  lately with all this studying, so I think I'm going to plan something.  I'm thinking either a night in, with a fancy home cooked meal, or a simple meal somewhere fun/outdoors since the evenings are so beautiful this time of year.
• Might finally trim my hair this weekend
• Listening to this interview with Bryan Cranston from Breaking Bad talk about sustainable design for his house in Ventura ASAP.  Omygosh,  Bryan Cranston/Breaking Bad, Dwell Magazine, architecture in Los Angeles, all melding together into one thing..... I.... can't.... breathe!!!
• Watching a documentary perhaps? Been dying to watch Urbanized , part of the "design trilogy" by Gary Hustwit..  I watched Helvetica and Objectified on Netflix, and they were soooooooooo good! I never got around to watching Urbanized though because it seems like you have to watch it on the computer, but maybe i'll just give in and shell out the $3.99 to see it, haha.
• Hanging out with friends and family and other real life human beings again! 

REMEMBERING TO LAUGH

My test is tomorrow! I think at this point, it's time to just accept whatever stage of preparedness that I'm in, and just go for it. I had a friend tell me it was a piece of cake for him, but in all honesty, I have gotten my butt kicked in every way imaginable while trying to take my practice exams, and it has been quite demoralizing to say the least. I'm one of those people who take failure ridiculously personally and project it onto who I am and my sense of worth; but I'm learning the slow and painful way that I need to embrace my limitations as a part of who I am.

In any case, we shall see how it goes. I'll still be bummed if it doesn't work out, but even if it doesn't- my life is still full and rich and blessed and I am reminded of how all of it is completely undeserved, and that I am so lucky to be able to say that!

These are pictures that Taylor took from a while ago, but they remind me to smile and laugh and just take a chill pill and relax a little already! We were fighting about something at the time, but somehow he managed to make me laugh really hard despite the fact that I was angry.  Sometimes I hate it when he does that because I want to stay angry to prove my point, but it reminds me that life is too short to insist on taking every little thing so seriously. He's really good at that and is always so supportive and encouraging in everything I try to do. Our relationship is anything but perfect, and we sure do get into our fair share of fights, but I'm really thankful for him and that he knows how to put with me and my moments of insanity.

Anyway, I decided to use one of the massage certificates he bought me for my birthday to unwind tonight after work, and I am literally counting down the minutes! I can't wait!!!!!!

CAULIFLOWER WITH PURPLE CABBAGE

I've been baking vegetables a lot lately because it's such low maintenance cooking, flavorful, and filling. For everyday meals, one of the biggest priorities for me is that it's filling.  On the weekends, I'll make some sides to go with out meal, but on  the weekdays, it's usually one main dish, and if it doesn't fill you up, that's it!  To me there's nothing worse than coming home from work, making a meal, and then still being hungry after.  By then, half the night is gone, and it's too late to start another meal, so we either have to fish around for snacks or wait til breakfast the next morning!

SOME INGREDIENTS:





Cabbage:
I started first by cutting it in half (horizontally, not the part with the stem), then quarters, then eights and waiting till the end to chop the stem part off to keep them in their little wedge shapes as much as possible.  Next I put them on baking sheet and added salt and pepper and drizzled some olive oil on top.  Not too much though, the cabbage already has a lot of juices and will form a really delicate crispy shell with a soft inside, so if you drench it, you're just going to have sogginess.  If you're like me and love olive oil, don't worry, you can go crazy on the cauliflower

Cauliflower:
After washing and cutting, I laid them out on a baking sheet and drizzled olive oil, lemon juice and parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. The parmesan is a must for me! it adds a crunch after it's been baked, and a really nice nutty salty flavor with the lemon.

Set the Oven:
Set the oven at 450 degrees.  The Cabbage took about 30 minutes, and the cauliflower maybe another 10 or 15 minutes more depending on how soft you like it (I like mine pretty soft). 

Happy Eating! 
It tastes really good the day you make it because it's oven fresh, but the next day it tastes great in a different way- by then, the flavors are oozing out and are yum yum yum!

WE ONLY LIKE THE MARSHMALLOWS

I haven't eaten Lucky Charms since I was a kid, but even now, I don't think I've managed to "be an adult" about eating it!  Taylor and I are always accusing each other of picking out the marshmallows and leaving the other person with the cereal and can get pretty territorial over our food.  Did you ever do that growing up? It's so funny because I don't even think I actually like the marshmallows, its just the act of fishing for it, and feeling like I got something special because there is a limited supply...

Some random things I've been thinking about:

• Our friend JT was in town on Sunday and we took him and his friend Guy to a Pupusa place in LA that Ryan suggested.   I didn't even know what pupusas were before then, but I've been calling Taylor pupusa ever since because I like the way it sounds.
• An oldie but goodie. This TED talk came up in conversation and I decided to listen to it again and am glad I did.  
• Our friend Andy challenged us to wake up in the mornings to spend time with God first thing before doing anything else.  It's been a struggle because Taylor already wakes up at 4:30 in the morning so we're looking at 3:30 or 4:00am alarm times. It's been tough and well, quite frankly, not that successful so far, but worthy of every effort in trying.
• My brother Josh is moving back to New York this Saturday.  Sad that he's leaving :(.... but also excited for him and  happy that I can now show up unannounced in NYC knowing that I will have free room and board!  (yess!!!!!!) Hoping I can visit him and Geoff soon! They got a really sweet deal on a beautiful apartment in Brooklyn and are going to be roomies.  Isn't that just so cute?  Total BFFsies!
• I'm somehow becoming a bandwagon King's "keep informed-ist".  As in not a bandwagon fan, but someone who keeps informed- someone who is updated on scores while doing other things, looks at changing jersey prices, debates with oneself on whether or not it's worth the knee damage to be a goalie, knows when they will be playing, and that the Devils are a hockey team in Jersey.  I know right?... this is starting to get extreme...
• I haven't been cooking much lately because I've been camping out at the library or a cafe to study instead of coming straight home after work.   I've been feeling really bad seeing Taylor get Subway for dinner these past several days, but last night I came home to him chopping a ceasar salad with avocado and freshly grated cheese while he had two pork chops baking in the oven. hahaha...... my eyeballs nearly fell out of their sockets... when we first got married, this man didn't even know how to boil water...

I WOULD HAVE BEEN A JOURNALIST IN ANOTHER LIFE

Are you addicted to npr? I seriously can't get enough of it!

This year I got the sweetest and most thoughtful gifts and cards from people for my birthday. One of them was a a book called "This is NPR" from my brother in law, Ryan.

With all the ways that media technology has revamped the way we live, I still love radio! Granted, I'm a lot more old fashioned than people my age: no smart phone, no facebook, no twitter, no pintrest, and I was forced into google + but can someone tell me what that actually is?  I think radio is like reading a book vs. watching the movie about the book.  When you listen to a gifted storyteller describe a situation, you create images and connections with your own imagination.  And as powerful and necessary as video footage is- there is still something about the subconscious process of making what you hear and read your own, that makes these stories have such a lasting impact on you.  Don't get me wrong- I'm definitely not saying that I hate film or TV (quite the opposite)... I'm just saying that I don't think it replaces radio if that makes any sense.  

Anyway all this rambling really is just to say: Terry Gross, Ira Glass, Madeleine Brand, Jason Bently, Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, Patt Morrison, , Robert Siegel,  Steve Inskeep, Larry Mantle I love you people!  You make my day just that much more enjoyable.  Please never retire while I am still alive. I really appreciate it, thanks.:)

EVENING WALKS AND PURPLE TREES

Just some pictures Taylor and I took while walking around our neighborhood. I love those purple trees I keep seeing around and how their petals drop on the ground like a purple carpet. Taylor told me that he used to have one in his childhood home, but that they were kind of a pain because they had a lot of sap and made the car sticky though, so I guess he was able to save himself from me begging him to buy us a house with a purple tree in the front yard... smart man!

Been putting my hair in a braid a lot these days because it's getting long and split-ended and a months overdue for a haircut. Thinking about growing out my bangs, but we shall see. I'm still recovering from earlier this year when I tried to cut them straight across so I haven't trimmed them since January. I seem to have always had the urge to that- cut my bangs straight across, but I hate it every time so I really don't know why I haven't learned my lesson by now! haha....

THE BUILDING AND THE EGG// Design in nature

<image source for sydney opera house>

It's crazy to think that some of the most fascinatingly beautiful  and complex buildings are designed around a structural concept that can also be found in an everyday object sitting in your fridge.

The immortalized roof structure of the Sydney Opera House, designed by  Jørn Utzon with engineers Ove Arup and Partners was designed around the concept of that concrete shells were structurally stable form resistant structure.  These thin shells are able to span huge distances because their shape can resist loads by developing stresses in their own plane.  So simply stated, the elegant thinness and curved nature of these shells is actually exactly what gives these forms their structural strength! Not only is it beautiful, it has a reason for being that way.

You could virtually build any curved shape using this principle but granted, it's not as easy as it sounds.  It requires a really sophisticated level of mathematical analysis by engineers and can get really costly when it comes to construction.   So in other words,unless you have enormous stacks of cash hidden in your bedroom mattress, you're not going to be going through all this trouble for the everyday building.

But that being said, nature seems to have the opposite approach! This concept of form resistant structures has been popping up in bird nests all over the world since the beginning of time.  As you can observe from everyday experience,when you take an egg in the palm and wrap your hand evenly around it, it can resist a great deal of uniformly distributed load in relation to how thin it is because of its shape.  Pretttttty nifty, no?

If that egg were in the shape of a cube, I can almost guarantee you that chickens would be extinct by now!  and you of course know what that means right?  Say goodbye to your roast chicken, your pollo asada tacos, your omelettes, your fried rice, pretty much all baked goods- bread, cakes, rolls, scones, croissants; your custard, ice cream, quiche, meatballs....ok I'm going to stop listing things now because this could go on forever and it's making me really sad, haha!

Anyway, in other news, I rescheduled my test from the 5th to the 14th!  I'm kind of bummed about this, because at this point I just want to get this exam over with and move on with life! But I guess it's better safe that sorry right?  Anyway, I hope you enjoy you weekend, wherever it takes you.  And if it happens to involve eggs at one point, I hope you able to stop and appreciate their structure for a second or two!