Upside Down French and a Sock Bun

In an attempt to fancy myself in a time crunch, I had my coworker, Zoila, help me French braid the bottom of my hair. Then when I got home, I threw a sock bun doughnut in and had someone help me pin the rest around.
This look can take less than 5 minutes if you can upside down French and have mastered the sock bun.

[Pic note: Photo cred: Ryan Brown]

There are two methods.

The Roll Down method: I prefer this one on ladies who have more textured hair than I do and those who have fewer layers.  (Minus the weird toothbrush part... Buy a bristle brush lady!!)
Check out Meghan's look after I gave her the sock bun look for her friend's wedding!
A thickening spray like Bumble and Bumble's, a dry shampoo or just standard hairspray have been helpful to add more "grip" to my hair when I opt for the Roll Down method.

The Wrap Method: This is easier and more stable for glossy or fine hair that tends to fall out of styles easily.  But if your hair is long like mine, you'll likely get that wrap around piece under the bun and aesthetically I am less pleased with this look.

[Pic note: Cab shot! Classy but quick look for a rehearsal dinner]

::Happy styling!::

I Made a Sock Bun Happen!

Too bad this is never how it turns out when I try a sock bun on my own hair.
But at least it was a success for Meghan's hair when I worked my magic for her friend's wedding :)

A Mascara Tour

Last Christmas, I got more mascara than I knew what to do with.

Here are my raves (and 'not so muches'):

They're Real by benefit
Pros: This stuff builds VERY quickly and is filled with fibers so your lashes look huge and bold with minimal effort. Definitely my go-to when I don't have time for falsies and need a bold 'going out' look. Also does a great job of lifting lashes.
Cons: It comes off in bits and takes a little more effort to rinse off (I steer clear of waterproof mascara b/c I'm too lazy to use make up remover on a daily basis). Also, after a longg night, some of the bits can sometimes rub off under-eye :/

[Pic note: They're Real mascara

]

Longest Lash by Jane Iredale
Pros: The brand adheres to a more natural product. It has a pretty skinny but bristley brush so I've used it for my bottom lashes only (read Cons)
Cons: This product does not layer at all. I could not use this for even my daytime look b/c it's just so light. I've relegated it to bottom lash territory only.

Hypnose Star by Lancome
Pros: Smells like roses and layers very well. This is my go-to day wear mascara of the year. Washes off easily in water.
Cons: None, it's awesome.

Telescopic by L'Oreal
Pros: This is my cheap drugstore go-to product. Love the thin plastic bristles that comb through clumps and gives great bold lash coverage. Layers very well. Washes off easily in water. Lasts forever too.
Cons: Doesn't do anything in the curl territory. 

Diorshow Maximizer and Diorshow Mascara
Pros: The Maximizer is a great primer to add thickness to lashes before putting the mascara on. It also supposedly helps hold a curl. Decent performance but not really worth the price.

Cons: I have the "sample size" so the wand length was hard to work with due to the substantial bristle widtch. Also, having to use two products is annoying. 

Until next Christmas!!

::Happy face::

My First Citibike Incident

Although they resemble a leisurely beach cruiser, Citibikes must be peddled at a more robust pace to keep up with speeding delivery men and of course the cars.
I can only use them on return trips home because I'm often found profusely sweating after a quick ride due in part to my traffic anxiety and also in part to the physical exertion.
Today, I decided to test my endurance with a 2.5 mile run and a one mile cool down bike ride. I set to planning with my handy Citibike app and charted out my 40 blocks of running to end next to a dock site. The thought hadn't crossed my mind that I'd ever get to a station and no bikes would exist. This occasionally happens at the stations by work and it makes little difference to me as I have not grown to depend on them. .. just yet.
So as I peddle my way to the next dock, two women approach me asking if they can take my bike... I stare at them both not really sure what to say except "sure" non-commitally in either of their directions. I dock and wait for them to hash it out on their own but instead of talking amongst themselves they're arguing their sides to me! My worst fear of the moment.
"I've been waiting for the next bike."
"These are like cabs. It's the first person to the curb!" Says the second lady with helmet in hand.

The "waiting lady" eventually won out with stronger body language to take the bike as I stood between them hoping they wouldn't notice me wipe the sweaty seat off.

She thanked me as I scuddled off toward home. Helmet lady ambled away half-heartedly, perhaps thinking about the nearest station... or perhaps what she used to do to get home just a few short months ago.

Coastal California: A Blissful Vacay

You step into the California sun, and sometimes it feels like a different sun. Brighter, lighter and more peaceful than the New York version. It felt like this after we left the confines of the LA area, but while we were there... 
We picked up our Avis car, a sweet red Chevy Cruze, and made our way to the first In and Out Burger joint we could find.
On our first and only day in LA, we decided to hit the beach for some blue skies and sweet sun action. We ended up on the deserted sands of Will Rogers Beach after a delicious lunch at Lenny's Deli. I got the delicious deluxe chicken sandwich and it really just blew my mind. The fresh-food-in-California-adventure started here. 

[Pic note: Completely empty and pristine beach]

After a couple hours of sun-soaking, we decided to head toward our next destination: Yosemite National Park! We took 395 up through the Mojave Desert and made a pit stop in the Red Rock Canyon. It was a beautiful (but scorching) little mountain area where you could actually see the work of tectonic plates shifting and throwing billions of tons of gorgeous multi-layered rock into a nice 17 degree kilter. It wasn't exactly a fully furnished tourist spot so be careful here. It's hot and not that easy to figure out which way you came from. I had an "I'm lost in the desert moment!"

One of a few lessons I learned on this trip was taught at our next pit stop: Bishop, California. Unlike New York City, EVERYTHING closes at 9pm. Maybe not the bars, but on a long road trip in California, I was hoping for some delicious food stops. What we got was the Upper Crust. It was the only food establishment in (probably) hundreds of miles that was open. It was 'meh'. It was here that I also learned what a schooner (a draft beer size) was. It was larger than an American pint. After reading up on it, I am more confused. Apparently, it hails from Australia and is 2/3 the size of an English pint. [Baffled]
That evening, we stayed at Shiloh Inns in Mammoth Lake. It was a pretty great hotel considering where we were and where we'd just driven through (a desert/middle of nowhere). They had a 24-hour pool/sauna/hot tub/fitness center and free breakfast that prepared us for one of my favorite parts of the trip!
BTW, We used Orbitz to find places to stay the entire trip. We didn't book anything more than a day in advance because we wanted to be free as a bird to do as we pleased! Most of the places we stayed in were almost surprisingly nice and we never paid more than $130 a night.

Ryan wanted to visit Mono Lake  before we hit Yosemite. It was a spectacular area. Tuffa formations were really a sight to be seen. It felt quite warm, but in the not-too-far distance you could actually see snow-capped mountains!

Afterwards, we did the Yosemite upper region. We just got lost on a few hikes around mammoth boulders and beautiful lakes. Just go out and explore. That is my only advice.
The following day, we did the valley. Bring bug spray. The Mist Trail hike is definitely worth it. Strenuous but beautiful. And the waterfall mist is so rejuvenating after a couple of miles on this path!

San Francisco

Our next stop was San Fran! We didn't have too much time to spend here and Ryan had already been so we casually wondered around a few neighborhoods and let chance guide our days here.  

Some notable stops:
The Nob Hill Hotel is one of the most beautiful hotels I've ever stayed in. It was so unique and ornate. I would definitely recommend it!

[Pic note: Nob Hill Hotel room. How ornate!]

One afternoon, while strolling around, a friendly native mentioned that a classical music festival was happening at a nearby church and if we were free we should attend. So we did! Old Saint Mary's Cathedral: Summer Mozart Festival. What a lovely little treat!

[Pic note: Old Saint Mary's Cathedral]

City Lights Bookstore: Great poetry section upstairs! I picked up a multi-language book for my dad that had Chinese (translated) poetry that was a huge hit!
Coit Tower: Great view of the city. We didn't feel like paying the $7 to ride the elevator up to the top, mostly there was a line and also because the view from the "ground" was already pretty spectacular. We walked a lot of San Fransisco hills to get to this tower!

[Pic note: A view of Alcatraz on top of some art school... we may have loitered...]  

Golden Gate Park Rose Garden:  The park was a beautiful getaway right next to the city. Ryan and I wandered around for a few hours, catching dozens of turtles and even blue heron on the lake!

[Pic Note: Admiring a rose]

Food highlights:
Coco Bang: Korean hole-in-the-wall restaurant by our hotel.
Cafe Chanta: Hookah bar with friendly patrons and owners. We hung out here almost all night!
Thad's Cozy Cafe: Small restaurant with the most darling employees. We came here every morning!

Four Seas Restaurant in San Fran's Chinatown was a bit of a let down. We got a few different dim sum platters and they were all rather unsavory.
Sabella and La Torre: There are a dozen different seafood shacks and restaurants along the Fisherman's Wharf. Every one of them has cat callers beckoning you in. This was the one I chose. I can't vouch for the other ones but I wasn't that excited about my meal. I got fish tacos, expecting super-fresh and juicy fillings. Instead I got a random white fish covered in SALSA! It just didn't make sense to completely stampede over a mild flavor with salsa like that. The clam chowder was delicious though.

Onward!

Point Reyes National Seashore: Beautiful off the beaten trail site to visit. It was very windy the day we went out so it was completely deserted. Supposedly when in season, whales and other animal sitings occur frequently here. We didn't see anything good but it was still worth the drive for the miles of cow pastures we drove through!

Jack London Lodge: Really sweet little hotel with gorgeous interiors, Pool and hot tub. I'd stay there again. 
Fig Cafe in Glen Ellen. Pork Shoulder was delish. Flounder was a great choice as well. NO Corkage fee so stop by a vineyard and pick up  a bottle before dinner!

BR Cohn was our favorite vineyard. They even have an olive oil store on site as well!
Sunflower Caffe: Smoked Duck Sandwich was eh. Goat Cheese/Avocado/Bacon on sourdough was a much better choice. Outdoor patio is this lush garden with overhang to provide the perfect shade.
Cornerstone Gardens: Avant Garde art space with evolving exhibits all year long. Definitely a fun spot to roam around for a couple of hours.

[Pic note: Some Cornerstone art]

Arcata and the journey

[Pic note: 'Somewhere' on the coast by the Marine Lab]

Fred Telonicher Marine Laboratory: Cool pitstop along the way up the coast! There's a free small aquarium and random beach paths where you can (seasonally) spot sea animals.
Cafe Mokka and Finnish Country Sauna and Tubs: This was one of the most interesting stops of our trip! The cafe has a large backyard where there are private saunas and hot tubs available for rent in 30 minute increments. They're all individually fenced in with a small changing room so you can basically have a 1-4 person sauna or hot tub to yourself. How cool, right?!
Six Rivers Brewery: Fun brewery with interesting flavors (pepper beer anyone?)

[Pic note: Six Rivers Brewery sampler!]

Crosswinds in Arcata. Complimentary champagne on weekends with brunch!
Kinetic Grand Championships on Memorial Day weekend was a bizarre "race" of sorts where contestants need to build human powered vehicles (essentially bike-powered) that will traverse miles across Humboldt County, CA. The artwork here is phenomenal!

STOP HERE:
Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area.

[Pic Note: Dean Creek Elk Viewing Area siting!]

Eugene

Eugene is a sleepy town with loads of happy hippy people. Biking around town and to the U was one of the highlights of our visit! A couple of other places we visited were:
Sweet Life desserts: So many options, so little belly space!

Falling Sky Brewery: A friend's friend opened this amazing brewery with great food. Great beer. Great burger. Can't go wrong.

Blairalley Arcade bar! That's right: Beer and games all under one roof. Asteroid is free!

Last Stop: Portland, Oregon

Hotel Deluxe: Free upgrade for talking up the concierge. We ended up in a beautiful suite where the Easter bunny might stay if he vacationed in Portland. It was soft, plush, and so many pastel colors :)
Pok Pok: The spicy fish sauce wings are the best wings I've ever eaten in my entire life. And what good fortune: They opened a location in New York a month after my return!!!
Rogue Ales Public House and Distillery: Nothing seems to open very late on the west coast including their bars. This was a sweet spot with a great beer selection but they were closed by midnight on my birthday! boo :(

[Pic note: My Instagram shot of the bottle selection at Rogue]

What a wonderful trip we had roaming up the California coast to Oregon. It's a trip I won't soon forget and hope to repeat again some day.

::Happy traveling!::

This Week's Installment of: 'My Parents are Hilarious'

My parents are in New York through the rest of the summer and have become ridiculously dependent on me to do random "English-speaking tasks" as I like to call them.

Last week, my dad broke his five-year-old flip phone and then requested the exact same phone. 'Unfortunately', the model wasn't available anymore so we had to order him the upgraded version... It's another flip phone, but I'm pretty sure it's made for geriatrics that are on the edge of crossing over. There is a 911 button AND an ICE button on the phone surface. And the numbers are huge. My dad, of course, loves it.

This week, my dad wanted to meet a friend in NJ and asked for the address. His friend suggested he "just text him the address." Instead of arguing that this was a bad idea (like he usually does), he accepted and then immediately handed the phone to me to ask if he could text. This was a life changing moment for me. I never thought the day would come. It was only five years ago that I taught my father how to double-click.

::ChildBecomesAdult::

San Antonio and Austin, Texas: the fun parts!

Last month, Ryan and I decided on a quick trip to Austin, Texas. We needed some warmth and a long weekend away from the hustle and bustle of NYC post-holiday season. We knew we'd enjoy it, but we had no idea why.
First stop: San Antonio was a beautiful little town with a quaint little river walk that winds around the commercial area. Very beautifully done but definitely very commercialized. Get off the Walk for food because it's not worth it financially or otherwise. Check out Schilo's German deli and get the wienerschnitzel sandwich!

[Mission hallway]

Definitely check out the San Antonio bike share, the B-Cycle!! You can rent a bike, check them into various stations as you ride and get to explore the city in a sustainable way! Can't wait for NY to have this! You can ride along almost all of the River Walk where the Blue Star Brewery resides (just opened!)! We also went to check out the Missions! It's a quick pit stop. A bit of a snore but definitely a good stop if you're interested in architecture or historical sites (which I clearly am not cultured enough to respect).
We managed to snag a decent B&B, The Noble Inns, that was on the River Walk just a five minute walk from the "center of town." It's really old so don't expect anything fancy (also call ahead if you actually want the hot tub to work: dissappointed face). Everything outside of the commercial zone is pretty dead. We did manage to make it to the San Antonio Museum of Art for the Aphrodite exhibit but can't vouch for the rest of the museum. I asked Ryan to take a new portrait photo of me (You know, for all those stupid profile pics you need these days for LinkedIn etc) and the security guard caught us and told us we couldn't take "these kinds of photos" there without the permission of the museum. Ryan felt proud that this man mistook him for a "real" photographer. We bashfully ran away giggling.

[Glass ceiling at the SA Museum of Art]

Also got to see my parents and my brother. Haven't seen him in TWO years!! We took a two minute stroll through the Alamo. Kind of a snore too but I guess it's the go-to for tourist spots in town.

[Trolleys in San Antonio!]

A great food spot was the Alamo Street Eat Bar. It's a food truck parking lot with a small cabin in the middle where they have bathrooms and have quite a few beers on tap! We tried goodies at Outlaw BBQ (get the marbled brisket!) and Wheelie Gourmet (Lamb sandwich for sure!) though I don't know how permanent these truck stops are! Both great options though!

For night life, we chose a quaint bar that featured live jazz music one evening. Carmens de la Calle makes a pretty decent sangria but the $5 cover was kind of lame. There were literally only about a dozen people in the bar total. Coming from New York, that annoyed me for some reason. #Imbeingcheap
Another great hit was the Hi-tones bar. It's a teensy bit divey but it had such a great vibe and even outdoor space where people were grilling and just hanging out. Very low key and exactly what we were looking for when we escaped New York.
-------

The real shebang: Austin was a ton of fun. We did a lot biking around and 'partying hard' on 6th Street.

Honestly, most of my highlights have to do with food. I'm not ashamed.

[Uchiko roll with their own dipping sauce and aioli!]

Uchiko was a wonderful little surprise for me. I wasn't expecting to splurge, but the place has changed my taste buds for sushi forever. Diver scallops. That is all.

Turf and Surf food truck was also amazing. They had a sign up about moving so I'm not sure what their deal is. I just know their Ahi Tuna Taco was the best fish taco I've ever had in my entire life. Hands down.

[Salt Lick BBQ]

Since we were in Texas, we decided to go to at least one BBQ spot even though neither of us were particularly huge fans. We decided on Salt Lick since we got several recommendations from various parties. It was decent but nothing to write home about. And it was about 40 minutes away from Austin (driving). Not really worth it in my books considering all of the amazing food we had in the city. If you're a huge fan of BBQ, definitely try it out. They give great servings and have an all-you-can eat sampler option!

As for activities:
We rented bikes from a company that featured a Groupon deal for two all-day bike rentals for $25 (Barton Springs Bike Rental). I would suggest another location and probably spending a little more money. We had some questionable bikes. Ryan's first bike actually LOST a pedal about 5-6 miles away and he had to precariously ride back to get a new bike! So scary.

[Fountain at the University in Austin]

After the scare though, the city was a beautiful bike city! Most of the major streets have a bike lane and Town Lake was a wonderful little bike/run area! We then did a quick trip up to the Capital and also the University!

[A golden paddle boarding on Town Lake!]

On our way back to the bike center we decided to take a canoe out for a quick paddle around Town Lake at the Texas Rowing Center. Very family friendly and serene. There were hundreds of turtles, birds, and even a golden retriever on a paddle board out on the water!





On another lazy day, we drove out to Hamilton Pool Reserve. It was a very easy 10-15 minute hike/walk that ended in this beautiful natural pool with this carved out overhang. I envision it's more fun in the late spring/summer when it's warmer and you can actually swim in its pristine waters.

[Hamilton Pool Reserve]

[Indigenous species of Texas!]

Another great stop was our trip to Hops and Grain Brewery. It's in a rather new complex with fun small businesses and offers free tastings on Saturday afternoon, complete with live music and a cool crowd!

While in Austin, we attended a Tattoo Festival. There were hundreds of tattoo artists and people getting inked! It was a lot of fun just to walk around and see what was happening, despite not having any tattoos of my own. Austin is home to many convention centers to there are always things happening. Check them out!

[Austin's Star of Texas Art Revival show 2013]

[Corazon Mexican Restaurant]

In the evenings, Ryan and I decided to hit the town. We visited a few cool bars on 6th Street, apparently the ONLY cool place to go if you're in the know...
Buffalo Billiards was my favorite. It was filled with arcade games like shuffleboard, skeeball and air hockey and had a decent beer selection. Win.
Volstead Lounge was also a sweet little spot with more 'atmosphere'. It has a backyard patio where you can order Filipino food from the Be More Pacific food truck!

And lastly, Ryan and I had to get one Mexican restaurant in before we left. We decided on a highly rated (on Yelp) spot called Corazon at Castle Hill. The food was savory and fresh without being too oily as some Mexican food can be.  It had a great tequila menu as well!


Overall, I had a blissful and relaxing trip down south and encountered little of the intense cultural collisions I experienced in southern Texas. I was thankful to have enjoyed such a pleasant experience in the Lonestar State.

My New Years Resolution

Remember those days in your childhood when everything was just amazing? There were play dates and ice cream and weekday-labeled underwear... mean people and "problems" never lasted more than a few minutes or a day and sometimes you just daydreamed that when you grew up, things would be even more amazing AND you wouldn't have to listen to your parents anymore?
And then you grew up?
Yeah... the moment has arrived. Bills exist. Potential mortgages linger in the near future. Decisions with no right answers exist. and my goodness, hangovers exist. I catch myself telling people that I'm tired or stressed or SO busy all the time. And every time I say one of those words, I feel MORE tired and stressed and busy. I really don't have an awful life. I enjoy so many moments of it. I really do. It seems though that the moments I dwell on tend to be the ones I talk about and complain about. Well, No more!

This year, my new years resolution is to contemplate the things that really make me happy and give meaning to my life. I will no longer use "I'm tired/stressed/busy" as a response to "How are you?" any longer...

Now I just have to come up with something else to say...