A Step Back

Okay. Can we just take a minute to step back and realize that today is the last day of February. 2 months have gone by already this year! I'm having a hard time wrapping my mind around it. Maybe because it's just been so busy this year.  I've started blending my days, weeks, and the past two months.

Every Tuesday night, I meet with my D-Group (Discipleship Group) which is a small group of girls from Bel Canto and we talk, hang out, and have short devotionals together. Well, this week I realized we went around and talked about our weeks. I honestly could not remember what I had even done the night before!

The only thing I've really been thinking about, aside from school, is crossing off everything on my "to-do" list.  From figuring out summer school courses to make sure that I can graduate on time to making sure that things for Bel Canto are slowly getting situated for next year.  The list is NEVER ENDING! 

I wish things could just calm down.  This past weekend was nice because I honestly did not have anything going on. Well, besides having a choir concert. 3 services. Each and hour and a half. And we sat through all of the services. Talk about a long Sunday. All to say, I got my wonderful "after church Sunday afternoon nap".  I miss those...

So like I've said in a previous post, I'm trying to sit and relax more and enjoy my time instead of trying to jump ahead.  All to say, I'm still working on that. But like everything, it takes time to get into a new routine.

Monograms

This past year, I have slowly been learning to love monograms! As a gift for my high school graduation, someone gave me a really cute orange canvas monogram tote and I hadn't used it much until this year. Then of course, when I ordered my May Book, I could get that with a monogram.

Pretty much, I've come to love them and tonight, as I was watching many different episodes of HGTV on Hulu (yes, I like design shows), I made my own desktop wall paper.

I'm not the best at doing graphic design stuff, but I'm working on it.  It's good practice because I'll have to start working up a new logo for Bel Canto in the next few weeks...

Time Flies

It's hard to believe that it's already almost March! As I've been looking back in my planner and syllabus trying to figure out where the time went, I'm reminded that the semester is about half way over.  So far, I've already had 3 tests, 9 quizzes, and 3 papers due. I think. I'm sure there's been more.

It's weird to think that in two months, I'll be preparing for finals and then I'll become a senior. But I don't want to think about that yet.  But I honestly can't believe that it's time to start figuring out my classes for next semester. I remember looking at the list of classes I would have to take in order to complete my major as a Freshman, and it just looked like so much! And now that almost 75% of the classes are crossed off, it seems unreal. These past few years have already gone by so quickly.

February alone has gone by very quickly.  It's been nice to be able to see my family for the past 4 or 5 weekends.  But it's weird to think that the weeks have just flown by. I guess it's good in a good way. But I sometimes wish I could just sit, and enjoy the moment. I don't like to always be rushing through things as quickly as I can, just to cross something off my "to do" list and move onto the next thing.

So I've decided that I need to take time to just SIT and REST.

"Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

-Matthew 11:28

The song Invitation Fountain has been playing in my head nonstop, so I've decided to share it with you.

Rainy Days in LA

LA weather is strange. For example, this past weekend, the sun was shining, everyone was wearing shorts and flip flops, and it was in the low 80's.  Yesterday, it became cold, and then well, it started raining. And it's supposed to continue to rain for the next couple of days.  And then heat up again.

It's weird though. As much as I love being able to pull out my rain boots, I miss being able to be comfortable in a pair of jeans, a cute top, and flats or sandals.

So, since I was experimenting a little with Polyvore, I decided show you all what my typical "rainy day" outfit is.

The North Face Resolve rain jacket, American Eagle Jeans, and Steve Madden Tsunamii rain boots.

I just absolutely love the Steve Madden Tsunamii rain boots.  My roommate Kelley and I got matching ones when we found out they were on sale.  I love how they look like normal black boots, yet they're also rain boots. They're comfortable, and even though I'm short, the fact that they go up to your knee doesn't bother me at all. The North Face Girl's Resolve jacket was the first North Face jacket that I had ever gotten. Unfortunately, they are very expensive, however, I'm able to fit into the kids section (yay!) so I can get all my jackets for MUCH cheaper. The same with some shoes...

A Day Off

First of all, let me say "thank you" to those of you who helped out by "liking" the video for the Chick-fil-A contest! My friends won! Which means that I get some free food. YAY! :) 

I'm pretty sure most of my Facebook friends hate me now because in the past 24 hours, that's all that I've been posting on and messaging about... opps!

So weirdly, this year my school isn't giving us the actual President's Day off. Instead of having a four day weekend, we had a three day weekend, with this past Friday off. Granted, it was really nice to be able to just sleep, relax, and have fun that day, without having to think about school.  I think it might have been one of the first days of the semester when I could really just sit and relax. With this semester being crazy with classes, and a busy schedule full of choir concerts and driving back and forth to Irvine, it was nice to spend time with friends and do, well, nothing.

The day started off very relaxing. I finally got out of bed and showered and got ready for the day. I got to clean and organize my desk, bed and closet and do homework. I cleaned up the living room of my apartment and the kitchen. I even got to do (another!) Target run and get a few groceries and things that were needed for the apartment.

After, I got to watch one of my favorite Pixar movies. Okay, that's a lie. I love almost all the Pixar movies, if not all of them.  That was, The Incredibles.

Since Shawn and I had been sitting around all day long, we decided to go outside my apartment and play catch. There is this really nice large lawn that is right outside my apartment door. And let's face it, it was a BEAUTIFUL day outside. I'm talking in the high 70's to low 80's the past few days. In February. Yes, I know you all want to move to Southern California now.

Then, I got to go to the driving range for the first time ever! I seriously had such a great time. It's a nice stress reliever too. I will admit that my forearms are a little sore since I hadn't really done much that well, involves me using my arms to swing things. If you have never been to a driving range, you should go! It was so much fun. At the place we went to, it was $5 for one large bucket of golf balls! I can't wait to go again. :) I will admit that it got me looking for cute golf outfits and things. I mean, if I'm going to occasionally go to the driving range, I have to look cute and preppy, right? And let me tell you. There are some CUTE outfits! But of course, out of my price range. I'll have to start looking for some much cheaper, but similar outfits. Maybe I'll have to do a post on some cute clothes I find...

via Instagram

Free Chick-Fil-A for a Year!!!

Okay, so here's the deal! I really need your help. My friends have made a video that will get them free Chick-fil-A for a year, and I could get a lot too! So can you please go to this link:

https://www.facebook.com/ChickfilaAzusa/posts/423227581088741?notif_t=like

and like the video!!

Here's the video! :) Thank you!!!

The Day After

Valentine's Day was a lot of fun, despite the fact that I had classes all morning and was up at 7:15 for that.  Shawn and I decided to start something new.  Since I love flowers, and have always known the names to most flowers since I was a little girl (thanks to my dad!), I get to pick the flowers that I want whenever I get any. I'm very particular when it comes to flowers. I don't like roses, because they don't last and well... everyone always gets them.  Carnations just remind me of, well, funerals. Those are my two flowers I just do not like at all. Oh, and I guess Calla Lilies too. They're just... weird.

Roses

Carnations

Calla Lilies

So, since I get to pick out my flowers, I chose a white phalaenopsis orchid! I love these flowers because I grew up having them always at my house and they're just so happy and elegant.  The one that Shawn got me has two branches, full of flowers and a couple buds which means more flowers will come in eventually! I'm going to try to get it to bloom again once it dies.

After the flower adventure, we headed out to Santa Anita Mall and went to The Cheesecake Factory! This is definitely one of my favorite places to eat. My favorite thing to get, and probably now the only thing I will eat there, is their miso salmon. Seriously, it's amazing. I'm so excited that I have left overs because that's what I'll be having for lunch today! If you like salmon, you MUST try it. The flavors and the salmon just melt in your mouth. Shawn got a rib-eye steak with french fries and onion rings. He said it was delicious too. Oh, and for an appetizer, we ordered a fire grilled artichoke which came with garlic mayo, I think. It was so yummy! I love artichokes. Weird vegetable to like, I know. But I just loved the garlic mayo. I know I had bad breath after eating that... Oh, and did I mention that they told us the wait would be 40ish minutes, but we only had to wait 20?! That was sure nice. My feet were hurting after awhile from standing in heels.

After finishing dinner around 8, we decided to wander through the mall.  We went into a sporting store and walked around that and looked at fun stuff there.  We wandered in and out of a few shops. Shawn told me if I bought a SF Giants hat, he would have to hurt me. So I didn't buy one... yet. ;) 

We decided to take a break to rest our feet while walking around the mall and found a comfy couch with a place to rest our feet. My toes hurt from wearing heels all night and oh, did I mention Shawn was just on crutches a few days ago?!

Long story short, while playing basketball on Monday at an intramural game,  he rolled his ankle and it got to be twice the size with some lovely coloring with some touches of back, blue, and purple. Luckily, it's slowly getting better and he doesn't have to use his crutches! 

Anyway, we came back to school, stopped by Yogurtland first, and watched The Incredibles. I've been wanting to watch the movie all year long and finally got the chance to do so! 

So overall, a great Valentine's Day, ended of course, with a phone call from Annie!!! With lots of laughs of course, too.  

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day, whether you were celebrating with someone, your friends, your family, or enjoying the day by yourself knowing that you're loved by many people!

                                       

Valentine's Day

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Alright, I will admit that Valentine's Day can get pretty cheesy. However, I love that there are so many cute decorations, you can give valentine's to your friends, and there are lots of chocolates and flowers around.

I'm sure many of you have some of the same memories of Valentine's Day that I have.  One thing that I can remember, is my mom taking me to go get my Valentine's Day Cards for all of my classmates. And of course, the rule was you had to write one for everyone in your class. Then, on the day of Valentine's Day in class, we would decorate our little "Valentine's Mail Boxes" and have a party with heart shaped cookies and go around to deliver our cards.  

I know that I wrote about it last year, in another post called "Valentine's Day", so why not write about it again, just a year later, right?

The biggest thing in my mind about Valentine's Day, is the fact that this year marks the 20 years that I have been adopted!  20 years ago, although I don't remember it, my parents and I met for the very first time in an orphanage in Nanning, Guangxi, China.  Alongside them, was another couple from our "sister church" adopting my best friend Annie, and another lady adopting a girl named Molly. 

I honestly can't remember what my life would be like had I not been adopted.  So instead of calling Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day, my family calls it "Gotcha' Day".  Every year when I was growing up, on "Gotcha' Day", we would celebrate by going to dinner. It was honestly kind of strange for me during my first year of college on Valentine's Day, because I wasn't with my parents.  But I am so thankful for the family that God has placed me in and with where He has me now!

Just a few photos I found in my dad's office this past summer.

Teaching Lessons

Teaching lessons to my classmates is probably one of the most awkward things I will ever do in college. Granted, I know everyone in my education classes and we're all in the same boat, but still. I feel like there is more pressure when teaching my peers rather than a classroom full of little eyes staring at you. There is just something about knowing that the people in your class participating in your lesson as your "students", are judging you on how you taught your lesson and how you kept "the students" engaged.

In one of my classes, a music class, after we had taught our lesson to the whole class, my professor had my classmates critique us. That was definitely nerve-racking! Luckily, she thought I was a music major!  (PHEW! Thanks mom and dad for making me learn how to play piano!)

However, at the same time, it's great practice and I guess if you can do it in front of your peers, you can do it in front of the children.

Pinterest

So I may or may not be completely obsessed with Pinterest... But for reals, you seriously all need to go on. It may be a slightly dangerous site because they have EVERYTHING you could ever like.  Future home decor, cute wedding ideas for the future, super cute clothes, funny and inspirational quotes, ideas of how to get organized and good exercise plans, and of course, for the current and future teacher, CLASSROOM IDEAS! Seriously, I could spend HOURS just looking at door ideas for my future classroom and even for Mt. Hermon. There are some great ideas of how to get children reading and all sorts of things like that. The craft ideas on this site... oh my goodness! Good thing I don't have all the time in the world to do all the crafts I find and like...

Half Court Shot?!

Okay, can I just take a second to brag, even though it's been a week already?? Shawn made a half court shot! And we got a free pizza! :)

Stretched Thin

This semester I'm slowly coming to the realization that I'm very stretched thin in everything I'm doing, and I feel like I'm just slowly rushing through my to-do list just to cross things off.  The thing is I just love everything that I'm doing and I love the fact that I'm busy.  And somehow, I'm managing to get my school work done more efficiently. Maybe because I have less time to do things so I'm just focusing better? Does this mean that I actually really like being super busy??

I think I just have to remember to make sure that I do have "me time".  I'm realizing that during these busy times, I really treasure the quiet and alone times that I get, even if it's just for 5 or 10 minutes... before chaos begins again.  It's nice to just sit... and breathe.

I just wish I could figure out how to do everything without the occasional freak out/overwhelmed/panic/stressed feeling. But that's growing up, I guess...

That's the best reason to eat as much Fro-Yo as possible... right?

Keeping Busy

It's safe to say that I can tell that I've been very busy based on the way my desk, closet, and bed look. Normally, my bed looks fairly put together and I usually dont' have my laundry piling over and a pile of clothes on the floor of my closet.  I usually also have a spot for everything on my desk and I never have it overflowing where I find it hard to find things.  However, it has been quite a busy start to the semester.

For about the past month, I've been going down to Irvine every weekend to be with my family. Unfortunately my aunt is very sick, although she is getting better and stronger each and every single day! PRAISE GOD!

I can easily say that I've come to know the city of Irvine very well and I can easily find my way around there.  Yet, somehow I can't manage to get around San Jose, the city I grew up and lived my whole life until I left for college.

So, tomorrow after my Bel Canto concert, will be my focus/homework/cleaning/organizing afternoon! Hopefully there aren't too many people over at my apartment distracting me... But for reals. I really thought I was organized and I'm realizing that once I get busier, I forget how to be organized. I definitely need to work on that...

Also... is it lame that I've been in bed since before 11:30PM on a Saturday night?? I'm just exhausted and ready to get some sleep before getting up early in the morning...

Baseball Season

Alright, I know baseball season doesn't begin until April 1st, but I have to admit that I am pretty excited for this new season to begin.  Shawn and our friend Kyle won't let me forget that pitchers and catchers are reporting in just a few days.  So in order to help with their anticipation of the baseball season beginning, the three of us have somehow gotten addicted to this game on Facebook called Baseball Heros. Seriously, if you like Baseball, you have got to play it. It's become a love-hate relationship with this game though. And luckily, you have to wait until you have enough energy to continue playing the game.

As excited as we all are for baseball season to begin, the rivalry will also start.  In my group of friends here at school, we have of course, the SF Giants fans, which is myself. But then we have Shawn and Kyle, and I guess everyone else here in LA being a LA Dodgers fan. And my roommate who just loves the Los Angeles Angels (in my mind it'll always be Anaheim Angels...)

Let's just say that when April 1st rolls around, the only thing we will all be hearing Shawn and Kyle yell about, is the Dodgers. But don't you worry. I'll be decked out with my SF Giants shirt, hair bow, tumblr cup, Snuggie (yes, I have a Giants snuggie!), and blanket.

Thank You Notes

I've been raised to always write thank you notes and show that I appreciate a gift that someone gave me.  It's a nice way to show that you also appreciate the person who gave you the gift. 

One thing that I absolutely love, is stationary! They have so many cute designs on all of the cards.  I honestly have a whole desk drawer just devoted to stationary and cool pens.  Some stores that sell some VERY cute stationary is Target, The Paper Source (they also have some very cute gifts!), Papyrus, Barnes & Nobles, May Designs (YES! They do stationary now too!), and many other places.  

Just for fun, I decided to customize my own note cards on the May Design website, and these are the ones I came up with! 

I love May Designs because I can add my own monogram!

Just Had to Share...

Okay, can I just please take a second to share a couple photos with you? How beautiful is my cousin? This was taken last Friday at a park in Tustin, California before she went off on to her school's Winter Formal dance.  It was so fun to just be there in the excitement taking photos for her.

Look how beautiful she is with her BCBG Runway Dress?!
The color looks great on her!

Of course I had to get a photo with her!

Teacher Clothes

Since I am a "soon-to-be-teacher", it has come to that point in time where I must slowly start the wardrobe transformation. Now that I'm starting to go into the classroom more and more, I must start looking like a teacher. So slowly it's becoming "good-bye flip flops, hello flats and heels".  Now, whenever I go shopping for clothes, or I'm just looking online, I no longer go to the shorts and tank top section. I somehow find myself wandering through the sweaters, blouses, skirts, and dresses.

However, it is very difficult to find teacher clothes. By that I mean, appropriate tops that are dressy, yet comfortable and not too low because you're bending over next to children.  Dresses and skirts to the knee. Comfortable, but cute shoes that can be worn all day long with lots of standing and walking around. And of course, the outfit has to be topped off with a cute little watch!

Luckily, through all the research of where to find "teacher clothes" that I have been doing, I have come across a few stores that are reasonably priced (Especially when everything is on sale! Seriously, the first place I look is the sale/clearance section.) Old Navy, Target, Kohls, and of course, DSW, are all wonderful places to find "work" clothes. I'm pretty sure those stores ALWAYS have sales.
Here are a few examples of things that have slowly become a part of my daily wardrobe decisions.

Cardigans are the perfect way to tie an outfit together!
They come in every color and go with anything.
Skirts, jeans, slacks, dresses...

Sheer blouses and tops are becoming more and more popular.
I have a few, and they are so comfortable and these also come in great colors.
I love how you can buy them at different lengths so you can even wear them
with leggings if you wanted to. They're great for dressing up or dressing down.

At the beginning of this year, I used my DSW gift card to get a pair of silver flats with a bow.
They pretty much look like these. They are the most comfortable flats I have ever
worn and I love how they look cute and dressy but can be worn if you're
just wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

So I want to know, what are some other good places to buy "work" clothes? And what are some of your favorite pieces to wear?

TOMS

I remember my Freshman year and TOMS shoes were SO popular. It seemed as if everyone was getting a pair if they didn't already have a pair.  Well, three years later, I can say that I have a few pairs of TOMS, and I do love them. My first pair of TOMS were the lavender corduroy and they are pretty worn. I think I even have a hole in them.  One of my best friends got me the cream glitter ones, but of course, those got dirty very quickly. Although I still love them, I just wish there was an easy way to clean them.  My other pairs are the classic red and these cute navy with colorful circles on them. The navy with colorful circles are not worn as often just because I have to always wear a top that's plain.

Anyway, this past weekend, my cousin and I were looking at the new TOMS that they had online, and we found some super cute ones!!

If I could only get one more pair of TOMS, I'd get these!
They're super cute and they would match with anything.

I'd be afraid to get these because I wouldn't want them to rip.
But I do love the color. I just don't think I'd ever really wear them.

Perfect for the music lover!

What are some of your favorite TOMS? And does anyone know how to clean them? If you do, I would really love to know how.

Tote Bag Organization

I love purses. I was that girl who always had many purses that matched every outfit. Whenever I clean my purses out, I always find the most random things in them.  I've come to the realization that since I'm always switching out purses, totes, and backpacks, I always forget to transfer things that I end up needing. This week, I somehow ended up finding 2 old chapsticks in one backpack!

So, to help out with my organizational skills (my goal for this year is to become more organized!), I've figured out the best way to organize my purse.

Typically, I always use a backpack or tote bag for school.  Occasionally, if I'm just running out to dinner or I can manage using one of my small purses, I usually just take my phone, keys, and wallet.  But, in my tote bag (I'll just use tote bag, because that is what I am currently using today) I have a list of specific things that I always need to have with me.

1. Notebook: I always have little notes that needed to be written down or my list of things to do or important things to remember. I love being able to have a medium sized notebook so I can pull it out of my bag easily. This notebook, I got at the end of the school year last year after my Bel Canto Tour. It is actually a gift from Bel Canto!

2. MayBook: Like I've mentioned in a previous post, I have a MayBook, and I love it! It's the perfect sized planner and I can even jot down things I need to accomplish that week, errands I need to run, and just little notes to remember.

3. Pencil Case: I got this pencil case at Barnes & Nobles. I love it because it's the perfect size and I also love the colors. Typically I usually stop using a pencil case, but somehow I've managed to really use it. It's nice because it stops me from having all my pens, pencils, and highlighters floating around in my bag.

4. Wallet and keys: I feel as if your wallet and keys are something that no one should ever forget, but somehow this year, I feel as if everyone I know has lost their wallet or keys for a few days at a time.  Luckily, my wallet and keys are all bright so they aren't too hard to loose.

5. Gift Card Pouch: Somehow, I have managed to get a collection of gift cards. And somehow, I've managed to NEVER have them with me when I really could use them. I think this is the hardest thing for me to remember to keep in my purse because it's something that I don't use on a regular basis.  However, I have found that by keeping all my gift cards in one place, it has really helped me to not loose them for a few months, and find them floating around in my desk drawers.

6. Binder: Lastly, this semester for school, instead of using a bunch of different notebooks, I've only been using a binder. So far, I really like it. All of my syllabus' are in their correct section of my binder, I don't have lose papers shoved into a notebook, and I can move my notes around or if someone needs to copy them, I can easily take it out and give it to them, instead of handing over my whole notebook.

So those are just a few things that I have come to be handy for me and my organizational skills. If any of you have any suggestions for me on how to be more organized, I would really love to hear them! I can always use all the organizational tips I can get!