some photo stuff

if you haven't visited my photo blog lately, make sure to check out

whitney's CUTE family

and aqila and her husband-to-be, ke'len!

fuji instant camera

how bad do i want this camera? so bad. i have been eyeing it for so long. but i would still be happy if you won it in this giveaway from photojojo

good luck.

thankful.

i'm thankful for him.

for the flowers he got me yesterday, for the baking i got to do last night, for getting to spend the day with loved ones, for having time off work, for having a job...
here's what i made for today.
deviled eggs (i made the boring kind but i like these avocado & cilantro deviled eggs better)

oreo truffles - recipe from college candy

pumpkin cream cheese truffles - recipe from whole foods

happy thanksgiving, friends! hope you enjoy your day.

eerie

will and i had so much fun jamming to this song sunday night. it is so fun to play and sing along to. we dream of starting a band someday.

in the mood.

don't you just love naomi's thanksgiving outfits? pure art.


check them out at sensiblystyled.com (awesome site for modest clothing ideas)
these outfits get me in the mood to shop shop shop!

i love how timeless fabric blooms are...

"these spring-fresh roses sprout from this silky ruched cincher"


"downy stitches give way to an airy swirl of petals"

i have a black one like this, but it is vintage and way too small for me so i always wind up with a headache. kinda like when your earrings are too heavy.


this reminds me of my gold roses 80s dress. which reminds me. i have some glamour shots to post.

belt, hat, and hairclip from anthropologie.com

these would make great gifts but if i bought them for someone else i'm pretty sure i'd end up keeping them.

how to make grocery shopping a little more fun

i have been wanting to make reusable grocery sacks from fabric for awhile but sadly it is just another project that i can never find time to do. wouldn't it be so much easier to just WIN them?

hurry over to MADE to win these amazing grocery totes! or just wish me luck with my entry!

make sure

make sure to listen to some pretty new music today.

shoes

i am obsessed with shoes.

i am particularly obsessed with these wedding shoes. of course i had to wear pumps on my wedding day, because i am 11 inches shorter than my man. but i do love flats with all my lil heart.

aren't these AMAZING?!?!

i love vintage broaches. i love lace. i love ruched leather. they couldn't be any more heavenly.
photo from the image is found (i am also obsessed with these photographers by the way)

i know, i use the word "obsessed" lightly. it gets the point across when i'm excited about something.

twenty six

i am now officially embarassed of my age.




but, on the positive side, i look like i'm 16. and even better, this is coming in the mail tomorrow! thank you sweet husband. of course i wanted a retro color but i couldn't justify spending over a hundred bucks more just for style.


expect me to soon be baking....

ginger spice cookies


homemade cinnamon rolls...for christmas gifts!


chocolate swirl pumpkin gingerbread

my karaoke bday party

i had the most fun singing
"these boots are made for walkin" by nancy sinatra [a must for me at karoake, plus i was wearing cowboy boots]
"different drum" by linda ronstadt [classic]
"gangsta's paradise" by coolio [we really got crazy during this one, it was so gangsta it was scary]
"bohemian rhapsody" by queen [we sang this one so beautifully]

what is your favorite song to karaoke???

nouvelle

nouvelle vague has just released another album. one can never have too much pretty french music.

a photo a day

hey fellow photography lovers! how cool is this idea?! would be worth the time.

you can make your own page-a-day calendars using your own photos. you just drag a photo into the calendar each day or fill it up however you like. a calendar of my own memories & images would definitely entertain me if i had a boring ugly office to sit in all day.



http://shuttercal.com/

on adoption

this story really touched me.
here is the comment i left in response. just felt like sharing.

thanks juli, love your writing and your story. i am chinese (and hawaiian and white), born in the usa and adopted to white parents (who also adopted 9 other kids of varying backgrounds). so, i also do not know ANYONE who looks like me or has my same ethnic mixture. i have visited china and hawaii and am always evaluating the women there and comparing myself to them ("do i look like her?").

my advice to parents who are adopting interracially, especially when the child is coming from another country, is yes, find special ways to honor that child's culture, or at least always talk it up, brag about it, so the way that they feel "different" is in a good way ("special"). learn about that culture and share that with the child.

i would have appreciated that extra bit of culture growing up. i have to admit that i feel a bit jipped. of course i feel so lucky to live in this country. but i appreciate my unique ethnic background and wish that i had parents or grandparents who could share it with me. i want a chinese grandmother who can help me cook authentic potstickers, or a hawaiian mama to teach me to hula. so it has been up to me to seek out these things. a fun and interesting journey!

this book reminds me of myself trying to find a chinese or hawaiian lady that i look like. haha

our halloween party

just a few images from halloween night.







good night, and happy birthday to me :)

yo gabba gabba wrap party!

season 3 filming has ended. went by quick. this was such a fun night! some highlights...