#100HappyDays – Week Four

Week four of #100HappyDays – a challenge to find one thing that makes me happy each day for 100 days. Still going strong! (If you’re curious, here are Week 1, Week 2 and Week 3).

<<April 22, Tuesday – Enjoying my very first delightfully sweet and tart loquat>>

 <<April 23, Wednesday – Finding cute crafting supplies at the hardware store>>

<<April 24, Thursday – A trip to Ikea: blissfully empty and an unbelievably cheap lunch>>

<<April 25, Friday – Wood-fired pizza and a wicked jazz show>>

<<April 26, Saturday – Luminous clouds after the rain>>

<<April 27, Sunday – Playing like a kid again at Two-Bit Circus>>

<<April 28, Monday – Red Velvet cake for breakfast>>

 

 

Yum: Oreo Mini Icebox Cakes

One day my friend told me about icebox cakes and then I couldn’t get them out of my head until I tried them. Icebox cakes are one of those classic American treats that I never knew existed because to my Korean parents, dessert is cut up fruit. Fortunately, they’re dead easy to make so I was able to go home immediately to try it. See a step by step how-to after the jump!

DIY Inspiration: Embellished Military Jacket

I’ve been searching for a dark green military-style jacket for months but could never find one that was the right color and length for my shorty self. So I was psyched when I spotted this one at a thrift store for $10!! Trust me, I clutched this baby tight all the way to the register out of an irrational fear that someone would snatch it out of my hands.

It’s got really cute details but I thought it could use a little something to break up all the green and give it a little personality.  So I jumped on the internet for inspiration and came across some interesting options.

~I could sew on jewels like this one via Lovelyish:

 

~Or do something with fabric paint like this tongue-in-cheek take from The Casual Free Style:

 

~Or add pins for a no-sew option a la Silver:

 

~Or sprinkle on some studs like this one via toriasays:

In the end, I decided to take a more subtle route so my jacket will weather the ever-shifting storm of trends and look good season after season. I’m still working on it but really like where it’s heading! And I’m using a slightly unconventional material. Check back next week to see how it turns out =)

Not Your Grandma’s Knits: Wool and the Gang

This week’s Not Your Grandma’s Knits started out in the usual way, with some pretty pictures that caught my eye. But the more I read about Wool and the Gang, the more intrigued I became. Turns out they’re not your everyday knitwear brand. Instead of factory production, each of their ready-to-wear items is handmade by a member of “The Gang”, their global network of individual knitters. They also sell kits, which contain everything you need (yarn, knitting needles, pattern and finishing tools) to knit your own item at home.

BUT!! (and for some this is a pretty big but)…

#100HappyDays – Week Three

Week three, or about 20% of the way through the 100 Happy Days Challenge! There was so much to choose from this week. Just putting this post together and remembering each day puts a smile on my face. (Check out Week 1 and Week 2!)

<<April 15, Tuesday– First place win for our team at Springbok Bar Trivia!>>

<<April 16, Wednesday – Finding this crazy junkyard while wandering the streets of LA>>

<<April 17, Thursday – Leftovers make a perfect Vietnamese rice bowl for lunch>>

<<April 18, Friday – So many flavors of Mast Brothers chocolate to choose from>>

<<April 19, Saturday – A hike with friends, followed by ice cream>>

<<April 20, Sunday – A lazy morning reading in bed>>

<<April 21, Monday – A visit to LACMA and the La Brea Tar Pits>>

Yum: Easy Peas-y Chicken Salad

I’m a practical cook. I abhor waste and I love transforming ingredients. So most days, my recipes are fueled by whatever is in my fridge. This time, it was half a roast chicken leftover from last night’s dinner. We also had waaaay too much sliced bread on hand. So chicken salad sandwiches just made sense. At the last minute, I threw in some sliced snap peas for crunch and they added such a lovely texture that they’re totally invited to my next chicken or tuna or potato salad.

Read on for the recipe and more!

A little DIY: Gold-Rim Bowl

Today, a quick and easy way to make your own elegant gold-rimmed bowls, for less than the price of a venti no-whip, skim caramel macchiato! See how after the jump.

#100HappyDays – Week Two

Time for week two of my 100 Happy Days challenge (read about the challenge and week one here). I have to admit, there were a couple days when I felt sluggish and uninspired, but writing down my happy thing was a positive way to end even those harder days. Which I guess is the point, so… onward! =)

<<April 8, Tuesday – Dance Dance Revolution! So much fun and such a workout!>>

 <<April 9, Wednesday – Daffodils tell me spring is really here>>

<< April 10, Thursday – Tennis outside on a beautiful day>>

<< April 11, Friday – Discovering this amazing, real-life house in Beverly Hills>>

<<April 12, Saturday – The cutest jar of strawberry jam for a crusty French baguette>>

<< April 13, Sunday – A blue sky and a neighbor’s beautiful roses>> 

<< April 14, Monday – A veritable Vietnamese feast prepared by my roommate’s mom>>

Yum: Turkey Burgers (good ones)

I’ve mentioned before that I tend to cook without recipes – I’m a dash of this, pinch of that kinda girl. But I made turkey burgers the other night that turned out so yummy and moist I thought I’d make a stab at writing a recipe. Get it after the jump!

Mini Meditation: Just Lunch

I know meditating is good for me. I know it in my gut. And there are countless studies that show it does your brain good on a chemical, science-y level (one great article here). Unfortunately, all those studies also show that you have to practice meditation for it to do you all this good and I just never end up finding time in my day to do it. And that sounds ridiculous to me even as I type it. I can’t find TEN MINUTES? Everything I do is so enormously important that I can’t spare even a moment?

No, let’s just call that what it is – a flimsy excuse. The reality is that it takes 21 to 30 days for something to become a habit and we humans love instant gratification, not something that builds little by little.

So here’s something I’ve been trying for the past few days. When I eat lunch, I eat lunch AND NOTHING ELSE. No TV, no internet browsing, no magazine reading. I just stare at my food and eat and think. And I really notice my food and how good it tastes. Ideas and connections pop into my head. I feel full faster. A lot of the time the same inane thoughts go spinning around and I sometimes feel flashes of impatience. But it’s also the only moment of the day that I’m not multitasking – multiple browser windows, knitting while watching TV, cooking to music, eating dinner and chatting with my roommate. It’s just me. And I’m starting to look forward to it. Here’s hoping it sticks.

Just my lunch (and me standing over it with a camera…)