Yellow {Fashion Thoughts}

Today's A-Z letter is Y.... Yellow!!

I'm obsessed with the color yellow right now. But have yet to own a piece of yellow clothing. But here are some pieces I have been eyeing!!! :) 

//dress//  from OldNavy I saw this dress on Curves and Confidence. Online it looks kinda weird, but on her it looks gorgeous, she is working it. I'm thinking of getting it myself. :) 
//shoes//  from JustFab I'm into wedges right now. And I also recently got a JustFab membership, so these shoes are definitely on my eye. 
//blouse// Where can I find this blouse...and in my size?.. I love it!! {source}
//necklace//  from Forever21
//skirt// I love maxi skirts. Or rather the idea of them, because I only own one. But I like how it looks on this girl!!  {source}
Are you obsessed with any specific color this spring?

Five Little Grins + Blog Baton Day

A much needed Five Little Grins post!!!!
//one// Can't get over the little mini photo shoot I had with my cousin last week. Although I felt a little awkward most of the time, I had fun. Another mini shoot is in the works. :) 

//two// WORLD BOOK NIGHT, happened this past Wednesday!! A fellow blogger, suggested World Book Night as something I should add to my bucket list. So I signed up. Basically book lovers sign up to be book givers once a year in order to promote reading and literacy to light and non readers. . I gave the book Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Some of my copies went to my local library, I delivered some of the books on my way home on some bus stops, I gave some copies to some new mothers. It was definitely rewarding. I'm definitely want to do it again next year. Find more information here. 
//three// My second day of subbing happened on Friday, and it was so much fun. I'm really enjoying it. Like I mentioned last week, I got hired to be a substitute paraeducator, which work with children with special needs. And although I have only been to two assignments, and it's rigorous, I'm enjoying it. 
//four// I biked 4 miles to my dad's and brother's baseball game. It took me 35 minutes, I was sweating after, my legs are sore, but I loved feeling the wind through my hair. 
//five// Family night. On Saturday we had a pizza night at my uncles house. Homemade pizza + family = amazing night.  --------------------------------------------------------

OHHHHHH I almost forgot!!!! If you follow me on Instagram you already know that thanks to Mason Like the Jar, I have the Blog Baton today!!! I'm so excited, hopefully my day is as exciting as my mind makes me believe so. What has you smiling recently?

Teriyaki Chicken Bowl {Cooking Time}

Today's A-Z Letter is T... for... Teriyaki Chicken Bowl.
I love chicken bowls, and teriyaki is my favorite kind. We usually buy the box kits from Costco, that comes with a bag of chicken and a packet of sauce, we've tried the Teriyaki Chicken, and the Orange Chicken and they taste so good. Well, we weren't sure why we only had the packet of chicken in our fridge without the packet of sauce, so we decide to add Teriyaki from the store. And it came out good. 
//Ingredients// - 2 cups of water - 1 cup of rice - 1 1/2 tablespoon of butter - Chicken, (we had the leftover packet) but you can do it with like 4 chicken breasts - 1 cup of Teriyaki Glaze - Mixed veggies - 1 tablespoon of butter
//Directions// {Rice}

- Put the two cups of water to boil in a small pot - Once the water has boiled add the rice. And season it with butter and some salt. - Cover the pot and let rice cook. - My moms golden rule for making rice: Its a 1:2 ratio of rice to water. 
{Mixed Veggies} - In a pan, add some a cup of water and add your veggies.  - Let them cook until tender, and throw out most of the water.  - Bring it back to heat and some butter to give it flavor. 
{Chicken} 

- In another pan, add a bit of olive oil and add your chicken.  - Once your chicken in cooked, add 1 cup of Teriyaki, and let the chicken cook with the sauce.  - Once the chicken is done, serve rice, veggies and top it with the chicken. 
Check out some more yummy recipes: Food Thoughts.  What's your favorite kind of Chicken Bowl?

Skinny Jeans {Fashion Thoughts}

Today's A-Z Letter is S... for... Skinny Jeans 
Ohhh goodness!! It's been a busy week!! First of all, Happy Easter, I hope you all had a wonderful, blessed Easter Weekend. Second, this has been such a busy week. I had an interview and I had my first day as a substitute paraeducator. I was so nervous, but excited at the same time. :) It went well, so I'm excited.  Another exciting thing that happen was this mini photo shoot. I love fashion. And I must admit I'm far from being a fashionista, or a fashion blogger, or a model but I do love to shop for some cute things. And I wanted to show my inner, wannabe fashionista with a new weekly feature on the blog. 

First up my favorite Skinny Jeans right now. 

Please don't laugh at me. It is my first photo shoot, and although I'm sure I looked awkward and most shots were weird, I really liked it. Props to my cousin Claudia for taking these shots. Check out her work here. 

 Top {Old Navy} // Jeans {Lauren Conrad at Kohls} 

Shoes {DSW} // Clutch {Target} // Watch {Fossil}

Movies I love!

Today's A-Z Letter is M... for.. Movies!!
I love watching movies. I think I can spend all day watching movies, and I think I have before. I don't have a preferred genre, except for scary movies, unless you will sleep next to me with the lights on all night, then I will not watch a scary movie. I'm a huge scaredy cat. I love a good cry. 
These are some of the movies that I've recently watch and some of my all time favorite.
//The Impossible// The movie was about the a family vacationing in Thailand when the Tsunami happened. Just to see and think about all that the people in Thailand went through with this natural disaster, made me sad. But the movie was amazing. 
//Now You See Me//
This is another movie that I recently seen. I love heist movies, I'm fascinated with  movies that are about magicians and illusionists, like The Illusionist, and The Prestige. And this movie had a twist at the end, that had me like whhaaat. 

//The Hunger Games// {IMDb} I loved the series, and I loved the movies. Although I think the first one was a little better than the second, I still loved it.  //Pitch Perfect and Bridemaids// {IMDb} // {IMDb} I love movies that make me laugh. And these were both funny and cute.  //The Italian Job//  {IMDb} Another good heist movie. I think this one is one of my favorite action movies. 
OUT ON THEATERS THIS YEAR:

{Trailers Link} Divergent // Noah // Maleficient // The Fault in our Stars
What are your top favorite movies? What movies can't you wait to see this year?

Love....

Today's A-Z Letter is L... for.. Love This weekend I went to a wedding. It was beautiful. As I was sitting at church and then at the reception watching them dance, I began to wonder, when will I have this. Right now there are new engagements, weddings, new babies all round me, and sometimes I wish for this. I know this will happen in due time, but I can't help wanted to know when, or to just fast forward to that time. 
I haven't had much experience with relationships,  but when I love I love hard, whether it be my family or my friends or my lover. But at the same time I'm so guarded, because I don't want to get get hurt. And one time I let that get in the way of what I was feeling, and I realized that instead of enjoying the time we had together, I pushed it away. But I'm ready to let it go, I'm ready to be a little bit more vulnerable when it comes to love. I'm ready to be in the moment, and not think about it too much. I'm ready to be open.
These last few years, I've been learning to just have fun. I also realized that I have first get to know myself and most of all Love Myself, before I can let anyone in. So here is a tip for myself: love yourself, live your life, and wait for the right person to come along. Don't give up, don't get frustrated. Love yourself. Yes, I would love to have someone sweep me off my feet. But he will come. Right now I'm happy to surround myself with my family and friends and God.  How do you love with all your everything?

Keeping the House {Currently Reading}

Today's A-Z Letter is K... for.. Keeping the House

Title : Keeping the House

Author: Ellen Baker

Publisher:  Random House

Release Date: July 10th, 2007

Summary from GoodReads:

Set in the conformist 1950s and reaching back to span two world wars, Ellen Baker’ s superb novel is the story of a newlywed who falls in love with a grand abandoned house and begins to unravel dark secrets woven through the generations of a family. Like Whitney Otto’s How to Make an American Quilt in its intimate portrayal of women’ s lives, and reminiscent of novels by Elizabeth Berg and Anne Tyler, Keeping the House is a rich tapestry of a novel that introduces a wonderful new fiction writer. 

When Dolly Magnuson moves to Pine Rapids, Wisconsin, in 1950, she discovers all too soon that making marriage work is harder than it looks in the pages of the Ladies’ Home Journal. Dolly tries to adapt to her new life by keeping the house, supporting her husband’s career, and fretting about dinner menus. She even gives up her dream of flying an airplane, trying instead to fit in at the stuffy Ladies Aid quilting circle. Soon, though, her loneliness and restless imagination are seized by the vacant house on the hill. As Dolly’s life and marriage become increasingly difficult, she begins to lose herself in piecing together the story of three generations of Mickelson men and women: Wilma Mickelson, who came to Pine Rapids as a new bride in 1896 and fell in love with a man who was not her husband; her oldest son, Jack, who fought as a Marine in the trenches of World War I; and Jack’s son, JJ, a troubled veteran of World War II, who returns home to discover Dolly in his grandparents’ house. 

As the crisis in Dolly’s marriage escalates, she not only escapes into JJ’s stories of his family’s past but finds in them parallels to her own life. As Keeping the House moves back and forth in time, it eloquently explores themes of wartime heroism and passionate love, of the struggles of men’s struggles with fatherhood and war and of women’s conflicts with issues of conformity, identity, forbidden dreams, and love.

Beautifully written and atmospheric, Keeping the House illuminates the courage it takes to shape and reshape a life, and the difficulty of ever knowing the truth about another person’s desires. Keeping the House is an unforgettable novel about small-town life and big matters of the heart.

I haven't gotten to far into it, but can't wait for the book picks up pace. I like the 50s era, and this book showcases marriage and life in the 50s, so I can't wait. 

Have you read this book? What are you currently reading?

I'm The Kinda Girl....

Today's A-Z Letter is I...for.. I'm the kinda a Girl....
I was inspired by Holly over at Hey Hollywood's Link-up like two months ago.. hehe.. I had wished I had participated in her Link-up, but I don't know why I found out about it late and never did a post. But here it is.
I'm The Kinda Girl who....
+ can't make decisions + reads on a daily basis and has a book on her purse at all times + is on Instagram more that she would like to admit. + over thinks pretty much everything. + loves to have her room clean, but who's room will go back to messiness in a instant + still watches One Tree Hill episodes after it has been off the air 2 years. + obsesses over something hard and fast. + has dreamed of being a boutique owner/fashion designer all her life + snoozes her alarm at least twice, and more times if its time to workout. + has no idea what to do with her life + stresses out way to easily, and over the smallest things.. + secretly wants someone to completely sweep her off her feet with love. + is obsessed with watching TV. + loves hard and.. + breaks easily + loves movies that make her cry. + loves to watch Baseball. + loves rainy days, but her favorite season is summer.
What kinda of girl are you?

Hearty, Healthy Omelet {Cooking Time}

Today's A-Z Letter is H...for.. Hearty, Healthy Omelet.
I don't know about you, but I love to eat breakfast for lunch and dinner, especially eggs. Heheh. What better breakfast dish for any meal than an Omelet. I got this yummy recipe from Cooking Light.
Western Omelet

//Ingredients//  (for 1 serving) *optional ingredients
- 1/2 tablespoon of water - pinch of salt - pinch of ground black pepper - 2 large eggs - 2 tablespoon of olive oil - 1/4 cup of onions - 1/3 cup of bell peppers - 1 ounce of chopped ham (1 slice ham) - 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese - 1 chopped Turkey Sausage link * -1/3 cup of chopped tomato * //Directions//

-Whisk, water, salt, pepper, and eggs in a bowl. - In a medium-size pan, heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, and swirl to coat the pan.  - Stir in onions, bell peppers, tomato, ham and sausage to the pan, and sautee until vegetables are crisp and tender. Remove the vegetables from the pan and put to the side. - Return the pan to medium-heat and add the other tablespoon of Olive Oil. Add the egg mixture to the pan and tilt the pan to spread evenly. Cook until the edges begin to set. - Tilt one side of the egg with the spatula to get the uncooked egg onto the the pan. Cook until the edges begin to set.  - Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the omelet. Add the vegetables to the omelet.  - Fold the omelet in half. And enjoy. :)  
Check out some more yummy recipes: Food Thoughts.  What is your favorite Omelet recipe? 

Favorite Things about Blogging {Ten Favorite Things}

Happy Monday everyone!! :) Today's A-Z Letter is F.... Favorite Things

I love blogging, I've been doing it consistently for almost a year now. And I'm still learning new things everyday about blogging, reading new blogs daily and meeting new people. :)  Last month I wrote a little history of why I love blogging, but here are my Ten Favorite Things about blogging. 
//one// Blogging is an outlet. I'm trying to be more open about myself more, and I feel like blogging allows me to be more open about my life, my feeling and thoughts.
//two// Creativity. If you couldn't tell already, but I love making things, whether it be food or projects. I love that blogging has allowed me to share recipes and D.I.Y projects. It has also showed me to find creativity everywhere, while writing, reading, drinking coffee, studying. 
//three// The blogging community. Like I said on my blog post last month, one of my favorite things is the blogging community. Luckily, I have had amazing people come through my blog who have read and my posts and who leave sweet comments. Bloggers are amazing!!! :) 
//four// With the community comes the friends. I would like to believe that I made friends on here. I met people that I wouldn't have otherwise have met if it wasn't for blogging, exchanges, comments, posts, link-ups, blog hops. 

From the words of Robin Farr from Farewell Stranger. Perfect life of a blogger.

//five// Inspiration and motivation. There are thousands of blogs. But what I love the most is reading blog posts from my favorite bloggers and being able to identify with them because of their words. It makes you realize that we are all going through similar things in life. There are so many inspiring stories out there about every aspect of life, and I just love reading.
//six// Entertainment. Just like there are many inspiring stories with a serious tones. There are so many bloggers I go to when I need a laugh, because their posts are so witty and creative and funny. It is also where I go to to get reviews of new products, books, shows, etc. I enjoy reading blogs just as much as I enjoy writing my posts. :)
//seven// Hobby. Blogging is one of my many hobbies, and as time passes, it has become something I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY enjoy doing, even if I still struggle to come up with my posts. I look forward to write at night and in the mornings on here. 
//eight// Learning new things. I feel like I've learned so many things through blogging. I've learned to do technical things about my blog. I've learned so many things about life, travels, foods, through other bloggers. I've learned about myself. That's what blogging does, it opens you up to learn new things. 
//nine// A journal to look back at. Just like blogging has become an outlet, I love that it was become a place that I can look back at and see what I was passionate about writing. I have a couple of posts that I wrote when I first started blogging (4 years ago), and I just like to read them and see how much I changed and/or stayed the same. 
//ten// Staying connected. My best friends and I started a group blog where we would post what was going on in our lives. It was one of the ways we were able to stay connected. I hope we can bring it back. 

Most of these probably go hand in hand with each other. Some are in a sense the same thing, heheh, but I had to get creative.. hehe. :) 

Everything is Illuminated {A Book Review}

Today's A-Z Letter: E is for.... 

Title : Everything is Illuminated

Author: Jonathan Safran Foer

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Release Date: September 3rd, 2013 (ebook)

Summary from GoodReads:

With only a yellowing photograph in hand, a young man - also named Jonathan Safran Foer - sets out to find the woman who might or might not have saved his grandfather from the Nazis. Accompanied by an old man haunted by memories of the war, an amorous dog named Sammy Davis, Junior, Junior, and the unforgettable Alex, a young Ukrainian translator who speaks in a sublimely butchered English, Jonathan is led on a quixotic journey over a devastated landscape and into an unexpected past.

As their adventure unfolds, Jonathan imagines the history of his grandfather's village, conjuring a magical fable of startling symmetries that unite generations across time. Lit by passion, fear, guilt, memory, and hope, the characters in Everything Is Illuminated mine the black holes of history. As the search moves back in time, the fantastical history moves forward, until reality collides with fiction in a heart-stopping scene of extraordinary power.

An arresting blend of high comedy and great tragedy, this is a story about searching for people and places that no longer exist, for the hidden truths that haunt every family, and for the delicate but necessary tales that link past and future. Exuberant and wise, hysterically funny and deeply moving, EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED is an astonishing debut

Quotes:

“This is love, she thought, isn't it? When you notice someone's absence and hate that absence more than anything? More, even, than you love his presence?” 

My Take: Okay first I must tell you that the book contains adult language and content. 
But I think it is a great addition to the story. What I got from the book was a story of love in unconventional times, and an adventure to find something, someplace and someone to link between the past and the present. 
After his grandfather dies a couple years ago, Jonathan Safran Foer (the same name as the author but it is not an autobiography), sets out to Ukraine to find the woman who saved his grandfather, Safran, from the Nazis. Jonathan is accompanied by a Ukrainian translator, Alex and his grandfather that are hired as his tour guides to help him find the woman in one of his grandfather's photographs. 
He get the story of Jonathan's journey to find his grandfather's savior through Alex's perspective, as he is writing a book about their journey. 
But there is a parallel story being told throughout the book. Jonathan (the character) is writing this semi-biographical, semi-fictional book that starts with the life of his great-great-great-great-great grandmother Bron and ends with the invasion of the Nazi's in the town of Trachimbron and his grandfather's escape. Through the span of six generations we get stories of hurt, death, life, dreams, parenthood, marriage, passion, friendship, betrayal but most importantly Love and Memories. I think in this book Illumination means clarity and understanding of the past or at least trying to understand the past. Both Jonathan and Alex are finding new information about their family's history throughout their journey
It's a novel about a book about stories, told by letters exchanged by the characters. Confusing right? For me it took me a while to get it together in my mind, but once I did I was immersed in Bron's life and her experiences, and later in Safran's life. It left me wanting to know more about the stories and for the book to not end.
I love the way that Foer writes, I've read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, and it was amazing. His style is different, and weird, and unique, and pretty amazing, and it all works perfectly together. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

What would you want to know most about your family's history? Have you ever read any Jonathan Safran Foer books?

Dream Catcher {D.I.Y}

Today's A-Z Letter =  D is for ..... Dream Catcher I've always been fascinated with dream catchers since I was little. The Native Americans used dream catchers to ward off bad dreams and spirits. In the last couple of months I have been obsessed with them. And of course thanks to Pinterest this is the outcome. One for my bedroom and one for my car.
D.I.Y Dream Catchers

//Materials// - Embroidery Hoops (I used 5in and 3in hoops) - Embroidery String (or you can use twine or yarn) - Embelishments like feathers, beads, ribbon, sequins, jewels, chains, etc.









//Instructions//

- Untighten the hoop and use only one of the hoops which ever you prefer. I used the inside hoop for the bigger one and I used the outside hoop for the smaller one.  - Use ribbon, or scrap fabric, (you can even use yarn or spray paint your hoop) to wrap around your hoop.  - Take your sting and tie a knot anywhere on your hoop and begin weaving it in. Loop the string from top to bottom and back up. This part is up to you creativity. There are endless ways to weave in your string to mak different designs. 

- Add embellishments:

- I just added the beads after I weaved the web by just tying them with a seperate piece of string. But maybe it would've been easier to add the beads while weaving the web.

- For the feathers. Tie them to the a piece of string. Before you tie the feathers to the hoop, add beads to hide the knots and make the feathers stand up straight. 

- The yellow strings are pieces of ribbon that I just tied to the hoop. 

- To make the braids on the little one, I just cut three pieces of string for each of the three main strands of the braid.

- Finally add some sting to the top of the dream catcher and to tie wherever you want. 

California, the 5 things I want to do

Today's A - Z Letter is C: C is for .... California.  A couple of days ago, I read that my blogger friend Gina over at Gina's Agenda will be starting a SoCal Travel Guide. I got so excited. I've lived here in California my whole life and I love it. But I never have done really big touristy things, or really explore much of my State. So hopefully Gina's Travel Guide will get me to visit new places, so I can't wait.  But for now, here are my Top 5 Touristy Things I would love to do in California. 
//one// Visit the National Parks. Redwood National Park, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park. the oldest tallest and biggest tree live here. I want to get lost, but not literally, in the nature. 

{Source}

//two// Venice Beach. I've never been to Venice Beach. I have always wanted to stroll down the boardwalk, and see all the different vendors and people watch.

{source: Travels with L}

//three//  Runyon Canyon. One of the famous hike trails in L.A, you can spot celebrities working out here.. You can see amazing views from the top of the mountain. I've been dying to go hiking here, a visit is soon to be made. 

{Source: Friends of Runyon Canyon}

//four// Napa Valley. The land of wine. I've been wine tasting in Napa once, but I would love to go again. 

{Source: Inside the Cellar}

//five// Griffith Observatory. Where you can see more of L.A without the smog. You can see the stars from up there. I've always wanted to go. 

{Source: All that is interesting} 

Any California blogger friends up for an Adventure? Have you ever visited California, what is your favorite thing to do here or wish you could do?

Breakfast Oatmeal Bowl {Cooking Time}

Today's A-Z Topic: B is for... Breakfast Bowl
I struggle with eating breakfast, sometimes I eat a big breakfast and some days I skip it. And it becomes extremely harder whenever I try to eat healthy, exercise or trying to lose weight. But I’m on a mission to kick start a healthy diet, and that means to starting with a healthier breakfast. 
I found this Breakfast Apple and Raisin Oatmeal Bowl Recipe. 
That is just as yummy as it sounds.
Since all we had were the Instant Oatmeal Packets, I used those, but I can only imagine how much better it would be with the “real” oats. :) This recipe is set for about one person, just multiply the ingredients for more servings. :) 
//Ingredients//
1 packet of Instant Oats or 1/2 cup of oats
1/4 apple
1/2 cup of water
A pinch of cinnamon or preference
1/2  cup of milk
some raisins
//Directions//
Bring water and apples to boil in a saucepan.
Add oats and cinnamon to the boil water and apples.
Reduce heat to a low setting and let it simmer until thick.
Serve in bowl and add your milk and top with raisins.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
While on the topic of being healthier. The lovely Elizabeth over at Always a Jersey Girl at Heart, told me about this awesome #1800MinuteChallenge hosted by the lovely ladies at Living Yellow, Alissa Circle, The Freckled Fox and Crowley Party. Basically it is a challenge for us to workout 1800 minutes from now (or yesterday April 1st) until May 31st. I decided to join the challenge to keep me motivated to workout. :) I will keep you posted. :) 

What do you eat for breakfast?

April Goals

I saw this cool A-Z Blogging Challenge on Christina's Blog, yesterday, and I was like I must try it. How does it work? Basically, it is a blogging challenge to write for 26 days in April, everyday except for Sundays. :) Each day has a letter in which you will need to come up with a theme, a word, or topic that starts with that letter. For example April 1st = A, April 2 = B, April 3 = C  etc etc, having Sundays off. :) 
I haven't been blogging that much lately and I thought it would be a great idea to challenge myself. Eeek. I started some topics last night, and some of these letters were hard. I need help.. lol..  In need of some yummy recipes that start with H, N and T. And some books for reviews that start with K, Q and W. But really any ideas will help. heheh.. 
Today's Topic is A... for April Goals. These are things I want to accomplish during April. 

Photo: cfisherphotography

1. Get back on a working out mindset, and workout at least 5 times a week.
2. Spice up my lack of social life. Visit new places, try new things.
3. Eat healthier, veggies at every meal, and a fruit every day.
4. Hang out with my girls at least 1 a week.  
5. Complete at least 90% of this challenge aka 23 posts. :)
6. The nerd in me, needs to read at least 3 books. .
7. In February, I did a juice detox, I want to try round 2 this month.
8. 25th birthday is in 9 months, I want to officially start a Things to do Before 25 list. I have already gotten great ideas back in Decemeber. :) 

What are your goals for this month?