August 2014

Aug 24, 2014

Los Angeles Explorations

Spent a day in Los Angeles with my good friend, Stephanie. We hadn't seen each other since June before our graduation! It was good to catch up and it was fun to finally do some exploring in a city I love.

Healthier Banana Nut Bread

Happy Friday! Spent a good chunk of my morning waiting around for the AT&T technicians to fix our internet/phone because ever since we switched from DSL to broadband, the internet and phone kept cutting out. Since I was stuck waiting at home until they left I decided to bake this banana nut bread recipe, which I found on Light by Coco. I liked that it was healthier, especially since Type 2 Diabetes runs in my family, and looking at my parents' medicine cabinet always reminds me why a healthy lifestyle is important. I don't have a fancy blender, so I just took to using my handy dandy hand mixer.

So, it's not a typical banana bread. It really does taste like "health" haha, but it was a good way to use some overripe bananas! Yum!

Back to School Essentials

I can't believe it's back to school time already! Yes, I just graduated with a bachelor's degree from UCI, but I'm still stuck in school. I'm heading to a community college to take pre-requisites for Pharmacy School, which means a shorter summer for me. It's going to be an interesting change, transitioning from the quarter system at UCI to the semester system, but I'm sure I'll be fine with the slower pace.

I decided to gather up my back to school essentials and write a post about them. I figured this would be a good way to get into the spirit of blog writing and getting my camera out and about, since I'm pretty much at home since it's cheaper to cook meals for myself and I don't have to spend money on gas (I'm a cheapskate, no shame).

1. Moleskine Agenda - I've been using a moleskine agenda since I've started University. I prefer writing down important tasks instead of using my phone or laptop, and there's something just so rewarding about crossing off things with a pen.

2. Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tint in Moody - I love lip products, and although I have a drawer full of different lipsticks, lip balms, lip stains, and lip pencils...This is a product I find myself reaching for automatically when I don't know what to put on my lips. I love that this lip tint goes on smoothly and is slightly hydrating while leaving a nice berry tint on the lips.

3. Altoids - My Altoids tin is a bit beat up from being thrown in bags, but that just adds character, right? Anyway, you never know when you'll be eating something seriously stank. I also like the feeling of minty, fresh breath!

4. Oil Blotting Sheets - Since I have oily skin, a touch up is necessary ever now and then. I buy the Target brand because they're about the same price as the Clean & Clear ones, but you get more sheets!

5. Madewell Ace Shades - I always loose my sunglasses, which is why I don't like to invest too much money into them. I bought these when they were on sale and I really love them. I'm hoping I don't loose them!

6. Casio Wrist Watch - A simple, leather-like strap watch to keep time. This is also the reason I have a watch tan.

7. MacBook Pro - I think a laptop is a necessity for any college student. I upgraded to this MacBook Pro from my 2008 MacBook last year. I haven't had any real problems, except my trackpad broke a few months ago, but the Apple store was able to replace it for free since it was still under warranty.

8. Hydro Flask Water Bottle - I try to drink at least 1 Liter of water a day, which is why I always carry around a water bottle. I love this one because it's insulated so it keeps my water cold, or my tea hot when I feel like carrying around tea instead.

9. Pencil Case - Just a simple, striped case to hold all my pens, highlighters, and other necessities that I bought from Daiso a while ago.

10. Sharpie Pens - I love color coding my agenda and notes, and I've had colored pens before, but I prefer sharpie pens. They're like markers, but they don't bleed and they make things stand out much more.

11. Keys - This is the first time I'll be commuting to campus, so my car keys are a must. I also joined a gym, as you can see by the LA Fitness card on my keychain.

12. iPhone 5S - I try not to be too attached to my phone, but it's hard to go anywhere without it these days.

So there we have it! All the things I bring with me to class on a daily basis. Nothing too special, but I thought it would be interesting to share. As for my school bag, I'll be using this one in Navy from Filson--just a simple, sturdy tote bag to carry all my essentials.

OC Fair 2014 [FILM]

A few days ago Lauren asked me if I wanted to go to the OC Fair with her and Sarah! I've only been to the OC Fair once, and I remember that it's insanely expensive. But between the hours of 10am-11am admission was only $3! I couldn't give up that opportunity! The OC Fair was the same as I remembered it. I decided to bring around my Canon AE-1 since I just purchased some film. There's some accidental light leaks in there (I guess I don't know how to wind film), but they turned out pretty nice. I found a much cheaper way to get my photos developed via thedarkroom.com. They develop film for only $11 + shipping! You have to pay extra for prints, but they include the negatives, a CD of scans, and they email you the scans so you don't have to wait for them in the mail. That saves me tons of time since I don't have to scan all the prints manually now!

B&W Film 2013

I remember going to Costco to get my film developed, but I was told they didn't develop the type of B&W film I had, and I'd have to go to Samy's camera or some other shop to get it developed. Fast forward almost a year later, I found the roll of film sitting in a drawer among other knick knacks I had unpacked a few months earlier. A few days ago I found a shop nearby that developed black and white film, and a couple days later I had a stack of lost memories. I can't remember exactly when these photos were taken now, I'm thinking Spring Break 2013, but I could be wrong.