Friday Favorites (6)

Friday, 14 November 2014Friday, 14 November 2014 Starr3 Comments

Haven’t done a Friday Favorites in a while, so let’s just jump right in:

Hot Noodle Soups

We had a sudden drop in temperatures, from mid-60s to mid-30s, here in the DC area. And really, what satisfies you like a hot noodle soup? Specifically, I start to get very consistent cravings for pho, ramen, and jjampong.

Some of the pho and jjambbong I’ve had this past month

I also love going home to my parents’ house and eating bone soup with some rice noodles in them. (You know those big pork bones that you can just slurp the marrow out of? Yah, those are the ones.) There are so many comforting feelings that come with hot noodle soups: the smell coming up with steam, the first sensation as you take your first slurp of hot soup, the feeling as the hot soup goes down into your belly.

If you eat with me in the colder months and ask me what we should eat, there is a good chance I will suggest some form of hot noodle soup. I haven’t been able to have too many this week, but with another brutal winter up ahead, you can be sure I’ll have plenty.

Cooking Videos

Some of you may remember that I had a brief obsession with makeup tutorials a few years back. I never used any of them, but I felt like I was theoretically armed with the ability to create these stunning makeup looks. (I’m not.)

These days, I spend a lot more time watching cooking videos. Again, I’m not actually applying the stuff I’m watching, really, but I feel like I can apply this theory later on. This has been a lot more productive for me, as I do cook but I don’t wear makeup. Usually, I’ll end up watching Sorted Food or Gordon Ramsay. (I guess I just like watching British guys cook food? The accent makes it more compelling.)

Here’s one of my favorites by Sorted:

Warning: This chocolate cake looks sinfully good. You probably will drool watching.

And here’s the iconic video from Gordon Ramsay:

If you aren’t making eggs like this, apparently we’re wrong. Very wrong.

Big Hero 6 Easter Egg

I won’t spoil it for you, but, this is a Marvel film. And if you know Marvel movies, then you know Stan Lee shows up in [nearly] all of them in some way or another. (Since he didn’t have a hand in the Guardians of the Galaxy, he is not in that movie and likely will not be in any future GotG movies.)

So, with Marvel’s first animated feature, we do have a Stan Lee cameo! You might miss it for just a moment in the middle of the movie, but if you stick around after the credits, it’s a confirmed Generalissimo appearance.

Jasmine Tea

I don’t know why, but I put off buying new jasmine tea for a while. Partially because I already have tea, partially because I could’ve sworn I had some at my parents’ house, partially because I’m lazy.

Finally got myself one of those yellow tins of looseleaf tea and I am so glad I finally did. Jasmine is maybe my favorite variety of tea because of the fragrance. (I love the smell of jasmine.) Drank maybe too many cups today but that’s all right, I have a bathroom, it’s all good.

National Museum of Natural History

After 8 years of living in Maryland, I haven’t been to a Smithsonian museum since the 3rd grade, when I lived in New Jersey. So, for Veteran’s Day/our anniversary, Ben and I went to the natural history museum. It was SO nice! Even though the dinosaur exhibit was closed for renovations, which really disappointed Ben. BUT BUT BUT the live butterfly room is free entry on Tuesdays and I got to just be enchanted by all these fluttering little butterflies. It’s so great, I love museums and the Smithsonians are cream of the crop. AND THEY’RE FREE.

Spending Time with Ben

This week had both our anniversary and Ben’s birthday, so I got to spend a lot of time with him and give him gifts! I feel like we got to spend some really quality time together and I am just really grateful to have him in my life. Spending time with my better half always makes me happy!

What have you been liking lately?
What do you crave in the cold months?
Any fun weekend plans?

Required Halloween Viewing

Tuesday, 14 October 2014Tuesday, 14 October 2014 Starr2 Comments

We’re almost halfway through October, but Halloween decorations have been in stores since July. Even though I hate (hate hate) being scared, I really like Halloween! It’s my one chance every year to dress up, which I’m recently discovering I love doing. I love getting into a character and being someone else for a day. (I do need to pick characters that are better-suited for chillier weather, though!)
Plus, I used to get the ultimate reward for dressing up: free candy.

First things first, let’s get a couple of short videos up here. These are iconic and classic Halloween staples in my life.

One of Disney’s Silly Symphonies: “The Skeleton Dance”
“Skeleton Frolic”
A classic Mickey Mouse cartoon: “Haunted House”

One of my favorite things about Halloween is the movies that go along with it. Let me remind you that I don’t like scary movies. I’m just kind of a sucker for holiday-themed movies. (Especially Christmas ones, but you all know I’m a super sucker for Christmas anyway.) A few of my favorites are:

Hocus Pocus
Beetlejuice – the only Tim Burton film I like, maybe?
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown
Casper

Easily the most iconic scene in this movie
More or less any Scooby Doo movie, preferably an older one
Honorable mention: Rocky Horror Picture Show, the strange cult classic that was an extra hit at my summer camp

(Because it was such a big part of my camp experience, I know all the words to this song and more, without having actually seen the entire movie.)
Optional: The Disney Channel originals (DCOMs!): Halloweentown + sequels – cheesy because they’re Disney but they’re a lot of fun

Oh yes, I absolutely cannot stand being scared (and yes, it’s because I scare way easily) but I love Halloween movies that aren’t horror ones.
Basically, I love children’s Halloween movies. SO WHAT they’re great. Halloween is really a holiday for kids now anyway.

I know I’ve left out some other iconic Halloween movies, but I just haven’t seen them before. (I’m too scared to watch a lot of them.)

Have you seen these movies?
Which movies that I left out do you think I definitely need to watch?

September Favorites

Wednesday, 1 October 2014Monday, 29 December 2014 Starr6 Comments

Doing a favorites post every Friday was a lot of pressure, so now that I’m trying to stick to a Tuesday/Friday update schedule, I thought I’d take some time to share a handful of favorites from the month of September!

Hershey’s Sundae Pie

This used to be one of the main reasons that Burger King was my favorite fast food joints. (It was this and onion rings, of course.) Since I don’t eat fast food very much anymore, I haven’t had this in a really long time. I did have one shining day where I bought it so I didn’t feel too bad about walking out with free Satisfries (remember that promotion?) when my friend said something that changed my life:

“They sell these pies in supermarkets, you know.”

I did not know that! But now I do, as I have proof right in my freezer.

It is decadent, it is indulgent, it is wonderful. Come over and I’ll share with you. Or, more likely, no one will come over and I’ll eat the rest by myself.

Down[-Alternative] Duvets

I am the last member of my family to get a down/down-alternative duvet. It’s just one of those nice luxuries that I somehow got left out of in my family. Just like how everyone else had a tablet — specifically an iPad — and smartphone before I did. But those weren’t things I wanted.

A comfy, fluffy down-filled (or down-alternative-filled) duvet? Want. And want I did for a few years. Now that I am moved into my new place, I thought it was the perfect chance for me to get a new, warmer duvet.

It feels SOOO nice, even though it was summer when I started using it and a bit toasty. I got this one and it is lovely!

So comfy and cozy! And now I have something to put in duvet covers!

Fall TV Premieres

September is when the networks get their fall lineups up and running and this year I am really excited. Maybe it’s because I gave up TV for 40+ days this year but I just feel like there are SO many good shows this fall! Also I have to catch up on all my shows that I stopped watching during Lent last year. Here are some of the brand new shows I’m excited about:

Some shows I have to wait for mid-season premieres, but hey, whatever keeps my TV queue light is okay by me. Of course, I still have lots of other TV to watch so I’m going to be keeping busy with my weekend TV catch-up sessions.

Willow & Sassafrass (aka my friend’s kittens)

Cuties sharing food even though they each have their own dishes.

For all the grief they give me, I do love these kitties. They’ve gotten so big since I first met them, and they had already doubled in size between when they arrived in their new home and when I first got to see them! These sister kittens are so precious to me, despite my being slightly allergic to them. I really love just playing with their toys and then watching them curl up for little catnaps because they’re all worn out from playing.

Cuties sleeping next to each other even though there is so much room elsewhere.

Winnie the Pooh plush

I usually have a lot of stuffed animals on my bed, mostly because I attach a lot of sentimental value to them and like to have them there. Since moving to my new apartment, most of my bed buddies haven’t migrated over just yet as I tried to focus on essentials like having a bed in the first place.

My bed was pretty lonely, especially given that my new bedspread color scheme is greys. Don’t get me wrong, I do really like the greys but I hadn’t gotten around to getting a little pop-of-color throw yet. I was looking in my work bag and I found Pooh! I had been prepared to bring him to work to remind me of the simple pleasures while at work, but I deemed the office to be a hostile environment for a bear like him.

Now, he is the sole bed buddy (at least for now) in my room, and he is so soft and I love him to bits.

September was kind of rough, but October is here! I’ll be spending the next few weeks primarily planning, planning, planning, so I hope that all comes through!

How was your September? Any random recommendations from your month?

Fall in Love with Fall

Tuesday, 23 September 2014Wednesday, 20 April 2016 Starr1 Comment

Mmmmm… fall.

After this last winter, I’m no longer certain if winter is my favorite season of the year. (December may still be my favorite month, however.) I have always been really fond of autumn, however, and with the autumnal equinox upon us, I find myself feeling excited. Not for the cliched, basic things like pumpkin spice lattes (remember that I don’t drink coffee beverages, no matter how much sugar and milk you put in them) but for other things like:

The smell – Do you know what I’m talking about here? Every season has a pretty unique smell and autumn’s is one of my favorites. The air becomes clear and crisp as the humidity of summer gets chased away. You can smell fruits ripening and leaves falling. That’s just outside. When you step inside, people start spicing their foods and drinks with cinnamon and nutmeg and you can smell it as soon as you walk in. (Maybe they have a candle, but that’s okay, too.) They bring the outside smells in, with their fresh-picked apples and the crunchy leaves in their hair. It smells warm inside, but it smells cool outside.
Philosophy knows what I’m talking about
The colors – I’ve never been one for super bright colors except as an accent. But when autumn rolls around, we shelve the neons and the pastels and bring out the rich neutrals. I dislike orange (I’m sorry, orange-lovers) but I am head-over-heels for that cranberry/wine/burgundy/maroon/oxblood color. I wish I could wear it all-year-round (and I’ll be honest, I probably wear it more in the warmer months than I’m “supposed” to) so getting to see the fall color palette roll around really gets me excited.
The only time of year I really tolerate browns
The leaves – Of course, who doesn’t love watching the leaves change color? I get particularly excited about this because there is a road near my house that is lined with all maple trees. If the weather cooperates (aka we don’t get so much rain that the leaves get washed away), the entire street is ablaze in red maple leaves, all the way down. I used to really look forward to walking home from school so that I could walk past this street. Back when I lived in New Jersey, we used to take these scenic drives in the fall to see the fall foliage.
Hot soup – You can have hot soup any time of the year, and believe me, I do. But it isn’t until autumn that you get to start indulging in hot soups more often. I don’t even have that many different types of soups but I am really happy with my regular rotation. (Holla at me chicken noodle soup lovers.)
Hot tea – Same as with hot soup, but not something I get to enjoy as much during the warmer months. I remember really loving holding a thermos of hot tea in my hands as I walked to class. Two of my favorite cool weather feelings are the feeling of a warm mug in my hands and the feeling of drinking hot soup/tea in your throat when you’ve caught a chill.
Scarves – I think because a) it’s easy and b) I have a long-ish neck, I have always been most keen on accessorizing my neck with necklaces and scarves (if I accessorize at all). I like having my neck covered when it gets chillier, especially by a soft or silky scarf. (Please note that most turtlenecks make me feel as though I am being strangled so I avoid those.)
Cozy sweaters – I went through a phase where I was pretty anti-sweater because I owned a lot of scratchy knits and also because kids in school were too cool to wear sweaters for a while??? I remember being the only person wearing a knit sweater in a class full of hoodies and being very confused but also desperately wanting a hoodie of my own. Now, I can really appreciate a soft sweater in the chillier months.

That’s all I’ve got for now, but I’m sure I’ll think of other things soon. I realized that this wound up being a very sensory post again, because really, when I think about seasons I think about very specific sensations.

What are your favorite things about autumn/fall?

Friday Favorites (5)

Friday, 11 April 2014Friday, 11 April 2014 Starr3 Comments

Time for more Friday Favorites! No photos today because I am completely pooped, sorry!

Field Days

Our marketing department had a field day yesterday and it was so much fun. Remember having field day in elementary school? It’s just a great way to get outside, get bonding, and get competitive. I may have overhyped my dizzy bat skills / gotten nervous and thrown my strategy out the window. Dizzy bat protips:

It is worth it to spin slower so that you can run better
It is also worth it to take a moment to regain stability before you start running
Closing your eyes helps some people, but not all people

There is no way to do dizzy bat and still be graceful. That is why it is great for bringing people together. It is a great equalizer.

warmer Weather

Even though… the temperature jumped up a little TOO fast this week. It was 80° today and yet I could see my breath walking to work just a few days ago. That’s DC weather for you. However, it is nice to be able to be outside and NOT see your breath, to not wear a coat. I don’t love wearing a lot of layers too often, because sometimes I feel stifled (especially after wearing 6 layers in Harbin…). Warmer weather means winter is really gone (or… on its way out, I don’t want to jinx anything) and that spring is more or less here.

Happy Hours

Even though I don’t really drink, I like that happy hour is a space where I can get together with friends and we can all unwind together. The workday feels really long some days, and I was surprised at how much a happy hour special can turn those days around. Similar to how I enjoy the unacknowledged camaraderie of commuting on the train, I also enjoy the usually unacknowledged camaraderie of leaving your work worries at the door for a magical moment of food and drink.

Payless dexflex flats

I wear these every day to work, unless I wear boots in anticipation of rain. I found them before my Europe trip when I was looking for comfortable walking shoes that weren’t sneakers. A really friendly sales associate asked if I needed help, and while I usually say “nah thanks though”, I accepted and she immediately pointed to her own feet and said that these shoes are amazingly comfortable. She wears them for her on-her-feet jobs and they are cute and come in different colors. They’ve got memory foam in the soles. I was so sold.

I own them in black and in nude so that I have a pair for essentially every outfit. (Fun fact: These are my first and only pair of nude shoes. I still think nude shoes are kinda weird as a concept but these work.) Every now and then, they’ll offer new colors and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive: 296 out of 311 would recommend them and they have a solid 5 star rating on the Payless website. They really are extremely comfortable and many of my friends own the shoes. The only real downside is, at the end of the night, leaving someone’s place and trying to figure out whose flats are whose.

Friendly People

One thing about being alone for most of my little gap of unemployment was that I somehow forgot how friendly and nice and helpful people are! It’s just really great to be reminded of that every day. Whether it’s my coworkers, people at Yelp events, or even strangers in bars and on the train, you can’t help but feel a warm and fuzzy faith-in-humanity feeling in your chest when someone smiles at you and genuinely wants to help you. Sometimes you hate people, but sometimes you just gotta love ’em.

What are you loving this week?
What are your most comfortable shoes?
Did you have any moments that just made you love humanity?
Are you excited for warmer weather? Or do you live somewhere where the temperature doesn’t change much?