Month: January 2015

picky picky.

Published by

I went on a morning beverage run with my coworker the other day. It wasn’t on the menu, but I inquired about a chai latte. It turns out they serve them, so I ordered one. My coworker proceeded to tell me how when he worked at a cafe he observed that people who ordered chai lattes were very particular about their drinks. Basically, he called them picky and then he had a concerned look on his face – maybe he thought I might be offended. Actually, that comment got me thinking about my drink preferences. My go-to at cafes are iced soy chai lattes. I like my chai to have a nice blend of spices, but I don’t like it when the spices over power the flavors of the tea. I also like my chai milky and not watered down with ice. Also, regular soy is my preference over vanilla soy and sweetened with agave over honey or simple syrup. If I’m able to, I make my iced soy chai lattes at home, the semi-homemade way. My favorite mix: Blue Lotus …

i’m five.

Published by

Sometimes I feel like a five year old. Sometimes I want to wear mismatched, yet fully coordinated, outfits. Other times I want to craft with slap bracelets and fuse beads. Sometime was tonight! I had purchased some fuse beads for a family craft workshop last year — Oh, excuse me, over purchased — and the leftovers had been sitting in my supply pile since. Every time I saw them I tried to think of something to make, but always just came up with keychains. Well, tonight, since I was already in the Valentine’s craft mood, I whipped out my beads and made hearts. Lots of them. Can I just say, I loooove Valentine’s Day crafts. It’s my favorite holiday for creating things (yes, more than Christmas!). It’s hearts everywhere and so many puns! But back to the fuse bead hearts… what did I end up doing with them? I strung a few together on nylon cord to make a garland, of course. I’m thinking a heart mobile and gift adornments are in order as well. And there you have it, …

i run for medals.

Published by

Yes, it’s true. I run for medals. If there isn’t a medal at the end of the race you can count on me to be your cheerleader instead. But really, something about getting a prize at the end, even though you pay for it in your registration fee, motivates me. Running for feeling good about my health is also very important to me, but, let’s face it, medals are fun! Plus, afterwards, you can take a photo of yourself biting your medal like an Olympic athlete. Today, I participated in the San Francisco Hot Chocolate 15k. With very little training I managed to wog (that is, walk and jog) my way through the course. I definitely wish I had trained more though because the skin on my feet was so thin I ended up getting blisters. Ack! In any case, it was a beautiful course, starting and ending in Golden Gate Park with a few miles along the Great Highway/Pacific Ocean. At a chilly 50-55°F, it was surprisingly the perfect temperature for running around for so …

meet buddy.

Published by

Everyone, in your best Mr. Narwal impersonation, say hello to my new succulent plant “Buddy.” (Yes, I name my plants.) I love, love, love Cactus Jungle in Berkeley for their wide selection of cactuses (or cacti. Fun fact: both are acceptable!), knowledgable staff (seriously, I cannot stump them), and loads of inspirational succulent art (like vertical gardens). I’ve purchased plenty a gift here at the Jungle, but this time I was shopping for a little something for me. Best of all, as someone without a green thumb, the staff at Cactus Jungle will repot your succulent, provided you are purchasing a plant that day, and will give you a tutorial on plant care, specific to each plant, of course. I’ve been told to water after one week, so at least we know Buddy should be alive this time next week. Wish me luck! Any green thumbs out there? Share below on your most prized plant! Or, if you’re like me, share below on what you wish you could successfully keep alive!

don’t hate, decorate.

Published by

My friend visited my cubicle the other day. She said “This doesn’t look like a Feed the Fish co cubicle.” Oops. (Sidenote: Feed the Fish co is my custom crafts company and this was her way of saying it didn’t look like a craft lady sat here. It was a true story.) I was still in the process of scheming up some cubicle decor. This was, after all, my crafty debut among my new coworkers. The imaginary pressure was on! It’s definitely still a work in progress, but here’s Part One of my office space decor: signage and garlands. First, I made a name plate out of washi tape and puffy letter stickers. After putting it up I found out that I would be receiving an official name plate and would need to take mine down or at least remove it from the holder. Le sigh. Until then though, I’m leaving this one on display. The frame to the left is my designated away message space, i.e. if I leave my cube temporarily I can leave a note saying …

the masked sleeper.

Published by

I had dinner with a close friend of mine last night. She asked if I ever got irritable because she’s never seen me get annoyed before. I said to her that it happens when people wake me up from slumber. Then, I’m Miss Cranky Pants. I also told her about the sleeping mask I’ve been using to get some undisrupted sleep. It is amazing and totally works. You see, I’ve been really sensitive lately about my sleeping atmosphere. I’m finding that I have an aversion to modern technology during sleep time. More specifically, the light and sound from the TV and non-natural light in general (i.e. not sunlight). Having the TV on used to soothe me to sleep, maybe because I used to live alone and the sound would comfort me. Now, I find myself having weird dreams of someone else in the apartment when I do fall asleep with the TV on and I wake up in a semi panic because I’m hearing TV voices. (Ah!) Lights used to not bother me either; in fact, I …

plate it.

Published by

I’m currently in love with serving salads on rectangular plates. The fiancé, Jason, purchased a couple of these plates for my birthday last year and I had been using them for my craft set ups. Now that my winter shows are over, these plates are back in the kitchen. Oh, what fun! Since we had been traveling, we decided to have a quiet New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day back in our apartment. We cooked some nice meals together and served them up on our fancy plates. What do you think? Restaurant quality? Almost? For New Year’s Eve dinner we had potato bean soup, warm kale salad with a sweet onion balsamic dressing, and brandy milk punch. The potato bean soup recipe came from The Vegan Road., except ours wasn’t vegan because we added beef broth. Some other substitutions: celery seed instead of celery, Italian spices instead of Italian sausage, and dried beans instead of canned (If you do it this way, make sure to cook the beans first, then add the potatoes for the …

o Christmas tree.

Published by

The fiancé and I had a Christmas vacation this year…er, last year! I was between jobs and he had some time off from school. The timing worked out nicely and we were able to travel down to SoCal to visit our families together. And while on this vacation, we decided to take pictures with every Christmas tree we came across. I know, we’re silly. Here is a collection of the trees we encountered with some winter stories.     What are some of your favorite things to be photographed next to? Kittens, flowers, fire hydrants…? Share below!

first day of work.

Published by

Today was my first day at my new job! I was nervous and excited, as expected, and couldn’t sleep last night, but it turned out to be a very relaxed, easy-peasy day, filled with trainings and readings, having lunch with my new team, and ID picture adventures. Yup, it was also picture day, so I decided to maybe look nice. This outfit of the day was brought to you by Target (sunglasses, cardigan, and bag), random beach shop in Huntington Beach (zig zag top), Banana Republic (skirt – my gift to myself when I got the job offer!), and Nordstrom Rack (flats). I also accessorized with, as my Mom would call it, my ‘inheritance’ (sapphire necklace) and a handmade wrap bracelet. You’ll  be glad to know that I brushed AND flat ironed my hair, too. So how did my ID turn out? As expected, a little gross. C’est la vie! And now some tips for your first day: Wear layers – it could be chilly, it could be warm in your new office Prepare snackage and/or …

ready. set. go!

Published by

Early last year a close friend said to me “I can’t believe you don’t have a blog yet.” After a brief pause I responded, “I know right!” And so, here it begins. What better way to start the new year than with a new blog. Won’t you join me on this new journey? ‘Crafterateur’ has been on my mind for the last few months – a place where I can post about everything I love from my latest craft interests to local explorations and food adventures. This will be my space to relive my journaling days, — you know, back when words were written on paper and my penmanship was much neater — but now I get to share it with friends, family, and people I have yet to meet. Welcome to Crafterateur!