If you're in for a Japanese culinary experience, Little Tokyo in Downtown LA is the place to be at. There are so many sushi restaurants, bakeries and stores that mimics the streets of Tokyo. Just make sure you search for restaurants and bakeries you wanted to try because the lines can get pretty long. Some participating establishments also offer parking validation if you make a certain amount of transaction and they do have pretty decent parking garages nearby.
Our first full day started driving to The Hearst Castle in San Luis Obispo. Our initial plan was to only visit Solvang and Carpinteria beach but my husband's colleague encouraged us to visit The Hearst Castle since it was already on the way.
Last weekend my husband and I took a short vacation in LA. We wanted to escape the scorching heat of the desert and have a taste of spring in LA. Our main itinerary consisted of visiting The Hearst Castle, Solvang, Carpinteria State Beach and the BTS PROOF Exhibition.
The drive to LA wasn't too bad although I was a bit upset that the gloomy and cold weather welcomed us in our first morning. I was expecting to shoot in the sunny blue skies of LA. But then, I thought I won't let the weather dictate my emotions and how I should take my photos.
As I reflect on the past decade, I can't help but feel nostalgic about many things - from movies, music, and life in general. I couldn't help but feel quite emotional. I remember turning 20 was a BIG deal for me. I was thrilled to experience life itself. I get to do most things with less adult supervision. The last 29 years of my life were filled with adventures that led me to where and what I am today.
In less than 24 hours, I'll be 30. I'll be entering this new decade of my life. I'm a little scared but excited to
explore my 30s. In the meantime, I would like to share my top life learnings in my 20s.
1. Slowly develop healthy habits & ditch the bad ones
Whether it's money, food, or fitness, it's important to develop good and healthy habits. I know that ditching the bad ones isn't always easy. I still have a loooooot to work on.
2. Friendship breakups will happen and it's okay
I learned this the hard way. I thought having someone I knew most of my life could last forever. I thought our friendship could withstand everything but I was wrong. Eventually, I learned to accept the truth and live my life without them.
Hi earthlings! As you all know I showed an unboxing video on my channel about the Cuisinart Grind Central Coffee Grinder. For today's entry, I would like to share my thoughts on the grinder and some products I use to make my coffee at home.
Let me tell you this, we love coffee but we're not coffeeconnoisseurs. If there's a person who is willing to show us the good way to prepare coffee. Please keep in touch with me. We used to buy coffee from Starbucks, Coffee Bean, and Panera but we realized it can add up to a ridiculous amount and the amount of sugar is just so crazy and terrifying.
Hi earthlings! I know it's too late to share Christmas photos but I couldn't resist not uploading them here on my blog. I was very busy finishing some personal tasks last month. But I'm back on my regular schedule both on my channel and on my blog.
Calendars we gifted to some of our family and friends
Good evening earthlings!!
My husband (iKenKreate) and I have decided to give away some of the calendars to our friends and family this year and of course I won't forget my small community here on the internet.
This printable calendar is for free and black and white so you can have the comfort of printing them at home. I really tried my best to double check all the measurements and margins for this template and tested printing each one on a letter size (8.5x11 in.) paper and I'm so happy it worked perfectly. Originally I wanted to print them on an A4 paper but it wasn't available on most stores I checked out. Hopefully I will be more prepared next year and will be able to order an A4 cardstock online but I also realized letter size paper is the most common we use at home so it kind of worked out in the end.
My only suggestion is to print the templates on a thicker material like a cardstock paper so it feels sturdy and the ink won't bleed. I tested most kind of writing pens like sharpie, fountain pen and gel pens.
The last days of October got a little busy than usual. We started preparing for the Halloween and did few activities to keep us entertained. My relatives and I never got to bond like this since when we were little. I'm glad I was able to finally do this with them like the old times.
Good day earthlings! We will have short blog post today and I wish you all a good and fun Halloween!! My Halloween vlog will be uploaded the following week.
I'm really excited to be sharing my first autumn vlog ever. Autumn is one of my favorite seasons because it starts to get colder and I can finally be warm and cozy with my sweaters and boots. I also love the smell of crisp Fall leaves and witnessing the changing of leaves in trees. Although there is not much greenery around the city but I still love it.
Walnut Carrot Cake Muffins
The recipe "Healthy Carrot Cake Muffins" I made on today's vlog is by Joey Firoben from tasty.co. Please click the link to read the complete instructions for the muffins. I enjoyed making this because it's only a one bowl recipe. Just put all your ingredients in a large bowl and mix all of it. You won't need a stand or hand mixer to do this and the recipe calls for a maple syrup (I haven't tried using white sugar as the sweetener but I think it will be just fine). Maple is one of my favorite Fall flavors. It's really hard for me to like some pumpkin flavored recipes. I didn't really grow up having pumpkin flavored desserts or pies but I do love pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks.
Even though my vlog didn't feature pumpkin flavored desserts I hope you guys will still enjoy and be encouraged to make these tasty muffins. I personally added chopped raw walnuts and filled the muffins with cream cheese frosting. I love the sweet and crunchy texture to the muffins.
Hello earthlings!! Today's vlog is about what I cooked and baked at home. This is the first time I vlogged since September. I was in a sad point of my life since the pandemic started but I think I'm getting better now. It has come to my realization if I let sadness and stress take over my life. My mental health won't just suffer but my overall health as well and it will cause me more problems later on. Please if any of you are facing some serious problems or an illness. Seek help.
I truly believe that inspiration can come everywhere and in different forms. It might be an experience trying out the first fudgy brownie or a painting in a museum that urged you to start painting but never had the courage to do so. When you encounter something and it sparked inspiration to keep you going is so precious and makes you feel alive again. Whatever that feeling maybe take good care of it and just keep going. Don't let fear hinder you from achieving the possibilities.
The videos I share are mostly for entertainment and fun and hoping to inspire you make something at home or remind you that we can have fun in the most simple ways of our daily lives. I remember a quote that says...
Mireille Guiliano
For someone who is living in our current global state there are many factors that's blinding us to to see the joy and goodness of what life can offer to us and the precious little moments in our lives like being able to wake up every morning, to enjoy home cooked meals, to breathe fresh air and the list goes on. I know we are all different but one thing I'm most certain of is that we have the power or the ability to change on how we look at things.
It's okay to be sad but please remember these things are only temporary. At some point we have to start living again. Of course there are days when I still struggle to find joy in my life but I really try my best not to dwell in it. I'm not the best person to explain these things but please don't feel weary when you struggle to find happiness in your life. There are many ways we can practice happiness and take great pleasures in our everyday lives. It took me a while to blog again and get back to the groove of things. It wasn't an easy journey. What I'm trying to say here is. Always prioritize what is good for you and practice finding joy in your daily lives. Hopefully you get my point here.
Alright. Going back to vlog.....
Just a quick disclaimer: I'm not a professional baker or cook. The recipes I shared here are just for my own preferences and have used it many times already. There are professional bakers and chefs that can show you how to make the foods I made on this vlog :-)
Hello earthlings!! How has it been? I hope you're all doing good as always. I took a short break from uploading on YouTube because I had a very tough time last September. Life took an unexpected turn and went downhill from then on. But I'm doing okay now just taking things easy and working on bettering myself.
When we were still living in Northern Nevada. I wish we had booked a cruise in Lake Tahoe because Tahoe is the best lake I've ever been to and I would always recommend it to anybody. PERIOD. Last July a few days after my husband's birthday. He decided to take me on a riverside cruise. It was so sweet of him to even plan on taking me during the pandemic. Although I was a little nervous to go because I was scared that we might contract the virus. Fortunately, we didn't and carried on with our lives. Our overall experience was great. There was a live band, food selection was good, and their service was excellent. I would recommend this to family and friends :-)
This vlog is short but I hope you guys will still enjoy. Till next time and be safe!
Today's entry is different from what I usually share. The purpose of this post is to share the products I use and to tell you my experience in using them. I am not claiming myself to be an expert about skincare or even a beauty/makeup connoisseur.
In the past I wrote a couple of entries about body products I truly love and are still using until today. Although sometimes you will see me using a different brand. The reason why is, it seems like my skin changes every summer or winter which I find quite annoying. I would prefer using the same products all year round but my skin isn't the same 24/7. Do some of you experience the same thing?
Baking and photography has a very special place in my heart even though I'm not a good baker nor a photographer. I love and enjoy doing these two. I'm glad that I'm doing these again ANDDD I'm back to the groove in posting here.
I want to share this fun and memorable experience with a good friend of mine. Even though we only met few months ago we instantly clicked like we've known each other for so long. We have the same interests, hobbies and we almost think the same. Hence why we came up with this little "mini photoshoot/project".
Besides chatting and enjoying our company we challenged ourselves to do this. We've been planing this shoot since November. But because she used to work at night and I work during the day our schedule was always a conflict and then COVID-19 happened..... we had to wait a little longer before we could meet up.
Prior to meeting up we've been sending each other ideas and recipes we like to try. It's an on going thing of ours since last year. But then I realized my husband's birthday was coming up so I asked her if we could make a tart instead. And since my husband and I loves lemon cheesecake I've decided to go with lemon as the flavor. Of course he will also get his favorite cake but I thought to at least try to make something for him with a help of my friend. Besides being afraid to bake breads.. pies and tarts are one of the least things I would bake. *sigh*
Day 1 - buying ingredients, finalizing our shoot and making the tart dough
We decided to do a cookie charcuterie board for the shoot. We thought this is something different and a bit challenging since it needs to have different elements and textures. We also didn't want to spend so much time in baking all the cookies. So we thought to buy packaged cookies in the grocery store so we could spend most of our time shooting. And we wanted to use natural lighting so shooting in the morning was the best time. I couldn't contain my excitement while my friend and I were doing this shoot. The last time I did a shoot like this was probably back in college or like 2014. I really enjoyed this one. It felt like I was in my own element. lol. After we did our shoot we ate and rested for a bit and moved on with making the tart tough. I think we finished around 11:00pm :P
I hope you will enjoy my vlog for today. It's a short one but if you like to hike and if you have recently moved or just visiting in Las Vegas and unsure what else to do besides The Strip and Hoover Dam. This vlog is for you.
Honestly we were not *that* prepared for this kind of hike. All I know is when we arrived at the basin. We were amazed by how beautiful the rock formations are. The hike was a bit difficult especially due to the very very hot weather in Vegas. Hiking during summer in Las Vegas is so much for me. *sorry* OR s it because we were just unfit for this kind of hike? lol. We still made it though.
We also think that we went off the trail. Because the next think we know, we were just climbing up and down the big rocks without any proper equipments not that they are necessary but it could have been easier if we have them. We're also thinking if it's really part of the hike because it seemed like there are several paths you can take. I guess we would have to find out when we come again next spring.
I still think Calico Basin Trail is great. We enjoyed it and we will recommend it to our family and friends. We will come back here and hike again.
Reminders before going on a hike:
1. BRING A BOTTLE OF ICED COLD WATER OR SOME KIND OF ELECTROLYTE DRINK.
2. CHECK THE WEATHER FORECAST.
3. DO YOUR RESEARCH (I will say this in this post many times).
4. CHECK IF THE TRAILS ARE OPEN (Especially we're in a pandemic).
5. WEAR PROPER ATTIRE - hat, a breezy top, leggings/shorts, a comfortable footwear, watch and sunscreen.
6. BRING THE RED ROCK CANYON MAP.
These reminders worked out well for us if you have any addition please feel free to share them on the comment section.
We started around 7:30-8:00am and finished before 10:00am. We stopped so many times as we were taking photos of each cool view we saw.
Before entering Red Rock Canyon, there is a $15.00 entrance per vehicle. It's valid for one day and you have all access to all the trails. So it's really worth it. When you enter, they will give you a brochure which has all the information inside the canyon - trails, scenic route, restrooms, picnic grounds and many more. Though I would still prefer keeping screenshots of each trail maps on my phone (please be aware that there is no phone signal in Red Rock Canyon. If there is, it's very slow). Make sure you have done your research on which trail you want to go and read the reviews so you may have an idea on what you will be experiencing.
I'm back for another travel post. How are you all? I hope you're doing better this time. It's crazy how our city was doing good in containing the virus weeks ago then shortly after Memorial Day and Fourth of July we have seen a significant increase in positive cases. Our city is doing fine compared to my home country. I just hope the government would finally focus on containing it. My fellow countrymen are suffering from job loss already and what more if one of their loved ones contract the virus? What kind of help or assistance would the government give? Probably n o t h i n g.... How is your country doing? Is the government handling it well? Are you satisfied?
Last December my brother visited the States for the holidays and I couldn't be any happier than spending it with him. Though it could have been much exciting and fun to have all my family members this holiday. But we just couldn't. The expenses, work and time wasn't just cooperating with us. But it's all good. I still enjoyed every minute of it.
On our first day in Los Angeles, we drove from Las Vegas to LAX to pick him up. It's best to just pick him up along with my cousin so we can also roam around LA once again. Day one wasn't really eventful besides seeing my brother. We just made a quick trip to Downtown Disney then ate dinner. He needs to rest after his 16 hour flight.
The following day, our first full day I arranged our trip to Getty Villa. I made the reservation on their website a month before. It's free. To maintain the organization of the museum they have to monitor the number of people coming in and out of the property. I understand this part because while we were inside the villa. I had an outstanding experience and was able to reflect on its history. It was so calm and quiet. Your mind is focused on understanding why Getty founded this museum/villa. I also feel like it's a perfect place to read and write or to just spend time with yourself. They offer a tour for free which was so nice of them. To get in, you must pay an entrance fee for each vehicle depending on how big the party is (if I remember it correctly). If you visit LA, I recommend visiting the villa and the museum which we weren't able to. We also visited Griffith Observatory, The Broad museum and The Last Bookstore. I've been wanting to visit The Last Bookstore since 2016 but every time I visited LA they were always closed. Here is the link on my last LA travel post.
For Broad Museum, they accept walk-ins but you would have to queue outside and sometimes it takes an hour or more to get in depending on how busy it is. I also made a reservation in their website. Some of their attractions like Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrors you would need to check-in once you're inside the museum. So while we were waiting, we roamed around the museum. I love all the art works. They're very empowering. Kudos to all artists who put so much effort on their work. By the time it was our turn for the Infinity Mirrors, it was very quick not even a minute. You can't touch anything because it will mess up the lighting positions but some people didn't listen. They touched the lights :| (people, people....) Regardless, I still enjoyed The Broad.
After our trip to the museum, we left our car at the museum and walked our way to The Last Bookstore. It's only a 12-15 minutes walk or four minutes drive if you prefer driving but parking spots in Downtown LA can be tricky sometimes and rush hour is no joke.
So I would recommend leaving your car somewhere then walk around Downtown LA. It's a great way to explore Downtown too. Plan ahead and research about the places you're planning to visit. I always do this before arriving at the place. When you enter The Last Bookstore, after browsing through books I recommend going upstairs you will find artworks from different artists and other knick-knacks. I'm sure there are so many hidden gems around LA. PLEASE comment down below your favorite cafes, restaurants, spots, bookstores and museums in LA. Thank you!
GUYS, I can't end my post here without sharing our newly discovered Korean BBQ place in LA. It's the Hae Jang Chon Korean BBQ. Gosh... I don't even know how I will begin describing how delicious their barbecue is. It was Friday night when we dine in. So the wait time was two hours. There were so many people in line and people kept coming in. It's crazyyyyyy. You can tell that it's a great place to bring your friends to hang out and enjoy a meal together. I highly recommend trying it. You will not regret it. I promise. My only comment is they should upgrade their seating capacity and make the waiting area a little more comfortable especially when it's hot outside. Parking spot at the shopping center isn't that big enough but there is a "valet" so they will take care of it. It's all good.
I know I didn't cover everything but below are the photos I've taken during our trip to LA. I hope you will enjoy them. I also added my vlog here. So please like and subscribe to my channel. Thank youuuu xo
