budding young writer/artist/creative superstar!

I find it quite brilliant when my 6-year old cousin has her moments:

1) Wilco’s “I’ll Fight” was playing in my car for only about 5 seconds until she exclaims, “This song is about how he will die for the one he loves?” Yes! I answer. “That’s gorgeousss,” she sighs.

2) We spent a summer evening together out on our front lawn, reading and discussing Shakespeare sonnets.

3) Inspired, she has begun writing poetry:

“I like puppys
and kittens too,
if i see them sleeping
should I sleep too?”

“Associate with the noblest people you can find, read the best books, live with the mighty. But learn to be happy alone. Rely upon your own energies, and so do not wait for, or depend on other people.” – Thomas Davidson

Perhaps, I have taken this too literally.

you are…so sweet! – regina

Apparently Louise’s Trattoria in Old Town Pasadena serves a small selection of Sweet Lady Jane desserts! This happened to be quite lucky because coincidentally, I had been thinking about Sweet Lady Jane earlier that morning while I was in the shower!

meet my little cousin

little cousin: Why don’t you play with me, instead of going out and playing with other people?

me: You’re a big kid now. You have homework.

little cousin: HOMEWORK IS NOT MY FRIEND!!!

me: You should be nice to Homework. A lot of people don’t like Homework either. Homework doesn’t have a lot of friends. But Homework teaches you a lot of things about life. You should be nice to Homework.

little cousin: *groan and grumble*

photobooth!

indie flick weekend

I ended up watching 3 indie-romance movies this past weekend:

I adore both of these actors – Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon Levitt because they are both quirky and uniquely beautiful. Albeit slightly mismatched, they proved adorable in this film. But of course, the reality is that they aren’t supposed to be adorable together. This is a story about love, yes, but more specifically – unrequited love. Some basic facts:

1) She does not believe in love

2) He believes in love

3) He falls deeply, madly, passionately in love with her despite the fact that..

4) She constantly reminds him that she only wants to have a friendship with him (and then holds his hand a minute later)

5) Ironic reversal of roles: she believes in love, he does not

What I learned from this film: Girls are confusing

Oh, and one subtle touch of symbolism I noticed is that Summer’s last name is “Finn.” Think French.

Adam, played by the lovely Hugh Dancy whom I find to be a dashing young fellow, jumps into this role of a man with Asperger’s Syndrome. Grown up, he lives in an apartment in NYC by himself and has his set routine. That is until Beth moves into his apartment complex and he is strangely fascinated by this woman who has started talking to him and somewhat changing the routine of his days. In one scene, he takes Beth out to the park, only because he wanted to show her the raccoons that were unexpectedly taking up residence in Central Park. He then later leaves a gift at her door, stating that it makes up for what he should have left on the park bench for her that night. How cute!

It was an interesting exploration into the type of relationship a person can have with someone with Asperger’s – one that requires an extra ounce of understanding, patience, and love. Frankly, I thought she was a bit harsh to him, but hey, she’s only human?

Slightly awkward but undeniably confident, Charlyne Yi plays herself venturing out through different parts of the world to ask people about love, as she is questioning whether it truly exists or not. In the midst of her adventures, she meets Michael Cera. He expresses that he finds her “interesting.” Thus, the romance begins and it is agreed that all developments in this relationship will be taped for the documentary.

Her inquiries to strangers seem to become more of a side bit in the documentary she is making, as the producers of the documentary within this film (I hope this doesn’t confuse you. It’s like a mirror facing a mirror reflecting on itself and hence creating a cascading illusion of depth. This is a fictional story parading to be real. I was actually debating throughout the entire film whether it was real or not. But finally came to the conclusion that it was not real. Therefore, there are cameramen and a director, WITHIN the real film.) focus more on this budding relationship. However, the cameras are what ultimately break them apart.

In between the storyline, Charlyne illustrates strangers’ love stories through crafts and cardboard sets. More silly, then cute?

I suppose in retrospect, all three of these films had a common unifying theme: “I can’t love you. But that’s ok.”

Frostbites

10347 Magnolia Ave
Riverside, CA 92505-1809

Grace is such a cutie.

After a filling Thai dinner, Susan, Grace, and I stopped by Frostbites – and I was initially not planning on buying any but we were immediately beckoned by free samples the second we walked in which somehow/someway lured me to bust out my wallet and hand over my credit card. Wow – this place possesses magical powers. We ordered their most popular item – Sorbet Cream:  frozen custard (as the website boasts: frozen custard is ice cream, but not all ice cream is frozen custard) topped with a fruity Italian ice. HEAVEN.

The frozen custard was so soft, smooth, creamy, enticing. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted ice cream that way before. Just WOW. And the sorbet is apparently made in-house with real ingredients, as opposed to flavorings. Not so much a fan of fruity sorbets, but the combination was pure perfection.

I was so happy…

Thank you, Susan!

Pop: Champagne and Dessert Bar

33 E. Union St. Pasadena CA 91103

After some hyperventilation and hysteria over the prospect of being cut from the nursing program due to California’s education budget cuts, and getting assurance that our spots were secure…we celebrated!

All desserts are made in-house:

Profiteroles – vanilla bean ice cream + chocolate gonache. I had the hardest time pronouncing this! And our waiter made me say it! But it was indeed a lovely dessert, perfect for a summer night. A fancier version of the average cream puff

Vanilla Creme Brulee – topped with fresh berries + tuile cookie. Extremely creamy, which is indicative of a million + one calories! Very gorgeous dessert. Though I’d have to say it looks more delicious than it actually is!

Churros – yes, I kid you not. A fancier, more gourmet version of the average Mexican churro! Served with three dipping sauces: spiced warm chocolate, Dulce De Leche, and Strawberry. These churros were of melt-in-your-mouth quality! Especially good with the Dulce De Leche. Supposedly one of the more popular desserts in the house.

cheers to the next three years!

garden in the summertime~

Elements Kitchen

107 South Fair Oaks Ave. , Ste 110
Pasadena, CA 91105

Debbie suggested this little restaurant because of good reviews she read on yelp as well as good word-of-mouth. This place is literally just a “kitchen.” There is a tiny indoor dining area, but the majority of indoor space is a kitchen. Thus, most dining is outdoors on the sidewalk.  We were initially confused about where to go, because there is no real restaurant to walk into.  But two waitresses came out within a few seconds of our confused waiting and promptly seated us on one of the outdoor tables. Slightly awkward because the tables are so close to each other, so we can literally hear every word of conversation between the people next to us, and vice versa. Nevertheless, it was a beautiful Sunday morning for outdoor brunching

Tuna & Tarragon Panini: The tuna spread was mixed with a special buttery spread, which enhanced and complemented the flavor of tuna.  It came with sides of homemade pickles and potato chips.

Curry Chicken Salad: Curry was surprisingly very wonderful! And it came with a side of foccacia. The salad was slightly drizzled with dressing, and she said she really liked it, especially since she had been wanting Indian food…

The service was impeccable here. More than one waiter/res would come check up on us every 15 minutes or so, asking if we were ok and if we needed anything else. I think if anything in life, if I’m gonna be treated like a princess, I’d only want to be treated that way in a restaurant. Good job, Elements. I’m recommending you! Perhaps my feelings of joy are inflated because of the fact that my last restaurant experience was terrible (Vienna Cafe on Melrose…I posted pictures on Facebook, but felt that writing a whole entry on a restaurant with terrible service would be inappropriate).