New Year just one day at a time…

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After much contemplation, I’ve decided to make some new year’s resolution and new things are coming in my life. I sometimes forget that life happens right before your eyes and often when you’re not expecting it.  As the year changes, I find that I must change and push forward to, so with every day is a new goal with new possibilities.

Here are the resolutions for this year so far:

1. Read one book a month

2. Scrapbook one page a month

3. Have only one perfume that I love completely

4. Have only one foundation and one tinted moisturizer

5. Pay off all bills

6. Deposit into savings every month

7. Revamp website after taking WordPress classes

8. Exercise

There’s a bit of light in the tunnel

I’m not sure if I’ll be back on the blog next week, so I thought I would leave you with some things to keep you occupied.

Apparently, not everyone gets what they want for Christmas. At least be destructive and get points for it: Spoiled Rotten

My favorite Musician redesigned his website and is dropping a new album after the new year so check it: Jake Shimabukuro

Dean Gray Blotto is an amazing snowboard photographer and sends awesome sticker packages (more on this in a later blog) but you should check his website:Twenty Ten

This t-shirt shop has the most unique dyes I’ve ever seen. There’s a catalog you can request and they ship everywhere, check them out: Crazy Shirts

One of my local shirt and cap shops makes awesome street wear as well as doing awesome collaborations check out the surfing one here & and the skate one here.

I had nearly forgotten about this! But if you are a fan of Hawaii 5-0 version 2010 then you’ll get what this means. If not then you should consider watching the show so Alex O’Laughlin can continue to take shirt off to entertain the ladies! Get your Kukui High merchandise at the Logo Shop.

Here are some quotes to get you through these days:

Everyone should listen to the Buddha Dharma even if it means giving up what little free time they have to do so. However well intended, that kind of thinking, that we should listen to the Buddha Dharma only when we have free time, actually marks a new low point in our lives. For as the Buddha Dharma gently reminds us:Never assume there’s going to be a tomorrow to do so.-Rennyo Shonin

Gratitude on the common, conventional level is a response to favors, kindness, and good fortune received from others. But gratitude on the religious level is an affirmation of the gift of life. Gratitude is based on the Buddhist world view, that any happening is the product of countless causes  and conditions. We can not understand all the elements that contribute to making possible each moment, encounter or event in our lives.-Thanksgiving Day by Masami Hayashi

Holiday Drinks to love

I meant to do this so much sooner, but I suppose now would work too.  I won’t call myself a coffee connoisseur by any means. I can’t even drink my coffee black, but load mine up with flavor shots, milk, and whipped cream and I’m your girl. So I’ve drunken all the holiday drinks and here’s what you should be drinking for the holidays in my personal opinion.

You should always support your local coffee spot because the money stays in your area, but if you have to venture to the corporate machines such as Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf here ‘s a few choice drink choices. Within in the last year or so, I’ve gotten addicted to Chai like no other and when given the chance will drink it all year around I’m a little biased.

1. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s Winter Dream Latte
Definite a recommend if you are addicted to Chai you will love it. It’s the perfect blending of Chai with Rooibos to keep your throat feeling healthy all winter long.

2. Starbucks Peppermint Mocha
This was the drink that made me fall in love with Starbucks. I’m a sucker for Peppermint except in ice cream. Peppermint ice cream is not good, but that’s another story. When you drink this you are nearly swept away with all the Pepperminty goodness.

3. Starbucks White Peppermint Mocha
Since, I’m not a fan of white chocolate I didn’t venture to try this drink until this season. Now, I’m getting swept away by the White Mocha fusing with the Peppermint. Apparently, I’m not alone in this infatuation because one of my Starbucks told me they ran out of Peppermint.

4. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Red Velvet Cocoa
I’ve declared that Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has been killing it on the original drinks department and Starbucks has not even begun to step up to the plate. I’m slightly biased up still. When you get this drink the smell make you think of Red Velvet cupcakes and when you think that might be all that it’s worth, you begin to sip and if it were possible to liquify the perfect red velvet cupcake you’d get this drink. I swear that’s what it taste like, but then again my sister-in-law wasn’t an incredible fan of this drink and she loves red velvet cupcakes.

5. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Gingerbread Latte
I’m perfectly aware that Starbucks has had this on their menu for a while, but their drink does not taste like this. In my opinion of the few gingerbread cookies I have eaten. This is what this drink taste like. Exactly to a perfect point.

I hope this list helps you figure out what you need to get at the major coffeeshops and what you should be passing on. Feel free to leave me your thoughts and opinions of what I may have gotten wrong.

Summer Oh Summer

I’ve been working on the list of my summer goals, slowly but surely it will get done and hopefully I will not fail! I’ve been getting a lot done which is always a good things, since sometimes when my life is busy I love it, but sometimes it is too much!

I finished my presentation for convention which is this weekend and I’m excited that I get to attend. It will be the first full convention that I’ve attended for work, since last year when I went to this convention it was too much of a circus that I didn’t really get to enjoy it. I will also get the enjoyment of staying at a hotel for a couple of days, so at least I’ll get a little but of high luxury 🙂

I also finally watched Repo! The genetic musical which I have owned for more than a year.  It’s a good movie. Paris Hilton does a good job in the movie, I think it’s because her acting in this isn’t a huge stretch for her normal life, the spoiled princess 🙂 Although I think the best part of the her part in the movie is that she doesn’t talk that much..hahah! Alexa Vega does an amazing job, I had no idea that she could sing! I almost didn’t recognize her since she’s grown up so much since her Spy Kids days.  I recommend this movie although I would warn you that if you are squemish about  dead bodies, blood, and muscle tissue. I wouldn’t watch this movie because there is a quite a bit of that in this movie.

I downloaded Primsleur Japanese in preparation for my upcoming trip to Japan. (Nina, I didn’t forget you! I’m gonna send your package when I get back 🙂 Tons of little boxes of Kitkats headed your way!) I haven’t really been able to test out the program since work has been keeping me busy.

I would definitely have to say that this summer went by way too fast. I swear that every single time I blink another 5 days went by. As usual,I failed at my goal for the blog this summer 🙁 Yes, It was to blog every week. However in my defense, I would like to tell you that I did take a trip to Japan and work has been a little crazy and going to get more crazy. I’m still working on the other goals for the summer, which are actually going pretty well 🙂
As requested by a rather new friend, I will be posting a blog with pictures from my trip. Though, I won’t post any group pictures here to protect the others. If we’ve met in real life, you probably know where to find the rest of the pictures. I haven’t had time to real delve into editing since it takes so much out of me and it’s much harder to edit on my laptop that it is on the work computer. I’m not complaining about the laptop I still love it to death.
My musical obsession, Jake Shimabukuro. If you haven’t heard of him, you should check him out. He makes the ukulele sound amazing and if you don’t believe me, I dare you to find someone cooler than him.

Hope that you are having a good week and it is filled with love.

Beauty Poll: Halloween week

KeyToMyHeart

 
This poll is courtesy Makeup and Beauty Blog. She amazing and will be soon added to the many sites I stalk 🙂

1. Mood:

It would be amazing, but since I’m sick days at home are never a good thing 🙁 Then again I’m finally getting a chance to catch up on blogging, since I’ve been hitting a roadblock lately. Regularly scheduled blogging should resume shortly 🙂

2. Have you ever carved a jack-o-lantern?

Probably only once. I’m hoping that I will get to do it again since my nephew is living with the family and this will be his first real Halloween. When I was little my parents like most smart parents regulated their kids to marker duty while they the parents got to do the most important part of Halloween turning the pumpkin into a jack-o-latern :).

3. What scents are you wearing today?

Nada because I’ve been sick all day. I’m in the midst of taking a break from napping which is why this blog is taking place.

4. Would you rather be too hot or too cold?

I used to believe that I was made for winter, but since being away from a good solid winter with the snow I’m missing it like CRAZY! I would most definitely rather be too cold and have a fireplace or heaters running than too hot.

5. Adult Halloween costumes — cool or cheesy?

Some Adult Halloween costumes are cool but I haven’t dressed up since I got out of college. I’ve seen some people go really creative with their costumes. Definitely digging homemade rather than store bought.

6. If you could have a do-over for something you did or didn’t do, what would it be?

I would’ve fought harder to get a job on the mainland or try and make things work out harder. As well as everything turned out. Everyday I’m away from that place with snow, beautiful summers, and the longest car rides imaginable it makes try harder to find a way to get back.

7. If you could appear on a reality TV show, which one would it be?

I have no idea. Maybe The Amazing Race because it would be cool to travel around the world on someone else’s money and try to do all the challenges they do. I did try to get my brother on Who wants to be a millionaire in the early days though 😉

8. Three words that describe you on your best days?

Happy-go-lucky

9. Three words that describe you on your worst days?

your worst nightmare

10. Weekly goals:

This week’s goals are to get back to temple. I need the spirituality. Cheap date to pumpkin farm if I can talk my brother into it. I also need to get better because there’s a pretty big day for me coming up soon 🙂
As stated earlier in this post I’ve been hit with a minor case of writers block and the equivalent of photographer’s block. Hopefully, with the new events pending on the horizon in my life I’ll be able to do blogs on a more regular basis.