I have loved Robert Downey Jr. since his humbler days in Heart & Souls (I was 12!) and through all the drug-abuse drama. He completely made the first Iron Man as great as it was, and I can't wait for Sherlock Holmes to open on Friday - it's nearly all the Christmas present I need.
It's that time of year again, peoples. Time to take stock of the year and look at what I managed to accomplish from this list. In all honesty I'm not sure how I thought I'd ever get even half of this stuff done, and somehow a lot of it seems less important now. But in the spirit of honoring commitments, I'm making myself go through it again to see how far I went. Btw, if I blogged about it, I linked to it! See below.
Note to self: 2010's list will be much more reasonable.
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Travel
- Summer weekend trip to Lake Tahoe. Wanted to do this for the past 4 years and still haven't done it. NEXT YEAR.
- One long-weekend domestic trip: New Mexico, Portland, New Orleans/Texas, Hawaii, Yellowstone, OR DC area. Went to Boston. Does that count?
- Visit LA at least 2x and go to Magic Mountain. Actually went 3x, here, alluded to here, and here.
- Visit (or camp at) Muir Woods, Mt. Tam, Bodega Bay, northern CA (Eureka or Shasta), and one California destination I've never heard of. Addition: Getaway to Sonoma.
- Fall 2009 trip - China/SE Asia, Japan, South America, Costa Rica, Western Australia OR Spain/Morocco. FAIL.
Health & Wellness
- Sleep at least 7 hours/night (before 12:30am on weeknights). FAIL.
- Wear sunscreen daily, and lip balm for my perpetually chapped lips. FAIL.
- Move my bike from home (in LA) to the Bay Area. Got a bike from Jimbo. Doesn't mean I rode it, but I'm counting this one =)
- Hike once a month. I probably went 1-2x/month in the warmer months so I'm counting this. Also, "urban hikes" count.
- Conquer my asthma and my gimp knee (so I can ski by next winter). FAIL.
- ...and get my weight back down to 120-125lbs., however that has to happen (gymming, walking, eating less). I hit 127, so I came close.
- Take a self-defense class. FAIL, but I got myself a new can of pepper spray.
Personal Projects
Sewing (skills): Learn one new technique every month, things like: install a zipper, read/execute a pattern, tailoring techniques such as darts, princess seams, etc., create a pattern, smocking and shirring, install interfacing, create pleats, Hong Kong seams, linings for anything, make a pocket, and dye fabric. FAIL.
Sewing (projects):
- Finish my fingerless gloves. FAIL.
- Alter the $5 sari dress and skirt that I bought at the Lotus Festival and never wore. FAIL.
- Make a sundress out of the pretty batik I bought in Malaysia last year. FAIL.
- Make an evening/cocktail dress out of the material I bought at Joann's + all the sewing ideas I've been collecting for the past few months. FAIL.
- Make an obi-style belt. FAIL
Cooking:
- Organize recipes and start recording family favorites and newly inspired creations in a journal or binder.
- Master my slow-cooker so I don't starve when I start my new job
- Recipes to master:
- The 'One Great Cookie' recipe for browned-butter cookies in the 2006 issue of Gourmet Magazine. Still time to do this!
- The Google chef's recipe for madeleines
- My coworker's famous chocolate-chip cookie recipe
- A really great gingerbread cookie recipe
- Addition: my old boss' wonderful recipe for blueberry scones
- Chili (this one was too tomato-y)
- Baked butterfish with miso glaze like they used to make in our cafeteria. OMG BIG FAT FAIL.
- Flan! FAIL.
Volunteering: Find one great organization/activity to commit to. FAIL.
General Know-how:
- Learn about the import/export process and more about retail distribution. Working on it.
- Read some of those motivational books and start a learning journal of sorts.
Just for Fun:
- Taiko drumming classes. FAIL.
- Organize and post my photos from my trip to Asia last year Haven't quite posted all of them yet though.
- 3x the average traffic-per-post on my blog
- Use my new 40-min. commute to learn some things. Get Spanish-language and Chinese-language tapes.
- Work on an indie film. Bug former coworker Tony about producing his next movie OR get involved in a theater production (ask Annie). FAIL, though I did talk to a girl once about putting on some kind of production.
- Film footage and piece together a 5-10 minute short of any kind. FAIL.
- Work with my mom to translate my grandmother's life story, and interview my dad about his family history. FAIL.
- Send out Christmas cards next year. THERE'S STILL TIME TO DO THIS!
- Take 1 class with Doc Wong, and learn how to drive stick shift. FAIL.
- Mail out DVD copies of the play I produced 5 years ago to the cast/crew, which have been sitting on my desk for the past 3 years -___- I gave some out in person but overall I'd call this one a FAIL.
Financial
- Don't buy any more clothing or home stuff until my birthday (in February).
- Pay off my car loan. I'm pretty close I think.
- Read www.fool.com or other other educational resources once a week and take a couple seminars about investing. Learn about stocks and all that, because it's Greek to me now. And identify 3 areas to invest in.
- Donate at least 10% of my net earnings to church and some non-profits that are doing great work. Still time to do this - stay tuned.
Spiritual, Personal Improvement, and Miscellaneous
- Develop a daily prayer life. Pray regularly for my daddy. Le sigh.
- Re-join a small group at church and go 2x/month. FAIL.
- Forgive and let go of some specific, debilitating things from my past
- Work on communication (synthsizing/clarity) and listening skills.
- Give up something that matters for someone who truly needs it
- Buy only clothing made of natural materials: cotton, linen, bamboo, leather, silk, wool. This will force me to get fewer things of higher quality, rather than synthetic blends like the cheap stuff from Forever 21 that pills after 2 wears. I didn't stick to this 100% but have gotten much better, so I'm counting this.
- Clean out/reorganize my closet twice
- Read: The Far Pavilions, Malcom X's Autobiography, and at least 2 other novels OMG I can't believe I forgot to read the Far Pavilions!
- Watch: After Life, Carnivale Season 1, Hellboy 1 and 2, Elizabeth 1 and 2, It's a Wonderful Life, Waking Life, Slumdog Millionaire, the Orphic Trilogy, the Decalogue, Brazil, M, Wild Strawberries
- Organize my mp3s and create a handful of playlists so I can start using my iPod again
- ...and the one thing that will make it all possible: STOP WASTING SO MUCH TIME. Spend less than 1.5 hours/day online--do less online shopping and find a way to blog more efficiently! BIG. FAT. FAIL!
From Clueless, when she gets knocked out by someone's flying shoe and Elton comes dashing in and we get just the tiniest snippet of her gorgeous voice. I always thought her talent was underutilized... I would have like to see her cast in a musical that was not Sister Act 2.
I've had this plastic pink-and-blue kaboodle for many many years. I believe my childhood friend Renee gave it to me some 15 years ago. Amazing how some things stick around you in life. At any rate, I had been thinking for some time that I've outgrown it, that it was a bit childish for someone who's almost (but not quite!) 30.
So off and on I've been looking for a replacement to hold my various little bottles and compacts of makeup that I don't wear, of little grooming tools and colors and adornments. I was kind of resigned to a life of faintly 'ethnic' looking rattan/bamboo/reed bins and boxes like the kind they sell at Target and Cost Plus. That is, until I wandered into Ross the other day.
Ross, you say? Yes, most of the time it is chock-full of dingy, poor quality crap. But every once in a while, it surprises you with a gem. And this day, I found my gem in this good-sized miniature set of apothecary drawers. Or maybe they look more like a library card catalog. At any rate I loved it instantly and knew it had to be mine, whatever the cost (which was not that much).
6 of the drawers are wooden with dainty metal handles and 3 of the drawers are some kind of antiqued base metal. I just love how square it is, and how it seems to fit almost everything perfectly, and how I can separate all my things with such exacting precision. I even got a little drawer denizen, the ceramic white elephant riding on top, to keep it company (also from Ross).
I've also included a picture of the old plastic kaboodle which will soon be making its way to the local Goodwill.
Because when I eat it... heck, when I even look at it, I feel like celebrating!
Halved heirloom cherry tomatoes (TJs), slices of Italian eggplant pan-fried with sea salt, pepper and olive oil, absolutely perfect soft-boiled eggs (see how runny the yolk still is?), spring greens ($3.79 for a ginormous box at Costco) and as a crowning gesture, a generous dollop of smoked whitefish salad (also from Costco). With the richness of the whitefish salad and eggs, and the tang from the tomatoes, I didn't even need any dressing for this.
If you love smoked salmon and have never had smoked whitefish salad, you don't know what you're missing. It's smoked whitefish mixed with mayonnaise. The flavor is salty, delicious, and perfect on bagels with the usual accoutrements (thin slices of red onion, capers, tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon wedges, etc.).
Whole wheat waffle (homemade) slathered in peanut butter and honey. Bananas on the side. And milk-chai to wash it all down.
I am seriously loving Garry's new neighborhood because he lives, quite literally, 2 blocks from almost everything. Tartine, Pizzeria Delfina, Bi-Rite, Yamo, Urbun Burger... we'll never go hungry in this part of town.
Dropping in near the top of the list is The Corner, an enchanting little space carved out, appropriately, on the corner of 18th and Mission. The decor pleased me perfectly - not something I usually notice about a place, but I immediately loved the bird-and-branches wallpaper that made it feel like a forest, the natural wood paneling and exposed brick, and the whimsical metal light fixtures. It had personality without trying too hard, and above all it felt warm even though the evening was cold.
The servers were so so very kind and gracious - also not something I usually care about, but they were informative, helpful, and did thoughtful little extra things like give me ice along with my hot water in case it was too hot.
The food - very inventive, tasty, and flavorful! Garry had the slow-cooked pork shank (cheesy hashbrowns, pea shoots, poached egg & maple sauce which gave it a fascinating flavor dimension), I had the chitarra pasta with chanterelle mushrooms (tat soi, purple cauliflower, grana padano & lemon thyme), and we split a sunchoke soup (sourdough croutons, roasted figs).
The best part? The deliciously low prices! Between the three things we got, we spent less than $30 including tip (we didn't get anything to drink--it being a 'school night,' and the servers didn't give us any pressure about it at all). We'll definitely be back as there were at least five other things on the menu that I was keen on trying.
Sorry for the horridly grainy iPhone photos!
Posted simultaneously to wearability.posterous.com
I've been reading this excellent book, Audrey Style by Pamela Clarke Keogh, which is not a straightforward biography of America's most beloved silver screen star. Rather, it's about the life-changing events, relationships, and personal convictions that went into creating Audrey Hepburn's innovative, singular and influential way of dressing--most notably her lifelong 'style' partnership with the designer Givenchy.
So far I've learned some interesting things that make me respect Audrey more as an individual, even though I haven't really been a fan of most of her movies (I know--gasp.). Like the fact that from ages 12-16, during WWII, she practically starved and even tried to make bread out of grass. Or that she spent her entire life yearning for warmth and affection from her rigid mother.
Anyway, I specifically wanted to discuss the one film that really put Audrey on the style map, and made every woman in America want to dress like her. Most people assume that this film was Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), when in fact, Audrey's moment came much earlier, in 1954, in the original Sabrina.
It was a barely-known Audrey Hepburn that boldly made an appointment with Givenchy and dazzled him with the way she brought his designs to life, then proceeded to select three simple costumes from his 1953 Spring/Summer collection that would change everything:
1) The Glen Cove Suit: Audrey wore this with a simple white turban while waiting at the train station with her luggage and mini poodle. Dark gray, double-breasted, cinch-waisted, scoop-neck jacket and a simple slim, calf-length skirt.
2) The White Ball Gown (pictured below): For her first party back at the Larrabee mansion, Audrey's character donned a magnificent concoction of silk and embroidery that stunned the Larrabee brothers, and the world.
3) The Denouement Date Dress (pictured below): The truly original Little Black Dress, a good 7 years before the one she wore in Breakfast. Simple tea-length with boat neck and two sweet bows on her shoulders, it suited her gamine figure perfectly.
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Interesting stuff, but what really got me fascinated was thinking of other game-changing style moments in cinematic history, when things changed very tangibly for the character because of what she wore, within the context of the film, or when what she wore changed the way the world, and especially women, viewed themselves and their potential.
I'm thinking specifically about dresses worn at pivotal moments in film, dresses we still think and talk and dream about, to this day. Dresses that capture our imagination with their own breathless possibility. Here are some of my favorites...can you think of any others?
1 Sabrina's white Givenchy ball gown. 2 Sabrina's little black dress. 3-4 The gorgeous green silk dress Keira Knightley wore in Atonement. 5-7Drew Barrymore's Renaissance-style dress and wings in Ever After. 8 The climactic flamenco ball gown in Strictly Ballroom. 9 Anastasia's lovely dark blue opera dress and white gloves. 10 Kate Winslet in beaded finery in Titanic. 11-12 Princess Leia's slave girl chic vs. chaste white gown in Star Wars. 13 Penelope's wedding dress - corset and shredded skirt. 14 Nicole Kidman's satin confection in Moulin Rouge. 15-17 All of Maggie Cheung's gorgeous cheongsam-style dresses in In the Mood for Love. 18 I always had a thing for Maria's lovely, light-as-air frock in The Sound of Music. 19-20 Jennifer Connelly in an over-the-top concoction for Labyrinth. 21-22 Grace Kelly's opening scene dress in Rear Window. 23 Zhang Ziyi's debut in Memoirs of a Geisha. 24 Marilyn Monroe's classic halter in Seven Year Itch. 25-26 Kate Hudson in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days - love the unusual yellow color. 27 Kim Basinger's cloak in LA Confidential. 28 All of Jennifer Lopez's crazy get-ups in The cell. 29 Dustin Hoffman's sequined wonder in Tootsie. 30 Renee Zelleweger in a super simple little black dress for her first date in Jerry Maguire. 31 THe gloriously over-the-top wedding gown in Coming to America. 32-33 Julia Stiles' simple, striking blue prom dress + red flower in 10 Things I Hate About You. 34 And finally, the magnificent Lauren Bacall.
I guess I should pay more attention to the random forwards my mom sends me, because everyonce in a while it turns out to be pretty awesome.
Here's Won Park, a Korean-American origami artist that creates his own unique, intricate, and original designs using his medium of choice: the US dollar bill. He never cuts anything - everything is constructed completely out of folds.
Check out his process in this clip (apologies for the supremely annoying s/he host):
As recently as this past spring, the La Habra Ranch Market was a bustling local market, full of people jamming tiny carts past each other in their eagerness to trade their hard-earned money for a cornucopia of fresh, beautiful fruits and veggies.
I posted about the market a little over a year ago, noting the fantastic prices, variety, and bounty to be had. (Check it out here.) Watermelons for $2/each! Raspberries 2 boxes for $1! Just amazing.
Some time in the last year though, the original Mexican owners cashed out and sold the market to a Korean family (indicative of SoCal socioeconomics on a macro scale). And the market hasn't been the same since.
I don't know if it's because the suppliers are now different, but I was so depressed to visit the market last week and see its transformation/degeneration firsthand.
I wasn't even sure it was open that day, there were so few cars in the parking lot. Inside it was dismal, eerily silent and so very empty. And let's not even get into the produce - such poor quality stock, all shriveled up and on the edge of molding. Not to mention, the shelves looked like they hadn't been stocked in a couple weeks.
It's been less than a year since the changeover but I am flabbergasted by how poor management - poor supply, poor set-up, poor pricing, poor customer service/experience can completely run a successful business into the ground, and so quickly.
All I can think is, how sad, and what a waste!