Tag Archives: memes

happy things

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Back in high school, my best friend Carmen used to give me the 14,000 Things to Be Happy About daily calendars because I was constantly making myself sad. I had a hard time going through adolescence with just my dad around so I always complained and made my life seem even more depressing than it was.
I haven’t entirely grown out of that phase. 😛

Sometimes I’ll catch myself making a bigger deal out of something than it deserves (a good example would be wedding-related stuff) so I force myself think happy thoughts. Tonight would be such a time…

5 Happy Thoughts
1. coffee sprinkled with chocolate
2. playing hooky from work (I am *so* tempted to call-in-sick at least once a week)
3. warm chocolate chip cookies
4. Sharpie pens in the colors of the rainbow
5. the smell of barbecue

I’ll get around to posting Harry Potter thoughts… Someday. 🙂
Hope everyone has a great week!

hp meme

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That was me after picking up Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last night. I’m wearing my Harry Potter track jacket (it’s similar to his triwizard robes in the GoF movie) and my Gryffindor scarf. 😀 HEE. But uhhh, please excuse my greasy face. My friends and I checked out the midnight release party but there wasn’t anything going on that captured our attention so we came back to my apartment and played Harry Potter Scene It? until about 11:15 when we went back to Borders to get in line to buy the book. SQUEE. The line went super fast and Rob and I were home by 12:30. (We live right across the street from Borders). Of, course, I cracked the book open right away.

And I finished it tonight. But don’t worry, no spoilers here… I’m going to wait a bit to let the finality of the series sink in and then I’ll post my thoughts. Maybe tomorrow.

For now, an HP meme courtesy of Sarah…

Favorite Book: Goblet of Fire. I just love the Triwizard tournament and the Yule Ball. Prisoner of Azkaban is a *very* close second.
Favorite Character: Harry. I can’t help it. ILUFFHIMSO.
Favorite Movie: Prisoner of Azakaban. So far, it’s been my favorite interpretation.
Favorite Spell: Expecto Patronum. The idea of your happy thoughts acting as a a protector against dementors is just so hopeful.
Favorite Couple: Harry and Hermione. I know it’s not canon. But their relationship touches me just the same.
Favorite Magical Building: Hogwarts.
Favorite Magical Creature: House-elves.
Favorite Non-Human Character: Hedwig!
Favorite Scene: This isn’t fair… there’s so many! Off the top of my head… all the Time-Turning scenes and learning about the Marauders in PoA, St. Mungo’s and Dumbledore’s Army in OotP, the Yule Ball in GoF… I’m sure there’s tons more.
Favorite Family: Well, the Weasleys, of course!
Favorite Class: Charms.
Favorite Movie Scene: Again, I have a few… when the trio first meet on the Hogwarts Express in SS, the Gryffindor boys eating candy in their tower on their first night back at Hogwarts in PoA, Harry asking Cho to the Yule Ball in GoF, and all the Dumbledore’s Army scenes in OotP.
Favorite HP website: Don’t really have one. Though I do always go to The Leaky Cauldron for news… it’s too bad the site layout is awful and loads so slowly.
Favorite House: Gryffindor!
Favorite Bad-Guy: Draco Malfoy.
Favorite room in Hogwarts: Gryffindor Common Room.
Favorite Teacher: Professor McGonagall.
Favorite Ministry Employee: Kingsley Shacklebolt. Or Tonks.
Favorite Ministry Department: Department of Magical Games and Sports? Or maybe the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
Favorite Magical Transportation: Apparition.

book meme

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I MUST see Paris Je T’Aime. It looks like such a beautiful movie. May 4!

A book meme I stole from Nicola…

Paperback, hardback or trade paperback?
Paperback. Either mass market or trade paperbacks. I don’t reread my books often enough to justify the cost of hardbacks. The exception is Harry Potter, of course.
Amazon or brick and mortar?
A mix of both. Amazon definitely has better deals but sometimes I need instant gratification, you know?
Barnes & Noble or Borders
Borders. Cause it’s right next door to my apartment. And it also has a much better (and free!) rewards program than B&N.
Bookmark or dog-ear?
Bookmark, usually. But I *have* been known to dog-ear sometimes.
Favorite place to read?
In bed underneath my incredibly comfy goose-down comforter.
Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?
Random. But I do try to group by author.
Keep, throw away, or sell?
It depends on the book. I keep about half and I sell/donate the other half.
Keep dust jacket or toss it?
Keep!
Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Remove. That thing is nothing but a pain while reading.
Short story or novel?
Novel. I’ve never really cared for short stories. I don’t really know why. *shrugs*
Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
I haven’t read the Lemony Snicket series but even if I had, I’m positive the answer would still be Harry Potter!
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
At chapter breaks. I feel like I need to reach a good ending point before I can put the book down.
“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
The former.
Buy or borrow?
I do fair amount of both. I’m really lucky cause I have good friends who have massive book collections and are very generous with them. 😀
New or used?
Either. I’m not too finicky about used books… they just can’t be smelly or falling apart.
Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
Recommendations and book reviews. I pretty much rely on them for almost everything I read. I don’t have a knack for going into a bookstore and picking out books on my own.
Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Tidy ending. I can’t help it. I like happy endings.
Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
Nighttime reading. It’s my favorite thing to do before falling asleep.
Stand-alone or series?
Both. I love series but hate when they end.
Favorite series?
Harry Potter. 😀
Favorite children’s book?
The Berenstein Bears series.
Favorite YA book?
The Sweet Valley High series.
Favorite books read last year?
I honestly can’t remember what I read last year, really… all the Nelson DeMille books were great and I also really enjoyed A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray.
Favorite books of all time?
Anne of Green Gables series.
Least favorite book you finished last year?
Could not stand The Time-Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. UGH.
What are you reading right now?
Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts. (Many thanks to Alie and Sarah for the rec! I’m loving it!)
What are you reading next?
Something Blue by Emily Giffin. Found it on the bargain table at Border for $5. I couldn’t resist cheap chick-lit!
Favorite book to recommend to an eleven-year-old?
Erm, Little Women? To be honest, I think I’m so far removed from 11-year olds that I wouldn’t know what is and isn’t appropriate for their age.
Favorite book to reread?
The Harry Potter series… I love these books more and more each time I read them.
Do you ever smell books?
It sounds weird but yes.

Off to read! 🙂

star wars, JT + movie meme

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Totally random tonight…

I’m so buying the Star Wars postage stamps when they’re released in May. I even voted for the stamp that should get its own sheet here. I’m a DORK. 😀

Justin Timberlake just announced a second leg to his North American Tour. I wonder if I can convince someone to go with me again, hehe. The dates close to me are —

September
01 – Las Vegas, NV – Mandalay Bay
10 – Sacramento, CA – ARCO Arena
12 – San Jose, CA – HP Pavilion
16 – Los Angeles, CA – Staples Center

Carmen/Robyn, if we do girls weekend in Sept, we should totally go the weekend of the JT concert! Never mind, I just looked it up, that’s Labor Day weekend and plane tickets will be INSANE. 😛

And because I’m bored, a movie meme stolen from Alie.

1. Name a movie that you have seen more than 10 times:
Anne of Green Gables/Avonlea, Oceans’s Eleven, and A Few Good Men
2. Name a movie that you’ve seen multiple times in the theater:
Titanic. I think I might have come close to double digits with this movie. *blush*
3. Name an actor that would make you more inclined to see a movie:
Brad Pitt and Matt Damon
4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie:
Jack Black or Rob Schneider
5. Name a movie that you can and do quote from:
Bring It On. “You’re a cheer-tator, Torrance, and a pain in my ass!”
6. Name a movie musical that you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs:
Rent! Well, I don’t know ALL the lyrics… but most.
7. Name a movie that you have been known to sing along with:
Grease — hee!
8. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone see:
The Lord of the Rings series
9. Name a movie that you own:
I own TONS. See my DVD list.
10. Name an actor that launched his/her entertainment career in another medium, but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops:
Mandy Moore. She’s adorable.
11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, what?
I think so but I don’t really remember. Maybe when I was younger with my parents. Couldn’t tell you the movie, though.
12. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just haven’t yet gotten around to it:
Amelie and Marie Antoinette. I have the DVDs from Netflix but I’ve been lazy…
13. Ever walked out of a movie?
I’ve definitely wanted to but haven’t. The last movie I felt that way about was probably The Last Kiss. UGH.
14. Name a movie that made you cry:
I’m sure there are tons (I cry easily) but the one that stands out is Stepmom. Don’t make fun.
15. Popcorn?
OF COURSE. With a Cherry Coke.
16. How often do you go to the movies (as opposed to renting them or watching them at home)?
Not so much, really. Maybe once a month or so. But when Memorial Day rolls around and the summer blockbusters are released, Rob and I go as many times as it takes to see everything.
17. What’s the last movie you saw in the theatre?
Zodiac
18. What’s your favourite/preferred genre of movie?
Chick flicks! Then dramas.
19. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theatre?
Sleeping Beauty. Probably the reason why it’s my favorite Disney movie.
20. What movie do you wish you had never seen?
Any horror movie. They give me the CREEPS.
21. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
Erm, maybe the Kevin Smith movies? Like Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back or Dogma.
22. What is the scariest movie you’ve seen?
Have to agree with Alie here… The Ring. *shudders*
23. What is the funniest movie you’ve seen?
Wedding Crashers and 40-Year Old Virgin come to mind. Also, pretty much any Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, or Owen Wilson movies.

🙂

100 things I love

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Found this meme on Chef Messy and thought I’d give it a whirl…

100 People, Places, and Things that I LOVE
(Well, mostly things… 😛 Oh, and in no particular order…)
01. Rob
02. Dad
03. best friends Carmen and Robyn
04. cousin Riz
05. my crazy family
06. friends I keep in touch with from my old job (I miss them so)
07. my Dad’s house (there’s no place like home and all that)
08. Paris (I’m so in love with the city of lights)
09. Disneyland
10. hiking up Diamond Head crater on Oahu
11. UC Berkeley
12. online shopping (I’m a total shopaholic and sometimes I’m just way too lazy to go to a mall and walk from store to store — that can take forever!)
13. my blog
13. Chik-fil-A (OMG, whenever I go home, I *have* to pick up a chicken sandwich from here. SO. GOOD. I wish they had stores in the Bay Area).
14. working in San Francisco
15. dim sum
16. ballet
17. my aunt’s baked macaroni (yum)
18. the musical Rent
19. spa weekends with my best friends (well, we’ve only had 1 so far but I know I’m going to love future weekends too)
20. Bub, the teddy bear Rob got me for Valentine’s Day 3 years ago
21. sleeping in on the weekends
22. Dawson’s Creek (I was watching some season 1 episodes over the weekend and it’s still my most favorite show ever)
23. chocolate croissants
24. my iPod
25. Wikipedia

Continue reading →

photo meme, part 3

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Why have I not seen the Girl Scouts around? Isn’t it GIRL SCOUT COOKIE TIME?!? They’re usually at the BART station attacking all the commuters during rush hour. Don’t they know I need my Thin Mints and Samoas? Technically I can’t eat either of those cookies right now because I gave up chocolate and candy for Lent. But I want to have them ready when Easter rolls around in a month. 😀

Sooo I just realized that I never finished up that photo meme I started, oh, about 3 months ago. !!! OOPS.

Here’s the last part!

Click on the pictures to see larger versions.

My Kitchen requested by Kelly

My kitchen is pretty tiny and not too exciting. It has all the basics… fridge, oven, stove, microwave. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. The side I took the picture from has the sink and more counter space where we have a bunch of appliances crammed together, like the coffeemaker, rice cooker, and crockpot. I’m not sure why I didn’t take a picture of that side of the kitchen. It might have been messy and I was too lazy to clean. 😛 When I finally buy my own place, I would LOVE to have stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Not that I spend a lot of time in the kitchen… but a girl can dream.

Something Cool I See on My Commute requested by Reen

I honestly couldn’t think of anything “cool” that I see on my commute every day. It’s totally boring… I get to the BART station (which is in Oakland and there is absolutely nothing cool to see there), sit/stand on the train for 20 minutes until I arrive in San Francisco (I even fall asleep sometimes, hehe), climb up the stairs to street level and walk right into my building. So I decided to take a picture of the Starbucks I visit almost every day for my morning pick-me-up. It’s right across the street from my building and it is the *tiniest* Starbucks that I have ever seen. The employees have to kneel under the counter to get in and out of the store. Crazy! I kinda think this photo is a bit of a cop-out, though, so I’ll keep my eyes peeled for something fun on my commute that I may have missed.

TV Room requested by Kate

Ahhh, the TV room/living room. Probably the one place in my apartment where I spend the most time. Right now, we have this really awful navy blue IKEA couch. I think it fits 1.5 people comfortably and 2 people uncomfortably, lol. We actually started shopping this past weekend for a new couch. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we find one that’s soft and inviting but within our budget. Anyway, you’ll notice that I have a TON of little stuffed toys on top of the couch. 😀 I love them. I can’t help it. Plus, most of them were presents so I can’t put them in storage! Rob gave me the bear in the Lakers basketball jersey for Valentine’s Day 3 years ago so it means a lot to me.

Computer requested by Kate

And a photo of my whole desk:

My computer is a 4-year old Dell laptop that has served me very, very well. It’s pretty much running as well as it did when I first bought it. The only thing that’s wrong is that it sometimes doesn’t recognize music CDs. I have no idea why. All my DVDs play so I’m not sure what’s wrong with the drive. I’d love to upgrade to a newer, faster laptop but not so much that I can justify spending the money right now. I also took a picture of my desk area so you can see all the random stuff I have around me when I’m on the ‘net… a candle, my iPod Nano, Mini Cooper figurine, photos (even one of the dog I had growing up!), college graduation tassel, etc. Looking at the photo made me realize my desk is kinda messy. :/

So that’s it! Finally. 😀

music meme

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I was tagged by Ceci for this music meme. 😀

List seven songs you are into right now, no matter what the genre, whether they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your livejournal blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.

Here we go!

Right click, save as…
username: cookie
password: monster

The All-American Rejects – It Ends Tonight
Avril Lavigne – Girlfriend
Christina Aguilera – Candyman
Fort Minor – Remember the Name
Justin Timberlake – Summer Love
Nelly Furtado – Say it Right
Snow Patrol – Open Your Eyes (I posted this in my previous entry but I can’t help it, I love it so much!)

I’m too lazy to tag anyone. 😀 Just do it! It’s fun!

I found these video links on LJ and found them entertaining so I thought I’d share…

Kristen Bell and Chris Lowell from Veronica Mars interviewing each other. You learn pretty much nothing about them but it is damn hilarious.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Movie Preview. 7 minutes of behind-the-scenes stuff with the cast. I CAN’T WAIT!

Off to watch Lost…

v-day 2007 + meme

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Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! 🙂

Rob and I are saving our V-Day dinner for this weekend (Trader Vic’s, yay!) so we just grabbed Indian food for dinner and had a nice, relaxing night at home. Hope you all had a great day filled with lots of love, cheer, and of course, chocolate.

😀

Anyway, a high school meme snagged from Sarah…

My senior year was 1996-1997.
1. Who was your best friend?
Carmen and Robyn. And they still are. (*waves*)
2. What sports did you play?
BWAH! I’m horrible at sports. In high school, I took dance to fulfill my physical education requirement. I wanted to avoid running track, playing volleyball, etc. But I was a songleader! That’s kind of athletic. Maybe.
3. What kind of car did you drive?
I didn’t get my license until last year so, yeah. No car in high school.
4. It’s Friday night, where were you?
Probably at one of my best friends’ houses. We rotated where we spent our Friday nights. We would rent movies, or go to the mall, or bake. If there was a dance or a game at school, we’d sometimes end up there.
5. Were you a party animal?
Nope. Plus, my dad was strict.
6. Were you in the “In Crowd”?
No. I guess you could say I was a “floater.” I had friends from the different cliques.
7. Ever skip school?
No. My dad would have killed me.
8. Ever smoke?
Never tried it. It just doesn’t appeal to me.
9. Were you a nerd?
I guess so. I went to a magnet high school so *everyone* was a nerd. And we were proud of it. 😀
10. Did you get suspended/expelled?
Noooo way. Again, see above comments on my dad.
11. Can you sing the Alma Mater?
Is it sad that I still remember it? And can recite the whole thing? I was a songleader, though. That’s my excuse. We had to sing the alma mater at all our games.
12. Who was your favorite teacher?
I have three…
— Mr. Bohannon who taught AP US History — he wasn’t necessarily the greatest teacher ever but he did know how to prepare his students for the AP test
— Mr. Kelly who taught Algebra II — he was totally easygoing and fun
— Mrs. Shoop who taught Spanish III and English IV — she wasn’t a popular teacher because she ran a tight ship and expected a lot from her students but looking back, she really challenged me and I appreciate that.
13. Favorite Class?
Spanish (all levels) and US History.
14. What was your school’s full name?
Gretchen Whitney High School
15. School Mascot?
Wildcats
16. Did you go to Prom?
Yes. But I went to both my Junior and Senior proms with my evil ex-boyfriend. I had a great time at both events but I kinda wish my memories were with someone else. :/
17. If you could go back and do it over, would you?
I don’t think so. I think as far as high school experiences go, it was a good one.
18. What do you remember most about graduation?
It was a blur so I don’t remember much from the ceremony at all. I do remember being overly concerned about that silly cap pushing my bangs down and giving me “hat-head.”
19. Favorite memory of your Senior Year?
Being on the Homecoming Court. That was such a great honor and I had a blast participating in the pep rally and all the events leading up to the game. Also getting my acceptance letter to UC Berkeley.
20. Were you ever posted up on the senior wall?
Uhhh, I don’t think we had one of those.
21. Did you have a job your senior year?
No.
22. Who did you date?
I had 2 boyfriends in high school. Neither are worth mentioning here.
23. Where did you go most often for lunch?
Nowhere. My school didn’t have an “open lunch” policy. I usually just stayed at school and brought Cup O’ Noodles from home. What a horrible lunch, lol.
24. Have you gained weight since then?
YES. Please don’t remind me.
25. What did you do after graduation?
I went to Europe with my dad, then spent the summer hanging out with friends before moving to Northern CA for college.

It was kinda fun looking back at high school… 🙂

photo meme, part 2

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Had a nice, relaxing weekend… woke up at noon both days, hehehe. And I’ve been listening to Justin Timberlake non-stop to get ready for the concert on Thursday. SQUEE!!!

Here’s Part 2 of the photo meme…

Click on the pictures to see larger versions.

My DVD Collection requested by Alie

And a close-up:

Aaahhh, my beloved DVDs. I don’t know why I’m such a DVD whore. 😀 Most of my TV DVDs are on the top 2 shelves of the middle section. Movies are on the 3rd shelf and on the left section. (Random — CDs are on the right section and books take up the bottom 3 shelves of the middle section). This entire shelf is seriously overflowing. I’ve had to start piling both DVDs and books in front of one another cause there’s just no room. It’ll probably be messily organized like this until we move to a bigger place (no plans for that, though, so it’ll be awhile). :/

**You’ll also notice that Rob and I have quite the Star Wars galactic heroes collection. There are 3 rows of them on the third shelf of the middle section. You can see them best in the close-up picture. 😀

My Bed/Favorite Place to Relax requested by Sarah

Mmmm… I love my bed. It’s huge and comfy and the goose-down comforter makes it so warm and toasty. This makes it my absolute favorite place in my apartment to relax. I could bury myself under the covers with a good book/magazine and be completely content. Plus, I think my new yellow floral bedsheets are incredibly pretty (Simply Shabby Chic collection from Target!). Aside from the bed, I have a boring, boring bedroom. There’s nothing on the walls so it’s kind of… blah. I would LOVE to put up beautiful framed photos of France (I’ve been obsessed since my trip!) or even some artwork. One day…

Something That is Ugly/Weird Looking That I Can’t Part With requested by Sarah

This is a picture of my fridge. It’s covered in photos, invitations, and random magnets. The item that I am slightly freaked out by but can’t seem to throw out is this weird cross-stitched smiley face magnet. I circled it so you all know what I’m talking about. Doesn’t it look slightly… evil?

My Toothbrush requested by Sarah

Nothing too exciting here. Rob and I have Sonicare toothbrushes and love them. Mine is the one on the right.

View From Balcony requested by Kate

The screen on my bedroom window doesn’t open very wide so I decided to take a picture of the view from my balcony (it’s pretty much exactly the same). Again, nothing exciting… just office buildings on the other side of the street. The high rise is another apartment/condo complex. Behind these buildings, though, is the bay! And a beautiful view of San Francisco, the Bay Bridge and in the distance, the Golden Gate Bridge. Sadly, none of these are visible from my apartment. If they were, I’d probably be paying an extra $1000 in rent. So I guess it’s a good thing. 😛

The final part of the meme coming later this week (if anyone wants to request anything else, please feel free! This is fun!).

photo meme, part 1

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I’m finally getting to the photo meme from a few weeks back. *blush* This is only a third of it (I STILL have yet to tidy up my apartment enough to take pictures)…

Click on the pictures to see larger versions.

Favorite Shoes requested by Alyson

My Classic Short Uggs in Chestnut are my most favorite shoes. EVER. They’re not exactly fashionable but they are *so* warm and toasty. I wear them to and from work every day in the winter. I think I may invest in a Chocolate-colored pair.

Favorite Handbag requested by Alyson

I didn’t care for Louis Vuitton pieces until this year. Then all of a sudden, I HAD TO HAVE this bag. Going to Paris made me pull the trigger since the prices there (even with the exchange rate) are less expensive than in the US. It’s a little hard to get in and out of but I love that it complements any outfit really well.

*N Sync Dolls requested by Robyn

Rob gave me a complete set of *N Sync marionette dolls back in 2000 when I wanted anything and everything *N Sync. I displayed them on my bookshelf and all but the Lance doll remained unopened in their boxes. (I couldn’t resist opening one of them, hehe). Anyway, when Rob and I moved to our smaller apartment in 2005, there just wasn’t any room for them. I had to box them up and put them in storage. I did keep my JC Chasez bobblehead out, though, so that’s what’s shown in the picture above. It’s on top of my desk. 😀

My Christmas Tree requested by Carmen

YAY!!! My Christmas tree! I love it so. I always decorate my tree in cream and gold… it just looks so elegant, I think. The tree’s actually still up. I was too lazy to take it down on New Year’s Day. :/ I’ll have to do that this weekend. It makes me sad because it means the holidays are officially over. The second picture is a close-up of the tree, specifically the pretty, pretty Eiffel Tower ornament I got in Paris.

And here’s a bonus picture of the Christmas trees that were in my office building’s lobby…

The pink and red theme is also really beautiful. I loved the sight of them every weekday morning.

That’s it for now… More to come this weekend. That’s the plan. 🙂

AAAGGGGHHHHH!!! The OC has been cancelled. Only another 2 months of episodes. *sniff*