Thank you so much.

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Thank you so much. ^^

A special bracelet to add to my daily wear bracelet collection. Yay! A Dodgers t-shirt to wear to games and to sleep. Hehe. And, my very first vinyl record to play on my awesome record player. Hooray~ Thank you so much. #greatestfriendsever

Spending my Christmas watching the Lakers vs. Knicks game. Hehe. Next year's plan: Go to a basketball game on Christmas day. There's no better place to spend Christmas than at the Staples Center. ^^ Merry Christmas!

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I like pretty things.

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If Santa asked me what I wanted for Christmas this year, I'd tell him I'd want the Taylor Gold headphones by Frends. They're beautiful. I lost my earphones, so these headphones would be a good replacement. Expensive, but a replacement nonetheless. I like pretty things. Hehe.

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Fancy.

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I finished the fifth and final class for my HR Management certificate today. Yay! I learned so much during the past four months, but I am soooooooo looking forward to sleeping in on Saturdays for a while. ^^ Yessssss~

Today was a very special day spent in downtown LA with two of my dear friends, Erin and Ryan. Thank you for giving me the best Christmas presents in the world!

My macarons & delish mimosa.

My earl grey macaron. Amazing.

The most amazing lunch at Bottega Louie.
The fanciest pizza, salad and fries I've ever had. Thank you!!

My very own rosemary plant. Hehe. Thank you!!!

A very cute card with instructions on how to make a rosemary plant happy. 

The Hobbit. Thank youuuuu!!

Can you believe all of this happened in just one day?!! Thank you for being amazing friends. Thank you for showering me with such amazing + thoughtful gifts. And, so much love. So much. ^^

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You are my favorite.

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[Photo courtesy of Le Love]

This is cute.

The 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, 8,765 hours, 525,600 minutes, and 31,556 seconds that made up this year were my favorite.

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Thankful.

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I'm SO thankful my brother came back from the Middle East safely. He's alive and I will forever be grateful for that. Thank you for protecting him, Father.

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Elf.

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I'm going to a special holiday screening of the movie "Elf" on Friday night. Yes, it's true! What a perfect way to start the crazy weekend! Yay~ ^^ Did I mention they're playing the movie outdoors, under the stars? They are!

You can buy tickets at: www.theocmartmix.com

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Booked!

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My flight to Korea is booked! ^^ My very first international business trip. Yay!

My to-do list for the trip: Buy a really thick + cute coat to protect me from the winter cold. Pack myself a peanut butter & jelly sandwich for the morning. Stuff my suitcase with delish American snacks. Download action movies onto my iPad so I never get bored. Fill my iPod with a bunch of songs I won't get sick of (Usher, check. Ne-Yo, check. Yup!). Take my Kindle for some reading on the plane. Hehe. Oh my gosh...I'm so excited! Another perk to this trip is I get to stay in a hotel for free!! ^^

Oh yeah! On my way home from Korea, I have a 8-hour layover in San Francisco. This means I get to spend a few hours in the city before my flight home! Yay! I get to spend hours at the Ferry Building, get crème brûlée at The Crème Brûlée Cart and go to Blue Bottle Coffee for coffee (obviously).

But, here's the best part - I get to rest an entire day before going to work! This means I get to stay in bed all day, doing absolutely nothing. Woohoo!

This is my life and it's awesome. Well, this is just part of my life...

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Professional.

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I'm a working professional, but only from 9AM-5PM. Hehe.

I work 7 hours a day and it's awesome. I thoroughly enjoy my job except on those occasional days when I'd rather be home watching James Bond movies (specifically, Daniel Craig movies).

I feel respected and rewarded as an employee PLUS I have more than enough work to keep me busy all day. The work is surprisingly fun and challenging too. I like the people I work with and it will be two years soon. Woohoo!

Anyways, back to work!

XOXO
Grace

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Yay!

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My business trip to Korea was confirmed today. Yay! ^^

The main purpose of this trip is to meet with the CEO and other decision makers to discuss ideas and strategies to improve our US division. What?! Is this really happening?? Yes. Yes, it is. Hehe.

What an amazing way to start off the new year! 

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It's here. December.

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In a few days, it will be December - my favorite month. Yay! ^^ The little things make December significant, like Christmas music playing on the radio, hot chocolate with extra foam, cute mittens, cold weather, wrapping presents, baking cookies, holiday parties, ugly Christmas sweaters, etc. 

I'm looking forward to Christmas lights in the winter night, exchanging gifts with my friends, wearing cozy sweaters and bows in my hair, watching Christmas movies and hanging out with my family. It's the most wonderful time of the year. 

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my two.

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 my two favorite hollywood couples. ^^ they just are.

rachel weisz & daniel craig.

emma stone & andrew garfield. 

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things i love.

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taking funny photos at disneyland.

how much my dog loves her flashlight.

my vans.

the staples center. #clippers #riseup

 lattes & cacti.

nerdy things like souvenir pins.

when my dog stares at me from the passenger seat.

my sparkly bracelets. 

 wine & cheese.

pretty bows.

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:)

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Goodnight! ^^ Lob City, Clips!

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Interesting.

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Running scared...not.

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To be honest, I'm a little scared about the life changing decisions I've made recently (which I will leave anonymous at this time). It's a good kind of scared though, the exciting kind of scared.

I'm scared about a lot of things regarding my future. I'm scared I won't make more of myself before I'm 30 and more scared that I won't meet that special person I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with.

But, running scared isn't an option. Not now, not ever. I don't want to delay making important decisions because I'm afraid of the consequences or outcomes. Making hard decisions is part of growing up and I'm all grown up.

Following Jesus comes with many costs and I have found it very difficult to give those things up. Wish I could be selfish...unfortunately, I'm no longer deaf or blind. When God speaks, obedience should follow. Normally, I'd run - but, this time I'm making a conscious effort to run forward because I know God has the best things planned for me. ^^ Just need to take the first step...that's the hard part.

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the crème brûlée cart.

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the crème brûlée cart (with lowercase letters) is incredibly simple, clever and inventive. I have loved crème brûlée since college and I'm so thankful for innovative people like Curtis Kimball (the founder) who think of ideas like this and puts it on the map! Oh my goodness...this means I get to try it for the very first time when I visit San Francisco in a couple weeks. Yummy! ^^ Check out the crème brûlée cart's Yelp reviews and website!

*The French people have brought so many wonderful things into my world. Thank you, French people. ^^

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Psalm 27.

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Of David.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—

    whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—

    of whom shall I be afraid?

2 When the wicked advance against me

    to devour me,

it is my enemies and my foes

    who will stumble and fall.

3 Though an army besiege me,

    my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

    even then I will be confident.

4 One thing I ask from the Lord,

    this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

    all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord

    and to seek him in his temple.

5 For in the day of trouble

    he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

    and set me high upon a rock.

6 Then my head will be exalted

    above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

    I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7 Hear my voice when I call, Lord;

    be merciful to me and answer me.

8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

    Your face, Lord, I will seek.

9 Do not hide your face from me,

    do not turn your servant away in anger;

    you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

    God my Savior.

10 Though my father and mother forsake me,

    the Lord will receive me.

11 Teach me your way, Lord;

    lead me in a straight path

    because of my oppressors.

12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

    for false witnesses rise up against me,

    spouting malicious accusations.

13 I remain confident of this:

    I will see the goodness of the Lord

    in the land of the living.

14 Wait for the Lord;

    be strong and take heart

    and wait for the Lord.

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Parks and Recreation.

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Yeah, it finally happened. I'm hooked. Haha. All it took was a couple episodes. Wow. Hehe. And, I have a mini crush on Ben Wyatt. ^^

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Pretty little threads.

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Aria Montgomery's style is my favorite from the show "Pretty Little Liars" because it's edgy + sorta flirty. Very Lower East Side | Brooklyn. Here are some of my favorite outfits from the show: 

While I love Aria's style, I wonder if I'd ever actually wear the things she throws on every morning for school.

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The beginning of something wonderful.

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The start of the 2012-13 NBA season is near. Woohoo! I thought the summer would be unbearable after the finals, but thankfully the NBA draft and Olympics kept me preoccupied. And, preseason games are coming up too! ^^ Yay~

I will be attending the Clippers vs. Heat game in November. Yay! And, no matter what - I am determined to attend a Clippers vs. Lakers game this season. I cannot miss it. It's going to be epic and very expensive, but a cost I'm willing to pay for an experience that may only happen once. One day, when I'm old and gray - I'll tell my grandchildren about the day I watched Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler (Okay, I'll stop listing Clippers' players since I have to get to the opposing team - haha), Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol play at the Los Angeles Staples Center. It'll be a glorious storytelling day where I giggle to myself as I share the story and my grandchildren roll their eyes as they text their friends. And, just for that - I'll make them wear ugly sweaters I knit all day. Lol. Can't wait 'til that day comes!

XOXO,
Grace

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Finally!

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My mom and I started talking about planning a family trip to Paris next fall. Woohoo!! ^^ Well, I guess I'd actually be doing most of the planning, organizing, etc. Lol. Finally, after all these years being obsessed with a country I've never visited - I actually get to go! Wowww~ My family and I have never traveled internationally together, so it should be interesting (in a good way). I'm not sure if my brother would be up for it, but hopefully he is. ^^ My mom and I both love Paris, so we're excited. My dad has never traveled outside of California since immigrating here 25+ years ago, so this is a much deserved vacation (though I feel he'd rather visit Korea on his vacation). If anything, my mom and I can plan a trip without the men too. We'll see. But, yay!

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Art.

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I found an Etsy shop I really adore. #thrilled Check out Tubidu Graphics online store here. I don't know that much about the designer/illustrator, but I love his creations. They are art pieces I'd hang in my room if I didn't already have so much stuff. Most of his art focuses on different parts of Paris. It's a unique take on one of the most photographed cities in the world. Here are a few of my favorites:

And, then he has some pieces that have nothing to do with Paris (which I love too).

                                                   

Maybe I love them because it reminds me a little of the little prince's world. ^^

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Madewell.

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Made my very first purchase at Madewell this weekend. Yay! ^^ It is indeed made well. Hehe.

By Madewell

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I heart oysters.

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Aside from sushi, I can probably eat oysters everyday. ^^ I used to hate them, but I loveeee them now~~

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Deep Chocolate Brownies with Chevre Swirl

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I'm going to bake these brownies tomorrow. Then, I'm going to take them to class on Saturday to eat during lunch. I love goat cheese and chocolate bread together. Delish!

Here's the recipe (if you want to make it too). ^^

Yields 16 brownies

Ingredients:

Chevre Swirl

-6 ounces chevre, room temperature
-1 tablespoon powdered sugar
-1 large egg
-1 tablespoon all purpose flour

Brownie Base

-2/3 cup Dutch process cocoa powder
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-3/4 cup powdered sugar
-3/4 teaspoon finely ground sea salt
-1 cup all purpose flour
-1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chunks
-3 large eggs
-1/2 cup canola oil
-2 tablespoons water
-1 teaspoon chocolate extract, optional
-1 teaspoon good quality vanilla extract
-1/4 teaspoon medium ground sea salt, optional (I used my salt grinder to get something between a fine powder and the larger crystals)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8×8″ square nonstick baking pan.

Make swirl by beating together the first four ingredients until smooth and well combined. Set aside.

Make the brownie base by whisking together the cocoa, sugars, salt, flour, and chips in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs, oil, and water and extracts. mixing just until smooth.

Spoon half the brownie batter into the prepared pan. Spread the swirl mixture over it and then spoon the rest of the brownie batter on top. Swirl the two mixtures together with a knife if desired. Sprinkle with coarsely ground sea salt if using.

Bake the brownies for about 35 minutes to 45 minutes (for the 8″ pan). To see if the brownies are done, remove the pan from the oven, and stick the tip of a sharp knife into the center of the brownies. Brownies will be done when the center is set but the consistency is still moist and fudgey. I usually prick more than one area to ensure I haven’t gotten a chocolate chip or chunk. You also definitely DO NOT want to overbake these as you’ll lose the fudginess of the texture so I watch these carefully.

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Little things.

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One of my friends and I became close by lending each other books and DVDs at work. I don't know how it started, but we'd swap books during our breaks and talk about little things only the two of us cared about. When I look back, I realize how lucky I am to have met a friend like her. We used to watch a show (which will stay anonymous) together every week. ^^ Aww...I miss those days. If I were famous, I'd definitely talk about her in my interviews. Haha. She'd be famous too.

It's funny how people meet. Heh heh.  

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Hopeless.

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I'm a hopeless romantic. It's embarrassing, but that's how I was designed. Well, maybe that's how all women were designed. I'd like to be in love - the unconditional, irrevocable kind that Bella and Edward share in the Twilight saga. The heart can be like the sorting hat from the Harry Potter books. Sometimes, you don't really have control over who you develop feelings for. Some people may say this isn't true, that you have a choice. But, maybe sometimes the love thing happens overtime. I think it has a lot to do with how much time you spend with someone. If you spend enough time with one person, you'd probably fall in love with him and not even know it.

Anyways, I leave you with my favorite scene from a movie about love. Stranger than Fiction. Flours ("flowers").

Maybe Taylor Swift's songs are super cheesy, but they speak to my heart. Afterall, I'm just a girl who wants to be in love. ^^

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Teaching myself the rules.

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It will probably take me a while to learn all of the rules, but this is what I'm studying right now instead of sleeping.

 Baseball.

Basketball.

Soccer.

Football.

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So sweet.

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I know you don't care and it's not important to either of our lives, but Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are adorable. Um...do I sometimes wish I were Emma Stone? Yes, I do. ^^ Aren't they lovely?

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Le Petit Prince.

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Have I ever told you how much I love the story about the little prince? Maybe I love it because it's written by a French writer or because the story starts off with a young boy drawing a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. I really loved elephants when I was a kid, but I have no idea why. Haha. It would have been really nice to meet Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Maybe I would have gone to one of his book signings if they had that sort of thing back then. He was simply born much too early and I was born much too late.

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Last came Sam.

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My favorite part so far from "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky. So heartwarming. Yes, I am typing out my favorite part. Hehe. ^^

     Last came Sam. I had been thinking about this present for a long time. I think I thought about this present from the first time I really saw her. Not met her or saw her but the first time I really saw her if you know what I mean. There was a card attached.
     Inside the card, I told Sam that the present I gave her was given to me by my Aunt Helen. It was an old 45 record that had the Beatles' song "Something." I used to listen to it all the time when I was little and thinking about grown-up things. I would go to my bedroom window and stare at my reflection in the glass and the trees behind it and just listen to the song for hours. I decided then that when I met someone I thought was as beautiful as the song, I should give it to that person. And I didn't mean beautiful on the outside. I meant beautiful in all ways. So, I was giving it to Sam. 
     Sam looked at me soft. And she hugged me. And I closed my eyes because I wanted to know nothing but her arms. And she kissed my cheek and whispered so nobody could hear.
     "I love you."
     I knew that she meant it in a friend way, but I didn't care because it was the third time since my Aunt Helen died that I heard it from anyone. The other two times were from my mom.
     After that, I couldn't believe that Sam actually got me a present because I honestly thought that the "I love you" was it. 

Isn't it lovely?? Anyways, if you don't know the song "Something" by the Beatles - shame on you! Here it is:

Something in the way she moves
Attracts me like no other lover
Something in the way she woos me
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe and how

Somewhere in her smile she knows
That I don't need no other lover
Something in her style that shows me
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe and how

You're asking me, will my love grow?
I don't know, I don't know
You stick around now it may show
I don't know, I don't know

Something in the way she knows
And all I have to do is think of her
Something in the things she shows me
I don't want to leave her now
You know I believe and how

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The funny thing...

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My favorite book is always the one I'm reading at the moment. It's hard to choose a favorite book when the one you're reading is so amazing. When people ask me what my favorite book is, I feel like it's an unfair question. Why do I have to have one favorite book? It doesn't make any sense. Obviously, I'm thinking too much about this question. Lol. But, I do have favorites. Pride & Prejudice, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Separate Peace. This doesn't mean I don't have other favorite books, it just means that these are the three books I can read over and over again. Kind of like how I can watch Armageddon, Jurassic Park and Die Hard with a Vengeance over and over again.

Right now, I'm reading "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky. Charlie (the main character) writes letters to an unknown person about his life in high school. It's very strange, but I'm hooked.

I'm going to read some more and go to sleep a little bit early today. Want to wake up in the morning to make myself a breakfast sandwich with bacon and eggs. Yum! Too bad there's no orange juice...

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The Cost of Following Jesus.

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When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:18-22)

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Chicago.

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The first time I visited Chicago was when I was turning 21 in 2005. I was there for a women's conference with two of my friends. I was only in the city for one day, so I didn't really get to do anything. I celebrated my 21st birthday with deep dish Chicago-style pizza and lemonade. ^^ I remember it was extremely cold and windy in the daytime, so we couldn't walk for very long without freezing our butts off. I don't think I liked cold weather at that time. Haha. My point is, I didn't really get to see Chicago the first time I went. So, the next time I visit - I really want to see it.

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Yay!

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Every year, there are movies that go on my "must-see-the-weekend-it-opens" list.

I'd like to share some with you. ^^

The Perks of Being a Wallflower. 

I kind of felt like a wallflower in high school. I was comfortable blending in, not standing out. Being in the spotlight wasn't my thing and still isn't now. I like the wall most of the time. Haha. I wish I had been more comfortable with myself in high school, but I wasn't. I mostly just wanted to be accepted for the person I was. Thankfully, I've been lucky enough to find friends who love me for being exactly who I am. This movie is going to be great. 

Les Miserables. 
Les Miserables is one of my favorite musicals of all-time (behind Wicked and Jersey Boys). The stories, characters, music, sadness...it's all pretty amazing. Love the cast for the film adaptation: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Eddie Redmayne, Aaron Tveit. I don't really like Amanda Seyfried...but, whatever. The best part of it all - it's French! ^^

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best scenes from "the newsroom" ^^

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my saturday.

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had a delicious hamburger @ the counter. best $11 hamburger ever!

sushi @ angotei. i don't know what angotei means, but it was best sushi i've ever had.

 bought a bunch of boxes to organize my room. 

 made the boxes. belle decided to jump on top to pose. how cute! ^^

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For the love of baseball.

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 I really really love today. I had a lot of me time.  I'm watching "Rookie of the Year" as I update my blog and clean my room at the same time. It's possible...if you're not actually cleaning your room. Lol. I'm starting to like baseball a lot. Almost bought a Dodgers shirt yesterday, but they didn't have my size. Sad face. I'll just buy one at Target or something. Next time, I'll join the crowd of blue. ^^ Anyways, here's a photo log of Friday night at my second Dodgers game. So fun! 

We were sitting SO close to the field. It was awesome.
I swear Matt Kemp and Andre Eithier stared straight at me during parts of the game...haha.

Munched on some cotton candy, but it got ugly. It started shrinking and getting super sticky...never getting cotton candy at a game again. Haha.

 Fireworks made the 120-minute trip to LA worth it. Amazing.

 It was my first time walking on the baseball field. Can't believe we walked on the grass!!

We stood just a few feet from the baseball diamond. Ahhh! Can't believe it~

My favorite baseball movies:

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