TBT: The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Hollywood Studios

Hey all! Sooo sorry it's been a while since my last post! >< There was a mixture of a short summer break (so I was a little lazy) with a mixture of "Ohhh crap! School is starting and everything is due!!!" Oh boy... first week of school is always the toughest... This quarter I'm taking 4 online classes and 1 in-class. I was very nervous after reading the syllabus that it's going to be a tough quarter, but so far it's been okay... Wish me luck!!!

Anyway, continuing with the crazy frequent trips to Disney World pictures, this is the second day of the November 2012 trip. Mr. M and I started off at Magic Kingdom to pick up some Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom trading cards that you can get for free once a day at the fire station on Main Street. After that we met up with our other crazy Disney couple friend at Hollywood Studios to see The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. It was amazeeeeballsss!!!! Everything was sooo pretty!!! And it was snowing too!!! Afterwards, we headed back to Magic Kingdom to have dinner inside Cinderella's Castle (you don't get to say that everyday... lol). Had some good food and took pictures with Cinderella and some of her Princess friends. Enjoy!

TBT: Christmas Tree, Animal Style!

Hey guys! It's that time of the week again! Throwback Thursday! How's everyone's week been going? Mine has been slow lately at work... But I have a feeling it's about to blow up soon! Well I'm just really looking forward to my 4 day weekend next week for 4th of July, and yours truly's birthday! I can't wait to celebrate it at Disneyland with Mr. M and spend some time with my friends!

Anyway, this is from our third WDW trip of 2012. We went during Veteran's day weekend, which was actually only 2 weeks after the October trip, and it was awesome! Hahahaha! I know, we're cray cray... We caught the last few days of the food and wine festival at EPCOT, and the Christmas decorations were just put up that weekend! It was also a half marathon weekend, but we didn't participate, we are this year though! Enjoy the pictures!

TBT: Remaining Days at Disney World

Happy Thursday!!! How's your week been going? Mine's been great! You know why? Because I just survived my first quarter as a full time student and full time worker! xD It hasn't been easy of course, and I do not handle stress well... Poor Mr. M... I took out my stress on him during my finals week >< But nevertheless, I got through with it and so far I've gotten 2 As. 4 more quarters to go until I graduate!!!

Anyway, here are the rest of the pictures from our October 2012 WDW trip. There's some goats, more foodie pics, and Mr. M taking a nap. Enjoy!

A day at the water park

TBT: EPCOT's International Food & Wine Festival 2012

Hiya folks! Sorry it's been a while, my schedule's been super hectic with projects and finals coming up... >< But just two more weeks of spring quarter and I'll survive my first quarter as a full time student and worker!

Anyway, more catch up post! This is from the same October 2012 trip that Mr. M and I went for our 5 year anniversary. We were there during the food and wine festival at EPCOT and OMG! Everything was sooo good!!! They had booths set up all around the world showcase that has different small plates and drinks from different countries. If you're planning a trip to WDW, I definitely recommend to plan it during this event, and you'll probably need 2 days in EPCOT so you can try out all of the booths. I hope you guys enjoy all the mouth watering pictures =P

FBF: Mr. M and I Celebrate 5 Years

Hi everyone!

How's everyone doing today? TGIF right? Sooo ready for a 3 day weekend! So since I forgot to post this yesterday for Throwback Thursday, I'm so glad that there's such thing as Flashback Friday, lol. This is from our trip last October to WDW, it was to celebrate our 5 year anniversary. We arrived in the morning because we took a redeye flight. The first thing we did was to hit the water park! We've never gone before so it was pretty cool. We chose Typhoon Lagoon because they had a shark reef attraction where you can swim in a salt water pool with live fishes including sharks! Anyway, after the water park we had to get ready for our anniversary dinner at Victoria & Albert. Here are some pics from our dinner!

Disney World Trip 9/2012: Day 2: Hollywood Studios

It's Sunday Funday! I went to Disneyland today and it was fun! Still very hot here in LA but it's cooling down. I'm going again tomorrow too hahaha... Seems that I can't get enough of Disney! Any who, right after Animal Kingdom aroudn 3-4 PM, We left to go to Hollywood Studios. This park is very similar to CA Adventure because the new renovation at CA Adventure resembles Hollywood Studios. Both parks also has Tower of Terror ride, but it is slightly different. Here are the pictures, enjoy!

The park's castle is the sorcerer hat haha

21 Going on 24

Happy Friday!!! See, we got through the week! It wasn't so bad was it? So I just realized that I did the exact same thing for my 21st birthday and my 24th. Mr. M took me to Disneyland. We were already passholders back then, and actually that was when Disney gave out free tickets if you go exactly on your birthday, but if you have a pass, then they'll give you a gift card that's the same amount as the tickets. I got a really nice pink and grey sweatshirt that I still love to this day out of that free gift card.

Anyway since I've just turned 21, Mr. M got me my first glass of wine and we sipped it out on the patio at California Adventure. Coincidentally, that's what we did this past weekend to celebrate my 24th birthday. Here's the picture to proof it LOL.

Awww look at younger me... Chose a D'Asti back then

Birthday Dinner at Napa Rose

Hi guys! So guess who's birthday it was last week? Yours truly! ^^ Since my actual birthday was on a work day, the boyfriend and I, let's just call him Mr. M from now on, celebrated it on the 4th of July. Something about Mr. M that you should know is that he cannot keep a secret or surprise to safe his life. So two weeks prior, he blurted out "Arghhh! I can't keep it in anymore! We're going to Napa Rose on the 4th to celebrate your birthday!!!" Hahaha! And something you should know about me? I don't care much for surprises unless it is executed perfectly, so of course I was thrilled! Napa Rose is a fine dining restaurant inside the Grand Californian Hotel. Mr. M actually took me here for the first time on my 21st birthday, so this place holds a special place in my heart.

Friends of ours came here last month and actually did the Chef's Counter. It is when you sit in or next to the kitchen, the Chef will ask you if you have any food allergies or anything you don't particularly like, and will surprise you with dishes of his or her choice! It sounded so exciting so I told Mr. M to please take me there for my birthday, but at the time he didn't say anything. So I guess it was kind of a surprise... Here are our six course journey through Napa Rose's Chef's Counter. Enjoy!

The Chef

Even the bread was good haha

Carthay Circle Restaurant

Happy Monday every one!!! Yea, I know Mondays can be a drag. You've just recovered from the weekend and the last thing you wanna do is be cooped up in an office or a classroom. But look at it this way, you know how every new years its like your slate being wiped clean and the new year comes with new opportunities and new chances? I see it that way now and it makes facing the new week so much easier. Embrace your challenges and before you know it, its Friday! =]

Anyway, I just wanted to do a quick post about my recent foodie trip to the Carthay Circle Restaurant inside Disney California Adventure. It is the new restaurant on Buena Vista Street that is a replica of the Carthay Circle Theater in Los Angeles where Walt Disney had the premier of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs back in 1937. When you enter the building you will find yourself in the waiting area until you can be seated and on the right side is the lounge area. Throughout the whole building there's black and white pictures of Walt and his family and at the premier of Snow White. The whole place has a 1920s feel to it and its amazing. The restaurant section of the building is actually on the second floor. There are outdoor and indoor seating and in the middle of the room is a huge mural of Snow White.

I'm so sad that I didn't take pictures of the surrounding, but I didn't want to bother people having dinner with my flashes haha. Warning, the food pictures will make you hungry!

Foodie Paradise: Brodard

I haven't had a food post since my first ever post. That's because I'm not really allowed to have really good food until I reach my weight loss goal. But just because I can't have some, doesn't mean I can't show the world these totally yummy food!!!

Last Sunday the boyfriend and I, along with two of our old friends made plans to go to Disneyland. They just got their annual pass and we haven't seen each other for so long. We met up at a church in Irvine in the morning and then we had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant in Garden Grove, Brodard. Their specialty are their absolutely delicious spring rolls. I have never had spring rolls before this, I just didn't like them. But after trying the ones from Brodard, all the other spring rolls I try afterwards just isn't up to par. They serve them with these warm sauce I have no idea what, but made the spring rolls sooo much better. It comes in shrimp and pork, but they're in the form of a fried paste. There's also these crunchy rice paper inside it. Aside from the spring rolls, their other dishes are pretty good too. We got some pan fried rice noodles and these egg quiche looking things with shrimp (sorry I forgot to get the food names ><). Enjoy these enabling pictures! Haha...

Our four dishes to share

Happy Halfweek

Happy Wednesday everyone! How did you all start off your weekdays? I've been at work, nothing new there, but been running at the Rosebowl loop afterwards. Last night I did some hill training. Gotta get ready for the Revlon Run/Walk this weekend.

The hill, taken from my instagram (55byjess)

Hollywood Sign Hike

Hello! I'm so glad to finally write my first post! I know there's a lot of blogs out there and to be honest, I had a fear of no one reading what I have to say. But I'm trying this new thing where you throw away any negative thoughts you have in your head, because someone told me that the only one that can stop you from doing whatever you want to do in life, is yourself. With that introduction, welcome to my life!

So I have lived in Los Angeles for 14 years and I am a little ashamed to say that last Saturday was my first time hiking the Hollywood sign trail... I wouldn't have given it another thought until a friend of mine, who is visiting LA, said that I am lucky to be able to do this because I live here. She used to live here too to go to college, but after graduating last year, she moved back to our country of origin. It was a pretty easy trail, but a good workout nonetheless, the only thing that wasn't in our favor that day was the weather. As anyone here knows, our weather haven't been... how do you say... stable? That's still putting it lightly... This past weekend was incredibly hot! Up to mid 90s! I have a sunburn to prove it -.- stupid me for not putting on sunscreen... But last week and this week is very cold, with a high of mid 60s. When will the unpredictable weather stop, I have no idea.

I honestly didn't know that we would be hiking all the way to the sign...