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Thursday, March 31, 2011
And another one...
i FINALLY got a hold of the houndstooth patten of the sally hansen's salon effects, so i couldn't wait and took the "laced up" pattern off and put this on a few days ago. (please don't mind the grown old gold, i'm getting my nails done soon)
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- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Why hello there water..how I've missed you.
Today I finally got a chance to get in the water and swim again. And oh how I've missed it. I've ALWAYS been a fan of swimming. I can remember being on vacation and being in pool any time we were at the hotel. I would make my dad even take me every night until the pool would close. So it was no surprise that swimming is my favorite part of triathlons.
Today I got to zone out and meditate while swam. I love just listening to the water, the sounds of the bubbles made by my breathing, my strokes, and my flutter kicks. I do somewhat get into this zone as I run, but swimming totally gets me there. When I swim, it's just me, the water and the black line on the floor. It's where my mind is completely free of any thoughts and at ease.
And because I haven't swam in forever, my arms are going to be pleasantly SORE tomorrow. It definitely got me breathing hard and it was a bit of a task to build up to doing a measly 100 yards non-stop, but I did it! And maybe next week, I'll be doing 200 easily again.
And we all know how easily I tan, here's what I looked like after an hour of swimming in the shade. Hahahahaha
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Today I got to zone out and meditate while swam. I love just listening to the water, the sounds of the bubbles made by my breathing, my strokes, and my flutter kicks. I do somewhat get into this zone as I run, but swimming totally gets me there. When I swim, it's just me, the water and the black line on the floor. It's where my mind is completely free of any thoughts and at ease.
And because I haven't swam in forever, my arms are going to be pleasantly SORE tomorrow. It definitely got me breathing hard and it was a bit of a task to build up to doing a measly 100 yards non-stop, but I did it! And maybe next week, I'll be doing 200 easily again.
And we all know how easily I tan, here's what I looked like after an hour of swimming in the shade. Hahahahaha
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Thursday, March 24, 2011
inspired
so i've become quite the youtuber. i haven't really posted any videos until this morning, but i do follow a lot of people. mostly people who i feel are musically talented, like erin paula or alyssa bernal or who can crack me up, like timothydelaghetto. and i am a religious follower of kandee johnson (who i got to meet recently...YEAY!!!), a beautiful make up artist and just a deep down genuine kind and wonderful person. and the person who i have to thank for all of this is charrie, or bebellaartistry. she started a youtube channel with makeup tutorials and of course i followed her to support her and her amazing talent. this then got me venturing off into other youtube lands.
so one day i wondered to myself if i could find any of jeannie mai's makeup tutorials on youtube. i've caught some of her makeup tutorials on my ondemand style channel, so i figured youtube would be the place to find more. instead of finding makeup videos, i found myself being inspired by her and prayer box.
you leave a prayer in there and take a prayer with you. it's at the top of a trail in LA called runyon canyon, so (i imagine from the videos) the hike alone is an inspiring and uplifting one. i know after i finish a tough bike trail or long run or swim how amazing i feel afterward and to add the prayer box to the top of this one just seems to add to the whole experience.
the box has been destroyed a couple of times and each time jeannie has brought it back bigger and better. just to know that people are still out there that still have good faith makes me feel good inside. i don't know how else to describe it. the fact that people from everywhere are "praying it forward" and still have hopes and dreams for our future as a whole community or even world makes me have hope for our future. corny, i know...but really. i get really scared or and amazed at how people act a lot of the time. (check out my "happy father's day" rant) so, this brighten up my day.
and i have a new life goal. i want to hike runyon canyon and find the prayer box and hopefully one day meet jeannie mai! she is a san jose native so her roots aren't very far from mine
here is a news cast from when it first got started:
below is the video of the newest box:
so one day i wondered to myself if i could find any of jeannie mai's makeup tutorials on youtube. i've caught some of her makeup tutorials on my ondemand style channel, so i figured youtube would be the place to find more. instead of finding makeup videos, i found myself being inspired by her and prayer box.
you leave a prayer in there and take a prayer with you. it's at the top of a trail in LA called runyon canyon, so (i imagine from the videos) the hike alone is an inspiring and uplifting one. i know after i finish a tough bike trail or long run or swim how amazing i feel afterward and to add the prayer box to the top of this one just seems to add to the whole experience.
the box has been destroyed a couple of times and each time jeannie has brought it back bigger and better. just to know that people are still out there that still have good faith makes me feel good inside. i don't know how else to describe it. the fact that people from everywhere are "praying it forward" and still have hopes and dreams for our future as a whole community or even world makes me have hope for our future. corny, i know...but really. i get really scared or and amazed at how people act a lot of the time. (check out my "happy father's day" rant) so, this brighten up my day.
and i have a new life goal. i want to hike runyon canyon and find the prayer box and hopefully one day meet jeannie mai! she is a san jose native so her roots aren't very far from mine
here is a news cast from when it first got started:
below is the video of the newest box:
Sally Hansen Salon Effects
so after i took off the WHACK hollywood brand...A TOTAL WASTE! i put on one of the sally hansen's that i bought. this one is called laced up.
like i said before, it's the same idea as minx, but it's a little different. sally hansen describes there's as nail polish strips and really they are just that. you even have to use nail polish remover to take them off. minx, is a little more like a foil sticker and you peel it off. and, b/c it's a sticker you tend to get some wrinkles that are hard to smooth out. although i do love minx, i think at cheaper price and the strip able to conform to your nail completely, the sally hansen's version is better.
i've had them on for 2 days now and i'm pretty happy with them so far. no chipping, no fraying and no peeling. i have another design called misbehaved that i'm sure i'll be using shortly and i'll definitely be buying more designs.
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like i said before, it's the same idea as minx, but it's a little different. sally hansen describes there's as nail polish strips and really they are just that. you even have to use nail polish remover to take them off. minx, is a little more like a foil sticker and you peel it off. and, b/c it's a sticker you tend to get some wrinkles that are hard to smooth out. although i do love minx, i think at cheaper price and the strip able to conform to your nail completely, the sally hansen's version is better.
i've had them on for 2 days now and i'm pretty happy with them so far. no chipping, no fraying and no peeling. i have another design called misbehaved that i'm sure i'll be using shortly and i'll definitely be buying more designs.
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Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Minx
MINX!!! so basically minx is a nail decal or sticker with a design that you can put on your nails without having to sit at the nail salon waiting for it to be drawn out and dry. but, only few salons had it and it was a bit pricey.
about a year or 2 ago, minx and sephora collaborated and came out with a line so that you could do it yourself in your own home. they run at $15 each design. the box says it lasts about 3 days, but i found that they lasted closer to a week or longer. here are two minx/sephora designs i did when they first came out.
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about a year or 2 ago, minx and sephora collaborated and came out with a line so that you could do it yourself in your own home. they run at $15 each design. the box says it lasts about 3 days, but i found that they lasted closer to a week or longer. here are two minx/sephora designs i did when they first came out.
recently, other brands have come out with their own minx type decals. i'm kindda sick of the green shellac color that i have on my nails right now so i picked up a few last night by sally hansen and broadway girl. below, is a picture of broadway girl. (the gold is my shellac nail polish from my manicure)
after only one night of the broadway girl brand, the jury is in. even though this is only about $5.99, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY! i loved the print but this is ridiculous. i put them on last night and right before bed they were already starting to peel back a little. i decided to try it out at just for the day, at least, and while i was driving to work i noticed that they are fraying so much at the tips. i'll let you know how the sally hansen brand does b/c these babies are coming off TONIGHT!
after only one night of the broadway girl brand, the jury is in. even though this is only about $5.99, DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME OR MONEY! i loved the print but this is ridiculous. i put them on last night and right before bed they were already starting to peel back a little. i decided to try it out at just for the day, at least, and while i was driving to work i noticed that they are fraying so much at the tips. i'll let you know how the sally hansen brand does b/c these babies are coming off TONIGHT!
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Monday, March 14, 2011
Operation Melanie Comence!
Since my little trip out to New York and the passing of my grandpa, I took a little hiatus from the gym.
Today Operation Melanie commenced! Haha! I signed up for another session of boot camp to jump start my body and try to get back to where I was before.
We had a new instructor today named, Moon. And, she definitely gave me a run for my money. She worked us HARD, especially for an introductory class. There were only two of us, me and this guy Jose, that are gym regulars. You can tell the rest of the girls were not familiar with the gym or expected to work out that hard.
During the session, the girls were taking a half ass approach for all the exercises and rarely finished a whole exercise set.
I, determined to finish every set (and dripping with sweat), was often left at the other end of the gym finishing up my burpies or wall climbs or what ever exercise. I could see them not even attempting the exercises or even finishing to the other end before walking back.
Jose, jokingly said, "What are you trying to prove, let's just go back with the others?". We both chuckled b/c we were the only ones finishing everything. I responded, "I am NOT cheating myself!"
And honestly, why pay for boot camp if you're not even going to try. I understand that these exercises may be new and yes they are extremely difficult. But there is no progress without pain. And you are only cheating yourself by not fully trying. I'm not going to progress by not pushing myself beyond what I think I can do each and every time. And how do you know what you can do without pushing your own boundries?
And although I did feel the effects of not working out for a month, I'm so proud of myself for how I did. I took more breaks than normal but I pushed through every exercise and hustled my way til the end. Yeay me!
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Today Operation Melanie commenced! Haha! I signed up for another session of boot camp to jump start my body and try to get back to where I was before.
We had a new instructor today named, Moon. And, she definitely gave me a run for my money. She worked us HARD, especially for an introductory class. There were only two of us, me and this guy Jose, that are gym regulars. You can tell the rest of the girls were not familiar with the gym or expected to work out that hard.
During the session, the girls were taking a half ass approach for all the exercises and rarely finished a whole exercise set.
I, determined to finish every set (and dripping with sweat), was often left at the other end of the gym finishing up my burpies or wall climbs or what ever exercise. I could see them not even attempting the exercises or even finishing to the other end before walking back.
Jose, jokingly said, "What are you trying to prove, let's just go back with the others?". We both chuckled b/c we were the only ones finishing everything. I responded, "I am NOT cheating myself!"
And honestly, why pay for boot camp if you're not even going to try. I understand that these exercises may be new and yes they are extremely difficult. But there is no progress without pain. And you are only cheating yourself by not fully trying. I'm not going to progress by not pushing myself beyond what I think I can do each and every time. And how do you know what you can do without pushing your own boundries?
And although I did feel the effects of not working out for a month, I'm so proud of myself for how I did. I took more breaks than normal but I pushed through every exercise and hustled my way til the end. Yeay me!
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Saturday, March 5, 2011
Family
I have always been so proud and thought I have been lucky to say that I have met and have a close bond with ALL of my grandparents. I now know that not only have I been lucky, but I have been blessed. There's not many people that I know that can say that. I grew up with all my grandparents.
I have a close bond with ALL my first cousins and we all live within half an hour away from each other with the exception of Michael, who is from Jersey. Each side is big as it is, but what makes me even more blessed is that we ALL grew up together. My grandparents are really good friends, and my mom and dad and all their siblings all grew up together. I can't really separate one side from the other. My cousin from my dad's side will call my cousin from my mom's side, simply their cousin and vice versa. And I often have to answer questions from friends asking "Wait, so which cousins are from which side and which and aunts and uncles are siblings?" If you listen to any of my uncles' stories from their heyday, they always include at least uncle from the other side. This is probably one of the main reasons I LOVE MY FAMILY!
Recently, I lost my Grandpa Gil, my mom's dad. Although since his stroke 7 years ago, he's been somewhat immobile, the initial news that he was "actively dying" was quite a shock. And honestly, even if it's expected, it doesn't mean it hurts any less.
My Grandpa Gil was a strong and stern man. Even after his stroke when he lost most of his speech, you knew when he didn't like something or was mad. He lost most of his speech, but he sure could say, "GOD DAMN!," "UKININAM!" HAHAHAAA! And, with his good side, he even threw his cane at someone! Ha! I remember him pretending to be mad at us when he would babysit us, and chase us around the house, from the kitchen to the living room and back again. We hid in the bathroom behind the door, and thought we were slick b/c he didn't find us. In retrospect, he probably pretended to not know where we were. He had this one made up word that he would call everyone, "hinnekloock." And when you asked him what it meant he would say, "You're hinnekloock." And he always used to have juicy fruit gum and peanutbutters, on the top of his cabinet that he always would give me. A month ago when he was in the hospital for some unknown infection, while lying in his bed he still played with me. I winked at him and he winked back, and this went on, on and off for the rest of the night. I miss you Grandpa Gil.
during the 18 roses ceremony at my cottillion
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I have a close bond with ALL my first cousins and we all live within half an hour away from each other with the exception of Michael, who is from Jersey. Each side is big as it is, but what makes me even more blessed is that we ALL grew up together. My grandparents are really good friends, and my mom and dad and all their siblings all grew up together. I can't really separate one side from the other. My cousin from my dad's side will call my cousin from my mom's side, simply their cousin and vice versa. And I often have to answer questions from friends asking "Wait, so which cousins are from which side and which and aunts and uncles are siblings?" If you listen to any of my uncles' stories from their heyday, they always include at least uncle from the other side. This is probably one of the main reasons I LOVE MY FAMILY!
Recently, I lost my Grandpa Gil, my mom's dad. Although since his stroke 7 years ago, he's been somewhat immobile, the initial news that he was "actively dying" was quite a shock. And honestly, even if it's expected, it doesn't mean it hurts any less.
My Grandpa Gil was a strong and stern man. Even after his stroke when he lost most of his speech, you knew when he didn't like something or was mad. He lost most of his speech, but he sure could say, "GOD DAMN!," "UKININAM!" HAHAHAAA! And, with his good side, he even threw his cane at someone! Ha! I remember him pretending to be mad at us when he would babysit us, and chase us around the house, from the kitchen to the living room and back again. We hid in the bathroom behind the door, and thought we were slick b/c he didn't find us. In retrospect, he probably pretended to not know where we were. He had this one made up word that he would call everyone, "hinnekloock." And when you asked him what it meant he would say, "You're hinnekloock." And he always used to have juicy fruit gum and peanutbutters, on the top of his cabinet that he always would give me. A month ago when he was in the hospital for some unknown infection, while lying in his bed he still played with me. I winked at him and he winked back, and this went on, on and off for the rest of the night. I miss you Grandpa Gil.
during the 18 roses ceremony at my cottillion
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