david ryan harris is currently serenading me with “don’t look down” while simultaneously reminding me to be positive and look at the good in all things. while the near future looks so uncertain and at time hopeless and like a big blackhole, i mustn’t be so serious and look for all the negatives or things that can go wrong first. “don’t look down, don’t feast your eyes on the things that are on the ground” i am resolved to be a happy person :0) que sera, sera! and whatever that is, i will find the good in it.

<3

<3 priscilla ahn

heheheh i do this ALL the time!

love love love this song :0)

so so fun ! i must be a part of one before i die.

Well we couldn’t have asked for a better Christmas day yesterday in NZ. The water was so so SO blue and the day was so clear and sunny. It really was the perfect day to just take a drive through vineyards and to the beach–which is exactly what my family did! and we couldn’t leave Mona, the family puppy/princess, inside on a gorgeous day either. so she came along! it was her first Christmas as well as the first time she went to the beach and put her little paws in the ocean. I wish I took some pictures yesterday, but I was too busy soaking it in. oh well!

Okay so if you think the after Christmas sale in the states is crazy, Boxing Day here is MADNESS. I went to one of the mega malls here (probably the size of a regular mall in the states, lol) and there were so many people that I literally felt like the crowd of people were carrying me along, instead of me walking. after about 45 min I had to get out of there. Now I know why I prefer the small town life and its non-busyness.

Oh! Which reminds me.. today I went to the local Matakana Farmer’s Market and I found DRIED ORGANIC LAVENDER! :0) :0) so so happy. I’ve come across a couple of really good dessert recipes featuring lavender and I couldn’t think of any place that I might be able to buy some. But I went to the market today and lo and behold, dried lavender! Let the baking commence

So one of my favorite blogs is booklover.tumblr.com. And in one of their more recent posts, I came across this picture

Isn’t it a beut?! Ahh the room looks soo relaxing. And not only does this room have large windows with an amazing bookcase, but check out that photo/inspiration wall above the desk! This makes me smile :0)

Till next time, goodnight dear void.

it’s a sunny and breezy day in omaha, new zealand. the ocean is the most perfect blue that cannot be described in words or even captured in a photograph. and after circling for a while to find the best spot where the sun streaks the carpet but is also met by the cool breeze, my puppy has sprawled out for an afternoon nap. and to top it off, i’m listening to the free iTunes holiday sampler! what a great start to my winter break :0)

when i came home yesterday, i found a fresh stack of magazines waiting for me on the coffee table. oh, no one knows me better than Mother. cooking magazines, home decor magazines, and australian vogue! if the last category wasn’t there.. you would think an old lady were writing this blog, huh? lol. 50 year old trapped in a 21 year old’s body :0) i am currently browsing through a hefty cookbook magazine called ‘seasonal kitchen’ by Australia Vogue Entertaining+Travel, and it’s not only making my mouth water a little, but making me desperately wish i had more time to cook during the year! there’s something very therapeutic about cooking (& baking, of course!). and do i even need to mention the delicious meal you can enjoy afterwards? pure bliss. i wish i could just cook/bake/entertain as a profession. host brunches, garden luncheons, dinner parties..  i love everything involved in hosting a party. picking out the stationery to write invitations that would be sent the old fashioned way (for who doesn’t like snail mail?), finding the perfect dish-ware, tablecloths, cutlery, centerpieces!, flowers, to decorate the table/house with, thinking up a menu that perfectly complements each other, going to the local farmer’s market to pick out the freshest ingredients, inviting guests over, finding the perfect music for the occasion.. *sigh. so fun, so fun.

anyways. i realized YESTERDAY that there are only 11 days left until christmas! and 10 until Mother’s birthday! (for those readers in the states, nz is 21 hours in the future) then a week later.. hello 2010. it’s so odd to think that in just a few weeks i’ll be greeting the year 2010. the year i will be graduating. when i was a first year i thought 2010 was so far off. but it crept up on me like a ninja. they say time goes faster and faster the older you get. whoever “they” are, they are so right. but i’m so excited for this year! this is the year i will be turning 22 (which i hear is the prime for ladies?), graduating from ucla, and moving to korea for a year to teach english (yowza.). and hopefully all the in between moments will be great at well :0)

i was talking to my friend the other day who graduated in 2008, and i realized that there is no other time than undergrad. after this, it’s over. once we start working, there’s no such thing as vacation (at least not extended ones like school breaks). and we’ll probably be going to sleep early because we have to wake up early every day for work. and working until 5 or 6, which means just coming home and staying in because we have no energy to go out and play after a hard day of work. lol. sounds depressing. SO i must take advantage of the time i have now! even though i am still a student and super busy with student-stuff.

so despite the ridiculous tuition hike, i am determined to save money not only to pay off loans and travel the world (heh heh), but for these beauts as well! time for another list :0) this one i shall title: things i want to do/learn and things i want so that i can do the things i want to do/learn. LOL.

- keyboard so that i can learn to play jazz piano. and not just any keyboard, but one with 73 weighted keys.

- a KitchenAid mixer!! i once saw a limited ed. vanilla bean colored one, but yellow is so cute too!

- a food processor, because i realized that every kitchen needs one

- lately i’ve been wanting to learn how to sew..

- a record player. there’s just something about a record player that makes jazz sound that much better.

- a beach cruiser! must have a basket.

okay, that will do for now.

hope everyone is enjoying their winter breaks so far! and for those who are not yet liberated from exams and papers, good luck! freedom is near :0)

[currently reading: love in the time of cholera, gabriel garcia marquez]

[currently spinning: candy cane christmas, darius rucker]