halloween

Happy Halloween weekend! This year I'm dressing up as my favorite animal, the Giant Panda!





What are you going to be for Halloween?

pumpkin cupcakes

One of my favorite things about the Fall season is the abundance of pumpkin-themed desserts. Last week, my boyfriend and I baked up a big batch of pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. They were so good! Even my boyfriend, who hates pumpkin and doesn't have much a sweet tooth, couldn't resist them. He said they're the best cupcakes he's ever had! We sprinkled chopped walnuts on top, which gave them the perfect amount of crunch. I'm already planning on making them again.

Get the recipe at Patent and the Pantry.

tonight

Going to the midnight screening at the Cinerama Dome. I can't wait!

zombies & pie

This weekend I watched Zombieland. I loved it. It managed to be clever, crude, funny, and kind of touching, all at the same time. I hope I start seeing Jesse Eisenberg in more movies after the success of this one. I've been a fan ever since I saw him in The Squid and the Whale. My boyfriend and I decided to watch Drag Me To Hell when we got home, which turned our Friday movie night into a really good, scary/funny double feature. I love Sam Raimi.

On Saturday, we went to an early evening screening of Paranormal Activity at Arclight Hollywood. Half the people at our screening were scared out of their minds; the other half were bored out of their minds. I belonged to the former half of that group. That movie thoroughly scared the bejeezus out of me, but I could see how some people might be bored. I think it all depends on how much patience you have and what kind of movies you find scary. Some people like those balls-out horror films, where the scares and gore come early and often. Some people like films with a bunch of creepy moments that hint at the big payoff at the end. Those are the kinds of horror films that I like, and that's the kind of film that Paranormal Activity is.

After the movie, we went to the Farmers Market and had dinner at Du-par's. I ordered the chicken pot pie because I don't recall ever eating it before (I'm Filipino-Chinese, so I missed out on a lot of American dishes growing up). The pot pie was flaky, piping hot and delicious. For dessert, I had to try a piece of their famous pie (yeah, more pie). I decided on blueberry cream cheese with a graham cracker crust. Holy crap, it was good. I didn't take any pictures of my food, as I'm usually apt to do, because I devoured it way too quickly. But there will be more photo ops - I still need to try the rest of their pies!

Ah, food and movies. My two favorite things. It was a good weekend.

Dress from Forever 21. Cardigan from H&M. Scarf from a thift store. Coach bag. Chinese Laundry boots.

shop update

Pretty new dresses up in the shop.

an elusive outfit post

First outfit post in a billion years, I know. I didn't really wear anything too great this summer. It was way too hot and I was way too busy to put any effort into dressing. I prefer Fall and Winter clothing much more.

This skirt just arrived in the mail, my first eBay purchase in a long time. I love the print. I bought three different items of clothing last week and they all have similar "folksy" prints and embroidery. It was completely unintentional. Honestly, I've been feeling a bit burnt out on fashion lately. The internet creates so much sensory overload that it sometimes makes it hard to figure out what I like and don't like. I guess it's good to know that I can always count on my subconscious to steer me along.

American Apparel mustard dress from eBay. Forever 21 skirt from eBay. Ivory cardigan from Old Navy. Faux leather woven belt from H&M. Black tights from Target. Me Too patent t-strap heels from DSW.

let the wild rumpus start!

My best friend made these cupcakes, and they're kind of a big deal.

After being featured on several blogs, including Cupcakes Take the Cake and boingboing, her cupcakes made it onto the illustrious Huffington Post last week. Her Moishe- and Max-cakes are featured in a slideshow alongside other movie-themed cupcakes here. I'm so happy that my talented friend is getting the recognition she deserves. And I can vouch for the fact that all her creations taste just as good as they look!

fireworks

Disneyland knows how to do them right.

strawberry fields

I went to Serendipity 3 in Vegas and ate this. I think I'm still recovering.

orla kiely clearance

For those of you who missed out on the Orla Kiely for Target collection while it was in stores, a select few pieces are still available on Target.com, and most of it is now on clearance for up to 50% off! I just placed an order for the trio of pear canisters and the flower serving tray (which I will be using as a food tray for my cats. Yes, I am vaguely ashamed about this). If you've had your eye on any of these pieces, now is the perfect time to buy.

Last week, I took a break from the craziness of moving to attend my cousin's wedding in Seattle, and today I'm heading to Las Vegas to celebrate my best friend's birthday. This has been an incredibly busy summer, but I'm definitely not complaining.