street drummers...!

these guys regulary perform on the streets of downtown seattle..

they are quite amazing...
when i start watching them i can't stop... they got some good beats!!

let the countdown begin...!

today is new year's eve...
for the first time in a long time, it doesn't feel like it...
i'm normally excited and pumped for it but...i feel nothing
i have a half day at the office today...
and i may attend erika's party later tonight but...meh...
am i getting too old? no..that can't be it..
anyway...i hope my spirits get lifted up a tad bit higher by the end of tonight♥

morning needle...♥

ain't it pretty?

objects of interest...!

downtown seattle
interesting bike, wouldn't you say?
i don't think i would be caught riding it...well, unless JGL is pedaling!

hello!
from the U Village!
erika and i made a quick (well..not so quick) stop at U Village post-work today.
our mission: to find a dress for the upcoming NYE party!
....
couldn't find any...
H&M is a hit or miss at most times...
sometimes i'll go there NOT looking for dresses and i'll find all sortsa cuteness♥
other times, said-today, i'll go there TO-FIND a dress and they don't have any...
no cuteness anyway...lotsa obasan-type dresses :(
sorry, not quite ready for the floral, loose, olive green/mustard yellow dresses o(^-^)o

really want some snow but....

*sky view from 520 bridge

...can't really complain about this weather we've been having..!
it's been unbelievable sunny/clear ♥ unfortunately, BUTT-COLD!!
i'm talking freezing point cold...high 20's..low 30's..
that's why it may as well snow..!
but when we get rain these days, temperature goes back up to the 40's...
ugh... looks like we won't be getting any more snow in 2009...

hello~ sleep♥

i've been so tired and exhausted lately...maybe it was the holiday weekend...
and my S.O. and i have totally different sleep schedules...
well i fell asleep at 730 last night and got up at 6 in the AM !
i treated myself to 10+ hours of sleep and it feels great!
maybe i need to stay home more often....

what the....

ham for the holidays

Lard potion no.9

ummm....
-
-
-
no thank you!!!

what could this possibly be?!? i found this poster at the crossroads mall yesterday...

new music...♥

initially, i went out to (my fave music store) silver platters to purchase
the soundtrack to the movie (500) days of summer...
sadly...couldn't find it at-store
rather, i found the new er....sequel/continuation of "the fame", "the fame monster"
i heard snippets of it online and i liked what i heard..
so, cha-ching! purchase!
*i only JUST started listening to it and well...so far it's not really sticking out to me..
she well...sounds more manly in this one...!!
don't care too much for the beyonce collaboration either...hrmmm...
gaga! come back with your guilty pleasure pop beats!

been meaning to get this one for a while now..(out 2007)
pandora has brought this album up a lot and i like it!
it's playing on my ipod right now and i'm loving it...
thom yorke...you have an amazing voice!
if he could sing to me.....i wouldn't neet anything else..
hmm...radiohead would definitely be a band i'd love to see live..
wonder if/when they were in seattle last?

i heart (500) days of summer...♥

LOVED it♥
saw this movie yesterday (erika got it for me=xmas gift)
i don't know where to begin..or how to say...
it was just very touching and i felt like i could relate to it in so many ways...
they make a point to say "this is NOT a love story" and it isn't...
but it's about love / relationships / ....chance...
JGL and Zooey are a great match for playing this part..
hmm..it's like i got a similar feeling with 'eternal sunshine for the spotless mind'
it keeps you thinking after you finish watching it...
jamus even woke up and started watching it halfway thru the movie
and he thought it was pretty good o(^-^)o
just...watch it... k?

let's get (wii) fit...!

so my mom got the wii fit for christmas....
i guess she's been hinting at it for some time now and my pops got it for her...
and i got to enjoyed a little bit of it!
the best part?!
watching my parents play...
they couldn't stop laughing! i couldn't stop laughing!
i can't even explain! just..so entertaining to watch them play...
my abs hurt from laughing so much!
one of my favorite..the hula hoops!
my first try i spun the hoop 784 times..! ouch!
i wanna play some more... going forward whenever i visit my parents,
i'll be playing some wii fit♥

merry holidays ya'll....♥

awesome! erika totally got me the maru the cat book!

i'm hooked on maru♥

he's a quirky cat...and all i can say is check out his

youtube videos (that's how he got famous)

500 days of summer..bluray dvd...

joseph gordon-levitt omg!♥♥

so awesome

xmas dinner was interesting...

the gramps loves southern meaty food...so they baked in pot roast...

okapan made her tokugi no sashimi--ika style

we also had some crab legs...mmm! and matsumaezuke!!

little bit o this and that...buy yummy♥

gifts from the jamus♥

i got my top 2 movies on my "must have on blu-ray" list

a ds puzzle game! YESSSS

make up (ooo who knew he had the guts to purchase any?)

totoro art book! <--love this one!

probably the largest gift i'd ever wrapped o(^-^)o

this was for jamus and yes...it's a body pillow!

i'll probably be using it more than him...a gift for both of us!

other things he got: watchmen bluray...ps3 game...

o! and i think he really enjoyed the sf4 calendar!

yessss success!

single malt whisky -15 years- for the pops!

a little ivy drawing

kiki will be spending the rest of the year at the parents...

okaachan is on vacay til new years so it'll be fun for her too♥

so among many gifts, here were some notable moments:

electric toothbrush for the smith girls...awesome!

wii fit for okaachan...awesome!!

ipod nano, green, with video camera for okaachan... super awesome!!

2 bottles of whisky for the pops...he's stoked!!

a framed photo of the grandparents house they lived in for 34yrs...a very teary moment!

cute pj's for the girls...always awesome!!

the new michael crichton book for erika...bookworm awesomeness!!

and i will be framing one of erika's PJ posters as a gift...totally worth it!!

and now we say goodbye to xmas 2009...

365 more days til christmas ya'll!!

**o and did i mention all coffee shops were closed

on christmas?!? i didn't get my caffeine fix...argh!**

coo day forever...♥

2 years ago on december 23rd...our beloved coo has left us...
:'(
i miss coo and wish she was still here...
i love you coo! and i'll be seeing you on the other side♥

WITH表紙２月号！

安室ちゃんが表紙です★

questionable looks @ pesos...!

wow..i look horrendous!!!! bwahahaha!
definitely being the grinch in this one...
"must steal santa hat!"

photo courtesy of Ellie...
hrmmm.. i don't recall getting this photo taken...
i'm gonna go ahead and ditto the quote Ellie added to this pic:
"Not sure what Jon said to Ivy here" -EJK

jose shots...!

looks like jose finally uploaded his photos from the holiday partay...
ugh..i remember these shots..he kept trying to catch some candid photos but..they didn't turn out TOO bad...

a pre xmas gift...!

i got a box o chocolates!

GODIVA chocolates, that is!

no, GODIVA TRUFFLES that is!

mmmmmm heaven♥

here's to jamus!

our 2 BEST photos eva!

he likes it:) YAY!

street stickers...!

i shall call them "street stickers"!

i noticed random stickers stuck all around the bus stop post today...

hahahaha interesting to look at i suppose

this one looks like michael jackson from his Thriller music video.

i tried to get the best picture i could..but i'm too short :(

a-ha! it's the Balloon Boy! he made news this year...
long story short, parents lied to police saying their son got trapped in an experimental balloon that took off--only to find out he was hiding in the attic the whole time. turns out, parents made the kid lie to they could possibly land a tv deal of some sort and make bank.... how did they get busted? the balloon boy confessed on live tv!
he will forever be known as the balloon boy... now that's some bad parenting...

now this one...hmm... hipster harry? Hairy Hipsters?
i'm not sure who this is supposed to be....
anyone know?

secret santa revealed...!

my secret santa was Xine♥ my 先輩！
check out my new sock monKEYS
i've always wanted one of these key covers...they're everywhere!
you can never go wrong with sock monkey chan

a to do tattoo♥
funny because she always makes fun of me for writing to do lists on my hand
hahahaha!!! i didn't even know this existed! awesome, i'll have to try it !

and finally, $20 on a starbucks card! wow! xine totally spoiled me...♥♥

breakfast at pesos...!

another annual tradition of our AP dept is to have a holiday breakfast at the neighbor restaurant, PESOS♥ 'twas today! they serve delicious breakfast food / (mostly) mexican style.
i got the crab & veggie omelette with potatoes...mmmmm!
drool away!

they have these amazing light fixtures throughout the restaurant...
somewhat gothic-style..lots of skeletal designs...spikey...dangerous..!
ooo i like!!

we took a group picture with our waiter♥ great customer service!

sam got jon for her secret santa...so she got him a shield + sword + mouse ears..aka FURY!

the gals♥

---------prepare for ridiculousness----------

if you guessed: "omg...is that ivy trying to get an action shot again? flipping the santa hat?"

then you're right!!!
kelly and i spent about 20 minutes in the middle of starbucks making fools of ourselves...
hahahahahah!
but we had fun and we got a few laughs from caffeine-addicted-newspaper-subscribers♥

and lastly... here's a super random painting from THAT starbucks....
now i don't feel so silly swinging my santa hat anymore...
seriously, what kinda painting is this?! it's...kinda ridiculous, no?