Spring Awakening is coming to town!

For years, I have been a fanatic of both Broadway and musicals in general. When I was young, I would beg my parents to take me local musicals. I even joined the Performing Arts Society at my elementary school for a year and landed the role of 'super star.' It's not what you think. I was literally a little girl wearing the costume of a ginormous bright yellow cardboard star with Christmas lights. Unlike the other "little" stars, I had to stand on a box and stay in place since my lights were plugged. Unfortunately, there were no wireless or battery operated lights yet back then! My parents have this all captured on video-scary, I know.

Being part of drama productions in junior high heightened my interest even more. I even had the western accent perfected for a dinner theatre production we did. In college, I took a Theatre Arts class that had me going to numerous plays and musicals. For that class, we had to write reviews and that's when I really fell in love with performing arts. There's just something about musicals that allow me to get lost with the story and I come out feeling totally refreshed. Not to mention, they usually have some pretty admirable and talented performers.

Having gone to most off-Broadway productions that come to LA or Orange County, I couldn't help but squeal with excitement when I heard that Spring Awakening was coming to town. I immediately signed up to be a Guilty One to promote the show in hopes of scoring some on-stage seats. Wish me luck! If you want to see the show, let me know and we'll all go together! If you sign up to be a Guilty One, please feel free to put my name on the referral line. Thanks!

Coming to Orange County Performing Arts Center
November 17-29, 2009
Limited Engagement
Buy your tickets here.

Good news!

I have watched my husband pour his life over these books in the last 4 months. I am not exaggerating when I say that he studies 12+ hours a day in addition to attending lectures in the evening. The scores were released today and I'm proud to say that he has passed the first two sections: Financial and Audit...with high flying colors! I can't be any happier right now! He takes the 3rd exam next Friday and after that, he'll be past the half-way point. This just made my Monday!

Stuck

This is exactly how I've been feeling in the last couple of weeks. I feel like busting out the Avenue Q soundtrack right now. At least, I have those puppets that I can identify with. I'm not alone here though, right? = )

One year later

09.27.08-can't believe it has been a year!

September 27 will always hold a special in my heart. On this day last year, I said "Yes" to a very important question asked by my then-fiance (now husband). I can't help but replay the moment in my mind. If you want to know the story, check out our wedding website (I think it's still up).

This morning, we went to Newport Beach to remind us of our special memory together. To our surprise, it was gloomy and cold, just the way it was last year. 

09.27.09-now happily married = )

We've been married for 5 months and 1 day. Marc has been everything I've ever wanted and way much more. I am so blessed to have him in my life. When I look back, I can't help but smile and feel as giddy as I was one year ago. I can't wait to find out what else God has in store for our life together.

Birthday Weekend+Extended Birthday Week+More

As of last Sunday, I've lived for a quarter of a century. My parents put together a small, short and sweet family lunch for me on Saturday at their house. It was great to see family although most of them had to pretty much "eat and run." I had to cancel my annual game night birthday bash due to a number of reasons. Nonetheless, I still had a nice weekend.

In celebration of my actual birthday, hubby took me to Venice. He knew I had been wanting to try out the French macaroons at Jin Patisserie so that was our first stop. They are very small compared to others I've tried but the price you pay is well worth it as the quality of these babies are top-notch. I wish I had pictures but I gobbled them down faster than the camera shutter.

Ok, maybe not that fast as I got caught eating my last & favorite one-Hazelnut!

I have this bad habit of eating dessert before the main meal. As we were heading to the car, we spotted an organic gelato place called N'Ice Cream. I had a delicious scoop of the special which was some concoction of the following: peanut butter, rum, hazelnut, pistachio and chocolate. I would go back to Venice just for that! Too bad they don't pack to-go pints!

After strolling down Abbot Kinney and scarfing down our delicious sweet treats, we headed to C&O Trattoria for lunch. This is one of my favorite Italian places and it hasn't disappointed me yet.

Killer Garlic Rolls (a signature C&O treat)

Penne Spinaci

After a heavy carb-filled meal, we walked the stretch of the Venice boardwalk for what seemed like eternity. But, we had to burn the calories somehow, right?

Venice Boardwalk

An electric pole on Electric Ave.

Spent the rest of the afternoon shopping and relaxing. I wouldn't have it any other way! Thank you Marc for a fun-filled day! I love you!

I honestly think this is our first 'mirror shot.' lol!

Fast forward.....

Claudine spent Thursday night at my place because she had a conference to go to in the area. She wanted to take me out to dinner the following evening for my birthday so I had to pick a place. Thanks to Yelp reviews, we ended up at Sundried Tomato in Laguna Beach. To add to the celebration, Gem and Samantha showed up so we all went out to dinner together. I have to say that this place has made it to my list of favorite restaurants in Orange County. They have the best gourmet macaroni & cheese I've ever had! (Sorry, Beecher's) Imagine penne pasta with spinach and mushrooms topped with a light creamy tomato sauce and three cheeses including gorgonzola. I'm honestly debating on going back tonight for some! They also have a very light and fresh garlic & spinach ravioli. One of my favorites was actually the complimentary olive bread with sundried tomato butter. I cannot wait to go back and try the other yummy dishes this place has to offer.

I had a great time catching up with my girls. No doubt, it was the perfect way to start my weekend. Check out what Samantha gave me for my birthday present:

Presenting: Persian Ice Cream & Sorbet

From Mashti Malone's

Samantha has been trying to take me to the actual ice cream shop in LA but our schedules have always clashed. So instead, she brought the frozen goods to me! Marc and I just had a sampling of each of the flavors and my favorite will have to be....Herbal Snow! It seriously tastes like snow with sweet herbs. I'm having a hard time describing it but it's really good and addicting and supposedly healthy too?!

Tomorrow is a special day. I'll tell you why...tomorrow! But feel free to make a guess by commenting on this post. = )

Camera update: The girls helped me figure out the camera! Can't wait to get my roll developed! 36 more shots! Yay!

Half-frame anyone?

Someone else in the world has to be an owner of one of these Chaika III half-frame cameras. I got mine in the mail yesterday after waiting patiently for 3 weeks. Shipped straight from Ukraine, I immediately ripped the package open only to find nothing but the packing slip and the camera itself. I should've confirmed with the seller as to whether or not a manual would come with it. So I sent him a message and was told that the manual only comes in Russian and so he thought it wouldn't be any help to me. Well, he's right. After hours of scouring the Internet and YouTube for any tutorial/instruction I could find, I decided to just play around with it. I stuck a roll of expired film and I've been clicking away since last night. The film is winding as I see the counter change from time-to-time. However, what are all the other buttons used for?! Am I using it correctly?

I'm hoping someone out there reads this post and helps a camera-obsessed girl in figuring out how to work the latest addition to her collection.

Countdown to the holidays

The Royal @ Playa del Carmen

I have yet to post about my super-chill birthday weekend of nothing-ness. = ) Well, one of the things Marc and I did was to make a spontaneous trip to our favorite travel agent at AAA and re-book our 'honeymoon' trip that we were supposed to take in April. We were trying to save it for our 1-year wedding anniversary but when wanderlust kicks in and the only words that come out of my mouth are "travel" and "vacation," then it's time to take action. As my friends jokingly say, "Alli can't go more than 3 or 4 months without hopping on a plane." My excuse this time is that I get 2 weeks off during the holidays since the campus shuts down so I might as well go somewhere. With that said, I am definitely counting down the days 'til my trip to another paradise. Who knows, this may be the last vacation in a long while, especially since we are contemplating a full-blown relocation to who-knows-where (crossing fingers for a green state!) in the near future.

A different view of academia

Life has surely been catching up with me. I'm currently into the 5th week of the semester studying Graphic Design. My good friend Ella, who I had gone to high-school, college and grad school with, and I sporadically decided one day that we would test the waters and enroll in a Graphic Design Certificate Program. I admit that it's a nice break from learning about management styles, labor law and issuing stock. Besides, I've always admired good design but never thought I'd make an attempt myself. Yet, here I am. Truthfully, it's taking up a lot of my time that I may have to drop a class and jump down to part-time status. I'm too ashamed to post my work here right now. Do you really want to see the digital stick-figure snowman I created? Haha! We'll see how far I get in this exciting attempt into the world of art and design. Come to think about it, my right side of the brain has been in hibernation for the majority of my life. No wonder it's so hard to thaw it out!

State of the economy

Recession, unemployment, housing market failure, pay cuts, furlough days. Unfortunately, all of these words accurately describe today's economic climate. When I first started hearing about all of this early last year, (2008) I thought nothing of it. I had a full-time job,my student loans were on deferral and I was still living with my parents. Furthermore, nothing could stop me from spending my paycheck on yet another leisurely trip to who-knows-where. Not even the silly yet true rumor of "the economy is going down." Life was grand!

Reality has hit hard this year as I moved out, got married and made a (somewhat regretful) rash decision to become an employee of the State. With pay-cuts all across the board and no solace for at least 'hope for tomorrow,' I've been in denial of what is happening. Having interned for the State at one point of my life, you would think that I'd stay away. We'll see what tomorrow brings but right now, I feel more than tempted to leave for a "green" state. Help me pick one! :)

Oh California, why are you starting to fail me?



Happier post next time, promise!

Long awaited weekend

I will admit that I have been quite the delinquent blogger these days. I promise, I have good reasons! Let's see...I believe I left off on Labor Day Weekend.

On Sunday, we had a little visitor. Marc's cousin Shireen brought the niece, Selphie over for the afternoon. She just turned 1 in May and is a joy to have around. We had a fun time eating and swimming together!

Isn't she adorable?

On Monday morning, Marc and I drove over to Laguna Beach for brunch at Anastasia. This place is half cafe and half boutique. They are known for their baguette French toast with caramel sauce and walnuts. Of course, I had to try it. It was overly sweet for my taste and I prefer my French toast to be soft and not baguette-hard.



After brunch, we walked on the beach before heading to the Orange County Great Park. Well, it's more like a huge piece of land as it is still being developed and is supposed to be bigger than New York's Central Park. At this rate, decades will pass before this project comes to fruition. The main attraction there right now is the Great Balloon which is an orange hot air balloon that lifts you off the ground to allow you to experience an aerial view of the park-to-be. It is free to board the balloon but unfortunately, they had maxed capacity for the day and we were unable to get a 'boarding pass.' We'll have to make a trip back which isn't a problem because we live fairly close.


This ends my blog for today. I'm excited for this weekend-it's my birthday weekend! Yay!

Indie Craft Show in OC!

I keep hearing that it's not one you would want to miss!

Fun in the Bay Area

Two weekends ago, my husband Marc and I made a trip up to Northern California’s beautiful Bay Area. We both have been yearning to go up there but grad school was in the way for quite some time. Following that, there was wedding planning, job hunting and moving. It felt like a never-ending train of events for the both of us. Not to mention, Marc started his CPA Review Classes in May immediately followed by rigorous testing.

We planned our extended weekend getaway around Marc’s week-long break and it was all I imagined it to be and more. We didn’t really have an agenda for once which is rare for a planner like me. The purpose of our trip was simply to connect with family and friends and to get a better feel for the Bay Area. It’s definitely one of the places we both would like to move to in the future and this trip affirmed that statement even more.

Santana Row in San Jose

I love Santana Row! It's a gorgeous residential complex with its own outdoor entertainment/shopping complex. I visited this place a few years back when it was still 'in the making' and it was nice to see the completed site. Marc and I sat outside for awhile in one of their garden-like seating areas while waiting to meet up with cousins.

Nor-Cal + So-Cal

Mariel (in the purple) drove down from So-Cal and together, we met up with these crazy cats: Kuya Melvin (yellow tie), Kuya Michael (back right) and Ate Chie (green sweater). It has been nearly 10 years since I've seen them and it was great to catch up! It was also Marc's first time meeting them. They are my 2nd cousins from my maternal grandmother's side. They are some of the most humble, down-to-earth and extremely fun people to be around. We had a satisfying lunch at Banana Leaf in Milpitas followed by an impromptu visit to Wells Fargo.

With Errol Viray from Kai

After lunch, Kuya Melvin invited us to go to Wells Fargo where he worked to meet his boss. We got there only to find out his boss was Errol from Kai. Kai was a popular Filipino boy band in the late 90's. Of course, we had to take a picture! We hung out at Wells Fargo for awhile since it wasn't busy. For a moment, I thought we were at Central Perk especially when Kuya Melvin busted out his guitar. Yes, this was during his work hours and yes, we hung out at a bank. We had to leave b/c everyone else had separate agendas for the afternoon. It was so hard to say goodbye. Thanks for the fun times and delicious lunch cousins! We had such a blast and we will definitely have to do this again....and more often too!

Palace of Fine Arts in downtown SF

Later that afternoon, Missy picked us up from our hotel. Missy is my aunt from my maternal grandfather's side but I often refer to her as my cousin since we are the same age. I also do that to spare myself from telling the tall tale of how such relation is possible. It's a long story, trust me! With Marc so peaceful and quiet in the backseat, Missy and I talked each others ear out from San Jose all the way to San Francisco! I failed my job as a navigator even with a GPS as I was too caught up with all the storytelling. Though we got 'lost,' we managed to get a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge. We made it to the Palace of Fine Arts where we walked around and snapped photos in San Francisco's chilly air. It was such a beautiful site to see! I can't believe I had been going to SF for years and have missed this attraction each time.

Missy & I
Me and my super patient and loving husband, Marc
Chinatown, SF

We took in the scenery of the Palace of Fine Arts then headed to Union Square. From there, we went on a hunt for what is supposed to be, the largest Chinatown in North America. Thanks to the iphones, we found it! We spent some time walking through the streets. We picked up some pastries at a Chinese bakeshop and explored one of the many bazaars.

For dinner, Missy took us to eat Indian food at Roti in the West Portal area of SF. The food was so good-fresh and flavorful! I can't wait to write my Yelp review on it!

Tired from the previous day's activities, Sunday was somewhat of a lazy day. We woke up late and met Missy for brunch at noon at Sweet Pea's in Los Gatos. Oh how we love brunch! To have brunch with another brunch lover at a really good brunch place made it even better! I think I mentioned the word brunch too much in that sentence-oh well! We explored the cute town of Los Gatos for awhile and had awesome cookies from this bakery.
You can probably tell by now that Marc & Alli vacations tend to consist of lots of food. Let's just say that I'll get around to all my Yelp reviews for this trip in the distant future. : )
We had to say goodbye to Missy later that afternoon. I was pretty sad as we had such a wonderful time. In the past, we've kept up on each others lives through our AIM, Facebook and the occasional e-mail. She used to live in Texas so it was almost impossible to get together! Then we both started blogging and I'd say we became somewhat closer with our comments back and forth to each other. Missy-thanks for treating us and for being a wonderful tour guide! We had such an awesome time with you and can't wait to hang out with you again!
It was move-in day at UC Berkeley hence the crowded streets. Marc had never been here before so I took him around campus and down Telegraph. We were only there for a short while as we got stuck in an unfortunate traffic jam on the way. I love Berkeley as it is a very eclectic town with unique shops and sights...and people too.

We spent our last evening with Jackie as she treated us to a delicious dinner at Rivoli. I was excited to see that they had my favorite-risotto! She even bought a birthday cake for me to celebrate my birthday a whole month early! It was a delicious mango mousse cake. Since we didn't finish it there, we took it back to the hotel where Marc and I scarfed it down before our flight the next day.

Jackie was my supervisor when I worked as a Legislative Intern in Sacramento in 2005. I like to call her "Diva" because of her sophisticated ways. Nonetheless, she has a wonderful and caring spirit that is so contagious! We've kept in touch over the years and we even took a trip to Chicago together last year. She has been more than a mentor to me. Over the years, she has become the big sister I've never had.

I started missing everyone the moment we got back on the plane to return home. I love the Bay Area and can't wait to return!