Buy Love Give Love

I remember how special it was to be called someone’s best friend. You sealed the deal by giving each other best friend necklaces. But that was when you were 12. Now, as a semi-mature adult (that we would like to think we are), you can do the same by shopping on buylovegivelove.com.

Based on their strong friendship, the two girls have created a super cute line of totes that are sold in pairs (just like the heart-shaped necklaces with best & friends!). Together, it makes one complete design. But I must say, they are cute on their own.

Buy Love Give Love also donates a portion of the proceeds to non-profit organizations that empower and help women.

When I saw this site, I was excited and intrigued because their philosophy is so similar to ours.

I also love how they included this quote:

“Maybe our girlfriends are our soul mates and guys are just people to have fun with!”
~Carrie Bradshaw (Sex in the City)

The living cute girls and I always kid around saying how we would totally date each other if we could. Not in a weird way, but we just love each other so much!

Cheesy but true!!

www.buylovegivelove.com

~Thanks Ed for introducing us to this cute site! We love it!~

Refresh Your Face with Cleansing Wipes

A while back, Bao was on a plane ride, and as they were landing, she told me she saw a Japanese girl using cleansing wipes on her face to freshen up. She thought that was a GREAT idea, and I totally agree because we all know how our face feels after a long a$$ stuffy plane ride — oily, greasy, icky.

Bao and I are actually going to Hawaii next month (unfortunately at different times), but I thought it would be a good idea to re-investigate some nice facial cleansing wipes that are not tainted with harsh chemicals for our trip. After doing very little research, I came across Josie Maran’s Bear Naked Wipes.

I haven’t tried them out, but I really like the description on the website:

Wipe off makeup and dirt nature’s way, with a blend of natural and healthy ingredients including aloe vera, cucumber, and vitamin E. Free of fragrance, parabens, and petrochemicals, these luxuriously soft wipes are kind to tender eyes and skin and are biodegradable. Leave your skin feeling nourished and refreshed! 30 wipe count.

In support of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s Polar Bear SOS initiative, a portion of every package sold will go to protect these endangered animals. To learn more or get involved, please visit www.polarbearsos.org

I like how they are great for the sensitive area around your eyes and have no nasty parabens. Cucumber sounds great too! And of course I like how it supports polar bears.

I’ll post a comment or two on how they turned out.

By the way, not that it matters at all, but Megan Fox also recommends these — I saw it in US Weekly -_-

Get the wipes here at www.josiemarancosmetics.com ($12 for 30 wipes)

Flying and Eating

My two favorite places growing up were the airport and staying at a hotel. Now, as a United Airline’s flight attendant, I get to do both, A LOT. I enjoy racing through the terminal trying to make my connection home (only to find out that it’s been delayed for an hour, bummer). But when I do get the chance, the best way to spend time at the airport is to EAT (and people watch at the same time).

Yes, eating at the airport is expensive (heck, even with my crew discount, its still a bit steep). But ask any flight attendant, and we will tell you places that are definitely worth your money.

I go through some of our bases more frequently since we have more flights going in and out of there. I spend the most time in SFO (San Francisco), DEN (Denver), ORD (Chicago) and IAD (Washington D.C.).

Right now, I’m writing this in Boston, waiting for my flight to D.C. (first time in Boston..), and I’m having a not-so-great clam chowder – such a disappointment (I thought Boston was known for it!) and a total waste of money.

So, to make sure that this doesn’t happen to you, here are my favorite GOOD EATS.

DEN (Concourse B):
I enjoy being in Denver the most. I make my way upstairs to Paradise Bakery & Café. I always luck out and the soup of the day is Fire Roasted Tomato Soup (maybe its always the soup of the day). It’s piping hot, topped with garlic sour cream and tortilla strips. YUM! Their cookies are really delicious too. I’ll sneak a couple sample pieces while I’m in line.

ORD (Concourse C):
I think Chicago has the most options since it is United’s biggest hub. We have a employee cafeteria that serves a mean omlette, but if I don’t get there, my hands-down favorite food is Café Zoot!’s Italian sub. It’s humongous, but I could eat one in one sitting.

As a side note, Eli’s Cheesecake and Garrett’s popcorn is also available and always yummy. For the budget conscious, there’s a Mc Donald’s too.

IAD (C&D Gates):
When I’m in IAD, I always wish its morning time. California Tortilla makes the best breakfast burrito. I also like the sandwiches from Pot Belly. I enjoy Wendy’s and Dunkin’ Donuts too! I think all of these food joints are available outside the airport, but Dunkin’ Donuts doesn’t exist in L.A. so I always get excited when I see one.

SFO:
One word, the most expensive airport to eat at (in my experience). I go to Subway because they have a daily $5 sub special. But they also have a Boudin’s that serves good clam chowder in its famous sourdough bowl and a take-out Gordon Biersch that has really good garlic fries.

So it’s not about eating, but I must share this shopping tip: If you really have a long layover at SFO, you can walk over to the international terminal (the bridge that you go through has a great view of planes at the gate) and peek at high-end stores like Coach and Gucci. If you only have time to stay in the domestic terminal, there’s a Mango store (women’s boutique) with some cute things in front of the main food court. I also enjoy the cushy moving walkways, and you’ll know what I mean when you step onto one.

So recently, I’ve noticed that I have three favorite places to be – the airport, hotel and eating at restaurants. Wow, I think I’ve hit the jackpot with this job (Although I love being home the most).

So the only catch to this story is that these places only exist if you fly United Airlines.. and pretty soon Continental Airlines (since we are merging to become the world’s biggest airline! Impressive, huh?).

See you at an airport near you!

1 Cute Clutch, 1 Cute Purse

Bao actually found four adorable purses, but two of the four already sold out!
So I’m in a real hurry to show you the remaining two (and maybe even nab the pastel clutch myself!)

Here they are!

Kimchi Blue Colorblock Clutch
Bao: “I love the pastel colors! So springy!”
$38.00

From the UO website:
Structured clutch with suede colorblocked detailing from Kimchi Blue. Expandable main compartment with internal organizer pocket; flap closure with magnetic snap; removable wristlet strap. Exclusive to Urban Outfitters.

Polka Dot Chain Shoulder Bag
(see more colors below)
Bao: “I would get the white one with black polka dots.
Super cute, love the size, bow and chain strap!”
$17.80

From the F21 Website:
Party like it’s 1990 carrying around this small shoulder bag with an adorable polka dot pattern and braided chain design. High polished hardware. Turn and lock closure. Interior zipper pocket. Bow detail at the chain.

Adventure @ Tokyo Anime Fair

So, I just got back from Japan. It was all business, but I was able to have a bit of fun too. As life would have it, I ended up going to Tokyo Anime Fair. It sounds super nerdy, but unfortunately, it wasn’t quite as geeked out as Comic Con in San Diego. It wasn’t nearly as large as SDCC either. Nonetheless, it was quite adventurous for a first timer. Check out below some pics and descriptions ☺

Mameshiba. This was probably the best booth. Not that it was big or crazy, but it was just super cute and Mameshiba-ed out. They even had a UFO catcher, and I was able to snag about 6 Mameshiba dolls. What luck!

Adorable! But quite expensive….

Here’s a balloon I got and later gave away.

This car was pretty neat. It had the Japanese sound effect bursts directly on it and around it.

Another angle.

Ahhhhh, Tamagotchi. I can’t believe you still exist! But these interestingly sized Tamagotchi stuffed costumes were just adorable. I think kids were inside. I’m only 5’2, and I will not fit in there so they have to be kids! I like how the yellow guy raised his little foot and the heart bag on the bunny.

www.tamagotchi.com

The process taking this pic was so cute. I aimed my digi cam at them, and the yellow guy waddled sideways toward the bunny. You can see he’s kind of leaning over. I just love the look on his face!

Hangry & Angry. Okay, interesting name right? Hangry & Angry are actually characters based off two of the popular girls from Morning Musume (a j-girl group). I believe they also are connected to H. Naoto, the gothic loli designer.

A tiny pink car-like thing.

The entire booth was pink pink pink!

The store at TAF sold really cute and unique Doraemon mugs. I should have bought one. Regret.

More regret…

This is one of the things that kind of freak me out at conventions. A billion dudes taking a pic of some random girl. Well, maybe she was famous, I don’t know. So instead of her, I took a picture of the creepy guys snapping photos non-stop.

Cheburashka. This weird cute monkey looking creature was being pretty heavily promoted. I can’t even pronounce it. Cheburashka. I guess it’s the Russian national character…and I have no idea what that means.

Micky Mouse Transformer. Costs about $40.

Of course, the Tezuka booth.

As you can see, my TAF adventure was filled with cute and weird, typical of any anime convention. See ya next time!

Top Five Embellished Headbands

Lately, Bao has been really into sparkly embellished headbands. She claims it adds so much spunk to any wardrobe, and it makes you feel girly pretty at the same time. I think she’s right. Last time I saw her, my eyes went straight to that attention grabbing hair accessory. I have to admit, it made me want one.

In no particular order, here are Bao’s top five most recommended sparkly embellished headbands Personally, I like the big bow headband the best.

Forever 21 Bow Headband
$4.80

Forever 21 Funky Felt Headband
$6.80

Forever 21 Spiral Floral Headband
$5.80

Silver Metalic Rose Headband from Sheek Inc.
$32.00

Faceted Posy Headband from Anthropologie
$19.95 on sale
“I got this! My sister bought it for me this weekend, and it’s sooo cute!” says Bao.

Eyeshadow of Stars

Bao just bought this amazing eyeshadow and loved it! It’s called Stardust Eyeshadow from Urban Decay, one of our top favorites when it comes to the most captivating colors and textures. The glitter doesn’t fall into your eyes and stays put. Good job, UD. You can wear it dry or with a little eyeshadow base for the wet look. Bao picked the color Bobby Dazzle and wears it with white eyeliner. Bao claims this shade of shadow makes your eyes POP and appear bigger. Space Cowboy was also one of her favs.

Here’s the information taken directly from Sephora:

Urban Decay Stardust Eyeshadow $20
What it is: An eyeshadow that has a prismatic sparkle set against a wash of captivating colors with 40% more glitter than the most sparkly shadows from Urban Decay!

What it does: Stardust delivers a silky texture and an incredible amount of sophisticated, twinkling sparkle. In one swipe, you get a sheer wash of color that’s topped with teeny bits of iridescent sparkle that glisten like wet snow. Reflecks & Mirage Glamour Silver Pigments deliver superior visual effects with a very high level of color purity that will stay on your lids. There will be no fallout, no chunky glitter just stunning, sparkling eyes. From uptown neutrals like black, grey, and brown to bright pops of turquoise, green, and purple, this galaxy of shades creates tons of looks and blends well with other Urban Decay Eyeshadows and 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils. The futuristic, squeeze-open case holds over two times the amount of product than other Urban Decay eyeshadows.

Oooh, I’m so getting Diamond Dog. Bao, stop making me shop so much!

Cute Sun Hats for Spring!

Once again, we’d like to remind you that spring is just around the corner. And what better way to be stylish and safe from the sun than with a super cut sun hat. These will also last you throughout the summer months to come. Forever 21 has a nice lil selection so be sure to check them out. Also, as you know, Bao’s picks sell out fast. I think almost everything on this site that was recommended by Bao have been sold out. She has a keen eye for popular products.

Flecked Straw Fedora $9.80
Description from Forever 21: This woven fedora is flecked with contrasting color and a matching belt.
BUY NOW

Diamond Floppy Hat $10.80
Description from Forever 21: Stylishly keep out of the sun in this floppy straw hat with diamond woven cutouts, grosgrain interior trim and a three string trim. Comes in Black also.
BUY NOW

Hampton Straw Hat $10.80
Description from Forever 21: Look North Hampton chic in this floppy straw hat with a basket weave design. Woven polka dot belt is neatly tied.
BUY NOW

Fashion Floppy Hat $9.80
Description from Forever 21: Shield your gorgeous face in fashion with this floppy straw-style hat which features an interior grosgrain sweatband and gathered hatband. Metallic or color-matching stitching.
BUY NOW

Valentines Mini Cupcakes

I don’t really cook or bake, so the fact that I went to the effort to make these tiny cupcakes is close to a miracle.

I just used Pillsbury cupcake mix. But I got the tiny baking tin, tiny cupcake cups and a heart sprinkles set all from target. The silver tray was from Crate and Barrel, and it’s nice because it came with a plastic lid. I liked baking these smaller cupcakes because they bake so much faster. They’re so easy to frost too! Coming from a complete amateur like myself, these mini cupcakes are the way to go!

I’m a little late to post but better late than never right? Happy Valentines Day~ Hehe.

New Nude Lips

Nudes are all the rage this Spring, and I love it! I’m not usually a lipstick wearing girl, but I’ll definitely do this velvety shade of nude by Revlon. I love the subtlety and lightweight feel, and to top things off, it’s only $7.99! What a steal! Sorry, Sephora, I think Target, CVS and Walgreens beat ya on this one.

This is also a part of Bao’s Spring 2010 Must Haves so be sure to check out the rest of her awesome recommendations!

Above Product: Revlon Matte Lipstick Nude Attitude 001 $7.99
Bao’s Tip: “Add a little layer of clear lip gloss on top.”
BUY

Bao’s List of Spring 2010 Must Have Fashion

Spring is upon us, and Bao has compiled a fully loaded list of 2010 Spring Must Haves. And I have to say, I love the list! I find myself decked out in a lot of dark tones so it’s awesome to have our dear little Bao punch up the colors and remind us all that it’s almost time to tuck away our warm gray sweaters and fat winter coats.

Looks like Spring 2010 is going to be full of light denim, interestingly colored floral skirts, darling lace and some nude fun (the color, silly!).

Ready?! Here we go:

CUTE SKIRTS & BOTTOMS:

Urban Outfitters Floral Waisted Skirt $58
BUY

Heritage81 Knitted Floral Miniskirt $12.90
BUY

Urban Outfitters Denim Cutoffs $50
BUY

Forever 21 Denim Cutoffs $15.80
Bao says: “A cheaper version of the Urban Outfitters Denim Cutoff shorts!”
These will probably sell out soon so get them quick!
BUY

Forever21 Pretty-in-Lace Skirt $24.80
Dang, sold out before we could snag a photo. FAIL!
BUY

LOVELY TOPS:

Banana Republic Denim Shirt $69
Bao says: “It’s fitted on the model, but I would buy a size bigger just to give it that loose boyfriend look.”
BUY

Victoria’s Secret Denim Boyfriend Shirt $58
Bao says: “On sale now for $49!”
BUY

Urban Outfitters Pins and Needles Lace Long Sleeved Top $58
BUY

Lightweight Cardigan in Pastel or Neutral Colors $99.50
Bao says: “Martin & Osa cashemere silk cardigans come in tons of colors on sale for $99.50. A bit pricey but well worth it! I have this in orange and always wear it.”
BUY

NUDE is all the rage:

American Apparel U-Neck Dress in Nude $36
Bao says: “Love nudes – from lips to nail polish to pumps, heels and dresses!”
BUY

Revlon Matte Lipstick Nude Attitude 001 $7.99
Bao’s Tip: “Add a little layer of clear lip gloss on top.”
BUY

Urban Outfitters Kelsi Dagger Nude Wedges $148
BUY

HOT ACCESSORIES:

Betsey Johnson Rose Gold Studs $40
Bao says: “Rose Gold Jewelry is a change from your typical gold & silver, and it’s so much girlier/prettier!”
BUY

Cute Sun Hat
And yet another sold out even before we got the picture…Urrrgh!
BUY

iPad: It’s Official!!

The rumored Apple Tablet is called the iPad. It’s official! Sounds a bit weird and maxi-pad-ish, but whatever. It’s half an inch thin and weighs just 1.5 pounds with a 9.7 inch IPS display. It also has a 16GB to 64GB flash storage. It even has a compass   Bluetooth and Wifi of course…And omg, Jobs just said that you can fly to SF and Tokyo and watch video the whole way on one charge. That is 10 hours of video and 1 month of standby charge. OMG! He’s downloaded all these apps unmodified from the App Store. First, Facebook. He runs it in a tiny iPhone-size window oin the middle of the screen. But he can tap the “2x” button and run things full screen. It’s the same resolution, but just bigger.

Read more at http://live.gizmodo.com/. They’re live blogging, and it’s awesome.

All pictures courtesy of Gizmodo. Go to live.gizmodo.com. Seriously, go now!

Best Gourmet Fast Food Burgers

Scarfing down a big juicy burger may not be so cute, but heck! A good burger makes me and my tummy feel good!

Recently, I visited my boyfriend’s work in Cypress during his lunch break. He took me to this burger place called Paul’s Place. We went in, and there was a sign that said “We’re a gourmet fast food place.”

Gourmet?

As I sat in the cozy burger joint eating a fabulous hot pastrami sandwich, I had a revelation. I want to go on a burger adventure. (Why was I thinking about more food while I was eating food?)

I’ve already had my share of cheap burgers from McDonald’s to Carl’s Jr.
Check!

I’ve had slightly fancier burgers like Steve’s Burgers and restaurant burgers like Red Robin.
Check!

I’ve also had expensive Kobe burgers and even made my own trendy burger at The Counter.
Check!

Well then. Now, I will create a new genre in between Wendy’s and Denny’s burgers.. and I will name it.. Gourmet Fast Food Burgers! (Oh oh! In-and-Out totally belongs in this genre!)

Perfect. Now, after some extensive research and burger munching, here are my top three:

1. Five Guys Burger (restaurant pictured in beginning of post)
Indulge in your dream burger! It’s kind of exciting when there are 16 different sauces and toppings to choose from, and they are all free. The fries are a little salty, but you can get them regular or cajun (we tried the cajun). It’s so big one order easily feeds two.

20700 Avalon Blvd
Carson, CA, 90746
11:00am-10:00pm Daily
www.fiveguys.com

2. The Habit Burger
Onion rings are to die for.. (and I dont even like onions!) It’s perfectly seasoned and super crunchy ($1.95). Their Charburger ($2.95) tastes fresh and juicy, the fries are thick cut and yummy! I liked how they have peppers like jalapeno to crunch on, and they have malt vinegar for the fries.

3829 West Torrance Boulevard
Torrance, CA(310) 316-4048‎
Mon-Sat: 10:30am-9:00pm
Sun: 11:00am-8:00pm
www.habitburger.com

3. McCormicks and Schmicks Burger
I know, this is probably considered a restaurant burger, but I included it in this category because during happy hour, this plate of cheeseburger and fries is only $2.95! This juicy burger (one bite and you’ll know what I mean!) was the highlight of my day. The really hot wings ($3.95) were quite spicy and the zucchini fries ($1.95) were piping hot and delicious!

2101 Rosecrans Ave.
El Segundo, CA 90245
Prices only available during Happy Hour!
Mon-Thurs: 3:30pm 6:30pm & 9:00pm-11:00pm
Fri: 3:30pm-6:30pm & 9:30pm-11:00pm
www.mccormickandschmicks.com

Ahhhh.. With a tummy so happy, who cares if it’s pouring rain outside and your car just ran out of battery and won’t start… (btw, this really happened the day I was burger tasting)

p.s. All these burger places have other locations besides the ones I’ve listed, so peek at their website to find out if there is one near your area!

Even Poo is Cute

Being Japanese, I can say without hesitation, Japanese people are weird. We like things like Godzilla and Ultra Man. The randomness doesn’t end here. I was just in Japan a few weeks ago and the new little trend was poo. Cute poo.

Enter Unko-san, Japanese translation being Mr. Feces.

Allow me to tell you a little bit about him. Unko-san (pictured above) is a young boy that is on a soul search for true happiness. He is a bit shy but loves festivals. He also has a younger baby brother, Unko-chan, who can use ESP (aka, ESP Baby). It doesn’t stop here. Unko-san has an entire set of unko family and friends and even a Nurse Unko who is currently looking for a boyfriend (what the…). The Unko family is very special and is very much known to be little spirits that can only be seen by “lucky” people (is that really lucky?).

Japan is weird! But the thing is, these little Unko-sans and Unko-chans are really cute. So cute I bought Alisa a little baby Unko-chan plushie keychain (top row, center, with a pacifier – cute, no?). She thinks it’s utterly weird and so do most people. But whatever, it’s cute, it’s the craze so what are you going to do? Go buy one of course!

There’s even a little anime to complement our smelly hero. Here’s a clip:

What do YOU think of Unko-san? Cute or creepy??

Hello Kitty Exhibit

It’s the final week of the Hello Kitty exhibit at ROYAL/T Cafe, and we were there to experience history in the making. It was a celebration of 35 years of Hello Kitty, and it was simply amazing. The exhibit itself was collaboration with a multitude of artistic talent. You were able to see anything from Lady Gaga dressed up in a playful dress made of Hello Kitty plush dolls, six foot tall Hello Kitty with BOOBS and even a Mona Lisa Kitty. There were tons to look at , and I was even able to see some old school Hello Kitty items I had when I was 10 years old.

Since the event was held at the ever-popular cosplay cafe ROYAL/T, we were even able to devour some Hello Kitty dishes, specially made for this fabulous event. I had the ham and cheese Hello Kitty Tramezzini and some ROYAL/T Milk Tea. I even had some dessert, the Super Yummy Waffles (the waffles were ehhhh, but the syrup was delicious and what are you gonna do, they were HELLO KITTY SHAPED!)

Also, each night of this event was themed, and tonight was GYARU Beauty Parlor night! The literal translation of GYARU is simply GAL. GYARUs are typically super tan, crazy hair curled to the max, wear super trendy outfits and are often seen with an insane amount of thick mascara. Therefore, tonight, you could have gotten glammed up and done up by professional hair/makeup artists, get your nails done and pictures taken. Didn’t participate in any of this, but it was certainly entertaining to watch.

Anyhow, it was a fun, sweet night. It was an honor to celebrate Kitty-chan’s 35th year. Yay!

Enjoy all my photos below ^^

Bling Kitty…It’s like the music player.

Lady Gaga with anime eyes.

Lady Gaga in Hello Kitty Plush Doll Dress

This was super tall and had a busty chest!

We love UFO Catchers! (aka crane game)

Cute Hello Kitty Figure

My Hello Kitty Dinner

And Dessert!

Hello Kitty Appliances

More Hello Kitty appliances and gadgets

Do you see the Hello Kitty Eva Airplane in the background?

Mini Hello Kitty Food

Hello Kitty and Toki Doki

I like the skulls and kitty.

JADE Nail Polish – Fall 09 Trends

Jade nail polish is in…says Bao.  That was one of the gifts Bao gave to Alisa for her birthday dinner we just had only a few hours ago.  I don’t know why, but this stood out to me.  So I immediately did my usual searches, and sure enough, JADE (green) nail polish is a Fall 2009 must have color.

Chanel started the trend by including it in their Fall lineup, and Fashion Allure quotes, “As for Fall 2009, classical reds, avant-garde blacks, deep violets and navies will still be en vogue. However, the trendiest nail colour for this fall is…green!” It appears that jade, pine, mint and olive are the dominating laquer shades this season.  CollegeFashion.net advises that if you don’t want to pay the Chanel pricetag, you can always find a much cheaper alternative at Sephora or drugstores.

Wow, Bao’s trend awareness never ceases to amaze me.  GO GREEN!

Hot!

Rihanna wears green too.

As seen in Elle.

First To Wake

Sour Lemon でもかわいい

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