what does it take?

a teensy bit bored in lab today... nothing to do but read papers and make powerpoints. le sigh...

what does it take to be this chica?

sleep. dream. play. bedroom!

for the bedroom... i definitely want something that is dreamy,  romantic and fem. having a design that is very modern and contemporary in the bedroom is not as important to me as it would be in the living and dining areas... but im not looking for anything with victorian style either. definitely still clean lines with a little bit of glam.

i think this bedroom captures everything i can and cannot put in words. if this can't get me a good night's sleep... i don't know what can.

*decor pad*

some of my favorite things in this design:

the tufted headboard is such a statement and the softness is nice... in case your head bumps it... for whatever reason ;) centsational girl has a great tutorial for tufted headboards as well as ones for other upholstered headboards as well. do yourself a fav and check it out.

the mirrored nightstand is so great. i didn't even see it the first time i passed by this photo.. its half cut out on the left side of the picture. mirrored furniture is so glamorous. its super hot and popping up in posh designs all over. if you're not willing to put in work... be prepared to drop some Gs for it. however... with some silver leaf, spray paint and/or old mirror... you could easily transform a second hand piece of furniture for a fraction of the moolah.

things i would change...

the rug, on the other hand, gag! what happened here? to add to the luxurious feel... i would probably just buy some faux fur fabric and throw it down. to save money... i will probably cut three strips and sew it into a "U" pattern. this way, i only have to pay for the part that would show around the bed. why pay for it if its going to be hidden UNDER the bed collecting dust? real bunnies... adorable! dust bunnies.. not so much. 

look at this rug below... so soft! imagine waking up in the freezing NH winter morning and your feet get greeted by this...

*kessasue*

i would also include a nice little bench at the foot of the bed.. like this design. or maybe even a family of ottoman. i love ottomans... and by love i mean obsessed... but thats for a different story.

*decor pad*

a velvet headboard is very romantic... which is appropriate for the bedroom, right? the crystal chandelier overhead is very glam too.. but a bit too old schooled glamour for me. however... because the rest of the bed is white.. i think having some texture with the headboard would be interesting and shake up the white on white.

*decor pad*

sometimes i think i want damask in the bedroom... but after having it for two years in a row... i think im ready to move on. however... damask is romantic and gorgeous. if you're in the mood for it... do it!

*get togetha*

well i think this is good for right now... especially since my name isn't on the condo.. yet! next things to think about 1) close it and put that sucker in the bag 2) office space 3) patio 4) basement

talk the talk... now walk the walk!

now i don't wanna jinx anything but i think i have finally found myself a condo! hello home ownership!!!

since i finally have a floor plan and such to work around.. enough talking about design.. its time to design! FINALLY!

as i've been perusing design blogs and catalogues all day and night... ive been compiling a "these are a few of my favorite things" list. looking between the floor plan, the master list, and the BUDGET, this is what i've decided upon so far

i am in love with this.. its so fun and playful and just very sexy. this will either become my dining room light fixture or in my half bath downstairs. 

*frou frou fashionisa*

this painting below is just amazing. it was done by designer nathan thomas, winner of top design: season 2. its super contemporary, very chic and definitely interesting... just my style. its so simple too! just take any sized stretch canvas and pour paint from the top and let it drip down organically. when its dry, turn it 90 degrees and hang! voila! 

you can even just use leftover paint from other paint projects.. instant money saver and brings cohesion throughout your home! IMPORTANT: only pour one color at a time and then LET DRY. if you don't... then the paints will smear and it will be a disaster. 

like nathan did, i plan on putting mine in the dining room as well.

*elle decor*

im just so obsessed with this painting! not only is it GORGEOUS... but so versatile. right now... im in the mood for mauve, lavender, warm grays and of course, black.... its an absolute dream for me! and the man... hes not too shabby either ;)

*wear palettes*

how about this next one? i would hardly call my space expansive and immense so i want to be careful with the darkness of the colors... which is why im thinking maybe this one instead. however the softness of the lavender is a little too juvenile, in my taste, for a living and dining area. 

i would love your thoughts on this!

*wear palettes*

give away!!

well im not giving it away... but i entered this give away: http://www.bos-bowl.com/2010/06/giveaway-time-again.html

i have been following this blog for some time now and its super awesome. you should drop by and check it out!

oh em geeeee

im gonna let the pictures do the talking...

mixed with

equals

SUPER TASTY!!! dr pepper nice and cold... drop your fudgsicle inside the glass.

how tasty you ask? almost as tasty as...

i said ALMOST! and i thought i didn't like soccer... silly me. :p

chill music

summer is glorious. hope you all are enjoying as much as i am!

stop studying for boards already you gunner... and take some notes

from all4humor:

make sure YOU are wearing some pants though :p

this baby knows whats up

this blog has amazing chill music. im in love: http://tekiu.blogspot.com/
you can also check it out on the youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/Tekiu1#p/a/u/0/Bj-R7ertRqU

first day done!

as i mentioned previously, today was my first day back in the lab and it is just as glorious as i remembered it.... and even moreso actually! (ladies and gents, this is NOT sarcasm)

now that im back in the immuno lab WITH some immuno knowledge... wow! it makes a huge difference. even though my PI, who taught our immuno course, claims that it was not a 'real immuno class,' it was for sure real enough for me. i thought that maybe i wasn't really learning that much but today i was following more than i used to and was able to ask more critical questions and actually have direction in the lab.

today was definitely an easy day... but i know that hard days are to come. and when they do... ill definitely be ready to kick back with a beverage.. or two! and when im done...

from Centsational Girl:

from Pitch Blogs:

this is so adorable. i actually have daisys in bottles like this in my room now. i love it.

from shannon quimby:

from curbly:

if you don't feel like making this into an oil lamp, you can also just stick one of those slender candles inside. get a collection of them and instant drama and romance ;) check it out here:

if the plain ol' bottle doesn't do it for you... dress it up with some puffy paint and spray paint for a super inexpensive alternative to very drool-worthy (and pricey) jonathan adler inspired look-a-likes:

click me...for the tutorial! change the design... change the color.. do what you want boss.

rotation excitement!!

tomorrow i am starting my research rotation, as part of my mdphd training. im so excited!

i want this shirt.

disclaimer: this is not meant to be offensive.

summer is the best

never did i think i would be so content just laying around and letting time pass. ive always been one to seek a busy schedule, to always stay preoccupied. but after this busy year, i think im finally ready to just relax.

as i was moving one of my roomies out, we were discussing how shocked we were by how quickly this past year flew by. its a bit frightening, frankly.

tonight i was talking to a friend, a, who has been working in china for a couple years now. currently, he is in chengdu, which also happens to be my mother's hometown. chengdu is the final destination of his epic bike ride. check it out: http://ride2freedom.org/

last year, him and i were kicking it in emei shan. it is the highest of the four sacred mountains in china and is an absolute MUST DO, UNESCO backs me up on that one. :p

its over 10k feet to the top and the views are truly breath taking. a and i started on day 1 after dinner and hiked a couple hours in the rain... which was especially sweet in my blistered feet from wearing new wedges the day before with my god family. we stayed at a hostel where we had a pretty standard dinner and i taught a how to play ma jiang and then watched the caretakers of the hostel play a few rounds. we also took a small walk to a small sitting area and just hung out and looked at the stars. ive never seen a view so gorgeous.... until the next day!

we started hiking again on day 2 around 7 or 8 in the morning. we saw the famous ocean of clouds and the infamous monkeys.

baby monkeys playing! weeee!

the monkeys were actually pretty aggressive, growling and grabbing at passerbys. i was totally freaked out. around 8pm, we had some dinner in a neighborhood of hostels. instead of staying the night (like everyone else), we donned our rented parkas and hiked all the way to the top, where we finally reached around 1am.

we were so exhausted by the time we reached the top.. and so cold! but it was worth it. we slept outside and in the morning we staked our spots for the sunset. i wish i had a nice camera and/or knew something about taking photos... these just don't do the actual view any justice.

this is not mine, but i found this video of the top on youtube

if you're not a hiker, its okay. there are cable cars too! the hike truly is very difficult and very very steep. also, once you start, there is no going back. there is only one place to get on the cable cars so choose wisely! :p

1 down... 7 to go!!

i just finished my first year of med school and i feel awesome!!! now just 4 years of phd left and 3 years of med left... no big deal :p

yesterday i went out to dinner with friends and partayed afterwards and it was just such a a good time. truly, the purest happiness is the one after the greatest struggles.

today ive just been baking and hanging around... so awesome

i tested these recipes today!

chocolate chip cookie brittle

omg this brittle is so good. definitely not for the die hard chewy cookie fanatic because these have a serious crunch. i love them and will remake from now on whenever i have left over chocolate chips or nuts or whatever!

banana bread

in my opinion.. the banana bread recipe was too sweet... i think i will definitely cut back on sugar next time. also i baked this for at least 20 mins longer and the center still didn't set. madfoxmadfox said that it was delicious... which i guess it was, but probably wont repeat.

branches.. heard of it?

im not sure if anyone in this nh/vt area has taken a good look around... but there are actually A LOT of branches around here! GASP!!

well as a city girl myself i say when life hands you branches... make decor?????

check out these clever decorative ideas using nh's own super fine foliage:

tutorial for curtain rod here!

tutorial here!

for an added spark... paint them with a splash of color! reds, purple, turquoise, oh my!!

happy diy-ing

small spaces: lighting

my assumption is that most of my friends (including myself) are NOT moving into mansions... so with that being said, i think it would be a good idea to do a series on how to add some grandeur to small spaces. but hey... just because the square footage is small doesn't mean you can't live big!


most of my information will come from research i have done at various sites so i hope this is helpful to you!


the first thing i want to address for small spaces is lighting! comparing small and large spaces... its the first thing i notice.



from in home trends:

from elle decor via coco+kelly

from designer lisa fine via coco+kelly:

these spaces are fresh, bright and the most ideal balance of luxury and simplicity. maybe its sun thats finally come out (not today though, unfortunately), but i just feel drawn to designs that take full advantage of beautiful natural lighting by complimenting it with a light and crisp color scheme.

obviously... these spaces are not happening for me anytime soon... however, i think with the RIGHT lighting, any space can be lifted a few levels so that after a long day's work, we can come back to a place we call home... not just some space we sleep at.

from ron m. via decor pad:

notice that unlike the previous pictures.... this space actually is SMALL, but it doesn't lose any of the comfort and glamour. there are a couple things i hope to illustrate with this example:

1. maximizing light is key to creating spaciousness: the focus here is the small window that is not only the central point of room... but they have been framed with curtains that are also lined with black trim. by drawing eyes to this point... you are bringing the outdoors in... effectively expanding your space
2. use your furniture and decor to propagate the light you have: leather, polished floors, glass, mirrors and metals all reflect light. if you are lucky enough to have a large mirror or find one at a thrift store, putting it directly opposite the window would great the best effect. even if there is no window... the mirror itself would act like a faux window. i guess there really isn't much else to say for this one :p
3. use multiple light sources: place them near walls to further reflect the luminance. if the glare is bothering you... just adjust your lamp shades.

here is another photo of ron's nyc living room:

again, you can the huge mirror and the other lighting techniques just mentioned.

i feel inspired... do you?

almost in the clear

i just got out of my first of four finals! we got back our written final grade ALREADY and i killed it!! woot... thank goodness! im waiting on the lab grade but dam it feels good to start finals on the right foot!!

also... since me and many of my classmates are getting ready to move into new places... ive decided to step it up with the decorating and organizational posts. i feel like i've been slacking and i think its so much easier to move in on the right foot rather than trying to get things together.... later. it will also be a good way for me to organize my inspirations and associated thoughts. please let me know if there are specific diy projects you would be interested in!

also... i was speaking with a friend, s, last night and he said that he would write a guest post for netters plate: GIRL! that makes me so excited. since he says topics are up to me... i've got some things brewing in this head of mine. im thinking something along the lines of: the single guy's perspective on... well, what do you want to hear about? first dates? flirting etiquette? where to meet eligible bachelors? stay posted!

im cheating...

i know i said i wouldn't post until AFTER finals... and im probably going to pay for it with some antibiotics questions tomorrow but i just have to do this.

as i was listening to delilah on a local tampa, florida channel, i heard about this contest! its a joint contest sponsored by the tampa radio station and cabot cheese. how funny since tampa is my home and now im in nh/vt, the home of cabot cheese! they have seriously good cheese. no joke.

anyways... they are giving away a CRUISE VACATION for a "local celebrity." the cabot representative said that they want to reform the meaning of "celebrity." to cabot, a celebrity is someone who "whole heartedly gives their time to uplight, to heal, to protect and to challenge."

without even thinking.. the ONLY person who came straight to my mind was my own dear momma! i know we all love to rave about our mommas but mine is truly out of this world. things between us have not always been smooth, but in these past few months, our relationship has become so strong and my love and respect for her as grown exponentially. i am so lucky to have her in my life and so is our community!

she spends most of her time taking the best care of me, my younger brother, my younger sister and my father. i would definitely say thats a full time job but apart from that she finds time to be active in our community... i dont know how she manages. she is super woman! there is no other way!

first of all, she organizes and is the principal of the chinese school in the greater tampa bay area. if you have ever met chinese parents (hate to propagate steretypes but...), they are not easy to work with. she manages the school with grace and is such a fine face of our asian community to the greater community. i think we are lucky to have such a classy representative.

secondly, she is very active in the tennis community. my sister is an INTENSE athlete and my mother travels with her all over for competitions, getting private lessons, etc. and in these travels, my mom has befriended so many people. she offers her help and time selflessly to people shes only met a few times! there is quite a number of chinese families who have left everything in china to come to america to support and pursuit their child's career in tennis. most of the time, these families cannot speak english and my mom serves as their translator, but more than that, their advocate! anything from legal documents, to travel arrangements to schooling, she is there for them. sometimes she travels hours to be at their side for these important matters. i am simply amazed at her selflessness.

we're so obsessed with celebrity gossip... talking about who's cheating on who... who ODed on what... who forgot to wear panties. cmon! a celebrity is someone who is easily recognized in a society so let's talk about good people doing good things! my mom is exactly what a true celebrity should be like and im gonna do my best to let cabot and tampa radio know it!!

my momma is boss and i love her. thats all :)

this is a picture of my parents before a christmas celebration with the chinese community. i absolutely love this photo... it is so cute! my dad is the bomb too... but more about that later!!

oh medical school gods... please don't let me fail bacteriology tomorrow.

crunch time!

good bye for a bit.

its finals time here and its definitely time to get down to the nitty gritty and put this M1 year in the bag!! next time you hear from me... i will officially have 1/4 of my MD done! woot!! until then... path, neuro, stats, and delilah radio :)

i love delilah so much. maybe one of these days ill call in...

hey thanks...

furniture, flowers, shoes, oh my!

so far it seems like my blog has been overwhelming filled with all my guilty pleasures... unnecessary and nonsensical obsessions. i can't help but love the things i love! it certainly is fun getting what you want but its not so bad wanting what you got too ;)

that being said i gotta give some shout outs to what really makes my life top notch: good friends and close family.

moving so far from home truly was exactly what i wanted... before the move. i had been through so much during my last year in the sunshine state that i was ready to leave it all and start fresh. i would hardly call this last year a smooth transition but hey, i (almost) made it! a few days before finals and one week before i can officially be a rising M2... but this was definitely not done alone.

ive been lucky to have met some really great people here. everyone is really awesome... so welcoming and just genuinely very kind. especially, ive met and become pretty close to two really great classy ladies. thanks dps :) trios are best!

before we part our ways for the summer... i wanna put together a nice dinner for them. any ideas on recipes? im thinking along the lines of braised short ribs or pecan crusted fish... check out my poll in the right hand column. thanks :)