champagne wishes [Caviar Dreams]

As this year rapidly comes to an end so SO [so] many things have been running through my mind. First of all, time seems to be playing a funny joke on us all. How is it that time has the ability to shorten days, months and years right in front of our faces? No matter how early that dreadful alarm sounds… I can’t seem to get through each day’s to-do-list before the sun is setting! It was just yesterday [it seems] that I was interrogating 2009—where had all the days disappeared to… where had all the months gone I asked!? Well my friends, it’s almost officially time to say goodbye again…2010 has come and gone in the same fashion as the previous years. Being a true jester, time seems to have laughingly answered my questions by speeding up this year to an even faster pace.

[But thankfully] the past year did not fail to disappoint me in the slightest, even if it went by at warp-speed. The last few months [my overactive] mind has been [on overdrive], and now that 2010 is coming to an end, I forced myself to sit down and spend a just a few moments to reflect over the past 12 months. It dawned on me that I had so SO [so] many reasons to celebrate over the past year. Big and small. But none-the-less many events that called for a celebratory toast [or two]. 




To those of you who know me well, or to those who have been randomly present in a time of celebration-- you know [without a doubt] my celebratory drink of choice. The subtle bubbles that bring a smile [that is anything but subtle] to my face--say hello to the fabulous Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin! Or as I more often call it... simply Veuve. I dedicate this post to any/all of you who have been able to slow down time just enough to recognize life’s unexpected joys and have taken the time to raise a glass in celebration.

So here's to a year that called for so many reasons to celebrate and that offered so SO [so] many opportunities to indulge in all that life has to offer! Cheers 2010... I can only hope this next year finds me as well!  

new years eve [2010]

a treasure left behind

[and a co-worker who knows me very well]

vegas [jackpot]

cheers! post- final [undergrad] final 

ascot [royal enclosure] london

after i picked the winning horse @ascot

[the only bet i placed in 2010]

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rain rain [go away]

It seems that the rain has come and gone [again] in this monumentally cold month of December. Moving this close to the ocean has proven to be quite the chilly experience! In an attempt to stay true to my [internal] eternal optimistic self... I wanted to find the silver lining per se for all these crisp days and colder nights. [And after much moaning and groaning] it hit me during a simple walk on the strand with a few baby puppies. My favorite thing about rain, besides the wonderful pitter[patter] soundtrack that accompanies as you fall asleep, are the post-rain sunsets we experience as the storm moves on for new ground. I might be freezing and damp-- but I think it's all worth it [in the end]. 

[el porto] manhattan beach

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taste[test]

Finally! I’ve learned my lesson…It took long enough but the experimental chef in me has finally completed my first taste test [a dry run per say]. Each month new magazines arrive in my mailbox—almost every page offering a new idea for a tempting creation I can’t wait to try.  But I seem to always attempt these fun new dishes when I’m expecting company. I then find myself nervous and sweaty as I prepare to set the dish in front of my hungry guests. [Praying that it wont be the worst thing that they’ve ever eaten.] Wishing I had stuck to my famous baked brie or classic bean dip that both magically draw the party together for a group disappearing act.

This taste test comes in preparation for my first [hopefully annual] friendsgiving dinner later this month [where I am expecting a number of vegetarian guests]. And since I’m staying with a wonderful cook, who has a lot of experience with catering for a vegetarian crowd…. It was the perfect time! We found a few fun recipes to try out for a friendsgiving vegetarian main dish...  

The first contender was a veggie meatloaf [that we later dubbed a meatless loaf] and the second a vegan pumpkin risotto.  Our meatless loaf was the uncontested winner. Even the cats and puppy enjoyed the lentil based dish! We tweaked the recipe a bit and listened to the suggestions that the reviews offered [adding one additional egg and making a simple glaze for the top]. But the risotto, even after we added/subtracted and topped the dish with glazed pecans [mmm] we still weren’t pleased with the taste.  Disappointed because it sounded oh so delicious! But thankful the dry run was a success—not to mention it was accompanied by great conversation, a crisp Chardonnay, sharp cheese and my new favorite crackers!

 the right ingredients

finished product

the invites

save the date! 

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clue[to]color

I am currently on an unexpected/last minute trip to my boyfriend's home state [PA]. Since we arrived last Wednesday it feels like a myriad of events have occurred. From seeing him dressed as a ketchup bottle and dancing in front of a green screen to venturing into NYC and experiencing one of my favorite cities [with one of my favorite people]. We had an amazing two day trip with his fabulous mother and her girlfriend... and experienced a lot of the city in a very short period of time.

While in NY we wandered the streets, I exercised my stylist duties, drank perfect cosmopolitans, were wowed by the jazz and glitter of Broadway, had an east village rendezvous with a Manhattan Beach bunny, drank whiskey with a local bartender, fell asleep at a diner at 5 am, stumbled upon a flea market with amazing treasures and much much more. All of which only helped to further fuel my deep passionate love affair with NY [sigh].

I have also discovered that my obsession with fall goes much deeper than my love of the rich fabric colors iconic to fall fashion. This SoCal native is currently experiencing the autumnal progression of green leaves [into an assortment of fall shades] for the first time. The sea of trees that cover the skyline are losing their leaves at a rapid pace-- I find myself hypnotized by the raining colors that are slowly covering the east coast landscape. I have a pact with this coast [ I will be back].

first view out of the lincoln tunnel

chicago @ ambassador theater

cherry tavern, east village

a tribute to andy warhol, hearst building 

hells kitchen flea market

 central park lovers

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sloopy's

Today I feel very thankful I will [soon] be living within walking distance from this wonderful cafe. Sloopy's is a relaxing [cozy] Manhattan Beach cafe and is a favorite of mine and my fabulous other half. With protection from the moist cold beach air, [lots] of light, warm fire... 

I feel inspired to write with my muse by my side and Sloopy's perfect ambiance 

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ring[OF]fire

Relationships. Let’s be honest—not many words are as loaded as [relationship] or cause our brain to immediately spew in a myriad of directions. I found dissecting the word was made a bit easier by mentally categorizing the relationships in my life; romantic/boyfriend and friends [chosen] and family/business [forced]. But even these categories themselves have sub-divisions and carry different connotations for everyone. Complicated I know—and I’m sure by this point you are past the thought “Why are you talking such nonsense Hailee?” Well I will happily explain…

This topic comes to me on this crisp rainy October afternoon in the midst of my job hunt and in the face of a new[er] relationship. I stumbled upon a lovely add calling for a “new relationship writer” for a popular news/entertainment website and thought I would throw my name into the ring. For those of you who know me, you might be slightly [or extremely] amused right now [you’re welcome]… But as I lay awake last night my always churning mind couldn’t help but think about the job, my life, my career and began to formulate my take on the whole relationship notion. [After a restless night’s sleep] I asked myself this morning… do I dare attempt to write about this intricate concept and put my spin on life&love? My inner [Bradshaw] told me to go for it.

The idea itself is a debated one and is often growing and changing [for me at least]. The terms, the trials, the give-and-take, the take take take, support, dependence, happiness, anger… love. This [loaded] noun has more variables in its definition than most words I’ve looked up lately. So if Mr. Webster himself has a difficult time condensing the meaning, no wonder us common [crazy] folk often struggle and obsess on this subject.

Webster’s definition of “RELATIONSHIP”:

Key words I found most important in Mr. Webster’s definition: variables, binding, kinship [and most of all] passion.

Because the variables in the “modern dating age” are multiplying by the minute, it’s honestly a surprise any relationship survives these days!  Modern dating combined with the modern age of social networking [aka dating in the age of facebook] is to say the least BRUTAL.  But the rollercoaster of binding monogamy [and the couples involved] parallels the intensity and stress of the single world… the millions of single people in search of kinship and most of all PASSION.  Not all but many singles are currently in line for the monogamy rollercoaster… ready to jump on the next ride [no pun intended].

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locks [of] love

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JUSTsmile

A few visual reminders that the best way to live your life is [with a smile on your face] LIFE IS GOOD.

I love the drawings and [light]hearted animated Korean characters I see spread throughout the city. You're allowed [even encouraged] to draw on the walls of restaurants, bars, bathrooms.... you name it! When you start taking yourself too seriously. Stop. Sometimes you just need to dress up in big colorful robes and velvet hats and stand in the middle of a busy street. [and smile]

::surround yourself with people who make you smile::

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inflate[your]world

"Once upon a time when the world was just a pancake--fears would arise that if you went too far you'd fall....But with the passage of time it all became more of a ball--We're as sure of that as we all once were, when the world was flat."- dave matthews band

I have always considered myself someone who appreciates the world and all it has to offer-- but the more I see and experience [over] here... I can't help but realize I still have so much to learn about the world! Not that I ever thought that I knew all there is to know, or even close to this. But there are a myriad of things I need to learn about that I don't even know exist yet! How can you do this?! It's almost stressful how much there is to see and do... especially in the amount of time we have. The only way I see this happening is to push the envelope and get out there even further.

My [beautiful] friend and I have been having a lot of "did you ever imagine this" type of conversations since my arrival... and the answer to almost all of these conversations-- is NO WAY! Who would have thought that two girls from south Orange County would find each other in the city of love [aka San Francisco] and years later find themselves jumping off cliffs in the Philippines, or wandering the neon streets of Seoul at 5 a.m. in search of the best kebab stand??  I would like to think that I would have ventured to Korea on my own at some point during my life. But I can’t say for sure this is true, because I can’t say that it was on my “to do” list of countries. And I LOVE it here- I won’t even come close to seeing everything I’ve added to my city sights list since first arriving. The thought of missing out on all my Korean experiences is so upsetting—and has really opened my mind to a new way of thinking. Never [ever] say never!

Even knowing that I have an adventurous spirit--I never imagined all that I would see and realize during this trip. Another cliché that turns out to be very true! You learn the most about yourself and your surroundings when you jump completely outside of your comfort zone. I am so thankful to have someone like my fabulous big sister who has made this journey possible. I admire her fire, fearlessness [or ability to face her fears] and thirst for life.

Last night our world was opened up yet again with a new [cinematic] experience! We had the pleasure of seeing our first [4D] movie in Seoul-- the latest chapter in the Resident Evil series. Neither of us had seen any of the previous installments, but it turned out to be one of the coolest movies ever! Besides the movie actually being pretty good and filled with extremely attractive people, as audience members you literally feel like you're apart of the movie. We were shot, splashed by water/blood, chilled by cold winds, blinded by explosions, stabbed, shot, dropped out of a plane....etc. Entering a zombie flick was a bit stressful, but so very exciting! I find myself entering many new dimensions and loving every minute of it.

[old cafe] in seoul's mountains

ariel's [island]- boracay

true [korean]fashion

inflate your [knowledge]

[enjoy the moment]

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seoul is DELICIOUS!

I LOVE seoul! The city is filled with such life... and I am doing as much as I can to soak up even the smallest portion of its brilliance. It's a visual overload!!! I successfully attempted to venture off on my own today and had a wonderful time [sticking out like a sore thumb] and experiencing some of the Seoul's history and culture. My favorite Korean word so far- mashisoyo: which means delicious. So far this best describes my experience...

SEOUL[food]

SEOUL[searching]

SEOUL[sister]

SEOUL[mate]

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[live in an] ART-ful world

A walk with me down the street can take much longer than one might think! I pretty much always have a camera in my purse, and thanks to my trusty iphone--even when I forget my "real" camera I'm still able to capture quality photos. My best friend always jokes with me and tells me I can see anything in an "artful" way. Then she usually follows by calling me something like hippie butterfly child--especially after I paused for [a good] 20 minutes to take photos of bark patterns on a tree when we were running late for a movie. What can I say?  The world inspires me.... and I am somewhat of a hippie butterfly child! [without getting into art theory] The thing I love about photography the most is that it allows me to use my eye/perspective & camera to record the world and its natural [and sometimes unnatural] beauty. The world is my canvas. 

I had a good conversation this morning with a friend and a little-known Manhattan Beach street artist (or local legend depending on how you see it)  that inspired me to dig through my photos and put up a few pictures I've taken of STREET ART on random walks over the past few years. STREET art doesn't just see the world as a canvas.... but actually USES it as a canvas.

Melrose Street, Los Angeles CA

London, England

Nob Hill, San Francisco CA

Nob Hill, San Francisco CA

"the strand" Hermosa Beach, CA

Los Angeles, CA

Delores Park, San Francisco CA

Venice Beach, CA

Hells Kitchen, NYC

"with love from the world to you"

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laborDAY

I finally got the chance to use the freshBASIL from my garden! I'm celebrating labor day [today ]with my fantastic friends in Manhattan Beach-- I decided to make caprese skewers with fresh heirloom tomatoes. An easy fusion of the loved Italian appetizer. I plan to wash it down with an ice cold FAT [weisel] WEASEL beer. What an incredible name!! I miss hosting parties at my cute hermosa beach casa.... but enjoy living vicariously through others!  Happy Labor DAY!

::indulge::

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