is this heaven?

hi all!

so apparently i haven't posted in nearly a month. well, i only really blog when i have interesting things to blog about. i guess i haven't had anything interesting happen to me in the last month. but don't you worry! i finally had a new experience in korea! what could it be you ask?

wait for it ...

wait for it ...

it's ...

the ...

jjim jil bang (essentially a glorified spa)!

my friend from america was in town to visit and we decided that we needed to do something absolutely korean. what luck! none of us had ever been to a jjim jil bang before! believe me, jjim jil bangs are as korean as they get. so, with nothing else to do on a saturday night, we made our way to one of the largest jjim jil bangs in seoul ... the dragon hill spa in yongsan. even the name is super asian! it was absolute madness!!!

jjim jil bangs are open 24 hrs. and typically cost around $10 USD to visit. this particular jjim jil bang cost us 12,000 won (roughly $10 USD). these places are typically frequented by korean ahjummas who have nothing better to do during the day, families, and people who missed the last train/bus home and need somewhere cheap to crash. they are awesome. and like it's name, the dragon hill spa was no joke.

it was huge. and when i say huge, i mean HUGE!!!!! i could never have imagined such a place to exist. seriously. this place has everything. i am 99.5% positive that i could spend my entire life in this place without ever having to leave for provisions. they have a fitness center, outdoor pool/hot tub, different temperature saunas, a spa for massages and facials and whatnot, an arcade and play area for the kiddies, a restaurant, multiple snack bars (they even sell beer), large tvs, separate sleeping rooms for men and women, locker rooms, shower facilities, a small movie theater, an internet cafe, a nail station, and even pillows and blankets you can rent for when you just can't bring yourself to go home at night. i kid you not. this place seriously exists. i'm convinced this is what heaven would be like. only thing missing is george clooney.

anyway ...

david, eunice, her cousins, and i made our way into the spa. we were given comfortable clothes to change into. they were essentially pajamas, a baggy pair of shorts and a t-shirt. after we changed into our snazzy dragon hill spa gear we were free to roam around and do whatever we pleased. our little crew explored each of the different temperature saunas (including something that looked an awful lot like a large kiln), ate bing-su (shaved ice with fruit and rice cakes), boiled eggs (a jjim jil bang staple), and drank shik-hae (korean rice drink). we basically just laid around, shooting the shit, stuffing our faces, and occasionally got up to sweat our balls off. lazy lazy saturday. the saturday night of champions! eventually eunice and her cousins left and david and i (having missed the trains back home) decided to just crash there in the communal sleeping hall (aka the concentration camp). we woke up around 7 am and made our way home.

a great experience overall. if any of you come to visit me, i'll be sure to take you guys! =)

now, for the good stuff, the pictures ...

eunice's cousins, me, eunice, and david spending a saturday night @ the jjim jil bang

(please note our awesome dragon hill spa gear and princess leia towel headpieces)

the arcade inside the jjim jil bang

me and david looking super duper uber FOB in the kiddies' play area

a portion of the communal hall

david snapped this sweet pic when we woke up in the morning

(please note the concentration camp-esque feel of the room and the large kiln in the background)

gobble gobble

happy thanksgiving!!!!

well, for all of you in the states, happy thanksgiving. this happens to be one of my favorite holidays. blackout wednesday, thanksgiving thursday, black friday, then the weekend! it's the perfect combination of drinking, eating, shopping, and resting! sadly, i won't be able to spend it with my family and friends this year. ahhhhh i can't believe i'm missing out on thanksgiving dinner back home. i miss the candied yams, stuffing, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, ham, and of course the turkey. i'm drooling just thinking about it.

our typical thanksgiving spread at home =(

now now, don't feel too bad for me. i've come up with a solution! a few of my american friends and i are doing our own thanksgiving dinner. sadly, considering i don't have an oven, it won't be in the comfort of my own home. however, there are restaurants in korea that have thanksgiving specials just for all of us ex-pats! yay! we were a little late in making reservations so we weren't able to get a table for tonight, but we're doing it sunday. better late than never! they've promised turkey, mashed potatoes + gravy, green beans, soup, salad, and pumpkin pie! i'm so excited. we'll see how it goes.

now that thanksgiving is taken care of ... moving on to the next holiday ...

christmas!!!!!

i know christmas is still a month away, but i'm freaking out! i have no idea what to get my parents. well, i know what i'm getting my mom but my dad is impossible. i think he has to be the hardest person to shop for. we always just end up getting him clothes or shoes or accessories. i want to get him something he might want rather than something he needs. i was thinking of getting my dad an ipod, stereo dock, and something that'll enable him to listen to it in the car. what do you guys think?

that's my dad to the left. yes, he is lighting his cigarette with one of those lighters you use to light your stove, a barbeque, and not a cigarette. yes, we were all a bit surprised when he pulled that baby out of his pocket after dinner. lol anyway, in case you guys don't know my dad, he is not the most technologically savvy person out there. he pretends to be, but don't let him fool you. he's not! do you think he'd be able to handle an ipod? i figure that i'll get him an ipod classic (160gb), load it up with all of his favorite songs (he doesn't listen to anything new really), teach him how to use it while i'm there, and he should be good (atleast until one of the other hongs come home for break or something). i really can't think of anything else he might want. any other ideas? what's a good gift to get a dad? i really don't want to have to resort to buying him another polo, sweater, scarf, etc. HELP ME!

i'll be home for christmas

i'm going home!!!!

sadly, not right this minute, but soon enough! i booked my flight outta here! i'll be arriving in chicago on dec, 24th and will stay till jan. 2nd. that's 9 full days in chicago! i'll most likely be busy for a majority of the trip, what with the holidays, family, and whatnot, but i'd like to see everyone at least once during my short stay! i can't wait to go back! i have so many things i want to do, people i want to see, things i want to eat!!! omg i can't wait for some amazing food! i definitely want to go to some of my all-time favorite restaurants with my all-time favorite people! you know who you are!

foods i need to eat:

quartino's
avec
giordano's
portillo's
SUSHI!!!!
kuma's
chipotle
molly's cupcakes
fred's
etc.... (too many to list them all!)

i also can't wait for new year's eve! i'm staying till the 2nd of january so that i can spend new year's eve with you guys! we're going to party all night and then i'll probably have to spend the entire next day getting better for my flight the day after! it'll be short, but sweet! =)

i can't wait to see all of you!

1 month + 1 day and counting till this ...

this is definitely happening again this year ... miss you guys!!!

the little things that make me do my happy dance

1. JCREW.COM FINALLY WORKS IN KOREA!!!!!!

you have no idea what a monumental moment this is! j.crew's online website has always been restricted in korea since i can remember. i'd be utterly disappointed every time i'd try to log on. but guess what? it finally works!!! and what luck! everything on sale is an extra 30% off! this could be very very very bad for my wallet. uh oh ....

2. hodduk (korean sweet hotcake)

i just found the most amazing hodduk stand in all of seoul after 2 hours of non-stop searching for it. the place we had it from is called tul-bo-nae hodduk. it's pretty famous in seoul and people actually wait in line for it. it's in insa-dong and it's amazing! each hodduk is about 250 calories. i had 2. i was happy. i wanted more. i practiced some self control.

in case you guys don't know what a hodduk is ...

brown sugar mixture filled hotcake that's deep or pan fried in oil.
note: this is not the hodduk i had. mine looked (and was) 100x better. no doubt.

3. peanut butter

i don't really feel like this needs an explanation but apparently eating spoonfuls of just peanut butter is considered weird to korean people. they also have never eaten peanut butter on apples or celery. i'm so misunderstood here.

4. friends

friends from america. friends from korea. any and all friends. they are the best. they are awesome. they are especially awesome when you wake up one morning after passing out like a zombie and realize that you were supposed to be at work an hour ago. on top of being late to work it turns out that you were solely responsible for making a bunch of copies and getting things ready for a 10 am meeting. you start freaking out, running around with half a pair of pants on, toothbrush hanging out of your mouth, getting ready, and you call your friend at work and she agrees, without a single moan or groan, to get everything ready for you. friends are awesome. end of story.

5. my soon to arrive sam edelman zoe boots and sister (shoes first, sister second)!



i just ordered these bad boys off the internet and got them at a pretty decent price. i've been eye-ing these shoes since last year and i can't wait for my sister to come in a couple weeks with them and a ton of other stuff for me! yay! =)

i pulled a derrick rose

someone once said, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" ...

that is, unless your name is karen hong; in which case it takes you to the emergency room! (is that even the proper use of a semicolon? whatever, i don't care.)

last night, i had a great adventure! a great adventure that has taught me to stick to fruits that don't require cutting and/or peeling. damnit! why must apples be so round? why can't they just sit on a flat surface and not roll around everywhere? why must they have a core? why must they cause me so much pain? fool me once, shame on you (apple). fool me twice, shame on the other you (knife). fool me thrice!!!! finally, shame on me (apparently i am inept and cannot wield a knife and a piece of fruit at the same time) yes, you heard right, this was the third time i cut myself whilst trying to cut an apple. THIRD TIME!!!! i don't know what it is, but i just have a really hard time cutting apples. i would never even dare to try to peel an apple with a knife. i imagine that would end terribly.

anyway, like i said, this was the third time i shed blood for the sake of eating a delicious, juicy, crisp, red, apple. the other two times were slight nicks. nothing that a band-aid and some neosporin couldn't handle. well, this time, the blood kept gushing and gushing and there was no stopping it. i wrapped my finger with 2 band-aids and wrapped a paper towel around it a few times and it bled through everything. after about 15 minutes of non-stop bleeding and my impatience, i hopped in a cab and made my way to the emergency room.

let me tell you ... there's no reason they should call it the "emergency room". these doctors move slower than arthritic 80 yr. olds. ridiculous! they took a look at the finger and gave me the option of stitching it up or just going home with an outrageously thick band-aid. apparently the cut was bad, but not bad enough. it was just a level above getting stitches and it was my call. after consulting my handy dandy gtalk doctor (doctor dan), i decided to go ahead with the needle and thread. i waited around for about an hour before they finally got around to me. after 1.5 hours, the most painful local anesthesia i've ever experienced (which by the way is shot into the cut itself!!!!!), 2 stitches, 1 tetanus shot, and my meds, i was free to go.

i snapped a picture during the procedure for your viewing pleasure! =)

nice and bloody.

the best part had to be when the doctor looked at my thumb with a terrified look on his face asking if that was my blood on/under my nail. a look of relief washed over him when i assured him it was my nail polish.

and that was my emergency room adventure!

don't worry, my elephantiasis thumb and i are doing great!!!

oh yea, p.s. thanks to david hong for keeping me occupied via gchat while they stitched me up. =)

6 months and counting ...

i got to korea in may, blinked, and it was november. how times flies. this is the first time i've been in korea for more than my summer break. i've actually never even been in korea for the cold weather before and i'm alarmed at how cold it is. it's no better than chicago! i've been duped! one would assume that considering how hot the summers are here winters would be tolerable. apparently not. anyway, i digress. i can't believe it's almost 2011. where did the time go? my mid-20s are approaching at an alarming rate and i still feel like i'm just a kid. maybe listening to this new taylor swift album on repeat all day is making me feel like i'm a 15 yr. old teenage girl again. must stop now! but ... i can't! i won't! I LOVE TAYLOR SWIFT!!!!!

anyway ...

i feel like i've been working here forever but at the same time it also feels like i arrived just yesterday. it's been a little over 6 months since i stepped foot in the motherland and it's been surreal. in the beginning, i thought i'd never be able to call korea my home or even enjoy my time here. i guess when you're open-minded (and you have no other choice), things change. i'm slowly starting to feel like i belong and i look forward to the coming months here. i've managed to make a few close friends and i have actually established a routine here. i have constants in my korean life! it's a miracle! however, no matter how great things are going, i can't help but feel lonely at times.

i am desperately missing all of my friends, family, and my chicago. i especially miss what this season brings back in the states. october through january = ridiculous costumes + food + more food + presents + parties + friends/family + kisses @ midnight + the occasional holiday fling. sadly, the holiday spirit doesn't seem to reside in seoul. i hear he makes a pit stop on christmas day but then he's out of here in the blink of an eye in order to make it back to the states in time for the NYE ball drop. it's actually kind of sad. while everyone in the states are anxiously awaiting thanksgiving, the superbowl, and their fat pants, i'm anxiously awaiting ... nothing (i've already made the transition into my fat pants ... no waiting necessary). i had every intention of making my way back to the states for the holiday season but now i don't know if that's going to happen. if i do come, it'll be from dec. 29th - jan. 7/8. we'll see how this project plays out. i can't wait till i can see all of you again! it's been too long! oh yea, i also can't wait for all of you who are coming to visit in the winter! make plans to see me while i'm here.

till then ...

i have this bear to comfort me. rawr!

well, i'm still at the office at 9 p.m. i should probably get back to finishing this damn campus entrance if i ever want to go home.

satisfying my sweet tooth

smitten kitchen's buckeyes recipe

i'm in want of some recipes. mind you, i don't have an oven. does anyone have any recipes for something sweet that doesn't require more than a microwave, toaster, stove, or a couple of chopsticks? oh yea, i can't use any crazy ingredients either ... korea has absolutely nothing in that department. i wanted to make puppy chow the other day and apparently korea only sells chocolate chex. damn you korea!!!!!!!!!!!! i found a recipe for buckeyes (pictured above). maybe i'll try making that this weekend and test it out on david hong and my coworkers. if you have any recipes, let me know!

home sweet home

it's been a little over a month since i moved into the new place. 6th floor, 1 bed, 1 bath. perfectly sized for a single gal like myself. it's conveniently located in cheongdam-dong within a 5-10 minute walk from all my favorite stores, movie theaters, eateries, public transportation, etc. i would say it's comparable to the gold coast or river north neighborhood of chicago and i love it!

the best part about the apartment is that i don't have to pay rent! you heard right! NO RENT! i obviously pay the monthly assessment fee and utility bills but other than that, nada. no monthly rent! during my house hunt here i discovered something awesome about korea's renting system. this may be the one thing i absolutely love about korea!!! they have the normal monthly rent system like we do back in the states but they also have a system where you pay a lump sum (key money), sign a 1-2 year contract, and then receive the original entire lump sum back at the end of your lease period. yup! true story. so all you lose are opportunity costs (which, with the economy being the way it is, doesn't really mean much). that lump sum can be anywhere from $50,000 and upwards. it all depends on neighborhood, house size, etc. so, yes, my parents paid my key money and now i have a place where i don't have to worry about the burden of paying monthly rent. yay me! awesome korean key money system for the win!

i decided to post pictures of the place because it's finally starting to come together and it actually looks like someone lives there. i know it's a bit sparse but this is a HUGE improvement from before! i just got my couch last weekend and the coffee table didn't arrive till a few days ago. i've also ordered a small dining table to fill up this awkward space i have in between the kitchen and living room space (not pictured because i am embarrassed). oh yea, the place also came furnished with a flatscreen tv and surround speakers. awesome.

the bathroom was a big selling point for me. it was one of the main reasons why i decided to go with this place (aside from the great location and 1 bed/1 bath layout). the shower system has those crazy body jet sprays and it's also a jacuzzi! i've actually never used either of these features, but it's nice to know that i have the option!

last, but not least ... my bedroom!!! that space above my bed was so pathetic and empty before i decided to put up all those polaroid pictures i took.

this place is finally starting to feel a bit like home ever since i found a place to call my own. come visit me people!!! i have plenty of floorspace for everyone! =)

mother knows best

american dating:

girl meets boy.
girl talks to boy.
girl dates boy.

korean dating:

girl has friends.
girl's friends have other friends.
girl's friends set girl up on blind date with said other friend.
girl goes on blind date.
girl dates boy.

this is pretty much how it goes here. there is no meeting someone random in a bar. there is no spontaneous conversation with a perfect stranger on some mode of public transportation. there is no chance meeting.

blind dates are considered desperate, sad, and pathetic back in the states. here, they are a way of life. if you're not open to blind dating, you're not open to dating. period. the only other way you'll have a significant other is if you start dating someone already in your circle of friends or at work. for me, this is never an option. not saying that i'm looking for a boyfriend necessarily. it just seems that if i were to ever want one, my options are incredibly limited.

this is how an introductory conversation in korea goes:

what's your name? ...
where are you from? ...
how old are you? ...
do you have a boyfriend? ...
i have someone i could introduce you to! ...

true story. i would know. i've had the same conversation with everyone in my office. someone actually even had a name of a prospective to offer up on the spot. right then and there. this leads me to the main point of this post ... my most recent set-up attempt ... BY MY MOTHER!!!

i get a call from my mother. she tells me she has a friend who'll be flying to korea in a few days and is willing to bring some of my personal belongings. i give her a list of stuff i need and she explains to me that the lady will give me a call when she gets in. i think that's the end of this conversation. what more is there to say? it all seems pretty standard. easy as pie ... lady calls, i meet her, pick up my stuff, and done. WRONG. my mother starts going in another direction with the conversation. she tells me to make sure to be respectful and polite when i meet said lady. she tells me to wear appropriate clothing. she tells me to look presentable. uhhhh ... 1. i'm always awesomely nice and presentable ... 2. why the hell is she telling me all of this? i thought i was just picking up some stuff and i'd be on my way. wrong again. this is when my mother reveals her true intention ... this lady has a son. oh, and what a son. he is 32 (or 31 .. or 30?), most probably tall and handsome (his father is tall and his mother is pretty so he must possess both qualities!), and he's a doctor (or in school ... or the army ... or something). my mother is very vague in her description. she doesn't know much. she just knows he's a boy and that he is in need of a good woman!

apparently this lady knew that my mother birthed 3 lovely girls so she paid my mom a visit at the store to have a little chat. what luck! she meets stephany ...

lady: i love stephany. so sweet. so cute. perfect future daughter-in-law material. why yes, i'll take her!

mom: no, no, no. stephany is too young and she already has a bf.

lady: what of your other daughters?

mom: i have an older daughter! she is 24. prime and ready to walk down the aisle.

lady: that's perfect! where is she? my son lives in korea.

mom: perfection. my daughter is also currently residing in korea!

lady: it's match made in heaven. yes, i will meet her. please give me an excuse to see your eldest daughter.

mom: you can take her stuff to her! she'll have to meet you if she ever wants to see her christian louboutin black patent leather shoe boots again!! muhahahahaahaha (evil laughter and rubbing together of hands)!!!!!!

the end. mind you, i'm paraphrasing the conversation, but i'm almost positive my mother did an evil laughter whilst rubbing her hands together. these korean women are devious and cunning when it comes to matchmaking their hopeless offsprings. i have yet to hear from this lady or her leper of a son. we'll see what happens. i just want my shoes damnit!!!!!

on another note ...

desperately wanting a vespa for next spring ... yay or nay?

fat girl

ryan keeps telling me i have to write more about the issues, my issues ...

i've always known that korean people were very apt to being incredibly blunt, borderline rude, and just plain inconsiderate when it comes to personal appearance. afterall, i did grow up with a korean mother/father and a ton of korean relatives. these people are incredibly tactless and will say exactly what they think of how you look, regardless of your feelings. i've grown up my entire life hearing "you've gained some weight", "are you sure you should be eating that?", "now you're just too thin," "you would look so much better with eyelid surgery", and the list goes on. i'm sorry, but when i see you for the first time in 4 years i don't want the first thing i hear out of your mouth to be what procedures i can have done to make myself prettier in your (or any other koreans') eyes. where am i going with this you ask? well ... i did not realize just how terrible these people were until today. (mind you i'm not saying this is the entire korean population. however, i would say that it might be a majority of them!)

i've never had any serious issues with my personal appearance before stepping foot in this country. i admit there are times when i have my off days and i feel fat or ugly, but, i've always been somewhat satisfied with the cards i've been dealt in the appearance category. i think i'm of average weight and that i look healthy and normal. apparently (according to one coworker) that is not the case.

i was enjoying an afternoon snack with a few coworkers today and the topic of weight was brought into the conversation. someone had nonchalantly said to me, "karen, aren't you jealous that this supervisor (we'll call him A) can eat all of these chips and cookies and not gain any weight?" he didn't mean any harm by this statement. he was just saying this because we always joke that eating all this crap is going to make me huge. so my response to this statement was that no matter how much i ate it always seemed like i never got much larger than my current size. i said it in a somewhat proud tone considering i eat complete shit and am not severely overweight. this is when A (in a very serious manner) says "you shouldn't be proud of that, you're not thin. you're actually borderline fat. look at your broad shoulders." yes, he actually said that to my face. and no, it was not the way one of my friends would say it to me. he was being completely serious. i didn't even know how to respond to this statement. i just fumbled around for something clever to say and only got out "well, i can't help my shoulders, it's my bone structure." he then went on to compare me to the girl (who i love by the way) that sits behind me. he went on to mention how she was thin and that i should try to be more like her. mind you this girl eats a real meal maybe a total of 4 times a week. she literally drinks milk + powder for lunch and dinner. he then proceeded to eat my snacks and walk back to his seat. there was no apology, there was no remorse.

i was completely infuriated with him but was not able to show how i really felt considering he was my "superior" at work and in age. am i the only sane person in this country? am i the only person that thinks this behavior is appalling? i don't understand what is wrong with these people. no wonder everyone feels the need to get plastic surgery here. i can't stand this bullshit. i'm not looking for people to comment with compliments (already got the boost i needed earlier today =)). i just felt the need to rant. this has been something that has bothered me about korea since day one. everyone that doesn't fit this country's image of beautiful is running around, insecure, chopping off parts of their face, starving themself, and just plain unhappy. i usually don't let things like this get to me but it's really hard when it's constantly happening.

well, that's my rant. i don't even really know how to end this and i don't want to end on a bad note so ... i found this image and i really liked it. that is all.

w.w.j.d

W. W. J. D.

what would johnny do

hong KHONG phooey

just got back from a 4 day trip to hong kong and macau. one word. AWESOME. seriously, i could see myself living there for a while. it's the perfect fusion of east and west. spent my time eating, shopping, sightseeing, ferry-riding, and dare-devil acts. all in all it was a grand ol' time. here are a few pictures of my trip. just a taste. i'll post more on facebook later.

view of hong kong from victoria peak

mong kok street market
mong kok has entire streets dedicated to goldfish, electronics, sneakers, women's clothing, etc. MADNESS!!! literally a whole street lined with just that specialty item.

cool installation/seating in lan kwai fong and my partners in crime

view of hong kong from tsim tsa tsui
sorry for the blurry/crappy night shots. apparently i suck at taking pictures.

bungee jumping off the macau tower
it's the tallest commercial bungee jump (233 m./765 ft.) in the world!!

there i goooooooo ....


and of course ... polaroids of our trip!

on love.

on love by alain de botton
there's reason to my madness!

das boot

so ... as many of you know, i'm in a cast and i have to navigate the streets of korea on a pair of crutches. let me tell you, crutches are hard enough in general, add korea's mountains/hilly roads, sweltering heat, 10000% humidity, typhoon winds! (yes, real typhoons), and rude korean pedestrians and it's just that much worse!

the pros:

- i always get a seat when it comes to public transportation,
- my supervisors don't send me on errands to other floors

- i take extra long lunches to go to the doctor's office

- i just get pity from everyone wherever i go.

the cons:

- random people who also use handicap facilities (aka senile old people) always strike up conversation that i don't really care to partake in

- i can't really leave the confines of my desk

- i have to go to the doctor's office instead of the gym during my lunch hour

- i am a leper

basically i got hurt on vacation, just being the idiot that i am. jumping picture FAIL!!!!

this is what the picture should have looked like ...

uhm yea. i'm awesome. i know.

picture fail. foot fail. life fail.

got this damn boot instead. i'm awesome.

hope you all had a good laugh at my expense. on the bright side, i finally signed the lease to my apartment! updates on that soon to come.

no oven? no time? no problem!

i found this recipe online at www.newdressaday.wordpress.com

it's perfect for those people without ovens ... or time ... or patience!

i've never made it before. someone make it and let me know if it's any good! =)

enjoy!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (Microwave Safe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly before pouring in the milk and oil in. Keep mixing. Add the optional chocolate chips next (who makes that an option!) and vanilla extract, and mix again…

Mmm, cake batter!

Put your mug in the micro wave and cook for three minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed! Allow it to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.

This is too easy!!

EAT ! (this can serve two if you want to feel slightly more virtuous).

OSM!! (Optional Sharing Method!)

i'm here

if you have the time. this is a must. i highly recommend. enjoy.

http://www.imheremovie.com/

friends + summer

missing the crew and chicago summers like mad.

totally creeped the 2nd photo off of amber's facebook.

london 2011 reunion? i think so!

twisted

galilee ... studio bellencour architects
toulouse, france

a light on a hill

She whispers to me I was meant to be free,
this life that we built is deadly.
She crawls from my bed, runs a comb cross her head.
She crawls to the train and drives herself home.

love.

i'm somehow managing to stay awake at work on only 3 hours of sleep.

miracle? no.
insane amounts of coffee? yes!

words of the wise: don't stay out till 4 am on a school night kiddies. bad news bears. luckily i didn't have much to do at work today. i was bored and browsing some of my favorite blogs when i came across these goodies.

i want it. i need it. oh baby. oh baby.

a little somethin' somethin' to spice up your morning. ;)

this is for my fellow world travelers.
you scratch my map and i'll scratch yours.

my heart just skipped a beat.
serie stoccolma by note design studio



acne. admire. love.
frankenstein's got nothin' on this bitch

why yes, i do realize i'm posting pictures of salt & pepper shakers and bicycles. need something to do ...