Pastel Hotel

{source: unknown}

Since my arrival home from Portland, I have been on one too many adventures that I've neglected to complete my duties I needed to get in order before I board my plane back to Japan. So my last few days here will be busy busy busy due to my wonderful skills in the art of procrastination.

On another note, I went to see the The Grand Budapest Hotel yesterday!! To be quite honest it was not something I planned on viewing, since movies like this has a history of leaving me solemn and melancholy; but to my surprise, I enjoyed it! Maybe because I went in with such low expectations, but compared to my friends I think I ended up leaving the theatre more cheerful than I entered. I loved the idiosyncratic characters and of course the colors that could just make you melt. 

P.S. I thought for the longest time that the bellboy was Michael Cera. Laughter ensued when I brought this up with my friends. 

Shades of Portland

I think I'm still having an affair with Portland!! I might make it a tradition to go back every spring when the trees are sodden with rain and everything is verdant. These hiking boots were my partner in crime for the days when the skies were grey and I could not have survived without them. Here are some of the other colors I encountered while I was there: 

Rainy Day Feat

Yesterday I spent the day with my dear friend Alex. I have been nesting with her, while I stay here in Portland since she has a cozy little home. She took me on a hike on her favorite pathway across town filled with succulent greenery which was a wonderful change from the toast colored scenery of the suburbs back home. 

We stopped for breakfast at a bakery that served the freshest and most delicious cream cheese & bagels I have ever had. After each bite I took I would put down the bagel and just savor the flavor of it all for a few minutes and have it all melt into memory. I think it was the first time I appreciated the food I ate that much. 

I'm excited as for today I will be wandering Portland by myself :)

Green Green Green

I arrived in Portland, Oregon as of ten o'clock yesterday morning. As a person that complains consistently about my detestation towards rain, for me to choose to come to a city that is plagued by it most of the year must be the works of the gods of irony. 

But since this city is made of raindrops, it has made the city's landscape more lush than I can ever imagine. Everywhere I go it's unimaginably green; even the houses are painted some shade of the color! I find this town incredibly adorable to say the least :) 

I Hear Lions

The winds have been roaring since morning, making me a bit timid to step outside to run my errands. It's funny how suddenly Southern Californians become feeble when the temperature is anything but sunny. I usually detest rain but today I am somehow able to embrace it; scurrying around the house like mice doing chores I've left scattered throughout the week with the rain as background music motivating me subtly.

Taking a little break now with milk and chocolate chip pumpkin bread I made yesterday. They were suppose to be muffins but I couldn't find any cupcake liners so I opted to make a square loaf instead and they were equally scrumptious. I also found this mug hiding away in the back of the cabinet. From time to time I discover new kitchenware from the eighties or nineties from when my siblings were little. I absolutely adore the designs I uncover sometimes and I'm glad my parents didn't toss it during the remodeling. It's funny how to them the design is banal and outdated but I see it as charming. 

I Smell Love

Last night I made milk chocolate truffles covered in shaved coconut in the spirit of Valentines Day which turned out wonderfully, except for the fact I might of added a tidbit too much cream, but a little time in the freezer fixed it right up :) I forgot how simple it was to make, and the outcome seems like you've been frenzying in the kitchen for the whole day. 

I also purchased a new perfume from Anthropologie that smells absolutely heavenly. I've never been into wearing scents since the ones I have encountered either felt too manufactured or really didn't please my nose. This bottle however, was simple yet had a feminine touch, exactly what I have been looking for all along ♡

Letters To You

Today I was able to finish up some cards for Valentines Day that I've been meaning to complete. Though we live in an age where e-mails and texts are a lot more ubiquitous than hand written notes, I think getting a letter by mail from a friend is so lovely. It seems that now, one's mailbox is filled with bills and advertisement and it doesn't feel personal anymore and has become just another mean of social media in analogue form. 

Bliss

I have myself a new little nook for the next two weeks fully furnished with all the knick knacks of my heart's desire. I have situated myself comfortably on the most adorable vintage couch with raspberries and my current read, The Goldfinch. I was a bit intimidated at first with the seven hundred page count and I'm still surprised at myself that I went forth with it, but everywhere I turned I would only hear wonderful things being said, so I decided to take the challenge. And since I am trying to read more this year, would it be so terribly wrong to count this as two books?

Rose et Rouge

Though I usually find my street mundane and uneventful, I was pleasantly surprised by these bushels of pink flowers in full bloom. The weekend usually lets me catch up a weeks worth of duties that I was unable to squeeze into my schedule and I tend to dress myself in a simple attire of a shirt, tights, and a very soft cardigan that I could fall asleep in at any moment.

{book: Art of the 20th Century}

I was also able to get some words written down for my Rothko essay which I am quite pleased. I've always wanted to gain a deeper understanding towards art but up until now I've been having the hardest time. When my professor offered me a different perspective on viewing art through spirituality it helped me approach a subject that I've been trying to grasp at for years suddenly become clear as day.

Schlump

I've been feeling somewhat somber with the skies grey and heavy with rain. Paired with this weather, today was my last day working with the family I have been taking care of the children for for the last couple months and I will miss the children terribly. It's strange the delight you get when you realize the babies you have been taking care of, recognize you every morning and run towards you squealing with glee when they are unable to even articulate the simplest words. That happiness they exudes is really the most genuine of all human kind. 

So wanting to get out of this schlump, I've decided to assemble a little guide for when feeling the blues. 

• Talk to someone. I've realized whenever I lack motivation, I always cheer right up when I talk to someone for a mere 5 or 10 minutes. 
• Making the day productive. By completing the simple tasks on my to-do list can be quite comforting end those pesky little responsibilities are most likely the ones that I tend to put off. 
• Reading my favorite book or blogs. The book I always turn to would most likely be The Happiness Project and the blog I read for a quick pick me up is A Cup Of Jo. The funny thing is I realized a lot of books or blogs that makes me optimistic again usually is set in New York City. 
• Change of scenery. Just driving to a different part of town that I haven't been in a while was a great way to get out of my head and rejuvenate.