Sunny n Blue

Happy Halloween! Be safe getting tricks or treats. In case you want to send me any candy, my favorites are crunch bars, mr. goodbars, and m&m's. Image credit: Google image search

After attending an alumni mixer in Costa Mesa last night, my hubby decided to go to Oki Doki (the sister restaurant of 345 in Laguna Beach). This restaurant serves a fantastic menu of pan-Asian food from Japanese, Chinese to Vietnamese dishes. I love ordering the salmon lemon rolls, cajun tuna roll, and albacore salad with extra garlic chips. Salmon lemon rolls: Albacore salad with extra garlic chips: More info: Oki Doki - http://www.okidokirestaurant.com/

I have been taking the Metrolink to/from work lately. All the train commuting means I need to be prepared. Here's what's on my checklist everyday: 1.) Comfy shoes My navy blue Keds I got for $20 at TJ Maxx are super comfy. I also love my black Adidas sneakers I got in New York City after wearing black leather boots all around the city. 2.) Watch I got this yellow wannabe Juicy Couture necklace charm watch at a thrift shop a few months back for $10. Hooray! 3.) Pashmina scarf I gotta stay warm on the train and be prepared for chilly mornings. This thing can serve as a blanket or scarf.

My brother introduced me hakata ramen a few years ago and and gets mad at me whenever I mispronounce the name. What a snob just cuz he took Japanese class in high school. Whenever I'm there, I get the hakata ramen with spinach, flavored egg, and extra ginger - medium base, medium oil, medium noodles. The ramen is so good and flavorful! It always hits the spot for a nice dinner meal. The place is so popular too that there is often a wait. Hakata Ramen: More info: Shin Sen Gumi - http://www.shinsengumiusa.com/FV_ramen/index.php

Two weekends ago, my hubby and I met up with some college friends in San Diego. Since they are out of towners and wanted seafood, I suggested we try Ocenaire. I've always wanted to check out how Top Chef contestant Brian Malarkey prepares the seafood. The restaurant was crowded, yet had a cozy rustic charm about it. They seated us right away which was nice since we didn't make any reservations. We started off with Oysters Rockefeller and Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes. The crab cakes were awesome and had real crab. They didn't have that smelly seafood taste either and tasted fresh. For our entree, my hubby and I shared the swordfish glazed with a red wine reduction and sprinkled with almonds. Delish! I forget what our friends ordered, but we did share some great sides of sauteed mushrooms and haricot verts (aka green beans). Our lovely swordfish dish: More info: The Oceanaire - http://www.theoceanaire.com/Location/Default.aspx?id=6

You're probably thinking - what is that thing? It's a new apple slicer I bought at Ikea last weekend. I like to think an apple a day keeps the doctor away. I'm a big fan of fuji apples and this new one called honey crisp. Can't wait to try my new apple slicer. Yay!

I first blogged about Te Casan when I mentioned Natalie Portman is a vegan shoe designer. Just got an email that they're offering 20% off online orders. Ch-check it out: More info: Te Casan - http://www.tecasan.com

I used to be undecided with the two Presidential candidates, but Palin's recent behavior and quotes have made the choice easier. Tina Fey's impresion of her on SNL is hilarious! I absolutely love following news about her. Did you know that the Republican National Committee has spent thousands on her wardrobe and accessories since she was nominated? They spent a whopping $150K last month. Whoa! Oh, to have that kind of budget for fashion, beauty, and accessories! I think I would get a facials/massages every week, buy any pair of shoes I spy, go crazy with eyeshadows and skincare products, and get any dress I like. More info: Sarah Palin's $150K wardrobe malfunction - http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/alltherage/2008/10/palins-economic.html

One of my favorite shows has returned for the second season. Lipstick Jungle features Wendy, Nico, and Victoria living a New York life filled with fun and scandal. I love watching it to see what Victory and Nico will wear. Oh, how fun it would be to be a fashion designer or editor in chief! Victory always has the best dresses, while Nico has the best accessories. I'd love to dress like them in real life. One neat feature of the NBC site is they have links to featured clothes on the show. I wish there were visuals but I guess this will do. More info: Lipstick Jungle Featured Clothes - http://www.nbc.com/Lipstick_Jungle/about/featured_clothes/index.shtml

One dolla make you holla!? Last Saturday, my hubby wanted to go to Ikea to buy some glass jars for the kitchen to stop our lil' ant problem. After going through that maze of a store, I rewarded myself with a nice non-fat frozen yogurt. Can you say yum?

A girlfriend recommended Extraordinary Desserts to me a while back and I've been dying to try this bakery. She said they have the best desserts ever. I was excited to see all the goodies galore and even made my hubby drop by before dinner with some college friends. I ordered their elaborate chocolate raspberry cake and lemon hazelnut cake decorated with flowers and gold flakes. Oooh la la! Mmm! More info: Extraordinary Desserts - http://extraordinarydesserts.com/

I love H&M for their affordable prices and cute fashions. You should see my closet on what kind of loot I have. You can now get $10 off for every $50 purchase until Sunday, October 19. Hurry! More info: H&M - http://www.hm.com

Got a Nordstrom's newsletter yesterday that select apparal and shoes are 50% off online only. Ch-check it out! More info: Nordstroms - http://www.nordstroms.com

I first heard about Trilogy Spa from Allure Magazine and love going to the South Bay just for their lomi hot stone massage. Of all the spas I've been to, I love that they have cut tropical fruit in their quiet room and yummy homemade body scrubs for their rainfall shower. I feel like I am in Hawaii each time I go here. I'm so happy to hear they have $70 specials. Check out the image below. More info: Trilogy Spa - http://www.trilogyspa.com

Guess what? I read in one of my food blogs that there will be no more Mother's Circus Animal cookies. I suggest raiding your local grocery store and stockpiling these for the future. Oh, I loved those white icing cookies! More info: Say bye to Mother’s Circus Cookies

I blogged about Fashion Elements (fem) way back and wanted to mention them again. They launched a new site last week where they host online designer sample sales. Right now, they're selling cute dresses by Voom by Joy Han. I'm diggin' the Luxi Mini White dress. So dainty! More info: I Shop FEM - http://www.ishopfem.com/

Did you know there's a new Hollister store at the Fashion Outlets of Las Vegas in Primm? Say ooh la la! I got myself a few goodies on my Vegas trip last month all for $30. This soft grey shirt, cute white v neck, and comfy sweats. I don't think I've bought anything at Hollister since my brother worked at the Fashion Island store. Shh, he doesn't want me to tell you he worked there. Haha! More info: Hollister - http://www.hollisterco.com/

I bet you didn't know there was a Pinball Museum in Vegas. I sure didn't until I read a recent LA Times article. A couple Saturdays ago, I had a fun-filled day in Vegas lounging by the pool sipping a cool drink and shopping at Fashion Outlet of Las Vegas. We had some time to kill before dinner so decided to go to the Pinball Museum off the strip. This place boasts of 200 pinball machines and I sure believe it. I think the $20 roll of quarters went to good use for my entertainment. My favorite pinball machine is Nightmare on Elm Street. When you go to nightmare mode, you get more balls on the board. Whoo hoo, makes it so fun to hit with the flippers. Where the fun starts: More info: Pinball Museum - http://www.pinballmuseum.org/

I'm sure you've seen the signs on your way from Vegas. I have to say I fall for advertising every time and made my brother pull over to Baker after a Vegas weekend two weekends ago so we can finally try Mad Greek. I have to say it was the best Greek food I've ever had - way better than Daphne's Greek Cafe. Everything was so flavorful and tasty. I can't believe we ordered $30 worth of food, from strawberry shake, hummus, gyro, to grape leaves. No wonder it's packed with hungry folks. Mmm, mmm, good: More info: Mad Greek, 72112 Baker Blvd, Baker, CA 92309, 760-733-4354

I sadly don't know how to cook. (I'm so lucky to have a gourmet chef hubby in the kitchen. Hee!) I can do the occasional fried egg, adobo, casava cake, cupcake, or muffin, but that's about it. That's why I'm excited to have signed up for a cooking class at Laguna Culinary Arts. I'll be learning about Classic Thai Flavors . The menu sounds awesome. I'll learn how to make Tom Kah Gai; Chicken satay with peanut sauce; Pad Thai; Thai mango sweet sticky rice. Yum, I can't wait to try out my skills in the kitchen and maybe host a dinner party to celebrate. More info: Laguna Culinary Arts - http://www.lagunaculinaryarts.com

This Jessi dress from Lauren Conrad's Holiday 2008 "girl just want to have fun" collection is so adorable. I love the sweetheart neckline and the ruffled skirt. So cute! I wish I was tall or had an occasion to wear it. More info: LaurenConrad.com Image credit: laurenconrad.com

Last Tuesday, I met up with some girlfriends to go shopping on Robertson and eat at The Ivy. We were hoping to spot some celebs, but unfortunately didn't see any. We did spot a Leonardo DiCaprio look-a-like though. The evening started off with a trip to American Apparel. I can't believe I bought four men's tees, romper, and shorts all for $60. Thanks SS for letting me use your American Apparel discount, you rock! My new AA gear: We walked around and sadly all the stores were closed except for the Men's Kitson. They had a nice display of shoes that I was diggin. Take a look here: The Ivy meal was superb from the seafood linguini to white chocolate lemon cake with berries. We ate al fresco outside on this hot summer evening over candlelight. Looking at the ivy and roses on the restaurant made us think we were eating outside in Europe. Mmm, cake:

Last Saturday, I drove on Harbor Blvd in a rush to get to my facial appointment and saw a cool Argentinean restaurant I want to try. Empanada's Place looks like the same Culver City restaurant I spy whenever I'm in LA. The restaurant is so new that they only have two Yelp reviews. More info: Yelp review - http://www.yelp.com/biz/empanadas-place-costa-mesa

I heard about Martha Stewart Crafts from my wedding coordinator a few months ago and love her cupcake holders. I purchased the pastel Hawaiian-like cupcake tins on a recent visit to Michael's with my momma. I think I'm obsessed with cupcakes!

I went to Kohl's a few months ago to check out the Simply Vera - Vera Wang collection. I wasn't too impressed with the clothes and wasn't really diggin' the clothes on last Saturday's visit either. I did love all the hair accessories I saw and purchased these cool plastic headbands. One had white and brown swirls while another had grey and white swirls. I can't wait to sport them at work. Not bad for $5!

It would have been a typical Sunday afternoon of going to church and watching the Broncos at Hooters Lampost Pizza. But at halftime, I decided to ditch the boys and go to the Seal Beach kite festival. The drive on PCH was relaxing with the cool breeze tangling my hair. I was amazed at all the kites roaring in the sky. I even made a cool yellow kite that I flew after the revolution kite demos. It was so neat to see all the kites in the sky. I definitely will check this out next year and bring some peeps with me. I had such a good time chilling and watching the kites, that I didn't even mind the $35 parking ticket I got. Shh, just don't tell my brother! Lookie at what I saw: The best kite of all - my yellow paper kite: More info: Seal Beach Japan America Kite Festival - http://www.kiteclub.org/pages/festival.htm

Got this email from a girlfriend and thought I'd share: "i checked it out online and found the name of the mexican restaurant in Chatsworth....definitely a must visit if you're in the area. it had a ton of great reviews online so I feel good referring you to it :)Its called Los Toros and has THE BEST margaritas and they give you chips and a really great bean dip (in lieu of salsa) Mmmmm." Not sure I'll be in the Chatsworth area anytime soon but I love hearing about restaurants to try out. More info: Los Toros - http://www.lostoros.com/

Saw this blog posting the other day about lady-like exiting. Do you remember when Britney and other celebs would get caught flashing paparazzi? I'm hoping those days are over. This makes me glad no one watches me when I exit my vehicle. Whew! More info: A woman's guide to properly exiting a vehicle

My cousin saw this and thought I would like it. I told him Christmas is coming up. A cupcake holder, how cool is that? What will they think of next?

I loved seeing this "Fall Beauty Trend" that messy buns are in. I've been sporting this since junior high. I especially love wearing this all day and taking my hair down for lovely waves to wear in the evening. More info: Trendcentral article

I have been hearing good things about this eye pen and finally bought one at Target the other week. I have been using it about a week now and do notice it improves my under-eye puffiness and dark circles. Hooray! I like how it wakes me up before I catch the 7:11am train to work. More info: Garnier anti-puff eye roller - http://www.garniernutritioniste.com/en/#products/skinrenew/eye_roller