2013 Recap

Since tomorrow is the beginning of a new year, it's natural that I find myself involuntarily rewinding back the most memorable moments of the past year. To be honest, I'm not sure how anyone can do it so easily since I can hardly remember what I did four hours ago. But I still think it's worth a shot.

I remember, the beginning of the year I was in a very weird place with how I felt with the people I called my closes friends for the past 5-6 years of my life. I remember feeling a lot of anguish and I was very troubled by the fact that I no longer meant anything to them. But as the months went by and the very vague motto "college happened" came true, I began to accept that sometimes the people we set ourselves to spend our future with will not always turn out that way. For some reason, I found this very difficult to accept and in turn, I found it very difficult to find new friends to replace them. However, now I'm glad to say I'm on a new plane of acceptance. I realized that it's not that I needed to replace anyone or that anyone had done me wrong. Friendships don't lose meaning but only gain a different definition.

But in between all that bitterness, I found a new obsession with Les Miserable which now has a special connotation for me. I was taken a wonderful Valentine's Day date. I attended my first concerts which included Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. I finished my first year of college. I got my first job. I found a new love for yoga. Had a great summer. And had another successful semester. 

I'm very thankful for a wonderful year and hope for nothing but better and bigger things in 2014. Here are a few (not all) of my resolutions that I'd like to share...

1. Do More Yoga - Now, I understand yoga is not for everyone and the thought of twisting in ways you never thought you could twist sounds terrifying. But personally, whenever I attend a yoga class or even do yoga by myself at home, I find myself more at peace with myself. Whatever stress was aching in my shoulders or whatever worrisome thought that made me take mindless shallow breaths suddenly dissipated. I become more mindful and aware and it doesn't even have to happen during a "yoga" session. But it can happen even in simple meditation. 
2. Write More - I truly do enjoy blogging. It's saddening how much I neglect it while I'm in school. But this year, I want to make it a goal to still keep up with my blog. It may not mean to blog every day but to blog when I feel the need to blog rather than putting it off and off until I forget about it.
3. Do More of What Makes Me Happy - I met a special person this year, Johnny Cupcakes. And I never really took what he said and applied it to my life. But after reflecting of this past year, I'm going to make it part of my resolutions.
4. Let Things Go - I have a nasty habit to hold onto thoughts until I become brittle with bitterness and I break. Which is such an unhealthy habit. I need to learn to let things go and know that I can't control everything.
5. Shop Less, Window Shop More - I was taking a look around my closet the other day and the amount of clothes I have in my closet that I no longer wear is almost disgustingly selfish that I just want to grab my entire closet and just donate it. Growing up in middle school and high school, I felt some sort of desire to constantly buy new things for super cheap prices. As a result, I have a bunch of cheap clothes that don't even look good anymore because they're so cheap. Most of them I just bought because I was so lured by the cheap prices that I just couldn't pass them up. Which is just so plain ridiculous, I don't know why no one stopped me.

With all of that said, 2014 awaits! Happy New Year's Eve! :)

After Christmas Sales

I got a late start to my day today as usual. I've been finding it difficult to get out of bed even before 1 lately. My mom and I decided to take a trip to Target to see if any of the holiday sales were good. Turns out they were. We ended up buying a huge amount of lights that were 70% off to replace some of the burnt out lights on our Christmas tree and also to add onto the lights outside our house. I also picked up purple lights for my own room because my walls are purple. Since purple isn't very festive, they turned out to be $1.40 for a 100 bulb string. Needless to say, it was a steal. I also grabbed this last set of snowflake lights. I turned them on and they were so pretty. I'm not sure where to put them in my room yet. But when I do, I'll be sure to share a picture. I prefer warm white colored lights personally. But I figured I had two string lights of those at school. So why not change it up a little.

I also think these Japanese green tea mochi is my new obsession. They are so delicious and they are definitely a great snack. I picked them up at my local Korean store for a $1.50 for a pack of 6.

My mom also found me this electric hand held mixer that I can use for baking my cookies next time. This new tool will make my life so much easier and make baking cookies so much faster. I can't believe how difficult it is to stir the batter with a tiny little whisk! Maybe this new tool will help solve my flat cookie problem as well.

New Bookshelf!

Thank goodness for Ikea! I was able to grab this fancy little bookshelf for $25 to replace my old one that was only three shelves. These are a few pictures of how I decided to arrange the shelving unit for now. It's still a work in progress because I'm still looking for things to fill it with since I'm not used to all the space. But I kind of like how it is right now. I decided to donate a lot of my old books and keep only the most recently ones I enjoyed. Since I got a kindle, I've been less likely to buy new books.

I've finally finished Allegiant and I can just say it was satisfying and it was definitely different from the rest of the trilogy. I can't wait to see the movie interpretations of the series and I hope they do at least some justice.

I wasn't able to blog much for Christmas but I mostly spent it at home with my family. I was able to make chocolate chip cookies from scratch for the first time. For some reason they came out really thin but still tasty nonetheless. I hope that the next time I make them, they come out a little bit thicker. I'm suspecting that it had something to do with how much I mixed it or the eggs I used wasn't room temperature. But if you're looking for the recipe, I used this one. Benji's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 year anniversary of Boss Daily!!!

Today, I'm happy to say that today is the 1 year anniversary of my blog! I honestly did not think that this blog would last this long. I started this blog on a whim and I kind of knew that I wouldn't be entirely consistent with it. Running a blog is a lot of work and can become a full time job - which it is for many people. However, I find it as a enjoyable hobby.

I can't believe Christmas is coming up so close and soon after that the year is nearly over! But I'm personally proud of myself for getting all of my Christmas shopping done last week and to reward myself, I enjoyed this yummy slice of Peppermint Bark Cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory. I don't have much of a sweet tooth and I usually prefer the classic cheesecake as my go-to choice but I figured it's the holidays and the flavor won't be around for long.

Christmas Tree in NYC!

Last night, Mark and I decided to take a spontaneous trip to the city to see the tree. Traffic was absolutely crazy and there was a ton of people milling about, taking pictures, and seeing all the extra lights and decorations that get put out during the holidays. It was hard getting a picture by the tree just because everyone was moving but luckily, we found another couple that needed a picture as well and we did a sort of trade off. The weather was absolutely perfect with a nice breeze. We saw a street performer that jumped over four people with no help from a trampoline or anything but his own momentum and skill. Which was pretty impressive to say the least. It was a lot of fun and I finally was able to grab some chicken and rice which I more than satisfied with. You simply can't beat street food sometimes. It was another long trip back home because of the never ending traffic but it was worth it. :)

Settling into winter break

Finally! The fall semester has ended and I can now breathe a little easier. Although, majority of the people I know still have their heads buried in their books prepping for this upcoming week of finals I figured I would take this time to have for myself.

I got a chance to start reading Allegiant, the third book to the Divergent series. I have got to say, it took a really unexpected turn. It's as if The Hunger Games and Divergent were running parallel all up until this third and last book of the series. I wouldn't be surprised if the author took some of the comparisons to heart and changed the book up a little before finally publishing it this past October. Yet, I still have to form an opinion on it. So far, since it has taken a huge left turn I feel the whole lot of it is a bit overwhelming. A little too much to ingest for the last book but I'm anticipating a cleaner ending. I'm only halfway through.

With Christmas coming up, I've been frantically trying to conjure up some gift ideas. You would think that thinking of a present for someone you've known for more than ten years of your life would be easy. But when it comes to it, you're stumped. If only everyone could be satisfied with a nice pair of Victoria's Secret yoga pants...

Happy Thanksgiving 2013!

Well, it's obvious that I've clearly been neglecting this blog. School has proved to be a bit of a challenge this semester and I have found no time at all to focus on this blog.

To make up for this long, unannounced hiatus. I decided to just post up a couple pictures I took about a month back. It's a bunch of eos lip balms that I got in a wholesale pack and the Clinique gift with purchase from October. If you're looking for a great eye makeup remover I would suggest "Take the Day Off" by Clinique. A small bottle is pretty expensive but you only need a little bit to go a long way. I've personally been using it since I started doing my own makeup and I stick by it. It doesn't sting the eye and it takes off heavy makeup with one cotton swab full!

So, in the spirit of the holiday season, why not share things that I'm thankful for? I always found this moments a little corny. When that annoying aunt would say, "Why don't we all go around and say what we are thankful this year?" Honestly, I remember the heavy sighs quite vividly. But it's always to good to put it down in writing. Because in years, I can look back and see what I said:

1. Friends and family - This is an obvious given. But since college, a lot of friendships have been put into perspective. A usual reader of BossDaily would know. I'm glad this happened though. It made room for more friendships and even though friends come and go. They do sometimes come back and not only go away. Since college, I've noticed family time has meant a lot more. Sad that it took something like college to make me realize this. Yet, it's good that it did. I don't see family as often and seeing my little cousins grow older and seeing my parents start to wrinkle puts a lot of things in a different light for me. 
2. The university I go to - I've had a rough relationship with my school. I'll be the first to admit it. I hated how far it was but I wanted to be that far to grow independently. I hated the surroundings. I like to think I'm a city girl at heart. I didn't like the people as much. It made my uniqueness stand out and I didn't embrace at first. But in the end, I'm definitely appreciated my school. It's brought a lot out of me, challenged me, and made me realize certain things about myself. 
3. Mark - Not to throw out any subliminal messages because I don't really want to be that type of person. But I'm glad I decided to stick with my SO throughout college. If I hadn't chosen to do so, I feel like I'd either be in a whole heap of trouble or a depressed little sack of potatoes. Hey, it's not for everyone. It just so happens that it works out for me. I think it's easy to say that I definitely would have gone insane by now if it hadn't been for him. It's been a little hard but I'd say it's definitely worth it. And in fact, I appreciate the challenge.
4. The life I am able to live - I'm glad at where I am right now. I'm glad that I'm able to experience things that I've been through. I'm appreciative of how capable I am and I'm anxious to be able to spread this mantra into my practice into the future. I'm appreciative of every step I need to get there and I anticipate the future optimistically. 

Mary Kay Sampling!

A few weeks ago, I was able to attend a Mary Kay sampling! I was able to retrieve a $150 goodie bag and try out most of their new fall products. Before this sampling, I have never heard of the brand. After gathering my first impression of the entirety of the brand I would say it's an affordable make up brand that has some better products and some not so great. Their lip products are standard to good quality. They glide on smoothly, medium color payoff, and medium lasting wear. Their mascara is also standard, which did not do much to lengthen or volumize my eyelashes in any special way. However, one product I will rave about is their cream shadow. It has great pigmentation, awesome long wear, and the color I got was just so pretty. I would say it's comparable to Maybelline's color tattoo. It's a great base for any every day eye, especially for fall.

I noticed Mary Kay did not do much to do anything special with their packaging which is a big factor for me. It was relatively cheap and light and came too simple in black and clear containers. It seems they tried to go chic but felt too cheap to successfully convince me. If I were to compare this brand to another, I would say it's very similar to ELF.

Mary Kay is a great brand for anyone new to makeup and is looking for affordable products that's easy to apply and work with. For those higher than novice, I'd suggest taking a look at their cream shadows because they are definitely a favorite of mine.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored blog post.




Shout out to Mikie. A devout fan of Boss Daily.

Back to school shopping again

Yesterday I headed to Ikea once again to just get some small things for school and grab some good dinner. Sometimes the best food is Ikea food. Some times... usually it's hardly even cafeteria food quality. This week quickly passed and now I suddenly have a week left at home. I'm stocking up on food again and I'm slowly packing up all my things. Next week is my last day at work and it's crazy to think how nervous I was to do the interview at the beginning of summer. Now, I'm just going on a school hiatus.

A lot of things happened to me over the past week that made me realize how often people and especially me, overreact and dramatize little things. It's almost as if we want to feel sorry for ourselves and make things worse than it actually is. Then later sulk about how much we want to be happy. This is just a friendly reminder to stop sweating the small things! Things can get stressful, situations can get bad and worse even - but that doesn't mean things can get better.

First time hiking!

Yesterday, Mark and I set out to hike for the first time! We ended up hiking for 3 hours and saw a lot of scenic spots. Towards the end, we lost track of our trail somehow and had a short panicking period where we didn't know how to get out but we eventually did. We even stumbled upon another lake on our way out. I loved hiking and how it felt to get away from everything for a short while. It was great exercise and we always stumbled upon friendly fellow hikers. Afterwards, we ate a late lunch at Panera which was nothing short of satisfying and delicious.

Later on in the day I mustered up enough energy to hangout with a friend before she set off this Saturday for school. It was reminiscent and a little sad. It's been a whole year since we all were first scared of the first day of college and going away. That last week full of empty promises of seeing each other throughout the year. Not that there weren't any efforts. But... well yeah.

Today I saw Kick Ass 2 with a couple friends which was amazing. I never had an interest in Chloe Grace Moretz aka Hit Girl until this movie. She's definitely a bad ass. Afterwards we hit up the bowling alley and spent the time in between turns catching up. With nearly a week left of summer left, I'm already feeling the pang of depression as summer slowly ends.

Mizumi

This past Sunday my family and I went to check out Mizumi which is a Japanese buffet style restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised with how clean, delicious, and variety of options they had. I'm not the type of eater that would necessarily excel at buffets. I'm more of the type that eats smaller portioned meals frequently rather than three big meals. Nonetheless, I was able to try a lot of their sushi, typical Japanese dishes (not pictured) such as Kimchi, breaded pork, calamari, and different soups. I was glad that they didn't have typical American favorites such as pizza, burgers, or hot dogs. Although they had fries, I thought it was important they kept consistency in the restaurant. My favorite dessert I tried was the green tea cake. I was disappointed I couldn't eat more of it simply because I didn't have room but it was definitely delicious.

Reflection of this summer

I haven't made a textual post in a while and thought I should since my mind has been running wild with different thoughts. It's basically the end of summer and I guess... and I do really hate to admit but my summer didn't turn out the way I thought it would be. I worked a lot, leaving tight schedules which made it hard to make plans with friends and just made others totally give up on me. Or I on them. It's strange really. I don't think I'll ever seem to get over it. It being, how different everything actually is.

I work with a lot of girls who are younger than me. Some a year younger so they just graduated and they're all excited, scared, and nervous for change. Some are two years younger than me so they're just about to enter their senior year. I can't believe how much I missed senior year. Now, I hardly speak to anyone from high school.. let alone see them. Maybe it's my fault, maybe it's theirs. The finger pointing never ends. But I just can't help and think what now.

Even in just a year's time... it's so weird seeing where everyone is at this point in their lives. Party animals, ambitious, or in hiding. It seems as though most of my posts have been about my separation anxiety from high school and the perfection it seemed to be in retrospect. But above all else, how much I miss my old friends.

It seems as though I took this topic in stride... but it pains me every time I let myself think back in time. In anticipation for this summer I thought it would be a chance to rekindle these friendships - deep inside even though I didn't want to admit it. But again, I was wrong. Yet, I have new hopes going on forward.

I think I turned into an archetype hippie this past few months. I tried out yoga which I love and hope to continue this semester at school. I'm slightly more aware of what I eat and what I should or should not eat even though it's difficult to with my culture. And my style is definitely different. Although Mark would like to categorize me as an A class "hipster". I like to call my style bohemian on a budget? A tad corny but oh well. I grew an affinity to nature and pretty scenery which I never really stopped to appreciate before. Hippie yet? Maybe not.

I also decided to take my blog in a different direction. With super big fail on my 30 day snap challenge... I don't think this blog will longer be aimed at tips and advice of products and trends. But will be more a personal and lifestyle blog. I hope to continue posting pictures of outfits and such but possibly more rants. I've been delving in different blogs lately and felt inspired to take my blog in a different direction.

Beach and City Visits

With only a month of summer left, I'm trying to make the most of it! Despite my bigger expectations at the beginning of the season, I'm pretty content with how most of my summer went. I kept busy with my new job and now that it has pretty much slowed down, I can spend the rest of my free time with friends. With that being said, I went on a couple trips this past week. The first one was a trip to the beach with my family. Which was much needed. It's easy to get caught up in jobs and daily routines that it's important to remember to make most of the time that I get to spend at home. We visited an aquarium and local shops for some treats. We attended a sea lion feeding session where they performed stunts and funny tricks which made me think back to the documentary on dolphins I watched in high school. I wondered if it was sick of me to enjoy watching the sea lions follow orders even if they taught through positive reinforcement. I don't know if those kinds of situations are ever justified.

I took a day trip to NYC to meet up with some friends from college which was pleasant. I enjoyed being tour guide for a day and discovering new spots along the way. I must admit, it sparked a bit of excitement in me which I'm now looking forward to this fall. It was a nice feeling seeing those people outside of school. Since I go to school so far, they seem so intangible and our friendship falters only to be reconstructed four months later. So it was a nice change to see them.