A seek peak inside my bedroom

This morning, as I was tidying up our bedroom, I decided to take a quick snapshot of the nightstands by our bed. On one side, it looks very plain & boring, while the other side looks cluttered full & “cozy”.

This is my husband’s side of the bed. He keeps practically nothing on top of his nightstand except a lamp, bottle of water, a box of tissues (which I mostly use) & a small bottle of dry skin lotion. However, trust me when I say that the drawer is full of everything (chargers, glasses, nail clippers, headphones he never uses…& instead always asks to borrow mine, etc.). He usually tucks his laptop & work bag in the nook under the drawer & has a magazine rack tucked to the side to store his iPad & magazines he never reads. (My husband is not much into reading, unless it’s about cars, technology or a photo spread of Kate Upton in a bikini.)

This is my side of the bed. My husband says it’s cluttered, but I think it looks cozy. I have everything I could possibly need before I go to bed right at my fingertips! I enjoy reading (casually more than avidly), so I will always have a small stack of magazines & books next to my bed in case I get the sudden urge to read something. My drawer is not nearly as full as you-know-who’s. I’ve got a few essential items tucked away inside (pens, sticky notepad, my cheap Panasonic noise-cancelling headphones, nail clippers, a few dollar store nail files). I also keep my laptop underneath the drawer along with my can’t-live-without laptop cushion. Don’t let all of the stuff on my nightstand fool you. It may look “full”, but it IS organized!!

Being the neat freak that I am, I wouldn’t have it any other way but my way. I keep a lot of things by my bedside because I hate getting out of bed multiple times just to get one thing here & there. My husband & I like to sit in bed before we go to sleep & watch TV together and/or surf the Internet on our laptops together (usually while watching TV). We always have the habit of doing lots of things just before going to sleep. That’s our time to really relax, unwind, & spend quiet time together.

Two things nobody knows about me

Happy Friday. I had a small revelation about myself today while I was driving alone in my car. Well, it wasn’t that dramatic. It was more like, I was thinking about random, unimportant things. Then, I suddenly started to realize some quirky things that I tend to do without consciously acknowledging them.

Poster courtesy of: minimalmovieposters.tumblr.com

1. Unlike my husband, who gets incredibly excited to watch new movies in the theater upon their fresh release, I don’t really get hyped up to watch new movies. It’s hard to get me excited to watch a new movie in theaters. I tend to gravitate more towards older movies. I don’t only mean classics from the 50s & 60s… I’m more likely talking about movies that are already released on DVD. If I find a movie that I like, I can watch that movie over & over (5, 6, 7+ times) without getting bored or tired of it. I am not going to say which is my favorite movie. I just can’t say. However, I can say this for example, I have a watched Ratatouille about 10 times already…probably more, & I am not sick of it. I don’t understand why I get this way over movies, but I just like what I like.

2. I tend to be a compartmental eater. Whenever I’m eating, I eat my food in sections. If I have rice or other starch items on my plate, I don’t like having other foods with sauce touching it. I like to eat the side items first, then the main item, & save the starchy items for last. When I visit Starbucks, I tend to only get their cheese & fruit box if I order food. The box contains: a packet of multi-grain crackers (6 pieces), green apple slices, a small container of dried cranberries & almonds, & a selection of 3 cheeses (aged Cheddar, Gouda & Brie). I will first eat the apple slices, then the container of cranberries & almonds. Even with the berries & almonds, I will eat them separately. I will eat all the cranberries before I eat all the almonds. Next, I will eat the cheeses separately. First I will eat the Cheddar, then the Gouda. Then, I will eat the crackers. Hwre’s where I kind of loosen my compulsive reigns a bit. I usually save the piece of Brie for last, but sometimes I will deviate & eat it with the crackers. (Oh! So scandalous!
Not.)

Well, that’s pretty much it. I recently told my husband about these 2 quirky things/habits of mine. He thinks I’m a bit odd, but he’s OK with it & so am I. I hope it’s sunny & hot wherever you are today. It’s nice & toasty where I am. Let’s enjoy. Cheers!

More musings about coffee

Swimming in a sea of roasted beans and light conversation, what is this heady and exotic feeling washing over me? It is the soft melody of you and the sweet smell of pastry beckoning my tastebuds. Calling out to me, I draw you in. Oh coffee, you’ve bewitched me.

It’s almost my birthday

My birthday is coming up towards the end of this month, and my husband has decided to take me on a road trip down to Southern California (Los Angeles to be exact).  We are going to drive our new station wagon (which I found out is also categorized as a “shooting-brake station wagon” in car/auto language) down to Los Angeles for an extended 3-day weekend & just relax.  I’ve got my fingers crossed hoping that the weather will be warm enough for a no-sweater-necessary weekend getaway.

Ok, so from where we live (near San Francisco), Los Angeles doesn’t seem like such an exotic or very exciting place to “get away”, but it’s a place very familiar to us that we want to explore more of.  Plus, it’s the most affordable option, since April seems to be one of the most expensive months out of the year to travel, & we just want to go there dang-nab-it.  Oh yeah… Also, my husband wanted to do something special for my birthday while saving some money by driving instead of flying, since we’re traveling overseas at the end of the year…again.  Yes, we’re going to Asia again.  Our friends are getting married in Taiwan, so we will be there for 1 week.  Then, we planned a 10-day layover in Japan to lower the cost of the plane tickets. (It was less expensive for us to book a flight with a layover rather than fly direct.)

We’ve decided to head to Los Angeles & try the local food scene over there.  We live near San Francisco & practically go there every weekend, so we’ve pretty much plunged right into the whole foodie culture/movement.  We’re not quite at the organic-everything, gluten-free, açai, kale veggie, foodie level… BUT… We have sort-of gotten into the whole locally-sourced, small-batch, seasonal ingredients menu, phase.  We thought it would be cool to try out some local (& possibly hip, but not hipster) places to eat.  We’re also on a quest to find some tasty pastries & non-Starbucks coffee while we’re there.  For my birthday, we made reservations at a semi-swanky restaurant close to our hotel. (We’re staying at The Standard hotel in Downtown LA by the way.)

It’s only a 3-day trip, but I’m very much looking forward to it.  I’ve decided to treat myself to a special manicure with nail art at my favorite Japanese nail salon (Marie Nails), & my husband is going to get his hair cut at a traditional-style old school barber shop (Baxter Finley Barber & Shop) which he read also serves whiskey & other alcoholic beverages to its customers.  The birthday getaway trip is only a few short weeks away, but I’m already anticipating it with a child-like excitement.  Cheers!

Handkerchiefs are not just for men

Photo courtesy of mrporter.com

For as long as I could remember, my dad has always been an advocate for the handkerchief. It was always an essential item he carried around with him in his pants pocket. My mom told me he would always have 2 on hand: one crisply folded & pressed in his suit jacket pocket to lend to guests, & another more crumpled up & disheveled in his back pocket for his own private use.

Ever since I was a little girl, about 6 or 7 years old, my dad would always lend me his handkerchief. Back then, I was always running around with the sniffles & severe allergies. (I inevitably inherited that from my dad.) My dad just couldn’t stand seeing me sniffling & rubbing my nose in public, so he would pass me his handkerchief & tell me to wipe/blow my nose. He would also tell me to keep one under my pillow just in case I woke up in the middle of the night with a wet nose.

It was a sincerely sweet gesture that stuck with me for the rest of my life. It forever linked me to my dad in an unbreakable bond.

As I grew older, I would keep my handkerchief in my pocket, bring it with me wherever I went. Then as soon as I got home, I would put it under my pillow. My friends never understood why I always kept a handkerchief. They considered it odd & such a tomboyish thing. I paid them no attention & went right along with my handkerchief tucked securely in my pants pocket.

I am in my early 30s now, & I still use my handkerchief. A few have come & gone; some lost in the mysterious abyss also known as the dryer machine, others were tossed out by my mom (who perhaps thought they were too tattered to be used). I am currently on my 7th handkerchief. I keep it tucked away under my bedroom pillow. I formally named my handkerchief Tom Hanks, but I mostly call it Mr. Hanky.

For quite some time I was afraid to tell my husband, who was only my boyfriend at the time, about my interest in handkerchiefs…but he’s been supportive since I’ve told him. My husband finds it rather interesting. Sometimes he will even make jokes & ask me if he can sleep with the handkerchief, Mr. Hanky, under his pillow. Now, my handkerchief has become such a common, regular occurrence in our lives that my husband will even help me look for new handkerchiefs to bring home whenever we go shopping. He knows the exact fabric & texture I’m looking for in finding just the right addition to my modest, yet growing, collection of handkerchiefs. (By the way, I prefer 100% cotton.) I do believe this handkerchief has brought us closer together. It also linked me to another unbreakable bond with my husband.

To my dad, I thank you.