Hello, Old Friend.

So it's been a hot minute.

I took a break to try & figure out what my purpose of this is...and while I still haven't quite figured it out, I shall update at the request of a select few. ;)

I've got a ton of pictures, but to refrain from a post that resembles a Facebook album, I've just picked a select few. 

...per usual, filled with fun, friends, & food. ;) 

{Outside Lands: This is a good sign.}

Take Me Back...

It's only been a few weeks, but it seems so long ago...


Recap of my trip home to Hawaii for Grandpa Bill's birthday -

{Home Sweet Hawaii Kai}

USA! USA!

The Olympics start today, and I couldn't be more excited!!


So in celebration, a few things currently making me smile....




+ Gorgeous print

{SOURCE}

Love is...

{Graffiti on La Brea}

A thought on this beautiful Wednesday...

Love is the question.

Love is the answer.

Love is the reason.

Love is everything.

----------------------
That's all.

Love & let love. :)

xoxo,

trey

Home Sweet Hawaii

Back in home sweet Hawaii til Sunday...

{just before my house}

Tuesday Tunes: Lennon & Maisy

One of the cutest things I've ever seen.


Lennon (12) & Maisy (8) - "Call Your Girlfriend"




I love the original version of this song, but their cover is SO good! 


Plus, how cute are they?


----------------
Happy Tuesday! Enjoy!


You tell her the only way her heart will mend
is when she learns to love again.
&it won't make sense right now, but you're still her friend
- Robyn, "Call Your Girlfriend"


xoxo,
trey

Life Lately

Well, it's been a hot minute now, hasn't it?? Good grief, Charlie Brown!


Work/life have been extra crazy these past few weeks, so pardon the absence to whomever out there peruses this hobby of mine. 


Although I suppose one can argue life is always crazy, but oh well--that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it! :P


So here's life lately, c/o my iPhone.....

{gorgeous dahlias}

Happy Friday!

June gloom is in full swing here in Los Angeles. But thankfully, by mid-day it seems to burn off and give us back our gorgeous California sunshine. 

Hope you all had a wonderful week! 

Here are a few things making me smile....

+ Poptarts on a stick!

*I need to make these! Recipe found HERE.

Tuesday Treats!

Happiness is: satisfying a {food} craving!

Yesterday, I got to craving a chocolate shake. (Random...) But in attempt to be health conscious, I decided to search for a more guilt-free way of satisfying this craving...

After perusing various blogs/websites, I decided on a chocolate peanut butter smoothie! 

{I spy....me in the spoon!}

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone!

A few things currently making me smile....

+ Sunset in Santa Monica

{people who say LA isn't pretty just don't know where to look}

Thursday Thoughts: Oh, College...

It’s been 4 years since I’ve graduated college. FOUR YEARS! 

That means I’ve been out of college the same amount of time I was in college! Ohmygoodnessgracious.

Anyways, I follow the blog Cupcakes and Cashmere, and she recently re-tweeted an interview she did with College Magazine. After reading her interview, I thought it’d be fun to answer these questions myself…

{FIGHT ON FOREVER!}

Happy Mother's Day!

To my role model, my friend, my mama...

Happy Mother's Day!

{<3}

People say I'm turning into you. 

And I'll pretend to be shocked/offended/mad, because I think that's the reaction people are expecting when they say things like that. But really, it doesn't bother me. Not even in the slightest. Because if I grow up to be half the woman you are, I'll consider myself blessed. Even if that means I end up with an extremely lame sense of humor... ;)

-----------

Who can turn the world on with her smile?

Who can take a nothing day, & suddenly make it all seem worthwhile?

Well it's you girl & you should know it--

with each glance & every little movement you show it.

Love is all around, no need to waste it.

You can have a town, why don't you take it?

You're gonna make it after all. 

- Paul Williams, "Love is all around"

Forever our song :)

xoxo,

trey

Happy Friday!

MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!!

{how cute are these?!}

Happy Friday!

A few favorite things currently making me happy...


Favorite Flower:

{peonies}

Huntington Gardens!

A few weeks ago we took a family trip to Huntington Gardens. &I must say it's absolutely gorgeous. 

{california poppy}

Happy Friday!

Here's what is currently making me happy...

1. Outside Lands!

{http://www.sfoutsidelands.com/home/}

My ticket has been purchased and I'm beyond excited! 

Weekend Roundup: 26

{me & kelly}

26!! I'm officially on the tail-end of my twenties. Yikes!

Weekend Roundup: "We're good."

My girlfriends & I have been talking about a Vegas trip for ages. And this weekend it finally happened!

As expected, the trip was short, but contained no shortage of excitement...

+ endless laughter

+ sing-a-longs while getting ready

+ heel exchanges

+ dancing to our hearts content

+ late night snuggles

+ a sprinkle of bad decisions

+ (several) cocktails

In the end, we all got back home exhausted, bodies sore from walking/dancing, some of us with a little more cash, & filled with new "remember when" stories. 

{here we go}

{California Love}

{gorgeous orchid arrangement in our lobby}

{missing kuki-chan}

-----

All in all, a successful Vegas weekend. 

Can't wait to do it again soon!

Make it last forever, friendship never ends.

- Spice Girls, "Wannabe"

xoxo,

trey

Oh, Honey...

An intense craving for honey led to baking biscuits! 

I love to cook, but I am admittedly not the best baker. 

Baking requires a lot more patience & precision than I am willing to give it...

so I used Trader Joe's Multigrain Baking & Pancake Mix! 

Yes, I made a dough heart. <3

Ta-da!

Funny enough, I ended up burning the biscuits a bit. Nothing too detrimental, but further proof that I'm not made for baking! Oh, darn.

Success--HONEY!

But I they did the trick--honey craving fulfilled!!

------

One day I'll make these from scratch. 

One day...

xoxo,

trey

St. Paddy's Day!

Kiss me, I'm Irish!

No, but really...I am! 


25% to be exact, and ever since I was little, I've loved St. Patrick's Day!

+ Green Everything

+ Four leaf clovers

+ Corned beef & cabbage 

+ Pots-o-gold

+ Leprechauns 

+ Kisses

...what's not to love???

Not to mention all the green beer I get to enjoy now that I'm an adult!

Here's my St. Paddy's Day recap...

Accessorize accordingly.

Fun socks, of course.

------

Hope you all had an great St. Patrick's Day!! 

xoxo,

trey

Comic Relief

Some comic relief in the midst of a lot of craziness this week...


If this doesn't make you laugh, I don't know what will. 





Like many of you, I have been very interested in the discussion regarding Joseph Kony, Invisible Children, & the Kony 2012 campaign. And although this blog is not meant for political/world analysis, I feel it is important to acknowledge an issue that became viral directly because of social media. 


It has become a tremendously complex topic, so all I will say is this: 
Spread awareness, but stay educated. 


Many nonprofits and organizations support the same cause in different ways. Whichever you choose to support is your prerogative. Remember to do your homework.


-------
Be the change you want to see in the world.
- Mahatma Ghandi


Happy Friday.
xoxo,
trey

Secret to Happiness

I had another post planned, but a friend shared this & I had to pass it on. 


A 100 year old man shares the secret to happiness...



The answer is simple: go find what makes you happy.
Time flies by so quickly. Don't waste it on nonsense.
And no matter where you end up, never forget where you came from.
[.....]
Happiness is your birthright.
Your family & friends will help you find it.


-----
Happiness is your birthright.
Here's to happiness, every day.


xoxo,
trey

Nail Art: The 50/50

Apologies for the week hiatus. Life got crazy; and unfortunately, this blog is one of the first things to get neglected. (Along with my "health conscious" diet, which is probably another issue entirely...) 


So, hello again!
----
I'm an avid follower of The Beauty Department--a website devoted to all things "beauty," giving advice on the best hair/makeup for various occasions or outfits,  as well as tutorials for hair/makeup/nails.


Usually, I just read the how-to's & browse the pictures, deeming most of the suggestions either too difficult for me to attempt or simply unrealistic for me to rock in my every day life. 


However, after seeing numerous DIY nail art pictures on TBD & Pinterest, I decided to give it a try.


I call this, The 50/50. (I didn't really follow a particular how-to, but here's the general inspiration: CLICK)

The Players: Gold & mint nail polish, office stickers, scissors, top coat.

The Players

1. Paint first color.
In this tutorial, it's whichever color you'd like on the bottom part of your nail.


2. After the first color has dried, place stickers on the nail. 
Since my stickers were large, I cut them into quarters. (TBD usually uses reinforcements.)
Place stickers on your nail depending on how much you'd like to keep the first color. In this case, I did about 50%.


3. Paint second color.

Step 1 - 3

4. After the second color has dried, carefully remove the stickers.
I found that peeling the sticker sideways is better than simply lifting it up. 


5. Add top coat. 


DONE! Your very own, two-toned nail art!

Voila!! 50/50!

This wasn't terribly difficult, but definitely not as simple as TBD makes it seem. If I did this one again, I'd place the stickers lower so the colors are less 50/50 and more 30/70. 


Either way, I'm pretty pleased with the results. I'm not the most patient or dexterous when it comes to nail painting, so if I can do it, you all most certainly can!


Follow me on Pinterest to see what other nail art I'm looking to try. 


----
Have fun! Good luck! & Happy Monday!


xoxo,
trey

Bits of Happiness

As the weekend approaches (long weekend for some), I leave you with a few things that are currently making me smile, and hopefully will make you smile too...


1. Flowers in bloom!


Most guys don't understand the point of giving flowers, arguing the obvious--"they die." However, while the life of a bouquet of flowers is fleeting, the happiness it brings lasts so much longer. When in doubt, buy the flowers.

They're so friendly!

2. Emoji fun! I downloaded the emoji application for my iPhone and it's awesome.

On Valentine's Day, my cousin & I were discussing The Notebook. Here's a screenshot of part of our text conversation. 

If you love The Notebook, you'll instantly recognize where this is from. 

If you don't...well then you should watch it again!

Yes, our texts usually look like this.

3. A hilarious, loving piece of advice from my father about love & Valentine's Day...

As for not having a Valentine at this time. Remember, you want the right valentine, and not the wife beater - so be patient. Keep an eye out, and just be you. You are a good catch, and your future Valentine will be the same for you!

Thanks, Dad:

...for reassuring me that one day, someone will love me for me.

...for reminding me to always keep my eyes open, because love can be found anywhere. 

...for stressing the importance of patience, because nothing worth while ever comes easily.

...for knowing that my future Valentine will be just as awesome as I am. ;)

And finally...

...for reminding me that I want "the right valentine, and not the wife beater." 

Phew, I had almost forgot. :P
Ladies, remember that one! 

----

Happy Friday!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am not a fan of Valentine's Day.


Before everyone assumes it's because I've turned into a cynical, love-hating, single girl, let me just clarify that it's not the case.


In fact, I love, love.


I love being in love & I love seeing people in love. Whether it be between family, friends, or a significant other, I think love is everything.


My annoyance with Valentine's Day is mainly due to the pressure that it causes, which usually overpowers the actual celebration of love that it's really about...


Pressure to "define the relationship."
Pressure to get the right card/gift.
Pressure to plan something just right.
Pressure to not get your hopes up.
Pressure to not disappoint.
Pressure to not feel disappointed.
Pressure to not wallow in your single-dom & feel sorry for yourself.


Love should be celebrated every day. Now I know that's not realistic, but isn't an "I love you" card/gift more meaningful when you aren't expecting it?? Thoughtfulness because you wanted to, not because you were supposed to...


I'm not saying not to celebrate Valentine's Day--because really, why not have another reason to celebrate--I'm saying to think about celebrating love throughout the year, as well. :) 


Oh well, enough negativity! We'll just embrace it--Happy Valentine's Day!


To my wonderful family & friends who always make me feel so loved:

I love you & am grateful for you, every day. :)

pun-ny cards I sent out to friends. 

Love is the answer--at least for most of the questions in my heart.

Like: why we here? where do we go? & how come it's so hard?

-jack johnson, "better together"

xo, trey

Best Invention Ever!

Today my brain decided to stage a protest against productivity and stay on weekend mode, even though I had a million things to accomplish. Needless to say, I came home frazzled & exhausted. 


The only thing keeping me from complete frustration was my excitement to come home and eat cereal. Wow, that sounds quite pathetic...but this is not your usual milk & cereal experience! 


To preface, I HATE soggy cereal. When I was a kid, I'd try to eat my cereal as fast as possible before it got soggy. If it got soggy, I threw it out. As I got older, I wised up and settled the method of on pouring a bowl of milk, then adding cereal a bit at a time so it never gets soggy. (Definitely less wasteful.)


But now, my cereal eating has evolved one step further--the Obol!!! 

It's an bowl divided into 2 compartments at different heights with a connecting "slide." So your cereal is separate from your milk and can be slid into the milk when you want. GENIUS! 

Best Invention EVER.

I'm not sure if I can fully explain how happy this makes me. But it really really really does. 


*A special thank you to my aunty for this amazing find!*


And just when I thought my bowl of cereal would be the highlight of my day...I get a knock on my door and it's my little brother, with an early Valentine's Day present!! *insert shock* 

So pretty.

Typical--a guy can do a gagillion things to frustrate you, but do one thing sweet and all is forgotten. 


Well played, brother. You're definitely getting older & wiser. Ha! But seriously, thank you. Love you. #bestbrotherever


I guess today wasn't so bad, after all. :)

Another Sophie Grace & Rosie Hit!

So I think by now we've all heard of Sophia Grace & Rosie...


They're 2 little girls from the UK who became huge internet sensations last year with their viral YouTube hit--a cover of Nicki Minaj's "Superbass." (CLICK for 1st video)


Since then, they've made several appearances on Ellen, done celebrity interviews on the red carpet, and have had countless talk show appearances. 


Their excitement + British accent = hilarious!


Here's their latest performance on Ellen... "Turn My Swag On" by Keri Hilson. 


I love when Sophia Grace does her own freestyle at the end. It's so good!

Enjoy!

A Very Happy Cupcake

Happiness is: a fun cupcake! 


My brother & his girlfriend made these cupcakes last weekend. Well, I think it was more like she made the cupcakes while he kept her company & taste-tested. But it's probably for the best--know your strengths. ;)


At a glance they're so cute and very appropriate for Valentine's Day...

Totes adorbs.

but when you bite into them, they get even cuter... 

<3

RAINBOW!!


Adding food coloring to small portions of batter, then layering it, creates the rainbow effect!


If you'd like to try making these yourself, here's the recipe they used...


Rainbow Cupcakes (Recipe credit HERE)
Ingredients:

3/4 cup Self-Rising Flour
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
2 Eggs
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla 
3 tbs Milk
Red, Blue, Green, and Yellow Food Coloring

Directions:
Start by pre-heating your oven to 395 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, use whisk to beat sugar into butter until creamy and fluffy. The mixture should be light in color. Slowly stir in eggs and flour, making sure each is thouroughly stirred in. Mix in Vanilla. Stir in milk 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring thoroughly after each tablespoon is added.

Divide mixture evenly into each of the smaller bowls.

Add food coloring:
Bowl 1 (Red) - 8 drops red
Bowl 2 (Orange) - 8 drops yellow, 4 drops red
Bowl 3 (Yellow) - 8 drops yellow
Bowl 4 (Green) - 8 drops green
Bowl 5 (Blue) - 8 drops blue
Bowl 6 (Purple) - 8 drops blue, 4 drops red

Line muffin pan with muffin cups. Starting with purple, spoon batter evenly into each of the muffin cups, spreadng slightly. Continue, layering, with blue, then green, then yellow, then orange, then red.

Bake for 20 minutes at 395 degrees.


Cream Cheese Frosting

1 oz unsalted butter (softened)

3 oz cream cheese (softened)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon vanilla 

-----------------------------
Now that's a very happy cupcake. :)