Letters to Juliet: A Review

It's kinda sad that the day is basically over. It's time to go back to school and/or work, time to face another week. Well, it's June 1st tomorrow, as I always say, crazy how time flies! On the bright side though, summer is almost here! :D

Being that it was a long weekend for us over here, I had some free time yesterday, and I was finally able to watch Letters to Juliet. I watched it by myself because my sister was too lazy to come with me. I must say, it's a bit weird to watch a movie alone... I didn't have someone to turn to and say things like "Awww, that's soo cute" or "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!". But it's all good, I enjoyed the movie. And now she wants to watch it too. :D

Here is the trailer:

As seen from the movie's trailer, the main events of the story start when Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) finds a 50-year old letter from a woman named Claire (Vanessa Redgrave) to Juliet. She then decides to write back. Claire and her grandson, Charlie (Christopher Egan), show up, and from there they go around Italy looking for Claire's long lost true love, Lorenzo. And yup, they find him.

It seems like a typical chick flick, doesn't it? Well, I gotta say that while yes, it is a chick flick, there is also some depth into it. There's more to know about the story of Sophie's and Charlie's life. And then there's Sophie's fiance, Victor (played by Gael Garcia Bernal)... there's some stuff about their relationship to know as well. And for a chick flick/ romantic comedy, it's not as predictable as I thought it'd be. Towards the end, you'd think it is (somewhat like most movies of that genre), but you'd be surprised. Then you'd laugh and you'd start to be happy for Sophie. It's not that serious of a twist, but it's pretty clever. Okay, I'm going to stop now, I don't want to give it away. ;)

Movie critics give it about a C, but those who watched it give it an A, and I think I understand why. While admittedly, it is not of Oscar caliber, I have to say, it will really bring your spirits up. How can it not, with the idea of true love surpassing many years, of true love not needing a right place and time? Haha, see, it got to me. :D

Some also say it's not worth the 10 or so bucks you have to pay to see it. I say it is. You get to tour the Italian countryside, learn some cultural and culinary info, and watch the refreshing face of Christopher Egan for a good hour and something minutes... all just for 10 bucks. :)

Amanda Seyfried looked beautiful in the movie. I think she's a good actress, and I'm happy she's finally getting noticed.

She and Christopher Egan had great chemistry in the movie. In my opinion, even more so than with Dominic Cooper in Mamma Mia (eventhough he is her real-life boyfriend).

Vanessa Redgrave delivered a great performance as well. She made me miss my Grandma.

So, all in all, I enjoyed Letters to Juliet. If you're looking for a movie that will make you leave the theaters with a smile, this is definitely one that will do that.

Some bad things I have to say about this movie? None really... well, it did get Taylor Swift's song stuck in my head for a whole 24 hours (to be honest, until now, actually). It made me want to eat some good, authentic Italian food. And it made me want to go pack my bag and go on an Italian roadtrip and go look for someone's long lost love. Haha.

*all images from Google*

Have you seen it? What can you say about the movie?

Cookies! :)

Happy Memorial Day weekend and a Happy Sunday, everyone! It's a long weekend, and everyone here in the U.S. is probably enjoying this well-deserved break. :)

I baked chocolate crackles (also called chocolate crinkles) for a day at the beach, and I thought it'd be nice to share photos of some of the cookies I've made in the past few months. :D

Chocolate crackles/ crinkles

Chocolate sugar cookies


Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies


Snickerdoodle


Sugar cookies

What is your favorite kind of cookie? Do you have a favorite recipe? :D

TV show: FlashForward

FlashForward is one of my absolute favorite TV shows. That is why my heart broke when it was officially cancelled, and also because tonight is the series' last episode.

*breaking down in tears*

But eventhough ABC didn't pick it up for another season, I will still blog about it because it's such a great show. :D

It started airing on September 24, 2009.

It would be really hard to explain the whole concept of the show in my own words because it's so complex, but here is a synopsis from http://www.wikipedia.com/:

A mysterious event causes nearly everyone on the planet to simultaneously lose consciousness for 137 seconds, during which people see what appear to be visions of their lives approximately six months in the future—a global “flashforward”. A team of Los Angeles FBI agents, led by Stanford Wedeck and spearheaded by Mark Benford and his partner Demetri Noh, begin the process of determining what happened, why, and whether it will happen again. Benford contributes a unique perspective on the investigation; in his flashforward, he saw the results of six months of investigation that he had done on the flashforward event, and he and his team use those clues to recreate the investigation.

The team investigates a number of events related to the flashforward, including "Suspect Zero", who did not lose consciousness during the event, the sinister "D. Gibbons/Dyson Frost", and a similar mass loss of consciousness in Somalia in 1991. Meanwhile, personal revelations contained within the flashforwards occupy the personal lives of the principal characters. Mark Benford sees himself relapsing into alcoholism; his wife sees herself with another man; Demetri Noh sees nothing, which could mean that he will not be alive to see the day everyone else has glimpsed or, perhaps, that his future wasn't set on the day of the flashforward. Other characters grapple with similarly unexpected or surprising revelations in their flashforwards.

(from left to right):

Jack Davenport --Dr. Lloyd Simcoe

Peyton List-- Nicole Kirby

Sonya Walger-- Dr. Olivia Benford

Zachary Knighton-- Dr. Bryce Varley

Joseph Fiennes-- FBI Special Agent Mark Benford

John Cho-- FBI Special Agent Demetri Noh

Courtney B. Vance-- FBI Assistant Director Stanford Wedeck

Brian F. O'Byrne-- Aaron Stark

Christine Woods-- FBI Special Agent Janis Hawk

Dominic Monaghan (from Lord of the Rings and Lost) plays Dr. Simon Campos

Here are some stills from the TV show:

I am amazed by how well the British actors who play American characters in this show speak with an American accent. They are sooo good! :D

Besides Joseph Fiennes' character, Mark Benford, I would have to say that John Cho as Demetri Noh is one of my favorite characters in FlashForward. I can honestly say that he is a good actor. He, as Demetri, is very very different from Harold in the movie franchise Harold & Kumar. While his character is somewhat serious, I love that he shows his goofy side in some episodes. *like the Somalia episode where he and Janis had a thing going on (but I won't go any further for those of you who might want to watch this show).* :D

So, yup. I am excited to watch tonight's season (or should I say, series? *sigh*) finale. If only it was picked up for another season... Why not, ABC, why not??? :(

But still, check out their website if you're interested. And you would only have about 21 episodes to watch if you want something to do this summer. :)

*all images from Google*

Forever21

It's Wednesday, the week is almost over. I can't quite wrap my head around the fact that time is flying by! Next thing we know, it's Memorial Day Weekend here in the U.S., then it's June. Crazy! But anyways, I finally got around to taking photos of the few items I got from Forever21 last Friday.

*Pardon me if some of these are not as clear as I would have liked them to be. I'm just starting to learn how to play with editing pictures. ;)*

Here are the items I got all together: 2 tops, one pair of shorts, and a necklace.

These two tops have a silky texture. It's a bit flimsy/flowy, but I'm pretty sure they would look great when worn. There's a bow to be tied at the nape or upper back. I got it in 2 colors: turquoise and yellow. Price? $7.50

The shorts are from the Heritage 1981 collection of Forever21. This is the first time I bought something from that collection for myself. It's a great fit, and I love how there's red incorporated into it. Price: originally $19.90, but I got it on sale at $9.99

Everytime I go to Forever21 and any other store, I always check out the accessories. I found this cute necklace with the Eiffel tower, a little pearl, and heart (with "l'amour" written on it). It's only $3.50, such a great buy in my opinion. :D

I think Forever21 is everyone's favorite go-to place for clothes and accessories because they have cute and fashionable items at an affordable price. :)

While I was cleaning out my closet last week, I also realized that I have a few dresses and tops that I bought these past couple of months. I will take some time to take pictures to share here on my blog. :D

Hang in there, everyone! Holiday weekend is almost here. :D

12 Questions Tag :)

I was tagged by Sibelle to answer these 12 questions. Thanks for this! :D

Here we go:

1.What shoe size are you?
-size 6 and 1/2 to 7

2.Where do you work?
I've never actually worked. I know, that's kinda weird (especially here in L.A. where almost everyone works), but yeah.

3.Favorite piece of clothing you own
-my dresses :)

4.Your favorite blog?
I have a lot. There are many blogs I visit on a daily basis.

5.Do you have any pets?
No, I don't. I had a fish when I was in high school, but I'm not sure if you could actually call that a pet. The only interaction we had was when I had to feed him/her. Haha. ;)

6.How many siblings do you have?
-Four

7.If you could live anywhere where would it be?
I'd live in London or Paris or anywhere in Europe. :D

8.What were you doing before this?
I checked my Facebook.

9.Your favorite food?
I love to eat so I have a lot of favorites. Aaahh, this is hard. But I can tell you that I absolutely love steak and salmon. :D

10.Do you have a middle name?
-Yes

11.Your favorite websites?
-Facebook, Blogspot, Youtube, online movie websites

12.Who do you tag?

I tag Alexa P., Sandra, Kelly, and Susi.

I hope you guys can do this tag.

Have a great day, everyone! :D

My everyday makeup :D

Happy Monday! :D

I can't believe this is the last week of May. Next Tuesday will be the 1st of June.

One word: Woah...

2010 flew by!

When I was in junior high, I always used to put makeup on whenever I leave the house (except for school because it wasn't allowed). Then, when I went to high school, I kinda stopped (even though it was allowed, haha). But now that I am older, I've noticed that I enjoy putting makeup more than before. I guess some things really do come with age. :)

So, here are the makeup products I use daily:

Products for my face:

MAC foundation (NC27), MAC concealer (NW25), and Elf blush (Flushed).

At first, I wasn't really comfortable with using foundation, but now I've learned how to put it on properly. I love my concealer because I can hide my tiny tiny pimples and downplay my eye bags. I always make the mistake of putting on way too much blush, and when I use this I end up looking flushed (haha, as the name implies). So, now I put just a tad when I use this or I use a lighter blush. :)

Products for my lips:

Clinique lip gloss (Juicy Apple), NYX lip gloss (Kiss), and my favorite lip balm.

I always put lip balm on, then my favorite lip gloss of the week. I have a couple of lip glosses, and at the time I took these pictures I liked using these two. But now, I use my other NYX lip gloss in Strawberry.

*I also made separate posts on my Clinique lip gloss and strawberry lip balm. For the lip gloss click here. For the lip balm click here. :D*

Products for my eyes:

Lash curler, Eyelid Primer, Liquid eyeliner, Lash & Brow Mascara, Eyeshadow quad (Luxe)... all from e.l.f.

I haven't yet mastered putting on eyeshadow, that's why when I'm in a hurry I don't put any on because I don't want it to look bad. But I do always put mascara on. However, I use this kind because my eyes tend to get all water-y. It works okay for me, but I want to get a waterproof one too. The liquid eyeliner is good too, I just have to practice more. :)

Most of my makeup are from e.l.f. because it's a really great line, especially for those just starting out with makeup (like me, haha). They are very affordable and the quality is really good. I love it. :)

My foundation and concealer are from MAC because as my sister always says, "MAC has the best stuff". :D

What makeup do you use on a daily basis?

*P.S. I started my cake decorating class today. It's a bit hard, but definitely interesting and enjoyable. Once I have a couple of pictures I will be making a post about it. :D*

*I also won a giveaway today! It's soo exciting. It made my day. Thanks to Kelly Lauren!*

Another week closer to summer! Have a great one! :D

Blog Love Award! :)

Hi everyone! It's time for me to pass on another award. Yay! :D

I received this Blog Love Award from Candid Phobic. Thank you!!! :D

Same rules apply. Thank the person who gave this to you. Pass the award to other bloggers, however many you like. Let them know. :D

I am giving this award to:

Marie
Ariel
Breee
Carrie

The thing about this is that you have to make your own logo. The first picture is from Candid Phobic, and the other one is from me. You can go ahead and copy my logo onto your blog, then make your logo to pass on to others. :D

Congrats! Share the love!

Happy Sunday! :D

Busy Friday and Library books :)

Hi! Yesterday was one of the days that I wasn't able to go on my blog to post a new entry and comment on your lovely posts. I didn't even go on Facebook! Haha. ;) Yesterday was a busy day. I spent it with my sister and parents, running a few errands, then walking around shops, buying little stuff here and there, and eating at Rubio's. I bought a few items from Forever 21, and I will definitely be doing a post about those this coming week. :D

Another thing that kept me busy yesterday was a little "spring cleaning". I brought out my summer clothes that were in storage, and kept my winter clothes (here's hoping the weather doesn't change its mind and start raining on us again, haha). I also found a lot of clothes that really don't fit me anymore. I label them as B.H.S. = before high school. All my clothes from before high school are so tiny, I can't believe I fit into them. ;)

Here is the post that I meant to publish yesterday:

I love to read. When I was younger, I enjoyed reading Sweet Valley and The Baby-Sitters Club. In high school, I've read well over 50 classics, and for fun, there's Harry Potter, Sarah Dessen books, the Shopaholic series, Dan Brown books... the list goes on.

While I have my very own book collection, I must say that buying all the books I want to read can be heavy on the budget. Thank God for public libraries! :D

The Los Angeles Public Library system has many branches all over the county. Luckily, there is one near where I live. It is a 10-15 minute walk. Once or every other week, my Mom, siblings, and I walk to our local library to return and borrow books and CDs.

Their collection is vast. They have children's books, young adult novels, classics, chick lit, romance novels, encyclopedias, history books, how-to books, magazines, CDs, DVDs... basically, you name it, they can most probably get it for you. Sometimes, they have to order it from another branch, but you will surely get the book/s you need.

Most libraries also have a used bookstore. They sell books for 5 cents to a dollar.

Here is a picture of my library card:

All you have to do is fill out a form, show them proof that you live in Los Angeles, and they give you a library card = access to tons and tons of books. :D

You are allowed to borrow 10 CDs and 30 books per visit (not sure about the DVDs, though).

Here are the books I borrowed the last time I went to the library:

1. Spanish, Learn to Communicate in 24 hours - I can speak conversational Spanish (thank you, high school!), but I want to practice some more.

2. iPhone and iPod touch Quick Steps - For some reason, an iPhone doesn't come with a user guide. This book helped me a lot! I learned more about my phone.

3. French for Dummies - to help me learn French

4. Shopaholic Ties the Knot - the only one out of the series that I haven't read yet

5. Luscious Chocolate - filled with tons of yummy chocolate desserts :)

6. The Hopeless Romantic's Handbook - it seemed like a fun read

7. Me & Mr. Darcy - Like almost everyone else, I loved Mr. Darcy from Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice.

If there is a library system in your area, how does it work? What books do you love to borrow and read? :D

Have a great weekend, everyone! :)

The Buffet at the Wynn Las Vegas

It's Thursday, the weekend is almost here!

I've noticed that I haven't made a post about food or travel for the past couple of weeks. So, here is one filled with pictures. :D

The last time we went to Las Vegas, we ate dinner at The Buffet at the Wynn. We were all hungry after hours on the road and walking around our favorite Vegas spots, that quite frankly, any restaurant would do. But The Buffet totally exceeded our expectations (and our grumbling stomachs). I am only 19 years old, therefore, I don't really go to Vegas to gamble... I go there to shop and, of course, to eat. And can I just say, this is, by far, one of the best meals of my life. :D

We were staying at The Venetian (maybe a separate post sometime next week?), which is a couple of hotels away from the Wynn. A fairly short walk. We were all excited to eat and relax.

The Wynn is one of the newest hotels in the Las Vegas strip. The exterior and interior are both very beautiful, elegant, and posh... you will just love to walk around and take pictures (and possibly stay there for the night). :D

Entering The Buffet, you will see gorgeous flower/fruit arrangements everywhere. They are so pretty that you will subconsciously want to take them home. Haha. ;)

Here are pictures:

It may be a bit pricey, our bill came up to about $350-$400 for six people. But, I have a feeling that at the end of your dining experience here, you wouldn't really mind. Why? Because you're at the Wynn, surrounded by gorgeous flowers, sitting on a comfy chair, being served by nice people, eating the softest lamb chops, the creamiest pasta, and one of the best prime rib I've ever tasted...

They have a wide selection that those who prefer seafood over meat will enjoy it just as much as I did. I promise. :)

It is such an experience that you won't regret paying however much you pay. You will actually want to go back the next time you're in Vegas (I know I do). :D

assorted cheese, rack of lamb, gnocchi, and squash ravioli

strawberry and banana crepe

chocolate/banana cake, strawberry cake, and cream puff

peach mousse, chocolate mousse, and creme brulee

other yummy desserts

When you find yourself on vacation in Las Vegas, I recommend you add this to your plans. :)

Random fact: In 2009, The Buffet was declared the "Best Buffet in Las Vegas". I totally agree. :D

Lush: Dream Cream, The Hand and Body Lotion

I bought this Dream Cream a couple of months ago. I've also finished it ages ago. Haha. ;) I kept this container in my bathroom drawer because I will return it to Lush with 4 other containers in exhange for a fresh face mask. :D

If you've got skin with severe problems, you could spend your whole life dreaming of a clear, trouble-free epidermis. Give our best-selling Dream Cream a try; we get loads of emails about how well it works. With a base of oat milk (traditionally used to calm skin), it's packed with every calming plant we could find: tea tree, lavender and chamomile, moisturizing olive oil and loads more. If it seems nothing works to calm your skin, apply a healthy dose of this, our best-selling cream. You can thank us later. ($24.95)

*description from www.lushusa.com*

I loved this lotion because it really does work great. Among the modest number of Lush products I've used, I haven't encountered one that didn't work well.

This Dream Cream Hand and Body Lotion made my skin smooth. It smells great, very relaxing indeed. I use it after I shower at night, right before I go to bed. It calms and relaxes me, and it makes me sleep more easily than usual.

The consistency is a bit water-y, but I didn't see that as a problem. :D

I will definitely get this again when I go to Lush. A girl can never have too many types of lotion, right? :D

Have a great Wednesday, everyone!

Trend: Colored Watches

I've been seeing a lot of colored watches lately. I think it is a perfect addition to any outfit. Here are some from Michael Kors (all $195):

Here are some from Anne Klein ($55):

The watch I have now is a silver/gold combination from Fossil, it was a gift from my sister and brother-in-law for my 18th birthday. It's been two years now, and if I were to buy a new one, I'd buy one of these. I would definitely pick the bright yellow Michael Kors. :D

What about you?

*images from http://www.michaelkors.com/ and http://www.anneklein.com/*