P365: Goodbye August! [092]

This month went by so fast, but that doesn’t mean summer is gone quite yet. Bring on the heat!

P365: Loco Moco! [091]

Food experimenting with Loco Moco, a Hawaiian dish made with rice, a hamburger patty, a fried egg and brown gravy! It sounds like an odd combination, but it is delicious! Yum! :P

P365: Mario Party, anyone? [090]

Racing around an interactive game board, chasing after stars! Ah, nothing like playing Mario Party with my siblings! 

How about some Mario Kart later?!

P365: Chocolate Chip Cookies [089]

I tried out a different chocolate chip cookie recipe from epicurious.com this time around.  So goood! I’m definitely going to bake some more again soon!

P365: Belt Promotion [088]

Congrats to all the students at Kovar’s Satori Academy for their excellent performance during their belt promotion! 

P365: Bev the Beta [087]

“Just keep swimming, just keep swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim!!” 

Every time I watch the fish, I start quoting Finding Nemo. haha

P365: Where the Sidewalk Ends...[086]

While California may look completely populated on television, there are definitely still rural places, and that’s where you’ll find “where the sidewalk ends…”

P365: Elk Grove Blvd. [085]

So glad I get to walk to work every day (yay fitness!), while crossing one of main roads in Elk Grove. 

P365: The Capitol [084]

Explored parts of downtown Sacramento, including the park around the capitol.  I haven’t been there since fifth grade for a class field trip. Good times. :)


Taken on Casio Exilim. 

P365: Peter Pan [083]

After watching Toy Story 3 again, I decided to visit my old pal, Peter Pan. He sits on top of my desk nowadays, but when I was little, I played with him all the time, taking him everywhere with me.  Sometimes I thought I lost him, but he always came back.  

Guess it’s true that toys always come back when you need them. :) 

JOB HUNT: Good but NOT good enough...

When I first read this on tumblr, I reworded it:

If something is not happening for you, it doesn't mean it's never going to happen...it means they're not ready for YOU!

 I twisted it to make it more optimistic for me, but thinking it over, maybe I am the one who isn't ready...

After yet another rejection, I realized that this statement is true as is.  

With all these rejections, one thing has stayed constant.  All of them said that I have a good resume and good experience, BUT...

The exception is my lack of enthusiasm, my lack of experience, my lack of interest in that particular industry in public relations.  My problem is that I want to try out different areas of public relations to see what I like and what I don't like.  I guess being well-rounded isn't a good thing in this case.

I need to focus, but with so many interests (having yet to discover others), it's been difficult to figure out where I want to go in public relations.  So far I have experience in a non-profit organization that focused on community programming through its park system and experience in a boutique food and hospitality agency.  I loved working in both, but I want to be exposed to, learn more about, gain experience in:

• Corporate communications
• Fashion/beauty
• Entertainment
• Travel
• Digital/Social Media
• Technology (consumer-based)
• Museums

While I want to be part of a bigger global picture, I need to start off somewhere. I enjoy making people happy, which is key in public relations right? Making your clients/patrons/media partners/community members happy?  I like being behind the scenes, making things happen, getting stuff done and reaping the rewards afterward - mostly just the sense of accomplishment will do. 

So how do I go about trying to figure out what path to go on in public relations? Apparently the experience route is out of the question. Textbooks? Blogs? Websites? I have no problem with research, so let's go!  I'll record my thoughts on yet another blog that will solely focus on public relations material: http://tmmpr.wordpress.com (it's still under construction). Hopefully this method will help clear this vague picture I have of public relations and all its different facets and take me down a path worthwhile.

With this new game plan, I still ponder this question (referring back to the quote)...

It may be true that I'm not ready for it, 

but how will I be ready without a chance?

P365: Blueberry Muffin [082]

While I’m not a huge fan of blueberry muffins, I experimented baking a batch.  Super easy, but I still need some practice to perfect it. 

P365: Fortune Cookie [081]

Please come true!! :)

P365: Flor Bonita [080]

Bright pink flower made a beautiful photo. :)

Thanks for the suggestion, Mama!

P365: Running [079]

It was my first day running in well over a year.  It felt good to be back out running until I was quickly reminded that it has been a long time since I’ve actually worked out. Starting out is always the hardest; just need to power through. 

These sneakers are the pair I got in Canada. May need to replace them soon, since I’ve had them for a couple years now…whoops. haha

BEAUTY: Fresh Start

In my last post, I was convinced that I was going to trim my hair, keeping it long with new layers and bangs.  However, days after I wrote that post, I figured it was time for change - something a little more than a trim. It was...

Time for a new 'do! 

I decided to chop off my hair - a good 10-12 inches!  I'm going to donate it either to Pantene Beautiful Lengths or Locks of Love (I haven't decided which organization yet).  I wanted to donate more, but hopefully the next time I grow it out, I can donate more than a foot.

BEFORE

AFTER

I made the initial cuts myself (and then getting it styled afterward), and I have no regrets chopping off so much hair.  Reminds me of the same mentality Summer from (500) Days of Summer had about her hair:

"...she'd only love two things. The first was her long dark hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and not feel a thing." 

Honestly, that's how it felt. With a pair of scissors in one hand and a ponytail in the other, I was just like, "There's no turning back now."  As the scissors sliced through each strand, I didn't feel anything. No sense of emotional attachment that I thought I had to my long hair.  

After chopping off the ponytails...

Through my uneven cuts, I also just kept thinking, "It's going to grow back anyway, so no worries."  Makes me wonder how short I could have gone. Haha Just kidding.  This bob style, inspired by Dianna  Agron's hair, works just fine (yes I realize that my bangs are a little shorter). 

Dianna Agron from Glee

Plus, it'll be fun to play around with short hair since I had long hair for at least 2-3 years now.

It just feels so good to have a fresh start with a new look. :)

P365: Strawberry Dreams [078]

My sister and I have been experimenting with the batch of strawberries in the fridge, making different dishes featuring strawberries.  

This concoction is Baked Banana-Stuff French Toast, topped with fresh strawberries, a sprinkle of powdered sugar and just a little maple syrup.  DELICIOUS! And quite a dish for brunch. ;)

All it needed was some Nutella…! YUM! :

P365: The Bob [077]

Nixed the original plan of just getting a trim.

Chopped off about a foot.

Now rockin’ a short ‘do. 

Quite a refreshing change. :)

P365: Rejection [076]

The job market is tough, and it’s frustrating to keep getting rejected. :(

However, even with rejection, there is still hope for another opportunity.  Here’s to staying optimistic and new opportunities that the future may present…

P365: Crochet [075]

This summer my sister has been crocheting blankets. This is a sneak peek on her current blanket project. :)

P365: Crazy Sushi [074]

Surprise lunch outing with my siblings and mom to Crazy Sushi! Enjoyed a variety of sushi rolls, including Dragon, Crazy Spicy, Spider, Golden California and Dynamite. 

The first three listed are pictured.

Taken on iPhone (my camera wasn’t charged). 

P365: Doves [073]

There’s a pair of doves living in the backyard.  They hide by the fence, walking along the perimeter of the garden.

While watering the plants, they flew to the top of the fence and were there long enough to snap a few pictures.

BEAUTY: Hair

Since I've been back from New York, I've been thinking about changing my hair...

Here's a before picture (just for the record, since I don't know when I'm going to get this haircut):

Right now, this is what I love:

• I love the layers because the lady that cut it last time evened them out perfectly.
• I love the length because it's almost reaching the longest it has been...EVER.
• I love the color (but that's only going to change naturally because I'm never going to dye my hair).

Hmmm...that's not a lot of things.

What I don't like:

• I don't like the dry, split ends.
• I don't like my bangs because they are just really short layers (or attempting to be).
• I don't like how the shortest layers aren't long enough to donate (just gonna have to wait on that one).
• I don't like how I can't wear it down like I used to.

Looks like the cons outweigh the pros. Time for a new do (or just a trim)!

Possibilities:

• I want to keep the length-ish because I'm still growing it out for donation.
• I want to keep the layers because it makes my hair lighter.
• I want new bangs because something as simple as that will change my whole look (surprise!).
• I kinda want it to be styled in the Dominican way again but that won't happen as long as I'm in California.  

I've been looking at some possible hairstyles, and I always come back to Zooey Deschanel's. 

I feel like I can pull it off. I just haven't had the chance to do so because every time I request this hairstyle, the bangs are not thick enough or they are too short.  Hopefully this next time will be a charm. 

P365: Milk & Cookies [072]

Just enjoying the simple deliciousness of milk & cookies!

P.S. Go Pilots! ;)

P365: Savannah Daylily [071]

One of the coolest flowers in the garden is the daylily.  There’s so many varieties, but all of them are uniquely beautiful. This particular one is a double, which you can see in the double layers of the petals.

P365: Chicken Curry [070]

Time for food experiments! We made some chicken curry, but after this initial run, we decided we need to experiment some more and add additional ingredients…

Unemployed...and hating it.

Eleven months ago, I embarked on my New York adventures.

Eleven months later, I'm back where I started - home.

It hasn't even been a month since I moved back home, but I'm starting to have feelings of regret.

I mean don't get me wrong.  It's great being home with my family, eating home-cooked meals, basking in the Californian sun and more.  I love getting the chance to see my cousins too.  It has been stress relieving to just relax for a bit.

However, as relaxing as it is to be home, unemployment has been getting to me...

When I left New York, I left three jobs, working for Macy's, the Disney Store and City Parks Foundation at SummerStage, so not keeping busy with work has been an extreme change of pace.  I suppose I need the break though.

When I found out on-calls get to come back to work on Monday, I feel like I'm missing out on work, even though it's across the country.  It makes me want to go back to New York, even though it's just a part-time job.  At least I would be working, while looking for work in public relations.

Did I give up too easily on the New York dream? I feel like I did.  I analyzed my situation and came to the conclusion of going home.  On the other hand, I knew my opportunities for a career would decrease immensely by moving home, but I took that risk anyway.  Now I'm back where I started - unemployed...and hating it.

I've been trying my best to get a job though.  I submitted applications to a variety of places but only heard back and interviewed with a few.  I still have hope for the places I interviewed with, but my patience is testing me.

I keep telling myself to stay optimistic...!
But it's hard with this heavy feeling of regret...

Plus it doesn't help with the financial crisis going on in this country.

P365: $1 Scoop Mondays! [069]

Surprise ice cream treat from Cold Stone Creamery! Yum! :P

This is Strawberry Banana Rendezvous (minus the bananas because they didn’t have any more).

P365: Storm Stopper [068]

C-Units and Super Friends spent a rare day together at Nickel City arcade! We had lots of fun playing classic arcade games and won approximately 3000 tickets! Yay us! :D

P365: Congrats Jordan & Maria! [067]

Celebrated the engagement of Jordan and Maria with some excellent Mexican food and drinks! :D

P365: Farewell [066]

Batman was lost in the depths of water, marking the end of my iTouch after three years. *sigh* :\

P.S. I know this makes me sound materialistic but who isn’t nowadays?

P365: Dorm Life [065]

When I lived in the dorms, we had name tags on our doors.  Since I lived in there for four years, I collected one from each semester.  Now they are all on my door at home. Aww…good memories! :)

P365: Peach [064]

There’s nothing like fresh fruit from the Farmers’ Market in the Sacramento Valley in the summer!  We are honestly blessed with the best produce in the world! So deliciously fresh! :D

P365: Hibiscus [063]

LOVE these flowers! :)

Another snapshot from the garden.

P365: Resume [062]

At this point in my life, this is probably one of the most important things to have as the job search continues…

Stay optimistic.