NAGANO TOYOKAZU

Absolutely charmed by this series of photos, taken by NAGANO TOYOKAZU, of his adorably charismatic daughter. To me there's nothing cuter than a precocious child. Thanks for the tip-off NPR.

Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens

My sister, Z, and I visited the Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens during Memorial Day weekend. I had been to the gardens before back in high school and the gardens are even more beautiful than I could ever remember. We were lucky enough to reserve a table at the Tea Room (located next to the English Rose Gardens) where we dined on delicious little cucumber sandwiches, fruit, scones, and yummy blackberry tea. We only got to visit a couple of the gardens: Dessert, English, Herb, Chinese, and Japanese...we will have to come back earlier but it just seemed like there was not enough time to fully explore the grounds since the closing time was at 4:30pm!

We rarely get photos together since I am always the one behind the camera!

Demonstrating the beautiful cacti with their blooming flowers

Posing in the English Rose Garden after snacking at the Tea Room & Cafe 

Some of the names of the roses were hilarious. My favorite was the Rosie O' Donnell. 

Handsome boyfriend that never smiles. :/

The Chinese Gardens

The koi fish in this pong were huge! These fish could probably dine on Finnegan with no problem

The Japanese Gardens

My sister and a bonsai.

Sisterly Love!

Sometimes Z's eyes are more squinty than mine. We should probably stop hanging out so often.

Outfit Details:

Ginger crop top / Forever21

Midi Polka Dot Skirt / Thrifted

Brown Belt / Thrifted

White Swedish Hasbeens / H&M

Gingham Purse / UO

Pig Dog's SoCal Vacation

Finnegan McDuff loves visiting my mom's house in Ventura because of the warmer weather, large backyard, and the plethora of things to get his pug snout into. Finnegan seems think that he himself is on vacation because he does not listen to either Z or I when we tell him to do something.  His days at my mom's usually consist of the following activities: 

1. Sleep 
2. Eat
3. Sleep 
4. Explore the backyard 
5. Sunbathing
6. Eat 
7. Sleep

What a life! No wonder Finnegan is morbidly obese and his body is turning into a shapeless blob.

Whine Wine Wedding

Over Memorial Day weekend, Z and I attended a nice small wedding in Southern California. Steve and Melody were married at a beautiful country club in Pasadena, CA. The ceremony took place outside overlooking the huge golf course. Z and I had a great time seeing and catching up with our old friends from UCSD. Even though there weren't that many photos taken during the wedding, below are some of the few gems that I managed to capture. Unfortunately, the photos all were taken when the benefits of an all-night open bar started to kick in. Towards the end of the evening, Z and I had wine splashed all over our outfits! This was probably a good sign that the wedding was a complete success! Congrats to Steve and Melody!

Sitting in my wet dress after trying to get all the red wine stains out.

Pig Dog's Hiking Adventures // Part 1

My sister's new favorite hobby is hiking around Ventura and Orange County. This may seem like the most unlikely places, but I think it is wonderful since she's been discovering places that she would never had known existed. I mean...who knew that there would be a waterfall in the middle of Ventura County? That particular morning, we decided to check out a trail called "Paradise Falls) that seemed short enough for a little pig pug to undertake. The day started out overcast and gradually heated up. Pig Dog (Finnegan) started out strong, but as the hike continued his enthusiasm dipped significantly. 

The above two photos were accidentally double exposed from a roll that didn't quite turn out because my camera battery died halfway through. In retrospect, I think I'll try out this technique more often because the photos look really interesting spliced with images of Z sitting at a coffee shop.

When we reached Paradise Falls, we took a much needed Pig Dog break. Finnegan took the opportunity to sprawl his brick-like body onto the cool wet gravel surrounding the falls. Finnegan was so tired hiking out of the ravine where the waterfall was located that Meg and I had to carry him at certain parts of the trip. It was a bit ridiculous, but I love that pug too much.The rest of the photos are of Finnegan laying down on the ground looking like he is about to die from exhaustion. These photos greatly amuse me, but now I will probably be reported for pug abuse. Oh Finnegan!

My sister and I would like to come back (maybe without Finnegan this time) to check out the other trails that we missed since we were obligated to carry a big pig dog back to the car. Until next time, Paradise Falls!