Jamaican Sun

Hello lovelies,

Boyfriend and I were in Jamaica last week soaking up some sun! Not that we don't have enough sun and beaches in CA, but it's always nice to take a break to nourish the soul. This was probably our most relaxing vacation yet...

From top left going clockwise:

1. Iberostar Grand all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay
2. one of the nicest/biggest rooms we've stayed at
3. fully stocked fridge but we don't really drink boohoo :'(
4. from the reading chaise looking out to our private patio (omg there's a swing!!!)

I feel like the little Mermaid in this dress hehehe....

Overlooking all of Montego Bay...

1. we took a safari jeep tour to explore Jamaican rainforest

2. haunted tree. it was used to hang slaves back in the days so there are supposedly lots of haunted spirits around there *shudders*

3. waterfall & lush rainforest

4. what used to be a slave hospital but now it's an Anglican church

Nooooo don't jumpppppp!!! :P

Some stuff we ate...

1. starter course with potatoes/tomatoes and some other goodies that i forgot

2. lobster salad with tomato sherbet

3. our midnight room service snack complete with mimosas and ice cream lol...

4. candied salmon

1. lobster thermidor

2. surf and turf

3. phyllo dough filled with vanilla cream

4. saint honore. gosh these desserts were to die for!!!

Boyfriend's choice of morning exercise: karate chops!!!

My choice of morning exercise: playing in the water??? LOL...

Life's a beach... ;) Hope you enjoy travelling along with us to Jamaica! <3 Yeah mon!!!!

Under the San Francisco Sun

Happy Tuesday after Memorial day everyone! Back to work today woohooo. ;)

The boyfriend and I went for a mini getaway to SF this past weekend. Although I have been to this lovely city several times, it's always been very short trips so I still haven't seen all of its beauty yet. But I guess that's part of the charm; keeps me coming back for more huh?

Wearing: H&M blazer; Zara blouse; Gap cropped pants; Target sandals; LV pochette

The above photo was taken outside of the Jewish museum. I love the unique washed-out quality of it, and of course, the modern cubic design of the building. I know we have many bloggers from the Bay area so please bear with me as I post touristsy photos of your city hehe.

1. Walking around Union Square early in the morning while the rest of SF is still asleep. I love any city that allows me to travel by foot. Here in LA, we use our cars for everything, even just to get a block down the street!

2. Hidden identity. Have any of you seen the show "Home Improvement" way back when? Tim's neighbor, Wilson, always had part of his face covered by either the fence or other objects throughout the whole series. I totally thought of him when I took this picture lol.

1. Standing "tall" in Jessie Square, right behind St. Patrick church & the Jewish museum

2. Is anyone home??? Please let me in, I need some food!

1. Inside St. Patrick church. I've been to a few churches in SF and I absolutely LOVE all of them. The intricate designs are truly reminiscent of European churches.

2. Cute homes on Lombard Street. Really wanted to see the Painted Ladies (row of Victorian houses featured on "Full House") but we didn't have time.

3. Fisherman's Wharf--I'm in there somewhere.

4. Our first time riding the cable cars and it was so much fun! Well, except for the rude conductor.

1. Endless stairways to Coit Tower. Seriously...my legs died. I died too.

2. View of Golden Gate bridge  from Coit Tower.

1. Popover at Rotunda. Ms. Lisa of Cocobella Ballerina recommended this shopping eatery and I just had to try it. Look at my cheesy smile and you'll know how excited I was haha.

2. Crab salad + lobster club. Yes, we had exactly what she & her hubby had. Yummm! Me + seafood = heaven. So right after we finished our meal here on Sat afternoon, SF decided to shower us with some pretty heavy rain. But fear not, we put a jacket over our head and continued on with our shopping lol. When we got to Zara, bf picked out a bright orange umbrella for me and I was so eager to use it...and then it stopped raining. Boo!!!

3. Dungeness crab, clam chowder, and calamari from Fisherman's Wharf. Seriously, bf and I would drive 6 hours to SF just for the clam chowder. *drool*

4. Tiger prawns with garlic noodles and roasted crab from Thanh Long. Crustacean (sister restaurant of TL) is my favorite restaurant here in LA so I've been dying to give TL a try. Although the food was pretty good, I still prefer Crustacean. Go there when you're in Beverly Hills and try the lobster with garlic noodles. Oh, there's a Sprinkles Cupcakes right across the street too. Need I say more?

And I shall leave you with this...a portrait of me & bf. We had a wonderful time in SF! Thank you for having us and we'll see you again. :)

Under the Tuscan Sun

When I saw Kelly's post earlier today, I squealed with delight because our subconscious must be talking to each other! I have planned an "Under the Tuscan Sun" post for sometime now, and I was so excited to see her take a fashion cue from a movie featuring one of my favorite cities. Although I haven't seen the movie, I've been to Siena, Tuscany and it was beautiful beyond imagination. It has the quaint, small-town, historic, peaceful, rustic feel that one can only find in the European countryside. I was in love...

(I purposely made the resolution of  this pix very low so
you won't be able to see my face clearly lol.)
Dress: BCBG

Sweater (below): American Eagle

Sandals: Target

I have dreamed of traveling to Europe after college graduation but it didn't happen because no money at the time. So when I went back to school, I was determined to make it happen this time around. Last year, right after my graduation (litterally right after--we left that same afternoon), my boyfriend and I went on a 2-week trip to Europe. We visited London, Paris, Venice, Siena (Tuscany), and Rome. As you may have guessed, Siena was our favorite destination.

When Kelly mentioned the "fanny pack" and "frumpy American," I LOL'ed. :D I'm so glad I wasn't one of those tourists haha. I learned to pack light for every trip: a couple pair of jeans, tops, some sunny breezy dresses, and these comfy sandals that took me everywhere. I'm wearing one of my favorite dresses ever. Alexis Bledel wore this same one in "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants," so I told bf that I wanted to go to Greece and sit on a donkey while wearing this dress, just like she did! Unfortunately, Greece was a little out of the way...but one day, one day I will.

1. piazza del Campo

2. duomo (Siena cathedral)

3. picturesque houses

Everywhere we turned was a picture-perfect spot. None of the photos in this post requires editing; everything is left as is. Boyfriend really has an eye for photography huh? ;)

1. shopping for dried herbs & spices

2. broken wooden door
3. old man smiling at us. Love the outdoor laundry haha

4. walking to St. Catherine's Sanctuary

1. clams linguine--omigosh soooooooooo delicious, the I-want-another-plate kind of delicious!!!

2. bf is a carnivore--HUMONGOUS & RARE piece of steak florentine

3. more yummy food: pork chops, potato frites, rigatoni

4. gelato! ahhhh gelato! Venice & Siena have the best gelato; we seriously had gelato for breakfast.

bf doesn't love me lol...

sunset over Tuscany

If you like quaint & historic towns, Tuscany is definitely worth a visit. Most of its cities are very small but full of character. Bf & I agreed that next time we're in Europe, we'll travel all through Tuscany. (Well, we have to stop by Greece too. :P)

I think I'll dub all my travel series "Under the ______ Sun." So I guess the next one is "Under the San Francisco Sun" because we're heading there in a few weeks lol. I hope you enjoyed these pictures. :) I want to go back pronto!