TIERAsta

Update! New Blog: Side Culture

2010-11-29T16:19:00.000-10:00

Well, hello there! It's been ages since I've been around TIERAsta, or even signed into my account. Yikes!

But for anyone that's checking in, I just wanted to let you know that I've moved on and up to Side Culture, my new blog! It's a lot of the same stuff (it is still me, after all), just, well, better :) I'm now self-hosted via Wordpress and loving it! And I've updated my contact info, so be sure to stop by and say hello :)

Xoxo,
Tiera

Mixtape Monday Vol. 13

2010-08-02T14:33:00.000-10:00

Happy Mixtape Monday! I'm so excited to get this week started. I've been up to a lot lately, and have a lot going on this week as well. But I'm ready, so bring it on!

Last Week's Highlights

Working. A lot.
Dinner at Shokudo with three of my best friends, Joelle, Matt and Pono
Catching up on Hulu. And lots of it!
Pizza and pasta (and living room redecorating!) with Tiari, Tiffany, Tyxae, Aunty Roxanne, and Ed!
Baking cupcakes with my little brother
Deciding to commit to an upcoming hula trip; Kauai here I come!

Maunawili Ditch Trail

Weekend Happenings

Hiking the Maunawili Ditch Trail with the Hawaiian Humane Society's Paws on the Path hiking club, and Niki, Chris, and Katsumi Firefox!
Watching movies with Shayde and Bodi
Hula

The fatso pug princes, Maka; Yes, her tongue's always out; No, she did not do well on the hike, lol!

On The Agenda

Still working on a few freelance ventures
Trying to plan a few craft projects
Getting back on the workout grind!

Ikaika, after a long morning out on the trail

As of Today

Fashionista: Medium wash bootlegs; Black white and gray stretchy top; Silver strappy flats
Beauty: I gots a nekkid face today (But had I remembered that I was supposed to come in to work 1-1/2 later than usual, I would've taken the time to do a little sumthin :)
On Film: Spent another weekend watching rentals with the fam: Armored, The Bounty Hunter, The Crazies, Law Abiding Citizen, Repo Men
Couch Potato: Saw the über dramatic episode of Kourtney & Khloe Take Miami last night, it was so sad :( I'm glad Kourtney finally stood up for herself and Mason!
In heavy rotation: My boy Micah G has a new song on the radio, check out All For You!
Podcasting: I just listened to the 30th episode of Daves of Thunder, and it was hilarious! I'm glad Jacuzzi Pete is back :)
Booknerding: Made a little (very little) progress on The Doomsday Key; Like I said, I really liked The Last Oracle (also by Rollins) so I'm excited to work on this one!

My little brother, Shayde, hiking with Ikaika

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend? And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Cupcake Chronicles: Rainbow Chip for No Reason

2010-07-29T15:54:00.000-10:00

My little brother is an extremely picky eater; I can probably count on my two hands the things he actually eats. And my parents, bless their hearts, indulge him! What we do share, though, is our love for cupcakes (though he only likes the vanilla or yellow varieties!).

Well, a couple of days ago we were both having major cupcake cravings, so we had a baking and Blockbuster session at my mom's house! We picked up boxed cake mix and and few DVDs and had ourselves a party!

Cupcake batter, in Pyrex, on mom's porch

We bought Betty Crocker's SuperMoist Cake Mix in Rainbow Chip (Vanilla cake with pudding, and rainbow sprinkles mixed in) and tried a few of my 25 Ways to Doctor Store-Bought Cake Mix tips:

1. Substitute butter for oil [We used one stick of softened butter]
4. Substitute milk for water [Mom had 2% in the fridge so that's what we used]

After 17 minutes on 350; A nice light golden color, if I do say so myself!

The cupcakes were finished off with cream cheese frosting (half of which we dyed a seafoam green color, just for fun!). My little bro was trying so hard to be a good froster, but I think we should make more cupcakes so he can have some practice :)

The finished products, yum!

He was so bummed about his frosting job that he told me "Okay, Tiera, you eat all the ugly ones and I'll eat the good ones", lol!

They turned out deeelicious! They were dense and moist, and rich (but without being overwhelmingly heavy). And using the butter enhanced the flavor while preventing the oily residue (gross) that often plagues cupcakes made with boxed mix.

So let's recap: Scrumptious cupcakes, funny movies, hanging out with my little brother, and finding a new hobby for us to do together... Good times indeed :)

I wanna know, when's the last time you baked cupcakes for no reason?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Mixtape Monday Vol. 12

2010-07-26T11:59:00.000-10:00

Oh, Monday, here you are again... I actually relaxed a little this weekend, and last week, so I wasn't dreading the beginning of a new week as much as usual! So here I am, starting off the week right with another Mixtape Monday!

Last Week's Highlights

Working on SamsHideaway.com
Finding out there are two Hawaii contestants on the new season of Project Runway!
Dinner with Tiari, Tiffany, Aunty Rox, and Tyxae at Han Yang. It's a mix of Korean and yakiniku, the portions are pretty darn humongous, and the food was delicious!
Putting together lists of my top ten childhood novels and 25 ways to doctor store-bought cake mix
Eating lunch from our neighborhood "manapua man" (It's like an ice cream man, but he serves lunch items like burgers and saimin, snack items like rice cake and pork hash, candies, and even ice cream!)
Visiting with Niki's Shiba Inu, Katsumi Firefox!

Vanilla cone, teri burger, and french fries from Domi!

Weekend Happenings

Renting movies with the familia
Eating out (Chinese food and ramen)
Shopping for school supplies (love it!)

Katsu showing off her newest trick: Begging!

On The Agenda

Still working on a few freelance ventures
Trying to plan a few craft projects
Getting back on the workout grind!

Katsu laying out!

As of Today

Fashionista: Light wash capris, navy blue top with embroidered neckline, silver strappy flats
Beauty: MAC Eyebrows in Lingering, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero, Prestige My Biggest Lashes in Black, Maybelline Dream Mousse Concealer (I think my color is Cream 30)
On Film: Watched tons of DVDs with the fam this weekend, here's our list: Brooklyn's Finest, Cop Out, Hot Tub Time Machine, Saw VI, She's Out of My League, Shutter Island, Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Zombieland
Couch Potato: Loving The Gates and Haven lately!
In heavy rotation: Been listening to Hey Monday a bunch lately, especially "Homecoming"
Podcasting: Loved the Joe Rogan episode with Eddie Bravo, that Joey Diaz impression was hilarious!
Booknerding: Starting The Doomsday Key by James Rollins; I read The Last Oracle (also by Rollins) last year and really liked it, so I'm hoping this one impresses as well!

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend? And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via We Heart It and me!

Cupcake Chronicles: 25 Ways to Doctor Store-Bought Cake mix

2010-07-23T16:08:00.000-10:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a little, umm, domestically challenged. My mom did my laundry for most of my life, I'm not real big on housework, and have only explored cooking within the last year. Sad, I know.

Luckily, one of my few matronly characteristics is that I love baking! And, yes, this is a direct result of my love for cake — Especially cupcakes! Obviously I'm never gonna win any awards baking with boxed cake mix, but it's so easy and convenient, and calls for less ingredient shopping, that I do it often.

But, there are so many interesting ways to use store-bought cake mix to improve the flavor and texture, and give your cakes and cupcakes that homemade (and original) flair! So I sat down and made a list of my favorite ideas — Ones that I've picked up these ideas everywhere, from cook books, to tips from family and friends, to the Internet. I hope you find one that helps you bake better cakes and cupcakes!

1. Substitute butter for oil; Melt and measure to match it to the amount of oil called for by the mix, or just go with one stick like I do; It adds moisture to the cake and that rich buttery flavor!

2. Substitute apple sauce for oil; It's a healthy alternative that also helps to make the cake moist, and doesn't alter the look or flavor; Plain applesauce works just about every time, but cinnamon-flavored applesauce could work with the right flavor cake too!

3. Add flavor and texture to the batter with dried fruit; Just be sure to cut them into uniform-sized pieces

4. Fresh fruit works too; You can chop, dice, or puree!

5. Substitute milk (buttermilk works best, whole milk is a good second) for water for a moister, richer cake; 2% and skim milk are less fatty alternatives

6. Add two extra egg yolks, in addition to the eggs that are called for by the mix; They give a moist, spongy texture

7. One of the easiest fixes is just to add food coloring! The best canvas is white cake

8. Add a flavor extract, about 1/2 to 2 teaspoons should do it; My favorite is vanilla, and I've heard mint and almond are also great!

9. Substitute mayonnaise for oil; It doesn't sound appetizing, but it works!

10. Instead of water and oil, use prepared a pie filling; Pumpkin and apple are delish with spice cake!

11. Rather than adding water, try a flavored drink like coffee, root beer, or fruit juice!

12. Try adding a pint of melted ice cream instead of water and oil; I've actually never tried this trick before, but I definitely will, it sounds divine!

13. Add some spice! Cinnamon and nutmeg are classic choices, but don't be afraid to get creative with spices like anise, ginger or cloves

14. Feeling fruity? Instead of water and oil, dump in a can of fruit cocktail, fruit juice and all!

15. Add chopped nuts to the mix; Walnuts and pecans work well with lots of different cake flavors; Stay away from anything too salty or with added flavor

16. Add liquer for grown up flavor; Amaretto is my favorite, and Kahlua also works well

17. Adults would also enjoy alcohol instead of water; Dark rum and Bailey's both work well

18. Add chocolate chips to the batter; Or try peanut butter, butterscotch, or mint chips!

19. Substitute yogurt for oil; You'll yield a healthier, yet still very moist, cake!

20. You can also substitute sour cream for oil; Though I've never tried it myself

21. Rather than water, try adding sweetened condensed milk!

22. Another fix I've never tried is substituting coffee creamer for water; I bet french vanilla would be amazing!

23. Add citrus zest; About 1 tablespoon will add just the right hint of flavor!

24. Create a crust with snack cookies/crumbs; Graham crackers and Oreos are popular, and Nilla wafers work well too!

25. Want to add an original twist? Line the bottom of the pan/dish with mini marshmallows; They add a really interesting flavor and texture, and also happen to be my favorite choice!

I wanna know, have you ever tried any of these ideas? What's your favorite way to jazz up boxed cake mix?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via We Heart It

PS: Since baking is one of my favorite things to do, and I'm absolutely obsessed with cupcakes, I'm starting a new featured series here on the bloggy called "Cupcake Chronicles" and this is the first post! More to come soon :)

Bookworming: 10 Favorite Childhood Novels

2010-07-22T13:54:00.000-10:00

A couple of months ago, I put together a list of my 10 Favorite Childhood Series! It was fun to reminisce about some of my favorite books as a kid, and really reinforced that I have always been and will always be a bookworm :)

But not all of my favorite books growing up were part of a series, so I wanted to put together a separate list of my top 10 favorite childhood novels. In no particular order, they are...

1, Letters from Rifka by Karen Hesse

I read Letters from Rifka on the recommendation of one of the librarians at the Kamehameha Elementary School Resource Center (I lovingly called her Blanche, because she reminded me of the Golden Girls character, but I'm so sad that I can't remember her real name!). Anyhow, it's a great story about a young Jewish girl and her family who are trying to escape to America during the Holocaust. And I had absolutely no idea what the Holocaust was when I was reading it (gimme a break, I was probably seven). I couldn't imagine (still can't, really) a girl as young as me (at the time) having to go through all the things she did. Rifka was definitely one of my heroes :)

2, Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Have you ever seen The Village? You know, that silly movie by that silly director guy (aka M. Night Shyamalan)... Well, it was a little bit of a (total) rip off of one of my favorite books as a kid, Running Out of Time! It follows a teenage girl in the 1800s (only it's not really the 1800s, she lives in a fake village that was constructed for scientific study... Sound familiar?) and her race to find a cure for a deadly disease that strikes her community.

3, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh

Not only did I love Harriet the Spy, who spied on just about everyone and wrote about them in her journal, I wanted to be her! I'm talking pen hanging around the neck (Ghostwriter-style) and a little pink notebook, walking around my grandma and papa's neighborhood in Kona spying on the neighbors (yeah, the indulged me a little more than my parents would!). I had so much fun pretending, though it only lasted a few days because I never came across anything interesting! (I know, I know, there is a Harriet series, but I only ever read the one book, so it's on my novels list!)

4, The Giver by Lois Lowry

I thought Jonas lived in such a perfect place in The Giver, and then I hurt with him when I found out the truth behind it. I think I read it late enough in my elementary school years that I could make more informed connections, so it was really one of the more powerful and rewarding reading experiences as a child. In fact, I think I'll read it again soon :)

5, Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Shiloh is just one of the cutest, saddest, most comforting and upsetting books! It's about a boy who finds an abused dog in his town, and has to decide what to do with him. (Again, I know there's a series of Shiloh books, but I didn't even know about the other ones until I started writing this, so I only read the classic!)

6, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

I wanted nothing more than a secret garden of my own after reading the book and watching the film! I fell in love with with Mary's story, and with everyone that lived and worked in the manor. I think The Secret Garden was one of the first times I'd read a book and seen the movie... And learned, very quickly, that books were usually (always) better than the movies!

7, Black Beauty by Anna Sewell

I've ridden horses only a handful of times in my life, but I'm telling you I felt like I'd grown up on a ranch after reading Black Beauty. I absolutely wanted a horse of my own after following Black Beauty all over England, and I absolutely wanted to treat him like a prince!

8, Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

I totally looked up to Karana in Island of the Blue Dolphins! Her eighteen years stranded on the island (losing her family, then finally her brother, and then having to try and make a life for herself) were part Blue Lagoon, part Castaway, part Pocahontas, and all girl power :) And, best of all, it's based on a true story!

9, Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

I must have had a thing for orphans, because Maniac Magee was one of the many books I read centered around characters who'd lost their parents (See The Secret Garden and The Boxcar Children). Maniac had to deal with unhealthy family relationships, racism, and being homeless, a lot for a young boy. I was so happy when he and Amanda found each other :) MM was also made into a movie for Nickalodeon (and Maniac Magee was played by the same kid who played Elliott, Jack's son, on Will & Grace)! I've never seen it, though.

10, Drive-By by Lynne Ewing

Do you remember book fairs (where your parents would send you to school with money, or you'd earn credits in school, and head to the cafeteria to shop at the makeshift bookstore) and book orders (those little pamphlets your teacher would send you home with so you could order books from Scholastic)? I picked up Drive-By via one of those things, and was glad I did. I read it quite a few times as a kid, and it was my first introduction to gang violence and drugs, and just how much people could get hurt by all of it, even if they weren't directly involved with all the bad stuff in the first place.

I wanna know, did you love any of these books as a kid? What were your favorites?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via We Heart It and Amazon

Hawaii on Project Runway

2010-07-21T07:30:00.058-10:00

In Hawaii (and everywhere else, I'm sure), we like to claim what's ours. We blew up the phones for Camile Velasco, Jasmine Trias, Mark Kanemura, and Kupono Aweau, and cheered when the judges chose Nolan Makaawaawa. I'm not even that much of a baseball fan, but I sure as heck cheer for Shane Victorino and the Phillies!

Sidebar: Can you believe how much talent comes from our little group of islands?!

And I'm getting ready to do it again starting next week Thursday, when the eighth season of Project Runway premiers on Lifetime!

Contestants Andy South and Ivy Higa

Andy and Ivy are just two of 17 contestants on this newest season of Project Runway. Andy has been designing here in Hawaii since graduating from Honolulu Community College in 2007. Ivy, who's originally from Kailua-Kona is a graduate of the University of Hawaii and Parsons The New School for Design, and she launched her own brand, Ivy h. a couple of years ago!

Let's take a look-see at what Lifetime has to say about 'em:

Andy South
23 years old
From Waipahu, HI
A freelance designer and personal assistant to another designer
Loves Yohji Yamamoto and John Galliano

Ivy Higa
30 years old
From New York, NY
Fashion designer
Loves Marc Jacobs, Consuelo Castiglioni, Stella McCartney and Issey Miyake

**Update: Unfortunately, it seems like I can't get all the videos to load, so here are the links:

This season's winner (and let's hope it's Andy or Ivy) will win $100,000, a fashion spread in Marie Claire magazine (featuring their model on the show), a $50,000 technology suite, and the opportunity to design and sell an exclusive collection on Piperlime.com. Yay!

I can't wait to hear Tim Gunn tell them to "Make it work", "Carry on" and "Go, go go!

I wanna know, are you a Project Runway fan?
Got an early favorite this season?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via Project Runway

Kona's Premier Karaoke Lounge: Sam's Hideaway

2010-07-20T09:00:00.004-10:00

Hello again, dolls! It's Tuesday, so you know what that means... A new episode of Pretty Little Liars tonight! It's totally my guilty pleasure, and I'm in love with Aria's fashion and makeup :)

Anyhow, I wanted to introduce y'all to a project that I've been hard at work at for the past week or so: SamsHideaway.com.

My papa's been in the food and beverage industry since he was a teenager, and has done everything from serving, to bartending, to managing restaurants, and even working in the kitchen! He opened Sam's Hideaway 22 years ago and it's been a staple at Kona Marketplace, and in our family, ever since!

The newest bartender, Jen, pouring shots at Sam's Hideaway!

I remember going there as a little girl, pretending to be a waitress and taking on chores to earn an allowance (my grandma even let me fill out timecards, so darn cute!). A lot of the staff and long-time loyal customers have become family, and it was really so much fun to work with my cousin Kully and my grandparents to put together a website that (hopefully) showcases the lounge and helps carry Sam's Hideaway into the next generation!

Years ago, a customer make a collage out of photos of family and friends,

and the little girl with the cocktail tray is me!

(In my Minnie Mouse off-the-shoulder outfit, one of my favorites as a kid).

The little speech bubble reads: "I'll look much older at 2:00 a.m.", lol!

I hope you like :) And if you're ever in Kailua-Kona on the Big Island, be sure to stop by Sam's Hideaway!

Grandma Anne, Kully, Khrystyne, Papa Sam,

Aunty Kim, Jennifer, Me, and Shaynah!

I wanna know, what projects have you been working on lately? Does your family own a business?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Mixtape Monday Vol. 11

2010-07-19T11:47:00.001-10:00

Here we are, at the beginning of another week, and I have to say I'm pretty excited. I've had a lot going on lately, but I'm starting off with this week's edition of Mixtape Monday in the hopes that this week will be a little better/easier!

I get more excited, everyday, about my London trip for the 2012 Summer Olympics!

I would love to live there someday :)

Last Week's Highlights

Heading to Pacific Soul Tattoo with my bff while she gets work done on her tattoo
Dinner with the fam at Sam Choy's Breakfast, Lunch & Crab; The mushroom and spinach stuffed salmon was deeelish!
More cooking lessons with my papa; We made beef curry!
Working on SamsHideaway.com, the new website for my grandparents' bar (or "lounge" as my papa makes us call it!) in Kona; Check it out :)
Again, not a highlight, but my grandparents are here from Kona for his next surgery; This time for his neck and lower back
Homemade stir-fry with beef, green beans, onions, mushrooms, water chesnuts and a Chinese vegetarian stir-fry sauce; Yum!
Picking up a few new books!
Taking care of Hunter's yet-to-be-named fish while Aunty Darrellyn and the boys are in Samoa!

Paulo working on Joelle's back piece!

Weekend Happenings

Playing Mexican Train with my dad and cousin Kully!
My godson Tyxae's first birthday party; It was an Elmo extravaganza!
Dave & Buster's (and then Likelike Drive Inn) with my best friends Joelle and Matt, high school friends Daniel and Katie, and Bobert from the Stuart Anderson days!
Slumber party with the bff!
Late nights watching reality tv with Papa Sam at the hospital

A closeup of the elephant she's had for a few years!

On The Agenda

Business planning for a few freelance ventures
Still looking for the Radius, which my cousin Khrystyne keeps telling me is the best toothbrush better!
Getting in a few workouts; Didn't get to very many, ok any at all, last week :(

Yup, I had my very own centerpiece at Tyxae's party!

It had my picture (with my handsome godson) and a live fish!

As of Today

Fashionista: Black leggings, gray and ivory flowy top, silver strappy flats, black cardigan
Beauty: MAC Mineralized Skinfinish in Medium Deep, MAC Powder Blush in Tenderling (my new favorite everyday blush, by the way!), MAC Eyebrows in Lingering, Benefit Lemon Aid, L'Oreal HiP Color Truth Cream Eyeliner in Black, Prestige My Biggest Lashes in Black, Revlon ColorStay Soft & Smooth Lipcolor in Smooth Nude
On Film: Saw Inception in the new Titan Theater yesterday with the bff Joelle and my cousin Kully!
Couch Potato: I introduced Joelle to Ru Paul's Drag Race this weekend! I also can't wait until all the questions are answered on Persons Unknown, and am officially on the Doctor Who train!
In heavy rotation: I'm still blasting The Green; Cheeeee!
Podcasting: I'm really liking the new format of The Adam Carolla Show!
Booknerding: I finally finished The Lion by Nelson Demille! I'd definitely recommend it, but only after reading the prequel The Lion's Game!

I normally don't condone chocolate, but the cake was so adorable!

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend?
And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via We Heart It and my Canon and Sony cameras

New Reads

2010-07-15T13:55:00.000-10:00

My grandma taught me three very important things: How to make homemade salad dressing, the value of a good cucumber sandwich, and to never stop reading. Not very difficult rules to live by!

Late last year she bought me The Lion's Game by Nelson DeMille, a book she had read a few years back (and had recommended to me a thousand times). Shortly after I finished it (which took no time at all, 'cause it was fricken amazing!), I found out there was going to be a sequel featuring wise-ass cop John Corey and relentless Libyan assassin Asad Khalil. So last week I made a little trip to the bookstore to look for a book that Grandma Anne and I have been waiting for!

The Cult Files, The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Societies, The Lion

The only thing that made it better was finding out that it was in the new bestsellers sale section :)

I also picked up a couple of other reads: The Cult Files and The Element Encyclopedia of Secret Societies, which tells you a little bit about me and the things that interest me, lol! I'm not a psycho, I swear! I just like to read about them :)

I wanna know, what are your favorite books?
What have you read lately? Whatcha reading soon?!

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via my Canon

Mixtape Monday Vol. 10

2010-07-12T13:45:00.003-10:00

Happy Monday, dolls! I've got an insanely busy week coming up, so starting it off feeling sleepy isn't ideal, but I'm also starting it off with this week's Mixtape Monday, so hopefully the rest of the week falls into place just as nicely!

Last Week's Highlights

Catching up with high school friends over happy hour drinks and karaoke adventures!
Ladies night out with the family at Ryan's, Dave & Buster's, Oceans 808, and Grandma's house :)
Eclipse! Twice! Once courtesy of Maybelline and Aunty Darrellyn, and once with the pink shirt mafia at the Fashionista's Market premier (thanks, Paris and Mama!)
Celebrating the 4th of July with family
Getting up at the crack of dawn to catch a flight to the Big Island to spend a few days in Kona
Camping (figuratively, obviously) in Sam's Hideaway
Cooking lessons from my Papa, we're talking pupus and bbq feast, and a fried rice feast come morning!
Finally plowing through major laundry duty!
BFF's birthday dinner at Ramen-Ya, a new noodle house in Pearl City. It was delish, and the portions were humongous!
Solo workouts (I totally need an iPod shuffle!)

Patron shots on ladies night!

Aunty Chantelle, Aunty Naomi, Aunte Chelle,

Aunty Rox, Tiari, Me, and Aunty Nani!

Weekend Happenings

Lunch at Kona Brewing Company with my dad and my brother
Dessert at Cake Couture (Have I mentioned how much I looove red velvet cupcakes?!)
Picking up some new rentals at Blockbuster!
Eating leftovers
Vegging out in front of the TV!

Tiari! My cousin and one of my best friends!

And mother to my handsome godson, Tyxae :)

On The Agenda

Developing a website for the bar (Consider it a family project!)
More housework
Spending time with my family before my grandpa's next surgery
Looking after Hunter's fish while Aunty Darrellyn and the boys are in Samoa
Finishing my book so my grandma can take it back to Kona with her!
Looking for the Radius, which my cousin Khrystyne keeps telling me is the best toothbrush better!
The series finale of The Hills!

Cooking fried rice with my Papa Sam!

Isn't the tree in their new kitchen just amazing!

As of Today

Fashionista: Light wash bootcuts, teal boat neck, silver strappy flats
Beauty: Au naturale here at work, but will probably put on a little something before I visit my bff at the tattoo shop!
On Film: Watched Hoosiers and Rocky with my dad and brother, and watched The Messenger and Stolen with my dad! I also caught Coach Carter on TV!
Couch Potato: Thanks to the free time I've been having lately, and Hulu, I've been watching tons of TV, like: Burn Notice, The Good Guys, In Plain Sight, Kourtney and Khloe Take Miami, Last Comic Standing, Persons Unknown, Pretty Little Liars, Royal Pains, and Scoundrels!
In heavy rotation: You I Wind Land and Sea by Justin Nozuka
Podcasting: Catching up with Fitzdog Radio by Greg Fitzsimmons, he's fricken hilarious!
Booknerding: I am a little more than halfway through Nelson Demille's The Lion. I read The Lion's Game last year, and I about died waiting for Asad Khalil's return!

End of the vacation at Sam's Hideaway, my grandparen's bar!

Sam's is in Kona Marketplace and we pretty much grew up there!

Grandma Anne, Kully, Khrystyne, Papa Sam,

Aunty Kim, Jennifer, Me, and Shaynah!

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend?
And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via my Canon and Sony cameras

No Stress Needed

2010-06-30T11:33:00.001-10:00

Ugh. I've been feeling a little stressed lately. It's a combination of everything from a new work schedule, the closing of The Honolulu Advertiser, figuring out how to (finally) graduate from college, dealing with (completely unnecessary) friend drama, looking for a new job, trying to organize various freelance projects, living on a budget, helping a good friend work through an addiction, reorganization and redecorating at home, trying to stick to my healthy summer plans, and just generally trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life.

This is so me. On the regular.

I try, and am usually fairly successful, at pushing through, but sometimes it gets overwhelming and I've been starting to feel the negativity permeate my daily life lately. Then I got an e-mail from my aunty that put a lot in perspective:

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked: "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter; it depends how long you try to hold it. If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes".

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Genius, right?! That's exactly the way I am with stress! I'm big on the "don't let 'em see you cry" philosophy, so I'm not very good at talking about feelings and stuff. Listening? Yes. Giving advice? Yes. Asking for help? Not so much.

I usually just take a moment to process things mentally, and then shelve them so I can move on. So there's a collection of worries and concerns building up because I haven't taken the time or energy to really deal with anything. No bueno. I think it's going to start to turn me into a judgmental, cynical biyatch (ya know, more than usual)!

In my whole spiritual/self-discovery phase (which I'm very much into right now), I'm finally realizing that I can't do that to myself anymore, so I'm gonna start doing things that relieve some of that pressure, make me happy, and embrace the whole relax-your-mind-and-practice-yoga-for-positivity-namaste vibe :)

Meditate regularly. A few times a week would be nice.
Exercise. Alone. It's fun to workout with friends and family sometimes, but I really clear my head when I'm at it solo.
Wake up earlier. Rushing in the morning makes me feel so blah.
Use the heck out of my planner. Being organized (and color-coordinated, of course) puts my mind at ease.
Schedule time to do nothing. Okay, maybe "schedule" is a stretch, but making sure I have time to nap or read is pretty key.

I wanna know, what are you stressed out about?
What do you do to deal with it?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via We Heart It

PS:

Mixtape Monday Vol. 9: The Tuesday Edition Part Deux

2010-06-29T16:07:00.006-10:00

Gah! My poor little bloggy has been so neglected lately :( I told my bff the other day that I was on "hiatus" haha! But, truthfully, I love writing. And I absolutely adore having this little corner of the interweb where I can write whatever the hell I want. So, for the eleventy-billionth time (yeah, I miss Celebrity Jeopardy), I'm back in the blogging business :)

So let's get it started with this week's Mixtape Monday!

Last Week's Highlights

Walks (and runs, bust mostly walks) at the beach
Catching up with the Honolulu Advertiser sports guys
Camping on Hulu
Obsessing over cupcakes
Collecting (semi-) healthy recipes
Take Your Dog to Work Day!

Niki brought Katsumi Firefox, her Shiba Inu to work!

And we dressed her up in a kimono (natch).

Weekend Happenings

Working on decor and giveaway's for Tyxae's party
Lunch at CPK with my dad and my brother (Everyone needs to try the new butter cake!)
Movies with my two favorite boys (See above)
Taking my MJ-obsessed little brother to the Michael Jackson tribute concert with Hype 5-0 and Kenny Wizz (Thanks, Dad and Danny!)
Room redecorating
Criminal Minds marathon on A&E
Sleeping in :)

My brother was all decked out for the show!

My dad got the guy who painted his motorcycle

to make this for my bro for Christmas :)

On The Agenda

Working on a few writing projects
Cleaning up my Netflix queue
Planning some #soa (Summer of Awesomeness, duh!) activities :)
Two Eclipse premires
Reading a new book or two (Ah, the joys of having only one job and not taking any summer classes!)

Hype 5-0 at the MJ tribute!

As of Today

Fashionista: Dark wash skinnys, pink boat neck, gold flats, pink and gold Juicy bag (yup, it's back in rotation!)
Beauty: MAC Mineral Skinfinish Natural in Medium Deep, MAC Eyebrows in Lingering, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero, MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner in Pink Fish
On Film: I saw Grown Ups with my dad and brother this weekend. Fricken hilarious!
Couch Potato: Absolutely addicted to Pretty Little Liars, In Plain Sight, Burn Notice, Royal Pains, and Kourtney and Khloe take Miami!
In heavy rotation: The Green's debut CD!
Podcasting: Catching up with The Nerdist (The Craig Ferguson live show is amazing!)
Booknerding: Yes, I finally finished Laura Weisberger's Chasing Harry Winston (mini review coming this week)! And, I think I'm all set with books for a while, I still have that box of books from Kona, the SRBC's second book, Alice I Have Been, the third book The People of Paper, and a shit ton of used books I got from my friend Jen's garage sale and Book-Off, the new used book store at Pearlridge (the also have a location in Shirokiya at Ala Moana)!

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend?
And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via my iPhone

A Honolulu Advertiser Celebration

2010-06-11T15:31:00.002-10:00

Hey, dolls! If you can't tell by now, the demise of The Honolulu Advertiser has really affected me. And while I've already shared the farewell articles that me, Sarah and Seryna (also known as @daclerks) have written, I thought it might be fun to also share some photos from our last night and the little party we had afterward! These places and people have meant so much to me, so I just had to show them off!

This sign has been hanging from the roof in our hallway since I don't know when! In fact, I remember seeing it when I visited The Honolulu Advertiser on a journalism class field trip years ago!

This sign, on the other hand, I'd never seen until everyone started packing up!

Greg! An honorary member of the sports department :) I think he even was, at one point.

Paul (and Mike's finger)! He was one of our foodies in the sports department!

Tailgate central: This table was always covered in food, even up until the very last day!

Bobblehead graveyard: Just a few our department has collected over the years.

At one point in time, this functioned at an actual office!

I'm pretty sure this clock has been broken for about two years, lol!

Ancient (and barely functioning) printer and fax machine!

DaClerks at Bart's house. Love these girls :)

Previewing the final edition. (Tear)

Apparently Kyle reads like he's on the cover of Sports Illustrated, lol!

I wanna know, where do you work and who do you work with?
Any photos to share?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via my cameras

A Honolulu Advertiser Farewell

2010-06-09T12:15:00.001-10:00

Well, dolls, it's official. The Honolulu Advertiser has officially gone to bed for the last time. Sunday, June 6, 2010 marked the final edition, ever, of a celebrated publication that has served Hawaii for over 150 years (the last three of which I was able to be a part of).

A short "Aloha Kakou" video is currently running

on the homepage of The Honolulu Advertiser.

For some reason, I'm not included in this photo. Lame.

I've been going through a million emotions as I try to sort it all out: The shock of being bought out by a smaller, less successful newspaper; The sadness of losing the everyday ties with my wonderful sports department and newsroom coworkers; The anger at the way us hardworking employees were treated during the buyout/transition period; The realization that the newspaper industry really may be a dying one; The uncertainty of the job market. It's been difficult, but I have (almost) nothing but positive memories of my time there and am grateful for my experience.

Our Sports Editor gave everyone in our department the chance to write a farewell piece. A few of the guys wrote about their favorite assignment(s) and memorable/favorite moments. Even Da Clerks got to write little somethings! We were all featured in color-coordinated boxes, and they were our first (and last) bylines.

DaClerks showcasing Page C11!

Read our farewell articles: I worked here, and I'm proud to say it (me), I'll miss the camaraderie most (Sarah), I'm gonna miss the food and friendship (Seryna).

There were so many things I was thinking and feeling, so there's no way I could've said it all in a few paragraphs, but I think I made my point! I've got a few other things to share, and will probably post something Advertiser-related in the next couple of days.

I wanna know, have you ever lost a job under similar circumstances?
Lost a newspaper in your hometown?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via The Honolulu Advertiser and Bart

Mixtape Monday Vol. 8

2010-06-07T16:20:00.003-10:00

It's totally been forever and a day (actually 11 days if you're counting, I'm not), and it's been an interesting break. I've been tied up with some major life changes (like losing my job, post coming soon) and some not-so-major stuff like job hunting, freelance projects, and spending time with friends and fam!

But I'll neglect this blog no longer! So let's get it started with this week's Mixtape Monday!

Last Week's Highlights

Eastside runs
Memorial Day holiday = Honoring fallen soldiers and heading north (shore)!
Writing and re-writing resumes and cover letters (and sending them everywhere!)
Wandering around Blockbuster
Not eating red meat or drinking brown soda
Working on my Honolulu Advertiser farewell piece
New swim suit!

Taking a picture of me taking a picture. Ridic. [Haleiwa]

Weekend Happenings

Korean food and ice cream mochi at my mom's house
Falling asleep at my mom's and waking up to her cooking breakfast!
Playing hair and makeup with mom :)
Doing absolutely nothing with my brother for a few hours
The last night of The Honolulu Advertiser
Food, beer, and good times with the Sports Department
My godson turned 1!
Waking up at the crack of dawn for his baptism (after pulling a little bit of an all nighter the night before!)
Baby and baby party shopping with the fam, and food with them, too!

In the Sports Department one last time.

On The Agenda

Job hunting
Working on freelance projects
Summer bbq
Girl time at Sex and the City 2
Making chocolate covered pretzel sticks
Work, work, work!

Isn't he absolutely adorable!

As of Today

Fashionista: Dark wash straight cut denim, black boatneck top, silver flats
Beauty: Au naturale!
On Film: I took my brother to see Iron Man 2. More Scarlett Johansson please!
Couch Potato: Working on Carnivale and Dexter on DVD
In heavy rotation: California Gurls, Through the Fire and Airplanes
Podcasting: All caught up with Doug Loves Movies and Comedy Death Ray Radio, two of my faves
Booknerding: So I know I said I'd finish Chasing Harry Winston by Laura Weisberger several times, but I'm still working on it. Almost done, though! And, yes, I still have that box of books from Kona and the SRBC's second book, Alice I Have Been!

Lucky we live Hawaii. [Halona]

PS: Holla if anyone wants to do a beach day at Eternity's!

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend?
And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via my iPhone and cameras.

And since We Heart It was slow, no extra image today.

Healthiest Summer

2010-05-26T10:08:00.001-10:00

Hello, dolls! So I think I've mentioned in on Twitter, but in case you haven't heard, this is the summer will be my healthiest :)

I know, I know... That's what I said at the beginning of the year, too, but I'm even more motivated than ever to get healthy!

So here's what I'll be up to this summer:

Eating breakfast everyday (I skip this entirely too often)
Not eating red meat (Need to get that cholesterol in check)
Working out at least three times each week
Drinking more water everyday
Cutting out brown soda (I'll let Sprite be my indulgence!)

I think eating breakfast everyday will probably be the toughest one. I'm absolutely not a morning person, and often wake up with just enough time to put a few minutes of effort into getting ready and then heading out the door! But I bought some oatmeal and bananas, so I'm starting off on the right foot!

And, thanks to my new workout buddies (but old friends), Joelle and Daniel, I've got some weekly workouts covered! We're starting off with walks/runs (okay, mostly walks) around Ala Moana Beach Park, and hope to incorporate some hiking and tennis-playing, too! And then maybe a few other fun treats, like a ropes course or pole-dancing class!

Does all of this sound like a good plan? I think so! I mean, I'm not trying to be a stick or run a marathon or anything, so I think a few healthy habit-changes are the right first steps! And maybe I can stretch some of these things longer than just the next couple of months!

I wanna know, how are you keeping yourself healthy this summer?
Any nutrition/fitness tips to share?

Xoxo,
Tiera

PS: Here's some online inspiration/resources!

In It To Gym It: A fun blog/community of girls committed to health and fitness (They even have a 20SB group!)
FitDay: A free online tool that tracks your food, exercises and weight loss
From Couch to 5K: A resource for new runners
Spark People: The mother load — Diet/fitness plans, tools to track calories and workouts, exercise videos, a massive forum and community (If I can commit to taking the time to work with this website, I'd like to give it a try!)

Imagery via We Heart It

What Type Are You?

2010-05-25T21:53:00.000-10:00

Happy Tuesday, dolls! I've had a pretty great day today! Got to sleep in (just a little), my little brother had his 8th grade graduation ceremony, sushi for lunch, a productive work day, watched Glee (Gaga!) and am now trying to get some work done with Billie Holiday and Ray Charles :) How about you?

Also on my to-do list today is to get to some of the items in my Google Reader (which is now one post shy of the big 1,000, yikes!), and I came across a cute little piece by Kay over at Apartment #412. She took an online test that determined what font she was, and I had to try it, too!

The test itself is beyond simple. It's only four questions, but it takes a few minutes because of the totally innovative way it's presented. There's a dude (with an accent, love!) and he's sort of, well, talking you through the test. You just have to try it!

Anyhow, I'm emotional, assertive, progressive, and disciplined — Which makes me an Architype Van Doesburg. I match up with a little over 21,000 other test-takers, which puts AVD in 6th place at 8.1% (not that you needed to know that at all!). I can't say it's my favorite, it's a little too robotic, but I agree with the "All letters are created equal" mentality, and the test was still so fun!

I wanna know, what type are you? Or what's your favorite font?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via Pentagram

Mixtape Monday Vol. 7

2010-05-24T15:20:00.001-10:00

Greetings, dolls! My life's been pretty non-stop as of late, so this little blog o' mine hasn't been getting much love :( But I'm back for another Mixtape Monday, and hopefully I do better this week than I did last week!

Last Week's Highlights

Late night food at Likelike Drive Inn
NPH on Glee!
HCCF fundraiser planning
Dinner, drinks, and good times with the bff Joelle, and our friend and longtime classmate, Daniel (It was our pig out celebration, last one before our summer workouts start today!)
Getting my summer workout plans in order!
Picked up my little brother from his eighth grade banquet... How cute :)
Lunching at Covenant!

California Crab Roll, Smoked Salmon Chowder and Lemonade

from Covenant Books and Coffee. Delish!

Weekend Happenings

Spring/summer cleaning! Yeah, this will be a long project.
Genki Sushi and shopping at Ward Center
Lots of work
Brunch with the Honolulu Advertiser Sports Department
Windward Mall for shopping and movies!
Food and drinks at Kanpai for Tasha's last night at work (my girl is moving to New York City to become a professional dancer!), and good times with friends and family :)

Marshmallow Sunday from Likelike Drive Inn!

First time I tried it :)

On The Agenda

Working on a few new writing projects
Reworking my makeup artist contract
Job hunting
Planning a few summer photo shoots for my makeup portfolio!

As of Today

Fashionista: Dark wash straight cut denim, blue three-quarter sleeve top, gold flats
Beauty: MAC Blot Powder in Medium Dark, MAC Eyebrows in Lingering, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in Zero, MAC Lip Conditioner... Just enough to work out without looking like a zombie!
On Film: I saw Shrek Forever After in 3D! So cute :) PS: I noticed that the glasses at Windward Mall are new, and much better than the ones at Dole!
Couch Potato: Finished the first season of Dexter on DVD, gonna get started on season two! Still keeping up with Glee, The Hills, and The City. But I'm still pretty sad that a few of my favorites have been canceled: Law & Order, FlashForward, Numb3rs :(
In heavy rotation: Tori Kelly on YouTube!
Podcasting: Finally started listening to The Film Vault with Bald Bryan!
Booknerding: So I know I said I'd finish Chasing Harry Winston by Laura Weisberger this week... And I made some progress, but I've still got a little ways to go! And, yes, I still have that box of books from Kona and the SRBC's second book, Alice I Have Been!

If this looks like nothing, it's because it is.

Even the wall photos have started coming down at The Honolulu Advertiser :(

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend?
And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via my iPhone and We Heart It

Mixtape Monday Vol. 6

2010-05-17T13:40:00.001-10:00

Good morning, dolls! It's another Monday, le sigh. But since the semester's over, it's my first Monday without school... Things could be worse, right?!

Last Week's Highlights

Final exams
Naaasty paper cut
Dinner at Genki Sushi
Watched Why Did I Get Married? Yes, the first one. Finally.
Pizza, chicken wings, steak, and ribs at Tiari and Tiffy's house.
Got a brand new leather chair at work
Wrote a haiku in honor of Patron
Set up my calendar/project list on my new favorite app, HiTask (Available online and for the iPhone. And it's free!)
Late night pancakes (and meeting/brainstorming) at Likelike Drive Inn
Celebrated Niki's birthday
Had an "incident" with a bee :/
Reflected on the year I was born, Hollywood-style
Fried ahi belly with shoyu ahi poke. Hawaiian-style comfort food :)
Had an "incident" with a real (See below).

Yup, my family and friends got my back, lol!

Weekend Happenings

Starting to watch Dexter, from season one
Lots. Of. Work.
Quality time with family and friends
Visiting Simply Organized, and getting TONS of ideas (and finally getting the hanging jewelry organizer I've been hunting for!)
Lunching at Genki Sushi
New planner (yes, again) from Office Max
Finally snagging a couple of drugstore beauty products I've been hunting down! (Sonia Kashuk Super Sheer Liquid Tint Blush in Poppy and L'Oreal Studio Secrets Anti-Redness Primer)
Lobster dynamite roll and unagi rice at Shokudo!

Lucky we live Hawaii!

Poke selection at Keeaumoku Seafood.

Their Miso Tako is off the chain!

On The Agenda

Spring cleaning, including reorganizing my closet
Working on a few new blog projects
Trying to plan some fun summer workout sessions with friends!
Helping plan a fundraiser for the Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation

I'm getting hungry for Genki all over again!

Shrimp tempura with spicy ahi, chicken karaage, baked mussels,seared ahi,

salmon with onion, spicy tuna, seared spicy ahi, etc., etc., etc.

As of Today

Fashionista: Black cami, red and white patterned tunic, black leggings, silver flats
Beauty: Au naturel today :)
On Film: I saw Robin Hood this weekend! It was a little long, but pretty good! Some really (unexpected) funny parts, and I just adore Cate Blanchett. Princess Kaiulani, Kick-Ass, and Iron Man 2 are still on my list!
Couch Potato: Haven't watched much TV lately, except that I've started season 1 of Dexter on DVD! Pretty gosh darn amazing so far! PS: It's so bizarre that the good guy in the series is a murderer!
In heavy rotation: Anything by The Script!
Podcasting: Loved the one year anniversary special of Comedy Death Ray Radio! I'm also all caught up on the Joe Rogan Podcast!
Booknerding: Still working on Chasing Harry Winston by Laura Weisberger! Hold me accountable, dolls, I'm finally gonna finish this one this week! And, yes, I still have that box of books from Kona and the SRBC's second book, Alice I Have Been!

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend?
And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via my iPhone and We Heart It

Nobody Puts Baby in A Corner: 1987 in Film

2010-05-14T16:36:00.003-10:00

TGIF, dolls! Another week — Another busy, busy week!

At work today we celebrated Niki's birthday (although it was a muted celebration since a lot of our team is on Kauai for an event at the St. Regis), and as I was adding her to our staff birthday calendar I asked her what year she was born... Which brought up the inevitable question: What year I was born.

I've been the baby (or at least started as the baby) at every job I've ever had, and the event/wedding planning company is no exception! And in answering the question about my birth year (1987), I got to thinking about what the world was like when I was brought into it.

"Hungry eyes..."

So I decided to look up the best movies of 1987. My favorite — hands down, without question, etc. — has got to be Dirty Dancing. It's one of my favorite movies of all time. I've seen it at least several hundred times.

I remember watching it as a kid on VHS at my great grandma's or aunty's (who baby sat for me often), and wanting to dance like Baby and Johnny so badly! And thanks to my Aunty Lois I now own it on DVD and can watch it anytime! In fact, the past couple of times I watched it made me realize just how much of the film (See: Abortion) I didn't quite understand as a kid, lol!

Still, I know just about every word, every lyric, and even all the dance moves (if no one's looking, of course!).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Now I've had the time of my life. No, I've never felt this way before.

Yes, I swear, it's the truth, and I owe it all to you..."

(See the clip of the final dance here!)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

So Dirty Dancing is definitely my fave, but here's what everyone else is saying:

Top Ten Earnings (Box Office Mojo)

Three Men and a Baby ($167,780, 960)
Fatal Attraction ($156,645,693)
Beverly Hills Cop II ($153,665,036)
Good Morning, Vietman ($123,922,370)
Moonstruck ($80,640,528)
The Untouchables ($76,270,454)
The Secret of My Success ($66,995,879)
Stakeout ($65,673,233)
Lethal Weapon ($65,207,127)
The Witches of Eastwick ($63,766,510)

Top Ten Best (Roger Ebert)

House of Games
The Big Easy
Barfly
The Last Emperor
Moonstruck
Prick Up Your Ears
Radio Days
Broadcast News
Lethal Weapon
Housekeeping

Top Ten Most Popular (IMDB)

Full Metal Jacket
The Princess Bride
Wall Street
A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors
Predator
Dirty Dancing
The Lost Boys
Angel Heart
The Untouchables
Spaceballs

Academy Award Winners (Filmsite)

Picture: The Last Emperor
Actor: Michael Douglas (Wall Street)
Actress: Cher (Moonstruck)
Supporting Actor: Sean Connery (The Untouchables)
Supporting Actress: Olympia Dukakis (Moonstruck)
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci (The Las Emperor)

Golden Globe Award Winners (Wikipedia)

Drama

Best Picture: The Last Emperor
Best Actor: Michael Douglas (Wall Street)
Best Actress: Sally Kirkland (Anna)

Musical or Comedy

Best Picture: Hope and Glory
Best Actor: Robin Williams (Good Morning, Vietnam)
Best Actress: Cher (Moonstruck)

I wanna know, what were the best, most popular, and award winning movies from the year you were born? Which ones are your faves?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Intake: A Haiku Tribute to Patron

2010-05-13T22:13:00.005-10:00

Hello, dolls! How has your week been going so far? The semester's over for me, so I'm really having that giant-weight-lifted-off-my-shoulders feeling!

I spent most of my morning working on a paper, and I walked into the office (at the wedding/event planning company) during a brainstorming session about an upcoming event. Our client is looking for a signature cocktail with a tropical flair, so we were having a ball talking about our favorite drinks and looking up fun new recipes.

And anytime there's talk about booze, I can't help but get all warm and fuzzy inside about my favorite tequila, Patron! Karen over at Makeup and Beauty Blog has written a few haikus to review or discuss beauty products, and I was inspired to write one of my own :)

          My fave Tequila,
          I love to put you in the
          freezer and take shots.

          You are also great
          in mixed drinks, like with OJ
          and pineapple juice.

It's true, I love it! It's a smooth tequila and makes for great shots (chilled, of course!) and tequila screwdrivers. But my favorite way to drink it is with orange juice and pineapple juice. I usually order it as a "Patron pineapple with orange", but I wonder if there's an actual name for that drink?!

Here I am at the Primm Casino in Nevada, on my recent Las Vegas birthday trip.

Tequila screwdriver in hand, of course!

(Even better cause they're free!)

My family and I went to Olive Garden (love!) for my birthday!

The drink in the martini glass has Patron in it, and it was awesome!

I don't remember what it was, but if you have an Olive Garden near you, holla!

My and some of my best girls <3 taking Patron shots at Oceans 808

for Jayson's AJA baseball fundraiser a couple of months ago!

L-R: Pono, Tiari, moi, Joelle, Paris

What about you? What's your favorite drink or type of alcohol?
Got any poetry skills to share?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via my Sony DSC T90

Mixtape Monday Vol. 5: The Tuesday Edition

2010-05-11T15:13:00.004-10:00

How is it that I'm doing this week's Mixtape Monday on Tuesday? I know, I know, I was just so darn busy yesterday! But I didn't wanna skimp this week, so here we go...

Last Week's Highlights

Poke and BBQ at Tiari and Tiffy's house
Watching Teen Witch, one of my childhood faves :)
Shopping at Target (Tiari and Bryce got a brand new camera!)
Work field trips to Iolani Palace and the Honolulu Liquor Commission
Joining Bobert and Raquel at Banana Leaf Pasta Cafe, thanks Jenn!
Taking Bobert to the airport (and getting kulolo in return!)
Trying to see Iron Man 2 in IMAX with my little brother. It was sold out, though :( We'll have to try again soon!
Surprise birthday dinner for Tiffy! Baklava salad, gandule rice, chocolate cake, and Heineken and Patron for the birthday girl :)

Isn't my Godson, Tyxae, the cutest?!

Wait til I upload the food-all-over-his-face-body-and-bumbo picture!

Weekend Happenings

Lunching on Korean food and poke
Watching The Invention of Lying and The Phantom of the Opera. Thank you, Netflix!
Visiting Banana Leaf, again. Just couldn't get enough of that saffron risotto with shrimp and scallops!
Finally getting to my giant pile of laundry!

Embarassing!

On The Agenda

Finish my final paper
Setting up the basics for a few new projects
Hanging out with my mom and brother
Baking cupcakes!

Banana Leaf Pasta Cafe dessert sampler!

Cream puffs, cheesecake, and ice cream!

As of Today

Fashionista: Black leggings, teal tunic, silver flats
Beauty: Rimmel London Stay Matte Foundation in Classic Beige; MAC Eyeshadows in Charcoal Brown, Brule, Talent Pool, Bamboo, Contrast, and Carbon;
On Film: Still hoping to see Iron Man 2 sometime this week!
Couch Potato: I was up til 5 a.m. on Monday doing laundry and homework, and caught Dateline's Appolo 13 special. Good stuff!
In heavy rotation: "Airplanes" by B.o.B and Hayley Williams
Podcasting: Gonna start in with the first couple of episodes of Bald Bryan's The Film Vault!
Booknerding: Still working on Chasing Harry Winston by Laura Weisberger! And, yes, I still have that box of books from Kona and the SRBC's second book, Alice I Have Been!

Had a delicious chocolate chip scone for breakfast.

Sconee's is amazing!

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend?
And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via my iPhone and We Heart It

Mixtape Monday: Vol. 4

2010-05-03T10:21:00.001-10:00

Happy Monday, and yay for May! It's been a while since I've done anything blog-related (My grandpa went back to the hospital, and it's exam/finals time at school) but I'm back on track for this week!

Last Week's Highlights

Spending time with my grandparents <3
Finally sending them off, back to Kona... They're so happy to finally be going back home! My papa has a bunch of follow-up appointments scheduled over the next couple of months, so they'll be back, and he still has two more surgeries that'll probably take place this year, but we're looking up!
At some point in the last couple of weeks, my papa, my dad, and I watched Tyson, the Mike Tyson documentary. So good.
My co-worker Niki and her bf bought a new dog, a 4-month old Shiba Inu, and she's adorable! A few things got screwed up, schedule-wise, on their first day with Katsumi Firefox (formerly known as Yuki), so she spent a few hours with us at the office! (We're totally trying to work our way up to an office pet now!)
31-cents scoop night at Baskin Robbins! (New favorite flavor: "Old Fashioned Butter Pecan", yum!)
Getting addicted to two new iPhone apps: Tap Store and Social City
Watching my two friends' Glee auditions! Vote for Daniel and Kealii!

Weekend Happenings

Finally making some "me" time!
Fried ahi belly and shoyu poke combo at Ke'eaumoku Seafood
Oh, and trying miso tako poke (Verdict: Winnah!!)
Working my last day at The Honolulu Advertiser :( I guess we'll see how this whole HA Management/Star Bulletin/Oahu Publications thing works out... Hoping for the best!)
Seeing The Losers and How to Train Your Dragon (In IMAX 3D, of course!)
MAC 24/7 = No bueno. BAD service and barely average food (I don't expect canned veggies with my $19 entree). What a disappointment :( At least we had a TV at our table! And the waffle sundae (sans chocolate sauce) was yummers!
New project with an old friend (more on this to come, hopefully soon!)

On The Agenda

Study for finals, finish my last paper
Shopping/planning for Mother's Day
Donating old clothes and other goods
Laundry, laundry, laundry!

As of Today

Fashionista: Dark-wash skinny jeans, black tunic, black flats
Beauty: Maybelline Minerl Power Finishing Veil Powder in Medium, MAC Eye Brows in Lingering, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Zero, MAC Blush Powder in Fun & Games (Hello Kitty collection), NYC Ultra Moist Lip Wear in Violet Shine
On Film: This weekend I saw The Losers and How to Train Your Dragon (In IMAX 3D, of course!), and Netflix should be sending me The Invention of Lying and The Phantom of the Opera today
Couch Potato: I stayed up til the wee hours last night to catch reruns of Kendra and Pretty Wild. Total reality TV dorkus, I know!
In heavy rotation: My Wicked station on Pandora!
Podcasting: Finally catching up on The Adam Carolla Podcast, and gonna download the first episode of The Film Vault today!
Booknerding: I picked up Chasing Harry Winston by Laura Weisberger and Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child at the hospital. I'm working my way through CHW, but haven't started on GT yet. And I still have that box of books from Kona and the SRBC's second book, Alice I Have Been!

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend/month?
And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via my iPhone and We Heart It

PS: Seeing as how I don't have a ton to wrap-up, I won't do a Hello and Goodbye post for April-May, but look for a new one at the end of this month!

Mixtape Monday: Vol. 3

2010-04-19T12:08:00.000-10:00

Happy Monday! I managed to get a lot done over the last week — some ups and downs, of course — but I'm feeling pretty good about the week ahead. How about you?

Last Week's Highlights

Counting down my 10 Favorite Childhood Book Series
Making some major headway with school
Re-organizing my work life
My papa going in for open heart surgery to replace his aortic valve (Not really a "highlight", but a major happening, nonetheless)
Quality family time
Driving my car for the first time in a couple of months

Khrystyne and I at Dave & Buster's.

I don't know if my iPhone or Shayde failed to make this a better picture.

Weekend Happenings

Visiting my papa in the hospital as he recovers
Dave and Buster's for lunch and games with all the cousins
Catching up with my Khrystyne (one of my favorite relatives!)
Finishing my book
Eating McDonald's

Cartman, Shayde, Stewie, Kyle. D&B's prizes.

On The Agenda

Laundry and housework
Catching up with family e-mails
Shampooing my makeup brushes
Hopefully spending some time with my godson, Tyxae!

As of Today

Fashionista: Medium-wash boot-cut denim, black boat neck top, black cardigan, silver strappy sandals
Beauty: Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer (Can't remember if I'm Light to Neutral 30 or Neutral to Tan 40), MAC Eyebrows in Lingering, MAC Eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown, Loreal Lineur Intense Felt in Carbon Black, CoverGirl LashBlast in Black Brown, Lancome Virtuose Black Carat mascara in Black, Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Pink Frosting, MAC Blush Ombre in Azalea Blossom, MAC Blush Powder in Well Dressed, MAC Blot Powder Loose in Medium Dark, MAC Lip Conditioner
On Film: It's been a long time since I've seen a movie! I borrowed Inkheart from my brother that I've yet to watch, I really wanna see How to Train Your Dragon in 3D, and have to update my Netflix queue too!
Couch Potato: I continue to be hooked on Glee, In Plain Sight, Jerseylicious, and Pretty Wild! I missed the CMAs last night, though. Did I miss anything good?
In heavy rotation: Need You Now by Lady Antebellum!
Podcasting: Started listening to the new episode of I Love Movies, and John Hamm might be one of my favorite guests (Loved him on Comedy Death-Ray Radio too!)
Booknerding: I finished The Pillars of the Earth the other day. I have a box of books from Kona that still needs unpacking, plus I need to get started on Alice I Have Been, the second Slow Readers Book Club selection!

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend?
And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via my iPhone and We Heart It

Bookworming: 10 Favorite Childhood Series

2010-04-14T15:26:00.003-10:00

Happy hump day, dolls! It's been a bit of a crazy week, lots going on at work and school, and I found out my papa will be having open heart surgery this week (tomorrow, in fact) so our family is trying to brace itself for that, yikes! Hope your week is rolling along a little better than mine :)

My week started off by reading a fun post by Miss Betsey J, announcing that the Baby-Sitters Club is back! Yup, you heard it right, in celebration of its 25th anniversary, author Ann M. Martin is reintroducing (an updated version) of the series.

I've got some fond memories of reading the Baby-Sitters Club novels, and some other really great books (I was quite the little bookworm, still am!) — And this all got me thinking of some of my other favorite books from my childhood.

I started to put together a list, and realized that quite a few of them were from other series, rather than solo novels (and I still love to read this way), so I rounded up my top ten favorite childhood book series. (Stay tuned for my top ten childhood novels coming up soon!).

1, Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keen
Honestly, I could stop the list right here. I read and collected every single novel from about third grade through middle school. My grandma used to buy me these yellow hardcover versions; they came in three-packs from Costco. She'd mail me a new set every couple of months or so, until I had every single one! I was completely absorbed in Nancy's world — Reading with fury when Nancy was in danger, and made friends with Bess, George, and Ned. A few years ago my grandma also found an adorable little picture book, Nancy Drew's Guide to Life, and sent it to me as a Valentine's gift <3 And no lie, I even bought Nancy Drew: The Deadly Secret of Olde World Park for my Nintendo DS!

Sidebar: Flipping through ND made me realize how much I miss chapters with titles!

2, The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin
Of course, as Betsey J mentioned the BSC series was a fave. I loved reading from all the different girls' points of view, especially Mary Anne (she was the secretary, the organized one with perfect handwriting, and the first one with a boyfriend, lol!). I didn't really want to be a baby-sitter, but I desperately wanted some sort of club like theirs! I also remember my mom buying me the BSC Friendship Kit CD-ROM and I tweeked on that thing for hours! I even printed out all the forms for my BSC binder (such a dork!). I can't say for sure that I've read every book in the series (I know I didn't get to any of the extensions or prequels), but I'm pretty sure I made it through the classics. I didn't collect the BSC books like I did with Nancy Drew, but I might start with a couple of box sets, like this one that includes the first four books!

3, The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Do you guys remember book orders? I think that's where I got my first Boxcar Children books. They came with an adorable cardboard piece that folded up into a boxcar, and acted as storage for the books (kinda like this one on Amazon)! Jessie, the only girl, was my favorite, and these books always made me wish I had brothers and sisters growing up!

4, The Ramona Quimby Series by Beverly Cleary
Ramona was such the precocious girl, and every time I read one of her books I secretly wanted to be a little more of a troublemaker! Ramona The Pest was my favorite, and I loved seeing Ramona and Susan duke it out through out the rest of the series! I also found out there was an additional book published I'd never heard of, Ramona's World. I might just have the get The Complete Ramona Collection and read 'em all!

5, Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
I was totally fascinated that (1) the school was 30 stories high, and (2) there was no 19th floor! I think I really liked that most of the chapters were their own stories, so I could get through them pretty quickly! The characters were so unique and the scenarios were so quirky, I loved it! And since there's only three books, the Wayside Box Set is another one I might have to pick up!

6, Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol
Now this kid was a fricken genius! I remember reading and re-reading every chapter, trying to solve the mystery before flipping to the answer sections in the back! I hadn't realized there was also a HBO series!
And once again, Amazon delivers the the Encyclopedia Brown Box Set.

7, Choose Your Own Adventure
Everybody remembers these books, right? "If you want to go to the river, turn to page 12. If you want to head to the mountain, turn to page 14." Or something like that! I've never really been into aliens, so I wasn't much into the space or UFO ones, but I liked just about all the rest. I read them over and over, choosing different adventures all the time. It was like reading new books! Apparently there's a Disney series. I obviously need to get my hands on those.

8, Goosebumps by R.L. Stine
As a third or fourth-grader, these books were truly scary! I wasn't much into horror or gore, so I was pretty surprised I like them. I remember my friends and I racing to finish these books the fastest! And, if I remember correctly, we even had Goosebumps Pogs!
My favorite one was Say Cheese - And Die Screaming! from the Horrorland collection.

9, Kent Family Chronicles by John Jakes
I was probably in middle school when my grandma gave me The Bastard, the first book in this historical fiction series. It follows Philip Kent and his family and descendants from the time leading up to the American revolution through the 1890s. Following the course of American history through this family narrative made it very personal and much more interesting than anything in a textbook! I know my grandma sent me all the books and I know I read them all, but I just don't know what I did with them! If I can't find them, I'd eventually like to work on getting the whole Kent Family Chronicles set!

10, Shel Silverstein
Okay, I know this isn't really a series per se (or at all!), but I loved reading Shel Silverstein's books when I was a kid! The Giving Tree was my favorite, hands down, but I also l-o-v-e-dWhere the Sidewalk Ends,
A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up. The stories and poems and drawings were all amazing, and still very close to my heart :)

I wanna know, did you read any of these growing up? Love 'em as much as I did? What were your favorite book series as a child?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Mixtape Monday: Vol. 2

2010-04-12T13:36:00.000-10:00

Good ~~morning~~ afternoon! I swear I started this post hours ago... But, as usual, Facebook games and Google have led my mind astray! Anywhoo, hope you had a great weekend, and that an even greater week lies ahead :)

Last Week's Highlights

Introducing the first edition of Mixtape Monday
Getting hooked on Jerseylicious and Pretty Wild
Walking, walking, everywhere! (I need to pack my camera more often)
Hunting for lunch accessories
Watching Merrie Monarch, which always makes me miss Hula Halau O Kamuela - And my long hair!
Mika winning Miss Aloha Hula! Congrats, tita <3

Weekend Happenings

Waking up early to watch UFC 112 (only to see BJ Penn lose his title, and go back to sleep during the Anderson Silva fiasco)
Eating Uncle Kirk's fried rice, bacon and portuguese sausage, and drinking POG!
Continuing to watch Merrie Monarch with the sports guys :)
Taking mid-day naps
Finishing homework
Making my way through The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet (Only about 600 pages to go, lol!)
Stuffing my face at Yakiniku Camellia with Bobert, and trying Hite (A delish Korean beer!)

On The Agenda

Catching up on house work and grocery shopping
Making progress on a few new projects
Finally heading to the mall to deal with my returns
Paying some bills

As of Today

Fashionista: Straigt-cut denim, gray tank with ruffles, black cardigan
Beauty: MAC Blot Powder Pressed in Medium Dark, MAC Eye Brows in Lingering, Lancome Black Carat Virtuose Mascara, MAC Tinted Lip Conditioner
On Film: Watched The Original Kings of Comedy last night with Bodi and Shayde (and recited just about every word, of course!)
Couch Potato: I've officially watched every episode so far of Jerseylicious and Pretty Wild, and I'm also tuning in religiously to this new season of In Plain Sight
In heavy rotation: Been listening to all my Glee songs lately, getting ready for the season premiere tomorrow!
Podcasting: Addicted to the Joe Rogan podcast
Booknerding: I finished Fugitive by Phillip Margolin in just a couple of days, so I'm back to The Pillars of the Earth

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend?
And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via my iPhone and We Heart It

Lunch Accessories

2010-04-07T14:19:00.000-10:00

So one of my 2010 resolutions (and life resolutions, really) is to bring lunch/dinner to work — I even mentioned it in my 2010 Goals and Game Plans! I saw it as a way to save money (by eating out less) and eat healthier (by packing healthy meals and snacks, rather than heading to the nearest lunch spot and filling up on soda!).

I definitely haven't excelled here, but I've made progress. Riding the bus has definitely helped, because without wheels I can't run out for food in the middle of the day. I've been better at eating breakfast, but have been doing a lot of snacking rather than lunch (and generally eat a larger meal as a late lunch/early dinner combo).

As I reflected on my food habits over the past couple of weeks/months, I realized that I need to do better. One of the little motivators when I first started was an adorable floral lunch tote that my mom packed a few of my Christmas gifts in! Sadly, I forgot it on the bus sometime before my Vegas trip and haven't replaced it yet, so in gearing up for my home lunch refocus I started looking for the perfect lunch tote! (In the mean time I've been hauling food around in little shopping bags or strewn about my backpack or purse. And thanks to the Honolulu Advertiser I also have a little insulated bag, and as unattractive as it is it holds quite a bit, and can fold rather flat to store in my day bag once I've consumed all the goods inside!).

So take a look, dolls, and tell me what you think!

1, The Oots Lunchboxes are sleek, and the containers stack nicely. The lid is even shaped to hold a water bottle in place! They're a little pricey at $35 (not including any interior containers), but definitely unique!

2, The Pattypan Shop has adorable lunch totes and pouches. I really like the Cute and Sassy Insulated Lunch Purse DC-10, even the lining is adorable! For its size (10" x 9" x 5 1/2"), it's worth the $23.50 price tag. And I love promoting handmade goods!

3, I've seen Built's Gourmet Getaway Lunch Tote at Office Depot. Of all the places! It's made of a flexible Neoprene-like (it may actually be Neoprene, I just don't know) material that stretches a little, fitting in items and containers of different shapes and sizes. ($22-25).

4, So the Fit N Fresh 2-in-1 Salad Shaker isn't exactly a lunch bag, but functional and lunch-related nontheless! This container, sold for $9.99, houses 4-6 cups of salad, a removable ice pack and dressing dispenser.

5, Isn't this Sigg Oriental Summer Water Bottle absolutely gorgeous? It might be the most glamorous water bottle I've ever seen! At $21.99 it's probably also the most expensive one I've ever seen, so I'll probably hold off on this one :)

6, I've been drooling over this Hamburger Bento Box for quite sometime now. (I'm kinda into all things bento, by the way!). At only $12, including the utensils, I might just have to spring for it soon!

7, Chinese takeout boxes are probably some of the most iconic takeout food vessels around (with pizza boxes and Happy Meals also in the top 3!), and the Chinese Take-Out Lunchbag is a dead ringer for the ones that my kau yuk usually come in. It even has "Thank You" and "Come Again" on the lid! ($19.35).

8, The gals over at Bells and Unicorns are whipping up reusable sandwich and snack baggies, and their Tropical Lemonade sandwich baggie is my fave! I never really thought of a reusable sandwich/snack bag before, other than ziplocs. It's so easy to use ziplocs (that I can toss them when I'm done) or dishwasher-safe tupperware, but these are a great way to be both stylish and eco-friendly. And they're easy to clean, too! Just turn then inside out to wipe down the waterproof nylon lining, or throw then in the washer and hang dry.

I wanna know, what's your favorite home lunch bag/container? And while you're at it, got any good recipes to share?

Xoxo,
Tiera

PS: A couple of lunch-ish sites I've been browsing lately are Cheap Healthy Good (a blog about cheap, healthy, good food, obviously!), Recipe Zaar, and my absolute fave, Lunch in a Box! Check them out!

Mixtape Monday: Vol. 1

2010-04-05T13:38:00.007-10:00

Monday's are always interesting days for me. I'm generally never ready for the week ahead and a little stuck in last week's memories (and outstanding to do list, yikes!). It's a little difficult to get focused, and my mind's often ping-ponging in a million different directions, so I figured round it all up and put it out there every Monday, mixtape style!

Here we go, dolls!

Last Week's Highlights

Saying hello to April, and goodbye to March
Finding out that KFC has brought back the Tender Roast sandwich! Little victories, right?!
Scoping out the drugstore beauty goods
Watching the season premier of In Plain Sight
Writing about one of my favorite flowers, peonies!
Eating grilled pork chops with cream of mushroom sauce two days in a row!
Listing my favorite things about Boston (Reasons 1-100: Eli Roth)
Trying to work out why I'm not a Dane Cook fan (I think it's the sweat!)

Weekend Happenings

Finally getting to try the Katsuo Tataki (seared aku with ginger, onions and ponzu sauce) at Yanagi Sushi, while catching up with Bobert
Showing up to work early, and staying late (feel better, Seryner!)
Catching up on The Office, FlashForward, and Human Target via Hulu
Getting up at the crack of dawn for church on Sunday — Then seeing the Kanoa Family, witnessing the Neves family share their tragic story (though there's so much more to it than this), and hearing Mandisa sing (although I must admit I don't recognize her from American Idol at all)
Having breakfast, lunch and dinner at my mom's and chilling with my little brother pretty much all day
Finding inspiration for two upcoming projects
Eating saimin (which I never do at my house!)

On The Agenda

Working on the first article for a new project
Reading and journaling everyday
Getting more sleep
Watching less television
Bringing home lunch for work
Seeing How To Train Your Dragon in 3D, hopefully!
Spending time with my family
Working on invitations and such for my godson's first birthday party
Catching up on school work and and house work :)

As of Today

Fashionista: Bootcut denim, gray capsleeve with ruffles
Beauty: MAC Blot Powder Pressed in Medium Dark, Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Pink Frosting, MAC Eye Brows in Lingering, Loreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip in Carbon Black, Lancome Black Carat Virtuose Mascara, MAC Cremesheen Glass in Boy Bait
On Film: Watched The Original Kings of Comedy last night with Bodi and Shayde (and recited just about every word, of course!)
Couch Potato: Tuned into the season finale of Tool Academy 3, but only the last few minutes cause I just wanted to see who won. Spoiler alert: Jacob (who I never would've picked at the beginning of the season, but really came around, and made a much better graduate than Angelo)
In heavy rotation: The debut album by The Green (love those boys!)
Podcasting: Loving the Relevant Podcast more and more
Booknerding: Picked up Fugitive by Phillip Margolin at the grocery store yesterday and started reading it this morning on the bus. So far, so good!

I wanna know, what were your highlights last week/weekend?
And what are you up to today/this week?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via We Heart It

Oh, How I Adore Peonies

2010-04-02T14:59:00.000-10:00

One of the simplest, yet most beautiful, things in life are flowers — And I'm pretty obsessed with them. Which is why I can't believe I forgot to mention them in my post from earlier this week, Hello and Goodbye: March-April, from the other day? Flowers are one of the things I'm most looking forward to come April!

I have to say I've got a pretty good trifecta going: I live in Hawaii (where there's gagillions of tropicals), I'm a hula dancer (so I get to wear the most beautiful flowers on me and in my hair), and I work for a wedding/event planning company (and we work with some amazing florists and have seen some brilliant centerpieces and creations over the years)! And with Spring comes one of my absolute favorite flowers!

Sidebar: I totally almost spelled event with a capital E the way my boss makes me, lol!

Anywhooo, as far as favorite flowers go, I've got two. Solely based on aesthetics and fragrance, Pikake (Jasmine) wins, hands down. But on a more personal note, the Peony holds lots of meaning for me.

Peonies remind me of my Aunty Dana. I can clearly remember her buying me my first "grown up" fragrance, Peony by Banana Republic, when I was fifteen. (Sadly, it's no longer available). I kept all the original packing, displayed it prominently on my bathroom counter, but used it sparingly (I saved it for special occasions, like going out to dinner with family and Sophomore Banquet, lol!).

Over the course of, well, life, I seem to have lost my cherished fragrance. It's even more heartbreaking now that my Aunty Dana has passed away. It wasn't until after her passing a couple of years ago that I really appreciated how much it mean to me.

So as I dealt with my grief, I really developed an attachment to the peony — and even considered incorporating it somehow into my makeup artistry logo (still might!). I discovered its roots in Greek, Chinese, and Japanese cultures (Wikipedia has some basic info), and its significance really hit home for me. I've even tossed around the idea of getting a peony tattoo, though I'm not sure. And I really can't think of a more appropriate way to describe them other than to simply say they're just lovely :)

I wanna know, what's your favorite Spring blossom?
And what flower holds a special meaning to you?

Xoxo,
Tiera

PS: Happy Aloha Friday, dolls! Have a great weekend!

Imagery via 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Hello and Goodbye: March-April

2010-03-31T12:40:00.000-10:00

Happy March 31, dolls! That's right, the month has finally come to and end; And what a month it's been!

I settled back into normal life after Vegas; made some major headway in school and work; watched the Oscars; saw Alice in Wonderland in IMAX 3D; exercised more (yay for walking and catching the bus!); went to a wahine volleyball game (though mostly to talk story with Matt); celebrated International Women's Day and Saint Patrick's Day; renovated the blog; became a 20 Something Blogger, watched a lot of Hulu (Community, FlashForward, Human Target, Modern Family); finished a book (Half Broke Horses), started a new one (Pillars of the Earth); got sick, got better; discovered some unique beauty queens; listened to a few new podcasts (Comedy Film Nerds, Daves of Thunder, Joe Rogan, The Mindfulist, The Nerdist, and TED Talks); watched Entourage (Season 3, Part 1; Thanks Joelle and Jayson); ate out (Shokudo, Spaghetti Factory, Yanagi Sushi); tried to figure out what I'll do when the newspaper I work for closes shop; played along with March Madness; committed to a new project (exciting times lay ahead, my friends!).

I'm really looking forward to April, too, and possibly driving a little; reading Alice I Have Been; studying my ass off; watching Clash of the Titans and Kick-Ass; checking out an Easter service; designing my godson's birthday invitation; spending more time with family and friends; the return of Glee!; getting to the beach; shopping a little (if the budget permits!); doing a lot of writing; and working on the aforementioned new projects.

Some inspiration to keep on keeping on:

All in all, good vibes for the month ahead :)

I wanna know, what were your March highlights?
What are you looking forward to come April?
And what's motivating you for the month ahead?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Imagery via We Heart It

Unconventional Beauty (Queens)

2010-03-26T22:53:00.000-10:00

Hello, dolls! TGIF, right?! I've had a jam-packed week, as usual, and have a busy weekend ahead (Work, Ariana's birthday party, work, Kawika's down-home bbq, and, of course, homework, housework, and laundry!).

I wasn't feeling my best yesterday and spent a chunk of the day lying in bed and watching reruns, where I saw Ruby help a young girl, whom she met at a weight loss camp, enter into a plus-sized beauty pageant. And last week I posted a link on my Tumblr about a prison pageant. All of this got me wondering, how many and what kinds of unconventional pageants are out there?

Image via: We Heart It

So I hit up Google found some fascinating (and some straight-up weird) stuff:

Miss Plastic (Hungary)
Contestant requirements: Women with photo and medical documentation of plastic surgery
Judged on: Best artificial body
Prizes: Last year's winner won an apartment, the first runner-up won a new car, and the second runner up won over $10,000 in diamond jewelry

Queen of Beautiful Morals (Saudi Arabia)
Contestant requirements: Women must be covered in the abaya (full-body garment)
Judged on: Moral, family, and social values, dutifulness to parents and family, and service to society
Prizes: $1,300+ in cash, pearl necklace, diamond watch and necklace, and trip to Malaysia

Zombie Pinups (Phoenix Comicon)
Contestant requirements: Women ages 16-older in zombie costumes
Judged on: One-minute act and zombie trivia
Prizes: Collectibles and gift certifictes

Miss Drumsticks
Contestant requirements: Women must dress in one-piece swimsuits and clear or taupe heels, and walk the stage covering the upper halves of their bodies with a turkey cutour
Judged on: Gams only
Prizes: Cash, a crown, trophy, and cash

Miss Atom (Russia)
Contestant requirements: 18-35 year old women in Russia's nuclear industry or studying in nuclear-related programs
Judged on: Online profiles (photos and a basic questionnaire)
Prizes: Week-long vacations, digital cameras, diamonds, and cosmetics

Miss Landmine Survivor (Angola and Cambodia)
Contestant requirements: Women ages 18-48 who are victims of landmine accidents
Judged on: Online profiles (photos and a basic questionnaire)
Prizes: Custom prosthesis

Miss Klingon Empire (Atlanta)
Contestant requirements: Women ages 21-older who are attending Dragon*Con and dressed in Klingon costume
Judged on: Beauty, talent, and personality
Prizes: Trophy, crown, bouquet, sash, and plaque

I wanna know, what's the strangest pageant you've ever heard of?
Even better, have you ever entered one?

Xoxo,
Tiera

March Madness!

2010-03-22T15:46:00.000-10:00

Hello, dolls! How was your weekend? Mine wasn't too eventful, spent a lot of time working, doing homework, and hanging out with my little brother :)

And thanks to Saint Mary's and Northern Iowa, my weekend came crashing down with my March Madness Bracket :(

So now that I'm totally out of the running with the NCAA DI Men's Basketball Championship bracket, I thought I'd check out some of the other fun(ny) March Madness brackets!

Muppet Madness Tournament (Here)

I hope Kermit and Cookie Monster make it to the finals!

Hulu's Best In Show (Here)

I'm so hoping for a Community vs. Burn Notice showdown, they're two of my faves!

Go Fug Yourself: Fug Madness (Bracket: Here; Updates: Here)

Isn't that the bestest picture of Bjork!

Or, if you're really into it (and still in the running, unlike moi), keep up with March Madness at ESPN.

And you can find more crazy tournaments at Mental Floss here and here.

I wanna know, what did you do this weekend?
And what kinds of March madness are you getting into?

Xoxo,
Tiera

I'm a 20 Something Blogger!

2010-03-19T12:16:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls!

In case you haven't noticed, I'm a twenty-something (Have you seen my Vegas birthday pics?) and I have a blog (which you're currently reading) — making me a twenty-something blogger. And since (re-)committing to giving this whole blogging thing a legit shot, I've been extra interested in using social media to promote TIERAsta and meeting new blogs and bloggers in the process!

The other day I stumbled across 20 Something Bloggers, a network of bloggers in the twenty-something stage of life. 20SB is a pretty active community, and includes forms, groups, swaps, and carnivals. I've started setting up my profile, and hope to really explore the site in the next couple of days/weeks.

If you're a 20SB member, holla! Or if you're a twenty-something with a blog, check it out and find me!

I wanna know, are you a member of any blogger/social groups?

Xoxo,
Tiera

PS: It's finally Friday, can you believe it?! I've had a ca-ca-craaazy week. How was yours?

Saint Patrick's Day Favorites

2010-03-17T11:50:00.000-10:00

Today we celebrate Saint Patrick, beer, and all things green and Irish — Happy Saint Patrick's Day, dolls! (For a more historical look at this special day, see what History.com has to say about it).

What are you up to this Wednesday? I've got work during the day and class at night, then a car appointment after that. I won't be doing much in the way of celebrating (aside from wearing green!), so I figured I celebrate here on the blog! I've come up with a few different categories (somewhat) associated with SPD — and, in honor of the shamrock (three-leafed clover), have listed three of my top picks in each category. Take a looksie...

Favorite Irish Men

Why, oh why, do girls like bad boys? I can't answer that, but I could probably name a million reasons I'm gaga for Colin Farrell <3
Team Coco all the way! Will somebody get Conan O'Brien back on television!
Pierce Brosnan will always be my 007 (and my silver fox crush!)

Images sources: Left, Middle, Right

Favorite Green Foods

I don't care what it (allegedly) does to your pee, I heart asparagus!
I remember being so addicted to Jolly Rancher Lollipops in Amazing Apple when they came out; They were my go-to candy for goody bags!
I wish I could make a great pesto. For now I'm content with eating it at every restaurant in town!

Favorite Irish Foods

I totally thought Corned Beef and Cabbage was a local thing, until I saw it served at a pub in Seattle! I like it the way my family makes it, but might try it a little different with something like Corned Beef and Cabbage Rolls or Corned Beef and Cabbage Pizza!
I've tried and failed and making the perfect Soda Bread. I like to cheat by making the Tastefully Simple Bountiful Beer Bread with soda (Thanks, Aunty Dawn!)
I like the easy side, Boxty. I usually like with onions and chives, though!

Favorite Irish Flowers

Did you know that Bells of Ireland don't actually grown in Ireland? Apparently the name stuck because of the color, and it's been associated with Ireland and Saint Patrick's Day every since!
Blue-Eyed Grass: I just love these little summer perennials
If/when I ever get married, there will definitely be some Foxgloves around; They're stunning!

Image sources: Left, Middle, Right

Favorite Irish Desinations

The Cliffs of Moher are breathtaking. Na Pali Coast anyone?
Every princess needs a castle, right?! Bunratty Castle has been restored and I can't wait to see it!
And there are SO many things to do in Dublin city!

Note: If anyone wants to plan a trip to Ireland, holler :)

Favorite Claddagh Rings

The traditional version has a heart between two hands and a crown
The modern version is clean, simple, elegant, and more my style!
This sterling silver one is stunning, too!

Note: All three can be found on Etsy!

Image sources: Left, Middle, Right

Wanna play along? Copy and paste the headers and post them in a comment below, or put them on your blog and paste a link back here!

Favorite Irish Men:
Favorite Green Foods:
Favorite Irish Foods:
Favorite Irish Flowers:
Favorite Claddagh Rings:
Favorite Irish Destinations:

I wanna know, how are you celebrating Saint Patrick's Day?

And what are your green/Irish faves?

Any good (or bad) SPD memories you care to share?

Xoxo,
Tiera

PS: Don't pinch me, I'm Irish!

(Kinda Late) Vegas Pictures!

2010-03-16T16:39:00.000-10:00

So, a few weeks ago I ventured to "Sin City" to celebrate my 23rd birthday! My cousin, Tiari, my mom, her beau, Uncle Pete, and I all packed up and flew for six (entirely uncomfortable) hours and spent six days gambling, drinking, visiting family, being tourists and, of course, SHOPPING! I took both cameras with me a snapped zillions of pictures, here are some of my faves:

Enjoying Frozen Chocolate at Serendipity at Caesar's Palace

Posing with Yellow at M&M World

Meeting a few uncles in front of Caesar's Palace

First official day (and first official outfit picture)

Aqua Massage at the mall

Feeling very "G.I. Jane" with Uncle Pat's .22 caliber

Knocking em back at my Olive Garden birthday dinner

(PS: Who wants to start a petition to get an Olive Garden in Hawaii?!)

Trying on cheapo accessories at the mall!

Celebrating ~~bankruptcy~~ our day one shopping spree!

We spent a good hour talking story in Uncle Pat and Aunty Dawn's bathtub

We're definitely related <3

Waiting (and waiting) for a table at Olive Garden, it's a little tough with a party of 10!

Pretending to be a big winner at someone else's slot machine!

(But I did hit triple sevens on the last night of the trip!)

Vanilla milkshake = Heaven (PS: I wish I had known about

the "secret" menu, I would have gotten my fries "animal style"!)

Here's all the ~~crap~~ pretty stuff I bought. If you're missing the point of the picture,

look closely at my face: I'm sad because my wallet is empty :(

One more outfit! (Love that $1.99 scarf!)

We just had to!

And here's my attempt at legitimate photography!

I didn't get to do everything I wanted, but all in all it was an amazing trip. Food, family, and good times <3

I wanna know, what did you do for your last birthday?

Or where did you take your last vacation?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Getting to Know You, And the New TIERAsta

2010-03-15T15:40:00.000-10:00

Hello, dolls! Happy Monday:) My weekened was filled with Japanese food (thank you, Shokudo and Yanagi Sushi!), friends (thank you, Joelle, Matt, Leina, and Bobert), Johnny Depp (thank you, Tim Burton and Alice in Wonderland in IMAX 3D), and homework (thank you, Political Science professor, for letting me turn in late work and make up a quiz!). How was yours?!

Over the weekend I stumbled upon Keely's blog and her fun little game (I guess it's a game), Getting To Know You. It's adorable, and I thought I'd give it a go today:

1, What's your favorite Easter candy?
Well, I'm not too big on chocolate, but I do like the pastel M&Ms and the bite-size Twix!

2, Who do you think are cleaner, men or women?
Women (unless you're my dad)!

3, Which do you prefer, wordy blog posts or ones with pictures?
Depends on the content. I don't mind reading wordy posts as long as they're interesting, but a few pictures couldn't hurt!

4, Were you popular in high school?
We didn't really have popular kids at my school, everyone kind of new everyone (and, for the most part, kinda got a long with everyone, too). But I did go to the same school since kindergarten, so I'd at least say that most people could pick me out in a lineup.

5, What's your bra size?
Really? Let's just say it's somewhere between 34 and 38, and somewhere above C.

6, How many states have you live in?
Just the one, the 50th one!

7, What's one blog you read everyday?
Can I pick two? Liz Franco and Karen's Makeup and Beauty Blog! Eh, it's my blog; I can pick two if I like ;)

8, Peanut butter or Nutella?
Well, seeing as how I've never tried Nutella, I guess I'd have to go with peanut butter (the chunky variety, thank you). But I have been wanting to try Nutella for a while, I heard it's delish!

That was fun! Wanna play along? Copy and paste the questions and post them on your blog, then link back to Keely.

**Also, you may have noticed a few differences around her (as in, just about everything). I've been contemplating changing the site around for a while, and I finally did! Maybe now that I've got that out of the way, I can focus on blogging more than once a week :)

I wanna know, what have you been up to?

Xoxo,

Tiera

Man! I Feel Like a Woman!

2010-03-08T13:50:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls! Do you know what today is? It's International Women's Day!

So go ahead, break out your corset and thigh-highs and sing it loud!

IWD is all about celebrating women and their achievements with respect, appreciation and love. I'm personally reaffirming love for myself (see The Playgirl's Guide To Radical Self-Love) and all the things that make me a strong, proud woman. I'll also be calling/texting/e-mailing my female friends and family to send them my love on this special day as well!

On a more serious note, the International Committee of the Red Cross is campaigning for women's rights, especially for those displaced by armed conflict. Read more here.

I wanna know, how are you celebrating International Women's Day?

Xoxo,
Tiera

PS: We had a funny little convo at work about IWD. Here it is!

Update + Oscar Picks

2010-03-05T12:13:00.000-10:00

Update: I've added the real winners! I went 11-24, not too bad, but not as good as I did for the Golden Globes! Also, how great was the fashion and that dance performance?!

Hey kiddies! So my 23rd birthday's come and gone, I've flown to and returned from Las Vegas, seen a few movies, made a few new friends, reconnected with a few old ones, done some shopping, ate out, stayed in through a statewide tsunami warning, spent time with family — All in all had a pretty sweet little vacation! I did, however, find out that the newspaper I work for has been purchased by our local competition, so my job/career situation is a little loose at the moment. (It's times like these I'm fortunate to have two jobs and a great support system!).

But I'm trying to look at the positive (always trying that one), and one of the things I'm looking forward to is this weekend's Academy Awards!

Here are the nominations and my picks:

Best Picture
Nominees: Avatar; The Blind Side; District 9; An Education; The Hurt Locker; Inglorious Basterds; Precious; A Serious Man; Up; Up in the Air
My pick: Inglorious Basterds
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Actor in a Leading Role
Nominees: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart; George Clooney, Up in the Air; Colin Firth, A Single Man; Morgan Freeman, Invictus; Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker
My pick: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart
Winner: Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Actor in a Supporting Role
Nominees: Matt Damon, Invictus; Woody Harrelson, The Messenger; Christopher Plummer, The Last Station; Stanley Tucci, The Lovely Bones; Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds
My pick: Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds (PS: Why was Stanley Tucci not nominated for Julie & Julia?)
Winner: Christoph Waltz

Actress in a Leading Role
Nominees: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side; Helen Mirren, The Last Station; Carey Mulligan, An Education; Gabourey Sidibe, Precious; Meryl Streep, Julie & Julia
My pick: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side
Winner: Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Actress in a Supporting Role
Nominees: Penelope Cruz, Nine; Vera Farmiga, Up in the Air; Maggie Gyllenhaal, Crazy Heart; Anna Kendrick, Up in the Air; Mo'Nique, Precious
My pick: Mo'Nique, Precious
Winner: Mo'Nique, Precious

Animated Feature Film
Nominees: Coraline; Fantastic Mr. Fox; The Princess and the Frog; The Secret of Kells; Up
My pick: Up
Winner: Up

Art Direction
Nominees: Avatar; The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus; Nine; Sherlock Holmes; The Young Victoria
My pick: The Young Victoria
Winner: Avatar

Cinematography
Nominees: Avatar; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince; The Hurt Locker; Inglorious Basterds; The White Ribbon
My pick: Inglorious Basterds
Winner: Avatar

Costume Design
Nominees: Bright Star; Coco Before Chanel; The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus; Nine; The Young Victoria
My pick: Coco Before Chanel
Winner: The Young Victoria

Directing
Nominees: Avatar; The Hurt Locker; Inglorious Basterds; Precious; Up in the Air
My pick: The Hurt Locker
Winner: The Hurt Locker (Yay for Kathryn Bigelow! Girl power!!)

Documentary Feature
Nominees: Burma VJ; The Cove; Food, Inc.; The Most Dangerous Man in America; Which Way Home
My pick: The Cove
Winner: The Cove

Documentary Short
Nominees: China's Unnatural Disaster; The Last Campaign of Governor Booth Gardner; The Last Truck; Music by Prudence; Rabbit a la Berlin
My pick: Music by Prudence
Winner: Music by Prudence

Film Editing
Nominees: Avatar; District 9; The Hurt Locker; Inglorious Basterds; Precious
My pick: Avatar
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Foreign Language Film
Nominees: Ajami, Israel; The Milk of Sorrow, Peru; A Prophet, France; The Secret in Their Eyes, Argentina; The White Ribbon, Germany
My pick: The White Ribbon
Winner: The Secret in Their Eyes, Argentina

Makeup
Nominees: Il Divo; Star Trek; The Young Victoria
My pick: Star Trek
Winner: Star Trek

Music (Original Score)
Nominees: Avatar; Fantastic Mr. Fox; The Hurt Locker; Sherlock Holmes; Up
My pick: Avatar
Winner: Up

Music (Original Song)
Nominees: "Almost There", The Princess and the Frog; "Down in New Orleans", The Princess and the Frog; "Loin de Paname", Paris 36; "Take It All", Nine; "The Weary Kind", Crazy Heart
My pick: "The Weary Kind", Crazy Heart
Winner "The Weary Kind", Crazy Heart

Short Film (Animated)
Nominees: French Roast; Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty; The Lady and the Reaper; Logorama; A Matter of Loaf and Death
My pick: Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty
Winner: Logorama

Short Film (Live Action)
Nominees: The Door; Instead of Abracadabra; Kavi; Miracle Fish; The New Tenants
My pick: Miracle Fish
Winner: The New Tenants

Sound Editing
Nominees: Avatar; The Hurt Locker; Inglorious Basterds; Star Trek; Up
My pick: Avatar
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Sound Mixing
Nominees: Avatar; The Hurt Locker; Inglorious Basterds; Star Trek; Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
My pick: Avatar
Winner: The Hurt Locker

Visual Effects
Nominees: Avatar; District 9; Star Trek
My pick: Avatar
Winner: Avatar

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Nominees: District 9; An Education; In the Loop; Precious; Up in the Air
My pick: Up in the Air
Winner: Precious

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Nominees: The Hurt Locker; Inglorious Basterds; The Messenger; A Serious Man; Up
My pick: Inglorious Basterds
Winner: The Hurt Locker

I wanna know, what have you been up to? And what are your Oscar picks?

Xoxo,
Tiera

PS: Don't forget to check out my Twitter (@tierasta) for updates and my Tumblr (tierasta.tumblr.com) for links and other web gems!

Where Have I Been?!

2010-02-12T11:19:00.000-10:00

Holy shishkabob... I've been MIA since Jan. 27! Tomorrow makes two weeks! Sorry :( I've been going bananas with my crazy schedule with work and school, and a couple of other projects.

I've read on several blogs about blogging that I shouldn't apologizing for an absence (and that I should instead be more diligent about keeping up with posting). Duh! But the fact is I haven't been around, and those of you who didn't get anything new for awhile deserve an honest apology!

Here's what I've been up to lately:

Day job: Things are going well on the event/wedding planning front, and we've got a lot going on! We've just come off a few successful showcases, and are heading into a couple of major events in the next few weeks. We're preparing to welcome our new event/sales assistant and I, personally, am in the middle of a few massive "housekeeping" projects (lots of papertowel and paperwork!).

Night job: We're in the thick of high school sports right now, with boys and girls basketball in league tournaments, and boys and girls soccer in state tournaments. College men and women basketball is also in full swing, as well as college softball, golf, and men's volleyball. Baseball starts in a few weeks, too! Auto racing is picking up a little and, as usual, we can't wait for hockey to be over! Daclerks made a donation to the HHSAA Save Our Sports campaign, so we can't wait to see ourselves in the paper!

School: I found out my math teacher used to be a sports writer at my newspaper! What a small world (and a really random coincidence)! He gave us our first exam, and I should be getting results next Wednesday. I'm pretty confident (yet a little bummed that I figured out the extra credit two days after the test lol!). I've got one more assignment in my political science class, and an exam to take before I leave for Vegas next week!

Superbowl: Who dat?! I watched the (amazing) game at my mom's house with my brother and my uncle (who wouldn't stop trying to cheer louder than the neighbors, who were cheering for the Colts, it was annoying/hilarous!). And what was up with the commercials? Disappointed much?

Farewell, Kate: My friend (and ex-Stu's coworker) Keight is headed off to the Big Apple to pursue her fashion dreams! I'm so happy that she's going for it, but sad to see her go, of course. We had a karaoke goodbye party with more of the Stu crew, and it was so much fun to get everyone together again!

New church: Before the Superbowl I headed out to visit a new (to me) church, First Unitarian of Honolulu (a Universalist Unitarian congregation). They've been on my mind for a while. I am really connecting with a lot about this church, and I think I'll be visiting again soon!

Bus experiment: Yesterday marks a week since I've been catching The Bus rather than driving. So far, so good! I get a little extra exercise each day than I normally would (but have found the perfect alternative bus routes in case I'm too late/lazy to walk!), and am able to get a lot done (a la reading, homework, and listening to podcasts!). There are obvious conveniences to driving, but aside from the fact that I hate driving, my parking situations at work and my day job are not ideal, so I'm chalking the experiment up as a success. And I paid for my $50 monthly bus pass, so I'm committed at least through February!

New project: Speaking of new churches, I've decided to start a separate blog and you can soon read all about my spiritual journey at Soul Sparrow. I don't know if I'll have it up and running before I head out on vacation, but I'll be sure to let you know. In the mean time, I'll also begin to tweet relevant material under @soulsparrow.

New project: I read a lot of stuff, and explore around the interwebz quite a bit. At first I thought I'd reflect some of that with the World Wide Wednesday feature, but there are just so many things I want to share, and I don't want to overwhelm you with WWW or on Twitter, so I've decided to use my Tumblr as a link-sharing platform, and for other microblogging-style features. I started a Tumblr several months ago, intending to use it as my primary blog, but noticed that I spent more time sharing links and reposting, rather than publishing original content, which is something on which I wanted to invest a more intense focus — Thus the Blogger startup! So for now I'm going to be testing out the Tumblr situation and try to reserve Blogger for more in-depth material. I'm not sure yet whether or not I'll move forward with WWW (I might, just to share my absolute faves of the week).

Anyhow, dolls, hope that last couple of weeks have treated you well, and hope this weekend does the same (or better!). See you soon!

Oh, and I wanna know, what have you been up to these past couple of weeks?

Xoxo,
Tiera

World Wide Wednesday Vol. 2

2010-01-27T00:03:00.000-10:00

Hello dolls! How's your Wednesday going? Mine has just begun (it's only 12:20 a.m.), so far so good! I'm about to turn in for the night, and I've got a busy morning ahead of me, so I thought I'd share the new linkies before bed. Go check em!

1. Hacked Stop Signs. We're talking beyond the usual spray paint and bumper stickers.

2. So you dropped it on the floor, do you eat it? Check out this flowchart. (Via SwissMiss)

3. Wanna make an ice ball? (Via Incredible Things)

4. Is it a wedding cake or a wedding dress? Trick question. It's both. (Via Incredible Things)

5. New York Times plans to charge for its website. I work at a newspaper, so I get the thinking behind it, but it's so tricky.

6. Hulu may start charging too. Saw it coming since the beginning. Still bummed, though.

7. Judson Beaumont of Straight Line Designs has new whimsical furniture. Straight out of a Disney movie.

8. "You are the best navy and I'm sure you do the best blow jobs."

9.Yes, I looove the Golden Girls. Yes, I loved this Q&A with Betty White!

10. Take a look at how your country contributed to aiding Haiti.

11. Do you know when to use a semicolon? Figure it out!

12. Who knew we were still re-inventing the pencil?!

13. Steel wool tornado, and other [amazing] works of landscape art made from household objects.

14. Cougars everywhere are rejoicing for Spanx swimwear!

15. My friend Mary Ann is a big tea drinker, and wants to start drinking more loose teas. I might have to get her this tea sub as a gift!

16. 50 Stunning Political Artworks. Beautiful and thought-provoking. The little girl with the grenade has to be my fave.

17. I intended to start a Photo365 project at the beginning of the year. It's yet to begin. Maybe I need these DPS tips!

18. Would you die for these jobs? Apparently most men would.

19. A French anti-Aids commercial. Warning: NSFW.

20. I want to visit/stay at/live at the BLC Design Hotel in Paris. Gorg.

21. Feeling crafty? These Flickr faves make me think Katrina at Pugly Pixel was!

22. Gala counts off 50 ways to put the light back in your heart.

23. I'm officially lusting for a calligraphy tattoo!

24. Garbage trucks can be works of art.

25. Don't really think Forrest Gump could have raised his own son? You might prefer the rest of these more realistic movie endings.

26. Have I mentioned that I love all things bento/lunchbox related? Check out these deluxe lunch boxes! (Via SwissMiss)

27. Karen at Makeup and Beauty blog swatched Barielle's new Wildflower nail polishes. I'm gaga for A Bouquet for Ava and Darling Dahlia!

28. Classy wedding fail. I don't know how to comment out this without being offensive.

29. A showcase of 21 of Imagekind's beautiful portraits. I die for Man on Break, Ol' Bob, and Loaded.

30. Fast food gets a high fashion makeover! Gorg.

31. Check it: photos of the real Psycho house.

32. Arnold Bocklin was one of Hitler's favorite painters. You like?

33. 40 creative designs based on Stormtroopers.

34. I'm a new fan of Saltbox.

35. "Finals", the Coca Cola history exam commercial. So cute!

I wanna know, what did you find around the world wide web this Wednesday?

Xoxo,
Tiera

I'm a Winner!

2010-01-25T11:33:00.000-10:00

Good morning, dolls! Usually Mondays aren't my favorite days; I'm bummed that the weekend is over, not enough sleep, back to work/school, blah, blah, blah. However, this Monday is a happy one because I'm a winner!

Thanks to Ali at the Through The Looking Glass blog, I'm the proud new owner of the book "Half Broke Horses" by Jeannette Walls, the first book in the Slow Readers Book Club! I'm still finishing up "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold, so hopefully I'll be done soon and can start on my new book as soon as it arrives!

So, again, a special thanks to Ali. You can find her at her blog Through The Looking Glass and on Twitter @hanako66. Check her out, she's lovely!

I wanna know, what are you up to this Monday?

Score any special gifts lately?

Xoxo,
Tiera

World Wide Wednesday: Vol. 1

2010-01-20T10:36:00.000-10:00

Hello, dolls! How's your Wednesday going? I didn't get enough sleep (as usual), but I'm halfway to Friday so I can't complain!

I read a ton of shit online. My Google reader drives me mad, but I'm often entertained and inspired by what's out there. I share some of them on Twitter (follow me @tierasta!), but I also wanted to get it on the blog. So, let me introduce you to World Wide Wednesday, where I'll be sharing more of my faves from around the interweb.

1. Offbeat Earth counts down 33 Of The World's Strangest Buildings.

2. Not that I needed another reason to love Anderson Cooper, but he is a bonafide fricken hero now.

3. Gimme, gimme Chanel Sport: Surfboards, skis, tennis racquets, guitars/cases, scooters, bicycles, basketballs, footballs, etc. Love.

4. Wanna go for a walk to Slutshole Lane?

5. Got a photography bucket list? Darren Rowse does. I need to get in on this, pronto!

6. Crying children aren't usually art. But Jill Greenberg makes it so in her Galrie Acte 2, on display until Feb. 27 in Paris.

7. Shopping cart furniture. That's right. Thank you, Ramon Coronado. (Via Design Milk.)

8. In the 50s and 60s, native Hawaiian and Lili`uokalani descendant Mary Ka`aihue became Mary Kaye, and she and Louis Prima founded the Las Vegas lounge scene. Check it: Mary Kaye Trio: The Birth of the Las Vegas Lounge Scene.

9. French home improvement and gardening retailer Leroy Merlin shows you why you should do it yourself! Hilarious!

10. Learn proper Sushi Etiquette.

11. I recently signed up for the Slow Readers Book Club, and I might just have to get some of this Etsy goodness. Because, you know, looks are important for books!

12. I'm not sure that I can pull of Cloche Hats, but as my taste veers toward vintage, I might have to at least give them a try.

13. Ooohh, sexy makeup!

14. Mr. Rabbit, Sir is open for business! PS: Take a look at Katrina's blog Pugly Pixel, one of my new loves.

15. So I got a new photo printer for Christmas (thanks Mom and Dad!), but I don't think I'll use it for eeeverything. Thank goodness Lifehacker wrote about the Five Best Photo-Printing Sites.

15. Julia Wade has a beautiful photo blog. Recently she's posted a ton of Europe photos and they're amazing. I'm planning a Europe trip in 2012, and I'm now even more excited to see Verona, Venice, Seville, and Barcelona.

16. What the hell is going on with the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ship that docked in Haiti for a beach barbeque? If you thought Brett Favre and the Vikings had no class...

17. Humping USB gadgets made me lol!

18. As if American Apparel didn't already have everything I need, now they have nail polish! ($6 per 15ml bottle. Also, special 3-packs for $15.)

19. Badass Jeep outdoor parking space ad.

20. Say whaaat?! McDonlad's Japan launching a "Hawaiian Burger" aka, THE LOCO MOCO BURGER!! (Via Contrast Magazine.)

21. Astronauts getting high. No, I mean high. Like cocaine-found-in-a-space-shuttle-hanger-at-Kennedy-Space-Center high.

22. My friend Dana and I decided to get each other the Urban Decay Book of Shadows Vol. II for Christmas (we both wanted it, but didn't want to spend money on ourselves, so we both bought them and swapped! Genius, I know.). And I found this great tutorial for a gorgeous look using the palette!

23. Boxetti = House in a box. Futuristic, clean, genius.

24. BBC's 100 Things We Didn't Know Last Year. (Via SwissMiss.)

25. Glitterati wedding. Love. Their "60's desperate housewives" engagement photo session was equally amazing.

I wanna know, what have you found on the world wide web this Wednesday?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Slow Readers Book Club

2010-01-19T13:32:00.000-10:00

Hello dolls, happy Tuesday!

Aside from my 2010 goals and gameplans, I've got a few things on my to-do list. (Right now it's just a mental to-do list, I've gotta get it written down.) One of the things on my list was to ready 50 books this year (this has since been revised to 26 books this year, about one book every two weeks. Do-able).

I love, love, love to read, and ready regularly when I have the time. I even brought home a ton of books from my trip to Waikoloa/Kona in November, and am only on book number two from that box! I usually read on my own, but have been thinking about a book club ever since I saw a poster for one at the Waialae Public Libarary. I even had this idea for a local book club and website, and maybe even podcast, that features Hawaii books and authors (but that 's another ambitious undertaking all on its own, and it's not for right now).

Anywhooo, a couple of weeks ago I came across the Slow Readers Book Club via a post by blogging/web designing diva, Liz Franco. Here's a peek:

Don't let the name fool you- it's not for literally slow readers (although, if you are, we don't judge) and it's not as exclusive as a 'club'. This is an opportunity to take part of a movement that needs a revelation to slow down and take a few minutes in our day to disconnect, reenergize and even be a part of helping our communities and environment, via The Slow Movement.

If you would like to be a part of reading a bit more, expanding your literature, email me, and I'll add you to a mailing list, and grab a button from any of these, link it to the blog post you write about The Slow Readers Book Club. So far, a few bloggers are already on board. Are you?

The first book we will start with is Jeannette Walls' Half-Broke Horses. On March 4th we will do a review post about the book, and during this time we will be casually discussing it in the email group.

Read more: http://www.ourcitylights.org/2010/01/slow-readers-book-club.html#ixzz0d0CkdnOs

I've had "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold lying around for a while, and I started reading it yesterday because I'd like to try and see the movie this weekend. I'll get into "Half Broke Horses" as soon as I'm done!

I wanna know, are you in a book club?

What are you reading this year?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Quotable: Martin Luther King Jr. Day

2010-01-18T11:31:00.000-10:00

Good morning, dolls. How was your weekend? Did you get a chance to watch the Golden Globes? I sat at home doing homework and watching the show last night, trying to get to sleep early since I have to work this morning (didn't happen, of course).

I know some of us have the day off today; Sadly, I'm busy working. But today's holiday is something I think is important, and definitely worthy of mention.

Martin Luther King Jr. is arguably the most influential civil rights leader in history. His charismatic speeches inspired a nation, and his tireless dedication to equal rights changed it eternally.

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a day we celebrate this man and his powerful legacy. As a minority and supporter of equality, I am so inspired and grateful for the work he did, and the work that continues in his name.

Here are a few of his quotes that have particularly inspired/touched me:

1. I submit to you that if a man has not discovered something that he will die for, he isn't fit to live.

2. A right delayed is a right denied.

3. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.

4. Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.

5. An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

6. At the center of non-violence stands the principle of love.

7. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

8. Everything that we see is a shadow cast by that which we do not see.

9. Faith is taking the first step when you don't see the whole staircase.

10. History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.

11. Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.

12. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.

13. I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.

14. But life at its best is a creative synthesis of opposites in fruitful harmony.

15. Anybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.

And, of course, the renown "I Have A Dream" speech.

I come from such a chop suey family and background, that I don't know that prejudice really plays to big a part in my life. But in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. and the holiday today, I hope to remove prejudice from my life and fight it when/where I can.

I wanna know, have you been inspired by the great Martin Luther King Jr.?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Golden Globe Picks

2010-01-15T12:52:00.000-10:00

Update: I've added the real winners! I went 13-24, not too shabby! Also, how great was the fashion and the acceptance speeches?! Oh, and Gervais making fun of NBC, Paul McCartney's divorce, and Mel Gibson's drinking was hilarious!

Hello, dolls!

I am so excited for the Golden Globes this weekend! Not only do I love, love, love all the drama and beauty of awards season, but I am straight-up obsessed with Ricky Gervais!

So by Sunday I hope I can get all my laundry and work done so I can curl up for a few hours for the broadcast, distraction-free (including Twitter, I don't want any spoilers!). Here are my picks for the year:

Best Motion Picture - Drama
Nominees: Avatar, The Hurt Locker, Inglorious Basterds, Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Up in the Air
My pick: Inglorious Basterds. All the way.
Winner: Avatar

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Nominees: Emily Blunt for The Young Victoria, Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side, Helen Mirren for The Last Station, Carey Mulligan for An Education, Gabourey Sidibe for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire
My pick: I'd vote for Bullock, but I think Sidibe will take it
Winner: Sandra Bullock for The Blind Side

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Nominees: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart, George Clooney for Up In The Air, Colin Firth for A Single Man, Morgan Freeman for Invictus, Tobey Maguire for Brothers
My pick: Morgan Freeman (I love him!) for Invictus
Winner: Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
Nominees: (500) Days of Summer, The Hangover, It's Complicated, Julie & Julia, Nine
My pick: Julie & Julia (Though I personally liked The Hangover better)
Winner: The Hangover

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
Nominees: Sandra Bullock for The Proposal, Marion Cotillard for Nine, Julia Roberts for Duplicity, Meryl Streep for It's Complicated, Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia
My pick: Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia (Though I'm secretly pulling for Sandra Bullock!)
Winner: Meryl Streep for Julie & Julia

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
Nominees: Matt Damon for The Informant!, Daniel Day-Lewis for Nine, Robert Downey Jr. for Sherlock Holmes, Joseph Gordon-Levitt for (500) Days of Summer, Michael Stuhlbarg for A Serious Man
My pick: Matt Damon for The Informant!
Winner: Robert Downey Jr. for Sherlock Holmes

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Nominees: Penelope Cruz for Nine, Vera Farmiga for Up In The Air, Anna Kendrick for Up In The Air, Mo'nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, Julianne Moore for A Single Man
My pick: Mo'nique for Precious (Though I'm a total Twilight dork and would die (in the good way!) of Anna Kendrick won!)
Winner: Mo'nique for Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Nominees: Matt Damon for Invictus, Woody Harrelson for The Messenger, Christopher Plummer for The Last Station, Christoph Waltz for Inglorious Basterds
My pick: If Christoph Waltz doesn't win for Inglorious Basterds... Well, I probably won't do anything about it, but I don't see how he couldn't win.
Winner: Christoph Waltz for Inglorious Basterds

Best Animated Feature Film
Nominees: Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Coraline, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess and the Frog, Up
My Pick: Up
Winner: Up

Best Foreign Language Film
Nominees: Baaria (Italy), Broken Embraces (Spain), The Maid (La Nana) (Chile), A Prophet (Un Prophete) (France), The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band - Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte) (Germany)
My Pick: Broken Embraces
Winner: The White Ribbon (Das Weisse Band - Eine Deutsche Kindergeschichte) (Germany)

Best Director - Motion Picture
Nominees: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker, James Cameron for Avatar, Clint Eastwood for Invictus, Jason Reitman for Up In The Air, Quentin Tarantino for Inglorious Basterds
My pick: James Cameron for Avatar
Winner: James Cameron for Avatar

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
Nominees: Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell for District 9, Mark Boal for The Hurt Locker, Quentin Tarantino for Inglorious Basterds, Nancy Meyers for It's Complicated, Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for Up In The Air
My pick: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for Up In The Air
Winner: Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner for Up In The Air

Best Original Score - Motion Picture
Nominees: Michael Giacchino for Up, Marvin Hamlisch for The Informant!, James Horner for Avatar, Abel Korzeniowski for A Single Man, Karen O and Carter Burwell for Where The Wild Things Are
My pick: Karen O and Carter Burwell for Where The Wild Things Are
Winner: Michael Giacchino for Up

Best Original Song - Motion Picture
Nominees: "Cinema Italiano" from Nine (Maury Yeston), "I See You" from Avatar (James Horner, Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell), "I Want to Come Home" from Everybody's Fine (Paul McCartney), "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from Crazy Heart (Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett), "Winter" from Brothers (U2).
My pick: "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from Crazy Heart, music and lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett
Winner: "The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)" from Crazy Heart, music and lyrics by Ryan Bingham and T Bone Burnett

Best Television Series - Drama
Nominees: Big Love, Dexter, House, Mad Men, True Blood
My pick: Mad Men (Though I love all of these shows, so I'd be happy with whichever one won)
Winner: Mad Men

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
Nominees: Glenn Close for Damages, January Jones for Mad Men, Julianna Margulies for The Good Wife, Anna Paquin for True Blood, Kyra Sedgwick for The Closer
My pick: Kyra Sedgwick for The Closer
Winner: Julianna Margulies for The Good Wife

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Nominees: Simon Baker for The Mentalist, Michael C. Hall for Dexter, Jon Hamm for Mad men, Hugh Laurie for House, Bill Paxton for Big Love
My pick: Hugh Laurie for House (I also love Hamm and Paxton and their shows, so if either of them won I'd be happy!)
Winner: Michael C. Hall for Dexter

Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical
Nominees: 30 Rock, Entourage, Glee, Modern Family, The Office
My pick: Glee, of course! (Though this is yet another category where I like every nominee!)
Winner: Glee

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
Nominees: Toni Collette for United States of Tara, Courtney Cox for Cougar Town, Edie Falco for Nurse Jackie, Tina Fey for 30 Rock, Lea Michele for Glee
My pick: Edie Falco for Nurse Jackie (Michele could be the upset, and Collette or Fey could easily take it, too!)
Winner: Tonie Collette for United States of Tara

Best Performances by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
Nominees: Alec Baldwin for 30 Rock, Steve Carell for The Office, David Duchovny for Californication, Thomas Jane for Hung, Matthew Morrison for Glee
My pick: Steve Carell for The Office
Winner: Alec Baldwin for 30 Rock

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Nominees: Georgia O'Keeffe, Grey Gardens, Into the Storm, Little Dorrit, Taking Chance
My pick: Grey Gardens
Winner: Grey Gardens

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Nominees: Joan Allen for Georgia O'Keeffe, Drew Barrymore for Grey Gardens, Jessica Lange for Grey Gardens, Anna Paquin for The Courageous Heart of Irena, Sigourney Weaver for Prayers for Bobby
My pick: Drew Barrymore for Grey Gardens
Winner: Drew Barrymore for Grey Gardens

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Nominees: Kevin Bacon for Taking Chance, Kenneth Branagh for Wallander: One Step Behind, Chiwetel Ejiofor for Endgame, Brendan Gleeson for Into the Storm, Jeremy Irons for Georgia O'Keeffe
My pick: Jeremy Irons for Georgia O'Keeffe (Though I'm secretly pulling for my lifetime crush Kevin Bacon!)
Winner: Kevin Bacon for Taking Chance

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Nominees: Jane Adams for Hung, Rose Byrne for Damages, Jany Lynch for Glee, Janet McTeer for Into the Storm, Chloe Sevigny for Big Love
My pick: Jane Lynch for Glee (She's brilliant in it, but I'd also be okay with Chloe Sevigny winning!)
Winner: Chloe Sevigny for Big Love

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Nominees: Michael Emerson for Lost, Neil Patrick harris for How I Met Your Mother, William Hurt for Damages, John Lithgow for Dexter, Jeremy Piven for Entourage
My pick: John Lithgow for Dexter
Winner: John Lithgow for Dexter

So, there you have it, kids. I'm not usually very good at picking winners, and I haven't seen all the shows or films nominated so I guess I can't make accurate predictions, but it's still fun anyway!

I wanna know, what are your Golden Globes predictions?

PS: Olivia Wilde (Violet Reem Acra ruffled gown, Jimmy Choo heels, Van Cleef & Arpels jewelry) was my pick for best-dressed last year, so I'm excited to see what she'll wear down the red carpet this year!

Xoxo,
Tiera

2010 Goals and Game Plans

2010-01-13T11:30:00.001-10:00

Hey dolls!

So here we are, right at the beginning of the new year, when everyone's asking themselves "How will 2010 be better than 2009?". I wouldn't say that my 2009 was a disaster, but it wasn't my best year either. I made some new year resolutions last year, but I can't stay I stuck to them (I don't even remember them!), so I'm considering this question very carefully this time around.

I've decided that for 2010 I'm gonna come up with goals and game plans, to help me achieve what I want to! Here we go, kids...

1. Amass A Fortune

Ok, not really, but I do wanna save some money and build up that savings account! I am quite the impulsive shopper (oh the joy of two jobs and limited bills!), but I figure, financially, I should be in much better shape by now. I should be ballin', and have the load of money in the bank. I admit I'm fortunate enough to be better off than many, but I really gotta get my spending under control if it's gonna mean something in the long run.

Goal: Save money.

Game Plan: Bring home lunch/dinner to work at least three times a week (I obviously need to splurge on a cute new bento box!), put myself on a weekly spending allowance, send one of my paychecks directly to my savings account.

2. Get Ripped

That was a joke, obviously, but I do need to keep an eye on my health. I often use the typical excuses: I'm too busy, I don't care, I'll start next week... But it's not really working for me!

Goal: Live a healthier lifestyle

Game Plan: Eat breakfast everyday, drink water everyday, eat fruits and veggies everyday, exercise 3-5 times per week, cut down on fast food and soda. Sounds so simple, right?!

3. Get in to Mensa

Just kidding! But I'm a pretty bright gal, and I've got to start putting my brain to better use — Particularly regarding my college education! I graduated high school in 2005, and I feel like I'm one of the few my age who don't have a degree yet. Sometimes I argue that I have a better job than my friends/classmates with degrees (Ha, I have two better jobs than some of them), but I do really need that piece of paper if I'm gonna go any further in life.

Goal: Succeed and progress in school

Game plan: Take at least two classes each semester, attend every class unless absolutely necessary to miss, accept nothing less than As and Bs.

4. Map out Every Detail of my Future

Obviously another joke. But I really feel like I don't have an "end game". I have 15,931,879,632,597 ideas for all kinds of stuff I want to do/try, but I'm not sure where I really see myself 5, 10, 20 years from now.

Goal: Develop a life plan.

Game plan: Actually try all these ideas I have. Research various work opportunities in various fields of interest, and organize all these different projects, and determine what projects have long-term earning potential — And file the rest away as hobbies.

*Note: Look for these projects on TIERAsta this year!

I wanna know, what are you 2010 goals and game plans?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 30-31

2010-01-04T10:06:00.001-10:00

Hey dolls!

Here's the very last installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. It's been fun reliving 2009 through these 31 prompts! As usual, find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

Happy new year!!

December 30: Ad. What advertisement made you think this year?

I thought this hand-puppet ad for the Not For Sale Campaign was brilliant. And I'm not sure if I was ignorant or naive (probably both), but I was completely startled by the numbers. 27 million people live in forced slavery. Let's help these people!

December 31: Resolution. You wish you'd stuck with. (You know, there's always next year...)

Every year I seem to make a resolution to be healthier and more fit — you know, eat healthier, exercise more — and, of course, I didn't follow through. Ugh. But I'll be adding it to my list of 2010 resolutions, and hopefully sticking it out (but, we'll see!).

I wanna know, what was your favorite ad

and unfulfilled resolution of the year?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 29

2009-12-29T21:33:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls!

Here's the next installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 28: Laugh. What was your biggest belly laugh of the year?

In November of last year, my grandfather (maternal) passed away. This year, for the one year anniversary of his passing, we had a big family barbecue at my mom's house.

Fresh poke, meat on the grill, my mom's potato salad, custard pie (my papa's favorite)... Heineken flowing... Kids all over...

Then we got to talking, reminiscing, and sharing our favorite memories (the ones from my mom's childhood are THE best!!). This eventually led to watching "the video", a home video that chronicles our family's Christmas day a couple of years ago.

The highlights: Karaoke where everyone's singing their buns off (espeically my papa, though he could hardly read, and he was a little difficult to understand by then), my ex is being an idiot, and my little brother has a mullet (and a few missing front teeth!). Hilarious!!

We all love him, and miss him, and know that he would have wanted us to laugh.

I wanna know, what was your biggest laugh of the year?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 28

2009-12-28T23:20:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls!

Here's the next installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 28: Stationary. When you touch the paper, your heart melts. The ink flows from the pen. What was your stationery find of the year?

I remember the days when I actually used to write letters (ages ago!). My grandma in Kona and I would send letters back and forth, and I even kept in touch with a few friends from other islands that way. Fast-forward to 2009, where everything is instant and digital (even my grandma's on Gmail now!).

But I do keep some stationary on hand (usually note cards), just in case. Nothing too special, though. I occasionally pick up a few things from Papyrus, or the inner Japanese FOB in me comes out and I head to Sanrio. I've also been able to find some cute stuff at Price Busters and on Etsy (totally recommended)!

I wanna know, what's your stationary find of the year?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 21-27

2009-12-23T13:37:00.001-10:00

Hey dolls!

Perhaps trying to blog during the craziest month of the year wasn't the best idea, I barely have time to keep up! (That's not true. Scratch "perhaps" and "barely" cause, honey, I just don't gots the time!!). Anyhow, I've got a full plate for most of the rest of the week, so while I've got a few minutes, I figured I'd tackle this week's installments of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 21: Project. What did you start this year that you're proud of?

I'd have to say that I'm pretty proud of this little blog! It's in it's infancy, obviously, but I've gone through many different blogs, and many different versions of what I wanted it to be. I finally decided that my main goal is to have a place where I can share freely — and developing TIERAsta and keeping it personal is just the way to create that environment.

December 22: Startup. What's a business you found this year that you love? Who thought it up? What makes it special?

**I don't think I have one. Not that I can think of at the moment, anyway. What's yours?

December 23: Web tool. It came into your work flow this year and now you couldn't live without it. It has simplified or improved your online experience.

I know it's not necessarily a "work" tool, but Pandora is amazing! I feel like I create at least one new station every week! It gives me a break from the same music I listen to on iTunes, and has introduced me to some stuff I've grown to love... Imogen Heap, and the Wicked soundtrack!!

December 24: Learning experience. What was a lesson you learned this year that changed you?

There are many examples I could share from this year that have all taught me the same lesson: Be yourself. It kind of seems like a lesson I should've had down by puberty, but it's really hitting me harder this year than ever before.

I'm in a place in my life where I'm trying to sort out what it is I want, what it is I believe in, and what direction I want to head in my life — Which sounds normal, but not when you're always the one who's supposed to have it all figured out. I've gone through a million "phases" and have learned three things. 1, It's okay to not have it all figured out. 2, It's okay to create and follow my own path. 3, It's okay to be myself, whoever that may be, at any given moment.

December 25: Gift. What's a gift you gave yourself this year that has kept on giving?

This year I had a great planner from Quo Vadis. It was a little pricier than the Walmart ones I usually get (though not by much), and it revolutionized how I organized my life!

I've already got a new one for 2010, but this time I got one from Art Box. It has both monthly and weekly pages, and it much cuter than Quo Vadis. It'll take a little more thought on my part to keep it as organized, but the cuteness factor is way up there!

December 26: Insight or aha! moment. What was your epiphany of the year?

See Dec. 24. Not one specific moment, but definitely epiphanies!

December 27: Social web moment. Did you meet someone you used to only know from her blog? Did you discover Twitter?

I started a Twitter last year when I was in my first phase of trying to start a blog. But the blog didn't last, and neither did the Twitter account. But I'm back (follow me @tierasta!), and I'm starting to figure out how to actually build relationships via Twitter, which is proving to be very helpful, and a lot of fun!

I wanna know, what was your favorite project, startup, web tool, learning

experience, gift, insight/aha! moment, and social web moment of the year?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 14-20

2009-12-20T00:06:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls!

It's been such a crazy week! Between both jobs, Bible studies, Christmas lunches/dinners, house cleaning, family time, and trying to get some sleep, I've had zero time to sit down at the computer and blog my heart out! So here they are, this week's installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 14: Rush. When did you get your best rush of the year?

I'd have to say my best rush of the year came at the Moku O Keawe Festival. My hula sisters and I were faced with quite a few obstacles (new dancers, last-minute schedule and flight changes, long days and nights, extra responsibilities, and, personally, not being able to attend practices and rehearsals due to my work schedule). But being on that stage with those girls, being able to share what we've worked so hard for, was so exciting (and such a relief!).

December 15: Best packaging. Did your headphones come in a sweet case? See a bottle of tea in another country that stood off the shelves?

I can't really think of anything that I purchased that came in amazing packaging, but I was turned on to a packaging blog this year that I love! Check out The Dieline!

December 16: Tea of the year. I can taste my favorite tea right now. What's yours?

I'm not much of a tea afficionado, regular ol' Lipton does it for me! Oh, but I do really love the raspberry flavor!

December 17: Word or phrase. A word that encapsulates your year. "2000 was _____."

Amazeballs! I picked it up from Ty, who picked it up from Perezi, and haven't stopped saying it since! Faboosh is another great one!

December 18: Shop. Online or offline, where did you spend most of your mad money this year?

Same as just about every year, most of my scrill went to the lovelies at MAC!

December 19: Car ride. What did you see? How did it smell? Did you eat anything as you drove there? Who were you with?

Going back to the Moku O Keawe Festival trip, my favorite car ride was from the Kona International Airport to Waikoloa. Since I have family on the Big Island and spent a good chunk of my childhood there, I got to play Kona tour guide! The best part was definitely all the coral-lava rock art on the side of the highway!

December 20: New person. She came into your life and turned it upside down. He went out of his way to provide incredible customer service. Who is your unsung hero of 2009?

Hands down, the person who has changed my life this year was my godson, Tyxae. He's such a fricken cutie! In his short six months, he's I've learned a lot about myself, patience and gratitude, and gotten a lot closer with his mama, my cousin, Tiari. I love that little boy, and our family!

I wanna know, what was the best packaging, tea, word/phrase,

shop, car ride, and new person of the year?

Xoxo,

Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 12 and 13

2009-12-11T22:43:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls!

I'm taking the weekend off, so here's the next two installments of the Best of 2009 Challenge. It's a quickie! Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 12: New food. You're now in love with Lebanese food and you didn't even know what it was in January of this year.

I'm a new fan of Greek food! I'd never really tried it before, but I don't know why!! Anyhow, the Baba Ganoush from The Fat Greek in Kaimuki is amazing!

On a side note, I also tried Oyster Shooters... They're not so great. They're kind of disgusting, actually :(

December 13: What's the best change you made to the place you live?

The best change I've made to my room is cleaning out my closet! I've been hanging on to a lot of things for, well, I don't really know why! Old clothes, craft supplies, bags, hats, jewelry, shoes, games, bath/body and beauty supplies, hula costumes, and other random things I've picked up through traveling, performing, and just living life!

I'd put together a few garbage bags worth of stuff to donate to a holiday event my hula sisters and I throw for the neighborhood kids, but we're not having the event this year (unfortunate insurance restrictions), so I'll probably just drop them off at Goodwill this weekend.

I wanna know: What's your new favorite food?
And what's the best change you've made at home?

Have a great weekend!

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 11

2009-12-11T11:02:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls!

Here's the next installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 11: The best place. A coffee shop? A pub? A retreat center? A cubicle? A nook?

I can only judge the best place of the year by thinking about where I've spent most of my time. That would be my office (yes, I'm a workaholic), my house (pretty much just sleeping, and lots of TV watching), my car (between work, school, and the rest of life, I feel like I kind of live in there sometimes), and Shack Waikiki.

Alyssa, (Weird stranger in the background), Blayton, Shy, and Matt

My friends and I have seriously partied a lot there this year, and we've been through out share of shenanigans! We've gotten drunk, danced with strangers, made new friends, celebrated birthdays, laughed at the most retarded outfits, got flashed, and made mistakes (okay, maybe that last one was just me!).

I'm sure we'll be spending some time there over the holiday break, taking lots of pictures and making new memories.

I wanna know, what was your favorite place this year?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Day 10

2009-12-10T21:34:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls!

Here's the next installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 10: Album of the year. What's rocking your world?

Anyone who knows me know that music moves my soul, so narrowing it down to one album of the year is pretty much a "Sophie's Choice" kind of situation. So I've decided to do a little top 10 of music that I've had in heavy rotation for the last year.

1. I've been playing the shit out of those Glee kids. I'm unhealthily obsessed with everything about the show, from the music to the writing, acting, story lines, and Puck (hotness!). I couldn't wait for Volumes 1 and 2 to come out, so I downloaded every song from iTunes one by one!

2. I'm a country girl at heart, so Carrie Underwood's new album Play On has been going strong on my iPhone. Thanks to Tyler, I'm officially obsessed with "What Can I Say".

3. So has Fearless (Platinum Editon) by Taylor Swift. I love this girl! "Come in With the Rain" is seriously amazing!

4. I'm also obsessed with Wicked, and the soundtrack by the original broadway cast. I've been thinking about getting the 5th anniversary edition, too! "Defying Gravity" — I mean, come on — who doesn't love this freaking song!

5. Among my obsessions (there must be some sort of obsessive personality disorder that I've yet to be diagnosed with) is Twilight, and I've been listening to the The Twilight Saga: New Moon soundtrack since it's release a few months ago. It's a little trippier than the Twilight soundtrack, not as catchy, but fits the story so well.

6. I hesitated to spend $17 on Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3, but glad I went for it. I've been blasting it ever since. I'm not a huge Alicia Keys fan, but I love "Empire State of Mind".

7. One of my new crushes is country crooner Jake Owen, and his new(ish) album Easy Does It is amazing. His voice, hair, perfect smile, dark eyes, five o'clock shadow... It's all sexy, and it all works. "Don't Think I Can't Love You" is seriously such an amazingly sexy song.

8. Gloriana! I'm so in love with them! "Lead Me On" from their self-titled debut album is definitely in my top 10 songs of the year.

9. Na Palapalai always does it for me. I've been waiting for Nanea for a while, and am absolutely in love with it.

10. And how could I forget my girl Keri Hilson?! In A Perfect World... is one of this year's favorites for sure! "Turning Me On" was my club jam forever! "Knock You Down" was a close second, but I can't stand Ne-Yo :(

I wanna know, what was your favorite album of the year?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 9

2009-12-09T14:50:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls!

Here's the next installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 9: Challenge. Something that really made you grow this year. That made you go to your edge and then some. What made it the best challenge of the year for you?

Halau Pomaika`ikalani at the Moku O Keawe Festival

November 2009, Waikoloa

Over the last year, I've taken on a lot of responsibility — in all aspects of my life, really — but especially regarding hula.

Beyond learning new dances for performances and competitions with my hula sisters, I've assisted in:

Planning events
Preparing performance/competition documents
Researching songs and their respective costumes/flowers/etc.
Reaching out for new competition and performance opportunities
Trying to start a website for us
Teaching a makeup workshop
Learning a couple of solo numbers
And helping to teach a few new keiki and a couple of other songs

And, during the school year, even attending regular practices is difficult since I'm almost always working on high school sports.

Trying to make the time to keep up with all of this — and with my two jobs, school, and various freelance gigs (and trying to sleep, do laundry, and have some sort of social life mmkayy!) — has been taxing.

Sometimes I just wanna back out of it all (hello, our website hasn't even been updated since, I don't know, August?!), but when I look back at all we've been able to accomplish, I feel proud to have been a part of helping make it all happen!

I've also learned some valuable cultural lessons (as well as lessons in time management and communication!!).

I wanna know, what was your challenge of the year?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 8

2009-12-08T19:41:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls,

Here's the next installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 8: Moment of peace. An hour or a day or a week of solitude. What was the quality of your breath? The state of your mind? How did you get there?

Image by Rambis

I didn't take a lot of time to relax this year (or in a couple of years, ugh), but I find incredible peace at the beach.

I always have a book with me, and keep a beach towel in the car just in case, and find myself getting a lot of reading done at Ala Moana/Magic Island (I'm obviously a townie). PS: Apparently Mayor Mufi Hannemann is trying to change the name of Magic Island to President Barack Obama Beach Park. Say whaaat?

Sometimes I hit the water, which is peace on a completely different level, but mostly I don't have the time, and I guess I'm okay with that. I usually have to squeeze it in before work or between jobs, but those little moments of peace really add up!

I wanna know, how did you find peace this year?

Xoxo,

Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 7

2009-12-07T13:05:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls,

Here's the next installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 7: Blog of the year. That gem of a blog you can't believe you didn't know about until this year.

I've heard of Gala Darling before this year — even peeked in on her blog, iCiNG, occasionally — but really started reading this year. And I don't know how I lived without it! She's just so freakin' amazing!

Gala's blog is a funky mix of fashion, style, advice, inspiration, and hits all the right notes with injections of her fun-loving, world-traveling personality. Most importantly, she's taught me the importance of following your heart and being yourself (sappy, I know!).

I also love her because I wish I had the balls for bright fuchsia hair.

I wanna know... What blog moved you this year?

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 6

2009-12-06T03:27:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls,

Here's the next installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 6: Was there a conference or workshop you attended that was especially beneficial? Where was it? What did you learn?

In October, I took part in a two-part hula workshop (well, three, if you count Whitne's baby shower luncheon in between!).

The first was a lei-making workshop with florist Tevi, who taught us about different types of flowers and foliage, and how to incorporate them in to two traditional types of Hawaiian lei. I was running late, and dead tired, but I made it through (somehow) and was actually proud of the wili lei I made (not the pili lei, though, mine was fugly). I'm so freakin' glad we have people to do this for us for various performances and competitions because I would die if I had to do this on the regular.

Part two was taught by yours truly, and I helped everyone get beautiful! I went over everything from basic skincare to basic color theory and makeup application. It was rewarding not only to see the dancers learn, but to be able to share something I enjoy and am passionate about! You know how I loves me some makeup!

I did a demonstration on a regular guinea pig of mine, my cousin Tiari (who's always more than willing!), and dropped in on the dancers as they tried to create a stage look for themselves. It was a little more difficult than I anticipated, we made a complete mess, and I lost a few products along the way, but I would definitely call it a success!

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 5

2009-12-06T03:07:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls,

Here's the next installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 5: Did you have a night out with friends or a loved one that rocked your world? Who was there? What was the highlight of the night?

I did a little more partying this year than I did last year, but one night definitely sticks out, the last Saturday night of the summer! Dana, Tyler, Christie, Sean, Jenny, Lia and I started out at Tropic's, made a pit-stop to check on Lia at V Lounge, and ended at Bar 7's gay night! We drank a lot, danced a lot, and spent the better part of 6 hours cracking up laughing. We ran into a million people we knew, started a million more inside jokes, and added "faboosh" to our vocabulary.

I think Tyler said it best: "Best last summer outing; best summer outing period".

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 4

2009-12-06T02:43:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls,

Here's the next installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 4: What book - fiction or non - touched you? Where were you when you read it? Have you bought and given away multiple copies?

I remember being in high school, and hearing my Independent Living teacher (blanking on her name) talk about a great Christian book she was reading. Fast forward to a few months ago, and I read an old classmate's Facebook post that she was starting that same book. Cut to me in Barnes and Noble, counting backward from Dec. 31, 2009, to find when I need to start this book to finish it on the last day of the year.

The point is, on Nov. 22, my cousin Tiari and I started reading Rick Warren's bestseller, "The Purpose Driven Life". It's a 40-day guide to finding and fulfilling God's purpose for your life.

I'm endlessly fascinated with religion, and have gone through many phases during what I consider a lifelong spiritual crisis. I've been known to confuse my interest in religion with actual faith, and constantly question what it is I really believe. This book is proving to be a useful tool in helping me figure it all out. Spiritually, I'm hoping to realize some answers and have a fresh start for 2010. I'm still reading, today's day 15, so I can't draw any conclusions just yet — but I'll let you know.

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 3

2009-12-06T02:32:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls,

Here's the next installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 3: What's an article that you read that blew you away? That you shared with all your friends. That you Delicious'd and referenced throughout the year.

To be honest, I couldn't really think of any life-changing articles I read this year. I do work at a newspaper, and between that and my Google reader, I do read a ton.

Anywhooo...

In her Best of 2009 Challenge, little miss Liz shared her fave, How to Create Your Personal Manifesto by Gwen Bell. As someone who is always in search of ways to improve/organize my life and future, the article spoke to me. I've got a lot on my plate for the next week or so, but I will working on my personal manifesto soon, and reading Liz's take on the topic as well.

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Dec. 2

2009-12-06T02:05:00.000-10:00

Hey dolls,

Here's the next installment of the Best of 2009 Challenge. Find out more about the challenge and join in here, and find all my posts in the series there.

December 2: Share the best restaurant experience you had this year. Who was there? What made it amazing? What taste stands out in your mind?

A couple of months ago, me and my BFF went out to dinner for the first time in a long time. We hit up Shokudo (I'd never been before) and it was amazing! The food was delish... Sushi, garlic shrimp, and seared ahi! And toast for dessert! (Sorry for the low-quality mobile photo).

Good food, good girl talk, all followed up at home watching the first season of Entourage on DVD. Could it get better?

Well, Shokudo could stop charging for Sprite refills, but whatevs...

Xoxo,
Tiera

Best of 2009 Blog Challenge - Introduction and Dec. 1

2009-12-06T01:39:00.001-10:00

Hey dolls,

I was making my rounds through the blogs I read regularly (I'll get a blogroll up soon so I can share the wealth!), when I saw that fellow cupcake-lover, Liz Franco, was participating in The Best of 2009 Blog Challenge, set up by multi-talented, world-traveling, social media guru and blogger Gwen Bell (whose blog I've since begun reading!)... And I instantly wanted in!

I think it'll be a great way to reflect on the year that was 2009 and get this blogging thing going. I know it's already Dec. 5 — well, actually, it's almost 1 a.m., so it's actually Dec. 6 — so I've got a bit of catching up to do.

I'm sticking with this for the length of the challenge (the entire month of December), so stay tuned...

December 1: What was your best trip in 2009?

Hmmm, let me think... There was only one, so I have to say it was my Big Island trip last month. It started off with a few days dancing hula at Waikoloa, and spent the next week with my family in Kona.

Some of the highlights:

Dancing in the Moku o Keawe Festival
Seeing Tiare, even if it was for just a quick chat
Suprising Uncle Mike for his birthday
Meeting our new friend the crossing guard
Seeing all the Japanese hula dancers squeal at Uncle Mike: "Santa-san!"
All the "retard retreat" inside jokes
Being stacked with hula leftovers at the airport
Trying gumbo (I discovered I'm not a fan of okra)
Running into Annie, Uncle Roland, Aunty Tammi, and Eric at Costco, of course
Hitting Sam's Hideaway for the first time since I turned 21 last year
Going book shopping with my grandma (such a tradish)
Wendy's chicken sandwiches on the beach at Old A's (also standard tradition)
Meeting the new regulars at Sam's
Seeing "A Christmas Carol"
Realizing Kully's so tall!
Lunching at Bongo Ben's, dinnering at Sushi Shiono
Singing karaoke with Annie, Aunty Kim, and Papa Sam!
Watching South Park with my cousin Kully
Visiting Aunty Kimmy's zoo (back yard) and feeding the cats, mice, and rabbits
Packing a box filled with my dad's high school pottery
And most importantly: Sleeping in late, reading books on the new porch, watching my papa gush over his iPhone, eating frozen grapes, and watching lots of TV.

Successful vacation for sure, and the first real one in a long time! But the proof is in the photos (which were stolen from my hula sisters' Facebook's, because during the trip I still had my broke-ass vibrating camera — last Sony ever!):

Xoxo,

Tiera

Yes, Blogging

2009-12-06T00:41:00.000-10:00

Hi dolls! (Yes, I've picked this up from countless hours watching those crazy Kardashians!)

All signs point to me being a blogging. I am fairly tech-savvy, love trying/doing/seeing new things, am obsessed with about a million things, spend a considerable amount of time online/on the computer, can string words together with a decent amount of competence (though I like to think it's more in the "above-average" range), and generally have a lot to say.

A few months ago, I started out on Tumblr, but that wasn't really working out for me. There's a lot of re-posting going on over there, which pretty much cancels out three of the (my) intended purposes for blogging: discovering new/interesting/wierd/etc. things, being creative, and sharing/writing.

Maybe one day, this whole blogging thing can parlay into or support some sort of writing-based or creative career (I heard that's working out for lots of kids). But in the mean time, I'll stick to my day jobs in event/wedding planning and sports/newspaper, and attempt to get a degree of some sort in the near-ish future... Pursue random side interests... And run my mouth on this blog. And Twitter (I'm one of those private gals, but if you request a follow I usually comply).

Xoxo,
Tiera

PS: I've kind of known for a while I wanted to start blogging, but I originally was going to wait until January. You know, have that whole round-number-new-year-perfect-start thing goind on. But I stumbled across a really cute end of the year blogging project I wanted to try, so here we go...