hope your weekend is wonderful + links.

it's a particularly exciting friday, no? 

it's the last day of the month and march brings new beginnings. well, i think it's kinda exciting. {hehe}

what do you have planned for the weekend?

yangkyu and i are going to the national geographic museum. i'm looking forward to checking it out, especially the women of vision exhibit. we may also catch the flying monster 3d movie {do i hear any oohs and ahs?}. oh! i'm also trimming my bangs. i've been in need of one pretty bad. thank goodness. no more bangs poking my eyes once the weekend is here.

hope you have a wonderful weekend. here are some links to get it all started: 

 // listen: frozen's "let it go" sung in 41 different languages. 

 // watch kristen bell's sloth meltdown. it's hilarious. 

  // one thing you must do in each state & the district of columbia. 

 // what happens when you put pit bulls in a photo booth. 

 // see every best actress gown from 1929 in one awesome infographic.

 // 14 time traveling celebrities. so neat!

 // a mexican modern state of mind. 

 // i think i will always love this city. 

 // the perfect ride to take in everything that is spring. 

 // this is your life. manifesto.

keeping up with resolutions: february reading.

wow. it's already the last day of the month. 

talk about time flying. weren't we just seeing hearts and red and pink all over?

anywho, when i started the whole reading thing for the new year, i didn't really set a goal on how many books to read. i just wanted the love of reading back. well, february was a good month. i went through three really amazing books, and i'm definitely feelin' the love.

dog years by mark doty was just so raw and brought out so many different emotions that it was a little hard to wrap my head around in the beginning. but, his writing sure is beautiful and it carried me to the end of the book where i found myself crying.

i immediately needed a little pick me up and nora ephron's i feel bad about my neck and other thoughts on being a woman did just that. i loved reading this book. it's an easy and fun read. the way she wrote about life made me laugh and cry throughout. i think i would frame this book if i could. or wear it on my forehead even. starting from the first chapter, she made me get terrified for my neck by the age of 43 and made me want to give the tightest hug to my best friend by the end of the book.

finally, waiting by ha jin was beautiful. i love reading books by asian american authors, especially stories that weave together themes like history, family, food and love. this book takes place within several decades and it's always interesting to see the way characters develop in that big of a time span.

what were some of your favorite february reads? 

 // january reading list: gone girl by gillian flynn ; is everyone hanging out without me (and other concerns) by mindy kaling.  

life lately, according to my iphone.

some instagrammed, some not. 

hey guys. piri's famous! well kinda...

see this picture? 

it was featured on "a place to love dogs" instagram account this morning. then, piri made it on to this online article as the lead in picture & also as part of the dc snow day photo slideshow (#16 if y'all want to see and gush with me). 

so we think he's kinda famous. just a little bit. yeah?

from where i stand {in fair weather chicago} by natalia.

natalia who blogs over at dreamer in the city sends us this "from where i stand" post.

say hello and stay awhile to enjoy her lovely photographs, diys and stories from the beautiful city of chicago!

// shoes: georgette booty via little black bag // 

from where i stand,
in front of my apartment in chicago, il.

today was the first day in what feels like ages that the weather was nice enough for me to wear a pair of shoes other than my knee high boots. it was a good day. 

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thanks, natalia!

*** see other from where i stand posts

*** click here to see how you can submit a photo as well! 

this series is inspired by the instagram hashtag #fromwhereistand 

from where i stand {traveling to places of fantasy} by akshara.

here's another wonderful "from where i stand" post by akshara who blogs at like krishna!

she shares the good things in life, thoughts, inspiration and stories with a bit of whimsy mixed in. hop on over and say a whimsical hello.

// shoes: mossimo boots from target // 

from where i stand

at my local barne's and noble, geneva commons drive.

salt caked boots

in the middle of books galore

traveling to places of fantasy and oh, so much more! 

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thanks, akshara!

*** see other from where i stand posts

*** click here to see how you can submit a photo as well! 

this series is inspired by the instagram hashtag #fromwhereistand 

a girl and her dog: angie + kramer.

remember this post from a while back?

well, it basically helped shape "a girl and her dog", a new blog series i'm super excited to kick off today. each month, i'm inviting someone i met through instagram, and her beloved dog, to share a story about their friendship. they may be humorous, touching and moving, but most of all, i hope it shows just how strong a bond can be between woman and dog. 

i'm so happy to have angie and kramer to kick things off. angie is one of the first people i met on instagram. i loved seeing all her incredible vintage collections and home re-modeling adventures, but one day she met a dog.

here is angie and kramer's story. 

the girl: angie wallace 

the dog: kramer {possibly a lab/boxer mix or some type of pit bull mix}
favorite treats: peanut m&m's for angie & milk bones for kramer  

from: illinois 

find them on instagram @awallfisch

my name is angie, and i am from illinois. who is that handsome dog you ask? well, that's kramer. in my opinion, the best dog in the world. he had been abandoned by his previous owners and was left on the street. luckily, he found my husband and i; he found his true home. 

full of love and excitement, he brings pure joy to my life everyday. always ready for an adventure, he is also a professional cuddle buddy. kramer is the brother to 4 cats, who he lets run the show! he loves instrumental music. we have so many videos of him singing. if i'm ever having a downer day, i watch a video of kramer getting his groove on and perk right back up!

he reminds me that unconditional love is a privilege to experience, and i couldn't be more grateful. i can only hope that others are fortunate enough to have such a loyal best friend.

thanks so much angie and kramer!

you can see more of their adventure together here (@awallfisch).

photos via angie wallace. 

create your own instagram phone case with stickygram. {and they're 25% off until feb.28}

hello! hope you all had a good weekend! it was so gorgeous out that i can't believe we're expecting snow again this week..! 

today i'm pretty stoked to review an instagram phone case you can create with stickygram. i've been a huge huge fan of theirs since 2011, when i ordered my first batch of magnets {i remember i had to wait for an invite code back then!}. i also wrote about them here and here and here. so when they contacted me to try out their phone case i was all ears. 

the whole process in creating your case is actually very simple and it's available for the following devices -- ipad mini, ipad 2/3/4, iphone 5/5s, iphone 4/4s, galaxy s3, galaxy s4. you have a selection of white or black cover and 6 collage styles to choose from. i chose the one above featuring 7 instagram photos, which i got to select. it was easy to scroll through my instagram photos, select them, swap them out,  drag them to different squares and see how my final case will look like. you can give it a try here.  

i love capturing images through instagram and sharing with people as well, and not necessarily just on instagram. you have no idea how many people have already glanced at my phone case and thought how neat it was to have it customized with instagram photos. 

you know, it's the end of the month and spring is around the corner, so isn't it a good time to give yourself {or a friend or family member} a treat? you can order your own instagram phone today. and it's perfect timing because stickygram is having a 25% sale off all phone cases until february 28.

i remember last year when they sent emails to their base asking for feedback on what new products stickygram should launch, and when it was announced that they would be adding customized phone cases, it was all pretty exciting. i'm glad that i'm getting a chance to share with everyone today.  

thanks, stickygram! 

** i was given the instagram phone case for the iphone 5 and a sheet of instagram magnets from stickygram for this review, but the ideas and opinions expressed here are my own. 

today.

today we took care of our tax returns in a jiffy. 
spent the afternoon walking around dc. 
with no jackets. 
because it was in the sixties.
everyone stopped to smile and comment on piri's blue shoes. 
we rolled down the windows in the car and i let my hair fly all over the place. 
we grabbed a strawberry coolatta AND a mocha coolatta. 
because ordering one just wasn't enough. 
we stepped on a lot of goose poop.
they tend to hang around at the washington memorial a lot. 
the vet called and we might be really zeroing in on piri's pain issue. 
that was really great news. 
and the weather is supposed to be even nicer tomorrow. 
if i could do a backflip, i would do one now. 

hope it'll be a fantastic weekend for you + links.

// we had pretty pink tulips at home this week. trader joe's has been having them in the prettiest of colors. i wanted to take a bouquet home in every color. // 

hello friday! 

what a week it has been. so emotional for me with piri being sick. but he's been doing well on his current medications. time will only tell if this is only a temporary fix or a permanent one. thanks for all your well wishes. it really means a lot.

what do you have goin for the weekend?

we're working on our tax returns! yes! i know it's still way early, but yangkyu likes to take care of them as soon as we can so we don't have to deal with it when the april deadline approaches. he's so nutty sometimes, but i love him for that. 

hope you enjoy your weekend! but before you go, here are some links! please enjoy! 

// ps: you can't have her back. 

// oh my goodness. this paris postman bag. {i'm a crazy bag lady}

// journaling anyone?

// lovely gift ideas from indie makers. 

// free shipping at society6 until february 23. so maybe a print from here? 

// asian kids swap outfits with their grandparents. so awesome.

// 30 most important digital cameras of all time. 

// i had one from niagara falls. 

// love the new products at olive green dog! it screams barks spring! 

// succulents care guide. 

from where i stand {in the middle of a hailstorm} by mei.

this from where i stand post comes from mei again from ice pandora.

she is a woman of many skills - from crafts, diys, cooking and baking, photography to even video editing - there is so much awesomeness to take in from her blog. 

// shoes: foam block slippers // 

from where i stand 

in the backyard, taking out the garbage when it suddenly started to hail! a glance to the ground and i thought i was standing on tapioca and sago... 

###

thanks, mei!

*** see other from where i stand posts

*** click here to see how you can submit a photo as well! 

this series is inspired by the instagram hashtag #fromwhereistand 

15 wishes for piri.

in exactly one month, piri turns 15. i can't believe it. 

my childhood cocker spaniel, bobby, only got to live to be 7 years old. so when piri came into our lives, we wished that he would live a long and healthy life. right now he's in so much pain and the medications that he's on has zapped a lot of the playful energy out of him {although he gets up and wags his tail as fast and hard as he can when yangkyu comes home}, but we are hopeful that he'll be back to himself soon. we're rooting for him. and while he's on this road to recovery, we came up with a list of 15 wishes as we countdown to the day when we celebrate his 15th birthday, because there's going to be a wild party over here.

so piri.... get well soon, ok? 

1. to see the beautiful cherry blossoms in dc and take a pretty family photo. you were always fascinated by the pink snow. let's go again this year. with your blue shoes.

2. go and see the ocean one more time. the feeling of sand and smell of the ocean felt so good the last time, right piri? 

3. build a campfire and make smores. but since you can't have chocolate, we'll cook up some chicken instead. oh, that sounds so good doesn't it?  

4. go on a rowboat and take lots of pictures. i know you hate the camera.. but you'll let us take some more pictures of you, right? 

5. run, jump and catch a frisbee just like the german shepherd that comes to play in the grassy area in the back of our apartment.. even if it's only in your dreams. 

6. make more children giggle and smile with your snazzy blue shoes. there are so many more little kids to meet and make happy. 

7. one day, welcome together a little one into the family. you said you'd take the baby on adventures with you and russian dog. it sounds like so much fun. can we come along too?

8. figure out how to undo the ziplock bag to sneak in more treats. i know, those wellness duck flavored ones are so good. it just melts in your mouth. 

9. find out who has been the one peeing over your pee every morning at your favorite pole. you claimed it as yours when you first move here. and i swear we're one of the first human/dogs to be out! but there is that one dog who seems to beat us every time. 

10. negotiate with the squirrel in your dream.. because you only want to say hello, right? and not chase him and scare him? one day, piri, the squirrel'll know. 

11. conquer the human bed. 

12. conquer the human pillows. 

13. and the futon. 

14. be able to hear the squeak from your squeaky toy and when we say i love you and good boy. i know this is impossible.. but this is, after all, a wish list right? 

15. always know where to find that warm spot on your bed, on top of the bathroom rug and in our hearts. 

 // linking up with blogpaws wordless wednesday bloghop.

the perfect print for our gallery wall.

isn't this the cutest print?

it's by the awesome and amazing jessica over at creative index who, as many of you probably already know, opened a shop on society 6. have you gone over to see? i love all her prints and have been also eyeing this one and this. and it's so neat how these can come in the form of mugs, stretched canvasses, tote bags and throw pillows. but i must say this print is just the perfect addition for our growing gallery wall. all dog lovers must know how true this print rings. am i right or am i right? 

piri also likes it. he's modeling with it so perfectly. {and the wellness duck treat in my hand may or may not have helped in him staying so still and focused}

thank you jessica for this wonderful print! you are seriously so talented! 

from where i stand {in sunny singapore} by juni.

this "from where i stand" post is from juni who blogs over at hej juni and runs this etsy shop. 

i can't even begin to tell you how talented she is. her creations are handmade with love, patience and a lot of heart. you really need to head on over and see for yourself.

you can also find her on facebook and instagram!

// shoes: blue flats from zara. // 

from where i stand 

outside my parents' home, in sunny singapore. 

if my heart was a house, you'd be home - owl city

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thanks, juni! 

*** see other from where i stand posts

*** click here to see how you can submit a photo as well! 

this series is inspired by the instagram hashtag #fromwhereistand 

when monday doesn't feel like a monday.

because today is presidents day and yangkyu has the day off. yay. 

did you all have a good weekend? oh, mine was just... draining. i cried, cried and cried some more {all while watching tv shows and dramas, one of which was about these two people who had to part with their 7-year old corgi. oh it was just so so sad}. it got to the point where i was even looking for a horribly depressing sad movie so i can cry some more. do you ever get like that? 

my eyes are all puffy but i feel like i just shed a lot of ickiness off. now it feels like spring is coming {friday is supposed to be in the 60s}, we're getting back into our exercise routine and evenings will be getting darker slightly later. 

one exciting thing that happened over the weekend though -- that picture above. it got selected to be part of the curated vsco grid. i thought that was pretty cool. it's found here, or currently on page 5 here. 

hope you have a wonderful week ahead! 

you guys! we're snowed in!

boy that groundhog wasn't kidding when he predicted 6 more weeks of winter, eh? we woke up and realized that we're inside a snow globe! 

we're kind of really over all this white stuff but decided to go play in it for a little while. only.. it's a little too deep for piri and so he looked like this the entire time. 

we quickly went inside {thank goodness he was able to do his business! he usually has a harder time when it snows a lot}, dried off and will likely spend the rest of the day next to the space heater with hot chocolate and some books. yangkyu is working from home today too which we always like! 

if you've been hit by the snow as well, hope you stay warm! 

life lately, according to my iphone.

some instagrammed, some not.