It's BBQ Season!

     Living in the LBC, there's no escaping the celebration that comes around on April 20th of each year. Because this is such a public blog, I'm gonna keep it PG and let your street smarts do the guessing. But anyways, I decided to organize a little springtime BBQ to celebrate this year!
     I somehow got everything to work perfectly. No trouble, no drama, no cops, no hungry tummies. Everyone brought food to share and everyone got along. It was a hot, 90-degree Long Beach day, and we set up camp at this cute little park next to the beach. The only thing that wasn't cute about it were the bum fights going on around us, but that's just to be expected. Some cracked out lady kept screaming that people were "scaring her bird," which turned out to be a crow sitting in a nearby tree. I didn't even dare to look at "her" bird. Then another one started screaming from the opposite direction about some thug wearing a du-rag who stole her lighter. Interesting day.
     We ate lots of yummy food, climbed down the steep cliffs to the ocean, found an ice cream truck, took lots of pictures, and just overall had a lovely day. Mission successful!

Moses and I! (And some inappropriate hot dog action that you should definitely ignore!)

Carne Asadaaaaa! Oh, and the other stuff.

Carrie and I being pin-up girls. We tried.

Sooo0oo0ooo thankful that everyone brought food! 

This would have been perfect if it wasn't blurry. Booooo!

Kickin' it on the beach in Loooong Beach.

The view from the top & the view from the bottom.

If you look extra closely, you can see an ant-sized little Carrie making her way down the mountain. Which was, mind you, WAY bigger than it looks here.

Just me, casually being a free-spirited hipster on the sand.

The camera accidentally turned on and took a picture.

I'm not a model.

 These girls are crazy as hell in their own ways, but I loooove them all.

My Week in Instagramz

This week was spontaneous.

Coffee shops, awesome spots, Venice beach.

     I've been everywhere & back this past week, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm lucky enough have amazing friends who are down for anything, anytime. Yesterday we were sittin' on a park bench doing nothing when someone blurted out "Who wants to go to Venice Beach?" Needless to say, everyone stood up within 10 seconds and scattered into the parking lot, hopping into cars & slamming doors. Simple as that. We also discovered an awesome coffee shop a few days ago called Viento y Agua. It's day-of-the-dead style with vibrant colors everywhere. That handsome skeleton man up there added a nice touch as well. It's also right around the corner! Well... It might be a bit towards the wrong side of the tracks, but to be honest that's usually my favorite place to be. I'd rather live in a spot where there's always something going on & someone to talk to, as opposed to my quiet neighborhood full of old people and closet tweakers. Anyways, here's the rest of my week in photos!

This week, I started working out again! Jogging clothes to prove it.

This week, I hungout with Shannon the Cannon.

This week, I opened a bathroom door and found this.

Stay classy, Venice Beach.

This week, I got my toesies done!

 This week, a puppy came up to Eldo. Made our day.

This week, I got stuck in the rain at school.

And then I got rescued.

This week, I spend lots of quality time with my cigarette sista.

This week, I had a lovely little Easter.

This week, I drank loooots of yummy homemade coffee.

LIKE ALWAYS.

Now you see it, now you don't.

And here's this amazing photo for the 2nd time because I love it that much.

Forgive & Forget: Part II

     Life works in wonderful ways sometimes. Just as I thought everything was falling apart and my life was speeding straight for a red light, things ended up coming together in a beautiful way. I "kissed and made up" with not one, but TWO girls who I never thought I'd be friends with again. Let's just say there were some pretty bad vibes going on there for awhile. It's crazy how you can harbor so much anger and dislike for a person for such a long time... And then everything disappears after five minutes of talking face-to-face. The entire problem is solved. Done. Squashed. All it takes is the courage to confront them about it. Somebody's gotta do it, and I'm happy to say that person was finally me!

I've got a feeling that it's gonna be smooth sailing from here on out.

My Peeps!

     When I first became a single lady not too long ago, I was under the impression that I'd be all by mself. One of those chicks that sits on the couch with a carton of Ben & Jerry's and a box of tissues. I thought I would be stuck without anyone to talk to or hangout with. I thought I'd become a loner. I thought that after spending every single day with the same person for two years straight, I'd end up with nobody because I'd mistakenly made him my everybody. You see, as the years went by I gradually separated myself from all my friends and family. Slowly but surely, they disappeared one by one. They didn't matter anymore. All that mattered was "the love of my life." HAH! Before could even realize it, the only people I talked to were HIM and HIS friends. And when HE left the picture? HIS friends were the ones who ended up sticking by my side in the end. I thought I'd be alone? Boy, was I wrong! I haven't spent a single day home alone, a single night with nobody to talk to, or a single weekend without anything to do. I've had friends this whole time, and they were right under my nose.

     I doubt any of these people will actually end up reading this, but I'm in a cheesy mood and just wanted to show 'em some appreciation. The past few months have been hard, and I met you all for a reason. Even if you aren't in any of these pictures, you should know who you are. Thanks for listening to me complain, putting up with my bullshit, and most of all, thanks for being so badass!

In 2011, I...

Even though I've had more than my share of bombshells dropped on me throughout 2011, this year definitely still had a shiny silver lining. A bright one! To celebrate the new year & gain closure on the last, I've gathered a little collection of photos taken throughout the past 12 months. Granted, the most important moments in my life usually don't happen in front of a camera (or are too juicy to post on my public blog!) but here are a few memories I did get to capture.
     In 2011, I...

Got all dressed up on prom night & did everything except go to prom.

Held $1,000 in my hands, bitchez.

Wore red lipstick and a flower, just because.

Put together some badass artwork. Wish I made more!

Discovered the value of recycling cans & bottles.

Was a bridesmaid in my aunt's lovely wedding.

Had some lazy days. Had some bad days. Had some days where all I did was the above.

Marked my territory.

Graduated from high school!

Spent the day with two sweet homeless people downtown.

Hungout with many, many friends.

Visited some old ones.

Discovered some new ones.

Shot an airsoft gun for the first time. Might not have been a real one, but boy did feel like a badass!

Took a road trip to Arizona where I had the best & worst time of my life.

Got my heart broken.

Walked barefoot in the rain.

Spent countless days relaxing in the park.

Had some crazy nights.

Went to the OC Fair & befriended all the animals.

Ate yummy food and drank lots of coffee.

Realized how much better I get along with boys.

Took those cheesy Asian photobooth pictures.

Got my first FiloFax as a graduation present.

Wore flowy dresses in the Summer.

Rang in 2012 with some awesome people.

Enjoyed living this lovely life in the LBC!

Can't wait to see what's in store for the new year.