desert state of mind

I've neglected this place for far too long. To recap since my last post, I've been to two magical places in northern and southern California.

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♡ September 2016 ♡

I met up with a group of lovely girls for a tea party in San Francisco. And then explored Muir Woods with my cousin Kat, fellow flower maiden Julie, and her boyfriend Chris in the early morning. It was truly a dreamy experience walking through Muir Woods. It was a place full of old giant trees, and it was the very place where they filmed the ewoks in Return of the Jedi. The scent of evergreen trees in the air lingers in my memory, I will never forget it even to this day.
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If I could move to another place, it would definitely be Monterey. I had such a wonderful time here. We went to see some sea creatures at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the kelp forest exhibit was so serene and magical. Then we went to visit a cemetery and across from it was the Dennis the Menace park which was connected to a skate park. We took a break from walking around and watched some skaters do tricks. Then we wanted to catch the sunset over the Pacific Ocean so we quickly toured the coast. The beach was unbelievably amazing, rocky shores, beautiful flora, and soft sands. And even cute beach squirrels made an appearance.  Then we saw surfers and bonfires as the sun started setting. It was unlike anything I've ever seen on the east coast. Another thing which  I don't think I'll ever experience seeing again would be the forest fire that happened near San Jose. We saw it in the distance, ambers burning bright, orange flames. When we left the beach I thought it was appropriate to put on "Beach Theme" by Tangerine Dream.  This song pretty much memorialized my experience that night.

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On my last day in California, Kat and I ate brunch which was close by the San Jose Rose Garden. I later found out that it was one of the largest rose gardens in America, which I'm glad I got a chance to see this beautiful place before going back home.

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♡ March 2017 ♡

This time I took a longer journey all around southern California with Matt, Julie, and Chris. Our itinerary included Los Angeles, Lancaster (poppy fields), Death Valley, Joshua Tree, and Anza Borrego. When we were in LA, Julie and I met up with our friend Stephanie at the Tea Rose Garden in Pasadena and then later attempted to go to Descano Gardens. We didn't get to go inside since there was a special event going on and there was a long line, but we took a couple of pictures outside. Then Julie and I saw the premier of the Mark Ryden Whipped Cream ballet in Costa Mesa, and brought back some really cheap but delicious banh mi sandwiches from a vietnamese shop (and it was also a drive-thu--never seen this before!) in Westminster. The ballet was sooo good that I had to go see it again recently when it was in New York this month. Loving the cute fluffy creatures and the surrealness of the whole set!

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The following days we were on the road and stopped by all the wildflower fields we could lay our eyes on. Our first stop was the poppy fields, it was vibrant and beautiful as expected. We also ran into Ashley and her boyfriend, an unexpectedly magical moment as she ascended up a cute poppy hill to greet us. How sweet! Unfortunately my polaroids did not develop that day for whatever reason, bad luck it seems as I started to get sick. The sickness that did not seem to end until towards the end of the trip. A lot of apple cider vinegar was consumed during that entire trip. By the time we arrived at Death Valley, we only explored maybe a tenth of the area. The geologic formations were amazing, if only we had more time to do more sightseeing. It was otherwordly, as if we were on another planet. Since the wildflowers were not at their peak (meaning there was no super bloom in this area), we decided to dedicate our remaining time to go further south towards Anza Borrego as that was where the superbloom was this year.

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The best airbnb we stayed during our entire trip was definitely the one at Joshua Tree. It was absolutely amazing, and the views were incredible from this 60s-70s style ranch house located in the desert. Then we did some off roading to look for the famed Giant Rock which was near the Integatron. We didn't see any UFOs but it was a wonderous sight nonetheless and the experience getting there will never be forgotten. The whole area of Joshua Tree felt mystical, as we stumbled upon Desert Christ Park  on our way to Pioneertown for dinner. Desert Christ Park is a cool place with giant religious sculptures all colored in a stark white color against the desert backdrop. It was hard not to miss it!

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On our last full day, we went to Anza Borrego for the superbloom. We passed by Yucca Valley, with the changing terrains from the desert to the evergreen valleys with wind turbines blowing around, it reminded me of a scene from a Ghibli Miyazaki film. Even just the journey to see these flowers were spectacular. We saw various flora and fauna on our way and it was hard not to stop in order to reach our destination. The landscape itself was mesmerizing as we stopped at Font's Point for a quick break and photo snap. Once we arrived near Borrego Springs, the wildflowers were everywhere! It was a gorgeous sight, fields of painted yellows and some white/pink/purple hues scattered around against the clear, open blue skies.

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If there was one thing I would have liked to have, that would be... TIME. All these places deserve another visit, as we were on a tight schedule we were moving so quickly, that it was hard to absorb all the sightseeing. Some day, I'd like to return again.

the summer's gone and you've lost your way

Last time I saw you
The sun shined
Would you miss me?
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in the beginning of AUGUST, matt and i went to massachusetts for our annual summer rental trip with friends. this year's cabin was on moore's pond, and there was a nice little sandy beach. we saw a lot of different flying creatures during the day and at night time--ducks, geese, hummingbirds, bats, and even an egret perched on a tree. the bird themed cabin was stockpiled with board games and vhs tapes. we ended up watching a 1994 live aid video (the cranberries was the highlight), while eating a jamaican jerk chicken dinner.
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the days were mostly spent swimming and kayaking in the pond
as we spill our thoughts on life.

ACADIA national park celebrated their 100th anniversary this year~ lucky for us we went up to Maine just in time for that special occasion and to visit matt's grandmother in Ellesworth. the park is full of beauty from the grounds and out to sea. we did not see any moose during our stay up there however, we saw plenty of seagulls and raven crows.
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the wildflowers were endless~
and seeing all the bodies of water, from a stream to a lake, everywhere we went,
created such a peaceful, calm, and relaxing atmosphere.
truly, a wonder-land.

a summer's day, that i never wanted to end

april showers bring may flowers

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flowers blooming, birds chirping

all my blues have changed to a different tune

of pinks and yellows

for warm, sun-kissed days

and moody clouds.

this is the springtime air

that i have forgotten.




♡ ♡ matt and i went to the bronx zoo on the last day of april, and our mission was to traverse the 'world of birds'. the lila acheson wallace building is a thing of wonder housing many species of birds. it was built in the 70s, cut like asparagus stems. a marvel of its kind. just as amazing as i had remembered it when i was a child. 

i wonder if these are the same pink flamingos that i saw? ♡ ♡♡ ♡ the architectural designs of the historical zoo buildings is a delightful sight. since i'm older now, i've come to appreciate the art and details of the ornate animal sculptures around the zoo.  it's also amazing how this place is situated in an urban sprawl. plenty of trees and woodland plants everywhere to protect this precious world from the outside.  ♡ ♡♡ ♡ it has been awhile since matt and i had gone on an adventure together.  and the wild asia monorail  (like a safari ride) was a perfecting ending to our zoo adventure!

storytelling magic

♡ J A N U A R Y ♡ 

 a blanket of beautiful snow and frozen lakes happened this year. the fairies finally answered my wish with the blizzard, of love.

 ♡ F E B R U A R Y ♡

 i had many inspirations during this time period,
from the dreamy sounds of this camel record

in which a beautiful coincidence appeared to me

bewildered and enchanted, to see these creatures wandering in a pond nearby
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took flight to the bellingrath gardens in mobile, al~ where the flowers never fade...

this is the most beautiful garden i've ever seen. i felt like i was in alice in wonderland! returning to this magical place with my loved ones some day.
wait for me, home of the azaleas.
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and the final designation, where souls lay to rest...

 it was a bright blue sky when i was at this enchanting cemetery.
not even a single cloud,
could shadow the angels watching from above ♥ 

 ♡ M A R C H ♡

 the faerie tales of violette zine, it is a thing of beauty! i finally received it, thanks to miss alice saga! :)) featuring gorgeous works also from ellen rogers, martina olsson, jenny tallberg, eleanor hardwick, and lauren saxton.  luckily for me, the fairies in the  secret garden helped me on my spread for the first issue of this zine ;) you can get a copy of it here!

this past weekend, my lovely friend julie accompanied me to a spring wreath making class at parcel. we had a magical time crafting wreaths with the most perfect background ambiance and music. it felt like we were in a wes anderson movie!!

and with matt, we went to see messiaen's turangalîla-symphonie at lincoln center. the charm for me was being able to listen to the ondes martenot live as performed by valérie hartmann-claverie, who has collaborated with jonny greenwood/radiohead in the past♥ and that is how i discovered my fascination with the ondes martenot!

now springing forward,
it is in the air, the flowers are coming!
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for the birthday girl

i had the most wonderful birthday celebration over the course of three days ♡♡♡

on the first day, matt and i journeyed to nyc together to get some laduree macarons and pastries. the laduree shop is a pastel lover's dream! then we stopped by mariebelle's for some delicious aztec iced coffee and earl grey tea, before traveling down to the seaglass carousel at battery park. the seaglass carousel experience, complete with whimsical music was so magical~ i wish the ride could last forever.


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we planned on going to see a Ghibli movie (Spirited Away) at the IFC theater after eating dinner at a nearby thai restaurant (Galanga). i had the most delicious and tender duck breast salad! matt really enjoyed his crispy pork belly dish. all in all, a delightful night.

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on my birthday, we decided to keep it simple after the previous day's adventures in the city and especially since it was a rainy day. i really just wanted to stay in and relax, which worked out perfectly as matt surprised me with various cute (and fuzzy) presents~ a shrimps faux fur mascot key ring and a steiff kitty!!! only the best furriest friends for the birthday girl he says. but my favorite present isthe one in which he created himself, a whimsical unicorn painting!! such beauty will be shown among the dried flowers on my bedroom walls of course.

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and on the third day (yesterday), we went to a local zoo. it was small but sweet! we were greeted by cute topiary zoo animals. it reminded me of a scene from one of my favorite films of all time, Edward Scissorhands. i had such a fun time with matt as always, my love.

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i also finally received my wish of a cold, wintery day.
♡a perfect ending to the year!♡

an autumn poetry

oct 24th,
i planned a special picnic at our secret garden to celebrate his birthday. we placed ourselves among the squirrels and chipmunks, as they were busy gathering nuts on the ground. so we listened, to the leaves rustling in the wind, bringing forth magic from the foliage-- of golden yellow orange, and burnt red crimson hues surrounding us. as the sun drew closer to the earth, our afternoon was spent drinking chamomile tea and eating carrot cake. the perfect amount of sweet and spice, and everything nice.

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in the future: "do you remember what happened later on that night?"
for matt, love always

underwater pastorale

♡ last friday, an aquarium adventure was scheduled in baltimore, md among other activities. matt and i met up with a friend and explored the realms of the sea. the beauty of the aquarium took us to the abyss, where we saw all kinds of sharks and nocturnal creatures roam. ♡



♡ and here we have..an underwater dust bunny?! ♡



♡ my favorite exhibit, will always be the jellies.
glowing brightly like the moon among the dark space ♡


♡ to go along with our underwater adventure theme, we ate lobster tacos and crispy alaskan cod with some salad at pf changs ~ like magic, a booth opened up just  for us right when we came in (all the restaurants late at night were packed!) ♡
♡ wishing you sweet sea dreams! ♡

the magic wing chronicles

upon our adventure in pioneer valley, we walked across the bridge of flowers, toured a butterfly garden, and found dinosaur footprints! in between these magical moments was creating music and exploring our backyard river during the daytime, and sitting around a bonfire telling stories or playing board games at night time. i also collected wildflowers among the field of our 'noble home', an eco friendly built home that our friends rented for this special occasion. i dried a bouquet of the flowers and pressed some others as keepsakes of this lovely summer vacation.

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truly, a flower lover's paradise!

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when i think about these days, it fills me with warmth and sunshine.
the summer it seems, is growing on me, within me,
a fondness in my heart.

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