Most social weekend ever

Last weekend we behaved like a pregnant couple stocking up on social engagements before baby arrives. Kinda exhausting actually. Am eager to slow it down a bit and feather the nest for our boy. Regardless, we had a lot of fun! I really do love the holiday season.

[All but one of the photos in this post are from my Instagram account. They rolled out profiles not long ago. Check my page out here!]

SATURDAY

Saturday was jam packed. Sergio dragged me out to the Apple store to visit the genius bar, only for us to be turned away because we didn't have an appointment. (My iPhone battery is draining crazy quick.) Then we stopped by Home Depot where we ran into Betsy's parents! It's a location we and they both never visit so it was a real coincidence. As night fell, we commenced our ambitious evening of three parties in three vastly different parts of the city. Yep. We are crazy.



Top two photos are from Work/Shop - How could I resist hanging with all these talented ladies all at once? Plus, any chance I get to grab a hug from Bianca I'll take. That gal gives the best hugs. Plus plus, Summer was coming from SD and well, I just had to meet her. She's kind of the bomb diggity.

Bottom Left is my Ban.do heart clutch from Jen and ginger ale with two cherries please. Every other year my work throws a holiday party for adults. (The other year is a kid centric brunch complete with kiddo height buffet line.) The party was sort of a big debut for my belly. Some work people still didn't know I was pregnant! But there sure was no missing it at the party. Everyone is so nice when you're baking up a baby.

Bottom right is my plate at Alpna and Hitesh's Annual Phoney Christmas dinner. We got there just in time to see everyone at least for a moment. Alpna is a superb cook and really, there is no excuse to miss out on her elaborate multi-course event of homecooked indian food. She even makes her own custom chai spice mix. Delightful.

SUNDAY

Just a tad more mellow than the previous day. We ended up back at the Apple store for our appointment.  Then lunch in with my parents in Chinatown. Then home for chores. I started the "Great Stuff Purge for Baby Stuff of 2012-2013".




Wow. Tired.

Anyway, hope your holidays are going swell!

Dad is 82!

I do hope I scored some of those anti-aging genes the man seems to possess in spades. Seriously. He is looking good, right? I guess it helps to sport a fly demin vest and punky military-style cap. yup. He be cool.

The celebration wasn't much different from last year's celebration. Except MUCH better restaurant.






I am fully aware of how lucky I am that his mind is sharp and his body, though a little slower, is still relatively hale. He has been this way all my life and I can't imagine him a different way. When asked what he wants for his birthday, he always replies: "Let's just have a nice meal together."

Full set here.

Year of the Dragon

The Dragon is considered to be the most fortunate and revered in Chinese astrology symbols. This is a pretty big deal in China and other Asian countries. Chinese New Year traditions our family observe include making savory turnip cake, putting fresh flowers in the home and enjoying New Year's Eve dinner (tuan nian/reunion dinner).

Instead of cooking at home, we decided to eat out at ABC Seafood in Chinatown. It recently reopened -- refurbished, refreshed and under new ownership. Rumor has it David Lam sourced Master Chef Chui all the way from Hong Kong! Without reservations, we waited about an hour for our table of seven. And it was worth. every. second. The food was so fresh and perfectly seasoned. From the soup to dessert, each morsel was perfect. The service was also quite good - which is somewhat of a rarity in Chinatown.

• Abalone and sliced chicken soup
• French style X.O. filet Mignon
• Honey walnut shrimp
• Fried tofu
• Fresh lobster with ginger and green onion
• Poached chicken with garlic sauce
• Pea shoots with garlic
• Calamari with pickled mustard greens
• Green bean soup dessert

I'm lucky to get two New Year's celebrations. Growing up bi-cultural is kind of awesome. And just think, thanks to my Italian/Russian-Jewish-American husband, our future children will have their pick of up to FOUR cultures! ha.



Full photoset here.

Johnston Foster

A couple weeks ago, while in Chinatown for Harvest Moon dinner, we discovered a Johnston Foster show at the POVevolving Gallery!

His found object sculptures were fascinating. The largest piece was a skeleton riding a pony, surrounded by wasps. The skeleton is made of plastic lawn chairs!



It's a shoe sole tongue!

The name of the show is Head Stash and it runs through October 7. Check it out!

POVevolving
939 Chung King Rd.
Los Angeles, CA

Harvest Moon + Art on 9/10/11

Last weekend we had dinner with the family to celebrate the Moon Festival. Also known as the Mooncake Festival. (mmm...mooncake...)




And then art. Wandered around the Chung King Road galleries a bit. It was the final Chinatown Summer Nights of the season. So festive! I wish Chinatown was like this more often.





Food+Family+Art+Music...all under the harvest moon.

Lovely evening.

ok...I'm off to enjoy the mooncake my mom saved for me.

Jump onto my photostream by clicking the first photo!

Happy Birthday Sis!

Today was Jenny's birthday! From now until July, our ages will be only one number apart. We celebrated early this past weekend because today is a school night. I threatened to put all 31 candles on her strawberry sponge cake. It's a good thing I didn't because this old lady wasn't able to blow out the measly twelve (see video below). Tee hee!
Before cake, we had a very lovely dinner in Chinatown. Seafood soup, cashew shrimp, fried tofu, sweet & sour pork... During dinner, mom insisted on reading our Chinese astrology horoscopes. It isn't looking so good for most of us. Mine was not bad though. The restaurant gave us sweet bean dessert -- because Dad asked for it (go dad!). Afterward, we took a short stroll amongst the neon and lights, all aglow for Chinese New Year night. Back at our house, Jenny finally blew out the fire and we had cake, ice-cream, coffee and drinks!





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