You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch (@ Redondo Beach)

Thanks for the memories, FB.

Luckily, I already used the restroom before getting into the elevator at work this morning (@ SKX Advertising)

Should I head back to work or across the street to Hotel Hermosa with these guys??? 😜

I lost count so long ago, maybe my heart’s numb

BØRNS (@ The Greek)

Late night catalog season essentials (@ SKX Advertising)

S/O to my postmates driver, Jeff, who delivered my israeli couscous along with this handwritten note! Five stars. Highly recommend.

NOTE TO SELF: Don’t check your group e-mail about Shi’s bachelorette party on your work computer.

I learned the hard way. Like so, so hard.

My Shi just got engaged to the love of her life, and I couldn’t be happier for her.

She gave me these two rose quartz crystals a few months ago, because “love comes in pairs,” she said. I’ve never been a believer of crystals, but I did buy this cute ass dish for them (I still believe in good home decor, after all). I keep them on my bar cart in the feng shui-recommended “love corner” of my apartment. The booze around it will likely be of more assistance to my love life than the art of feng shui or crystals, but I appreciate Shi’s effort! Ha.

Congrats, love!

And it’s worth it, it’s divine
I have this some of the time

Hozier took us to church last night (@ The Wiltern)

I used to paint my grandma’s nails when she was sick, and I came across this episode of New Amsterdam on her death anniversary today.

BRB crying.

Switchfoot – Dare You to Move

Young the Giant – Silvertongue

Beck – Where It’s At

Mumford and Sons – I Will Wait

Sunday funday with Sabrina and Cass (@ Ohana Fest, Doheny State Beach)

Views (@ Griffith Observatory)

Not much has changed since Chel’s diary entry from my 8th birthday—I’m still fun at sleepovers, and we’re all still a little afraid of our cousin, May! Ha.

I love that she still has all of her old diaries. I used to send people handwritten letters, but I didn’t start documenting my life until I started this blog in my early twenties. I never expected to keep it going for this long, but here we are 15 years later! For the three of you who have stayed tuned to this blog, thanks for sticking it out with me after all these years. Here’s to the next 15!

If you thought I was gonna celebrate National Cheeseburger Day, you weren’t wrong (@ Shake Shack)

I wanna get lost with you, and see what it’s like
To spend the whole night with you, just you

Mr. A-Z (@ FivePoint Amphitheatre)

See I know what we’ve got to do
You let go, and I’ll let go, too

L-Boogie up in here (@ Open Air Theatre)

I can’t believe I’m old enough for 20th anniversary tours, but the rough morning I had after getting home at 2am was solid proof!

This album soundtracked my junior year of high school, and hearing it in its entirety made me feel 16 again ♥

More videos here.

Breakfast Club (@ Flower Child)

My favorite girls met at an ungodly hour for breakfast so that the mamas could have extra girl time away from their six kids (four of which are twin babies!). I only had to worry about getting myself up in the morning, and I was still one of the last ones there! Ha. I haven’t laughed this hard in such a long time. No one will ever be as entertained by us than us ♥

This movie gave me so many feels, partly because of my obvious love for teenage rom-coms, but mostly because I got major flashbacks of that one time in the fifth grade when David Krzywicki found a note I had written about how cute he was. My outcome wasn’t nearly as good as Lara Jean’s! Ha. Only in the movies, I guess…

A puppuccino and pupcake for the goodest boy ever ♥

My parents ziplined through the jungles of Puerto Vallarta while I put in 12 hours at the office today! Seriously tempted to use those five weeks of vacation time I’ve been hoarding…

Intense backyard bingo sesh at my grandma’s 87th birthday bash. The pot grew to $200! I should’ve known my jar of laundry money wouldn’t cut it with these broads…

(@ Baron Balche, Valle de Guadalupe)

(@ La Escondida Puerto Nuevo)

Much needed daycation! Def need more of these in my life…

Hardly working (@ SKX)

You guys, my glasses just fogged up in the Whole Foods parking lot.

Could it be any more humid???

Maxin’ and relaxin’ with these nuggets 🖤🖤

Only three things still warm this heart—dogs, cute guys and booze (in that order).

🖤

Birthday beers for Cal and Francis! I’ll let you guess which ones are for Francis LOL. Not gonna lie, some of his might not make it to the party 🍓🍑💦

🙏🏻💔

Monolith Tour (@ The Forum)

Chino x Mike Shinoda 🖤

If you don’t share a brazilian waxer, are you even really friends???

Came for a sandwich, but stayed for the pride parade (@ Ike’s Place, Hillcrest)

Actual footage of me trying to sleep during this heat wave.

HALP!

A few of my favorite things…

109° weather calls for frosé all day (@ The Pioneer)

The 4th of July fell on bottomless beer and lobster night this year (@ Viejas)

What a time to be alive.

Finding a file on my coworker’s insane desktop is just too much to ask of me on a Friday.

To the girl watching 13 Reasons Why in the sauna: Why aren’t you wearing headphones and what is the wifi password in here??? (@ 24 Hour Fitness)

Sir Paul McCartney is a goddamn treasure.
Loved, loved, loved 💛

Felicidades to my favorite 8th grader (@ Pepper Drive)

5 hours and 2 footsie wootsie massages later (@ San Diego County Fair)

💔

Someone’s getting lei’d tonight!

Spoiler alert: It ain’t me.

I vote for lobster trucks outside every polling place! (@ Aviation Park)

The drive between SD and LA flies when you’re pretending it’s 2001! Full playlist here.

Christine’s twin babies came early, so their big sister’s 2nd birthday party moved from Chuck E. Cheese to Denise’s backyard. No complaints here!

Can we just go on record and say that I’ve added a flat top grill, fire pit and pool to my list of must-haves for my future home???

File under: Things I do for my mom, along with sleeping outside an Elam’s Hallmark at Grossmont mall for beanie babies and losing my seat on a plane to get her a Starbucks mug during my layover in Phoenix.

It was straight up Ghost Hunters status at both work and home today. If you’re reading this, please send food. I can’t microwave my burrito.

BRB binging in bed ✌🏼

Brunch with my fave girls (@ Breakfast Republic)

Quote of the day:

If Beyoncé can get cheated on, none of us are safe!

Shi will not rest, y’all! 😅

Joke’s on you guys 😜

These new scratch ‘n’ sniff postage stamps may be reason enough to resurrect the lost art of letter writing! Where my gel pens at???

Sunday funday with Shi! (@ Smorgasburg LA)

I love when she comes up to visit (even if she eats all of my candy).

Tame Impala, Lord Huron and SF ♥

Tame Impala – The Less I Know the Better

Lord Huron – When the Night is Over

Prohibition is over and so is conference season!!! 🎉🎉🎉 (@ Manhattan Beach Studios)

When asked if I want my tagliatelle topped with a big ass ball of burrata, the answer is always yes (@ Pasta Sisters)

What sorcery is this??? (@ San Diego Civic Theatre)

Surprise baby sprinkle for our dear friend, Christine. There must be something in the water, because my friends keep having twins. I’m sticking to vodka!

Please and thank you (@ Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken)

Mumford + YTG!!!

Hold me still
Bury my heart next to yours

You’ll drive in my car
Just tell me we are going somewhere

Dinner with my main chicks (@ Sweet Chick)

My parents are livin’ la vida loca in Cancún while I’m over here trying to plan the earliest Friday night ever. What has my life come to???

It wouldn’t be a luau without legit hawaiian shirts from Forever 21.

Yes, please.

Those two days I went to the gym this month really paid off! Ha. Sorry, Amber…

One bloody knuckle, two mai tais, and three rounds later!

Come and get it: bit.ly/letgomayan

I felt like an old lady after thirteen hours at the park and one rough ass ride on the matterhorn, but then I got carded and remembered that I’m still the paragon of youth.

It’s been a rough week with my 4th place bracket finish, Channing and Jenna’s uncoupling, and now this earthquake today.

At least I’m going to Disneyland tomorrow! Let Alicia’s birthday weekend commence 🎉

Kansas got killed today, but Michigan’s win still put me in first place! Their chance of beating Villanova is like one in a million, so I’ll just enjoy being on top while I can…

Currently #2 out of 75, but my bracket automatically wins first place if Kansas beats Villanova tomorrow! 🏀🏆🎉

I’m just as surprised as the boys at work who had to explain to me what a seed is.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Lord Huron – The Night We Met

Sylvan Esso – Coffee

Young the Giant – Cough Syrup

Local Natives – Coins

Head and the Heart – All We Ever Knew

(@ Culinary Dropout)

(@ Cornish Pasty Co)

(@ Pizzeria Bianco)

(@ The Arrogant Butcher)

(@ Tempe Beach Park)

We escaped the LA rain and road-tripped it to Arizona! The first of hopefully many Innings Fests did not disappoint. Good weather, great bands, amazing food…

Turn right after Waffle House??? These are my kind of directions!

I got lost going to work once (ok twice) because the house that I turn left at took down their white picket fence, so I drove right past it. I still can’t tell you what the name of the street is, but they put their fence back up, so we’re good! Ha.

Tempe, I am in you. And I’m about to get all up in your Innings Fest (@ Tempe Beach Park)

My morning raclette (@ Venissimo – Liberty Station)

In the event that this isn’t anything like that Survivor pool I joined and won without ever watching a single episode, I have a few questions, like how do you know if it’s a 12 seed team or a 5 seed team, and also what is a seed???

I need to make a change.

Air + Style x Phantogram (@ LA Memorial Coliseum)

…or what you eat when your lunch buddy is observing lent (@ Hopdoddy Burger Bar)

If I didn’t know the Impossible Burger was plant-based, I would have never guessed it was meatless! And this is coming from a girl who loves her meat. I’m not about to give up ribs or anything, but it’s nice to know there’s a worthy (albeit pricey) alternative out there. We usually go to the farmers market for lunch on Fridays, and I could get four mexican hot dogs (and a stomachache) for the price of one burger. Def worth it, though.

The guac is extra, and so is my boss (@ SKX Advertising Dept)

Catching up with my coworkers (@ The Rockefeller Manhattan Beach)

@ncartier:

I love seeing the outcome when people try my DIY Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table tutorial ♥

I’ve been itching to build something new for my place, but I’m not sure what. My sister’s husband thinks I’m making myself too comfortable in this apartment I’ve been wanting to leave for five years, and it’ll be that much harder (for everyone else) when I eventually move out of the sticks. (You ask someone to help you move during one Chargers playoff game ten years ago, and they don’t ever let you forget it!)

Were the tacos the best I ever had? No. But were the micheladas good at least? Still no. (@ City Tacos)

I should’ve known that this place was no bueno when I saw people drinking wine with their tacos, and the only mexicans eating there were the friends I came with.

Or as I like to call it… Thursday (@ Manhattan House)

Deane and her BF broke up today, so I drank her sorrows away with her since I’m such a supportive friend and all.

Wish I could turn you back into a stranger
‘Cause if I was never in your life
You wouldn’t have to change it

Lucius covering my most favorite Tame Impala song ever ♥

I thought most of the people flying on Valentine’s Day would be on their way to see loved ones, but the majority of the passengers on my flight were headed to see Bruno Mars. Or at least that’s what their hooligans jerseys led me to believe…

I managed to snap this without getting elbowed in the face by all the asians with selfie sticks. My mom was one of them. Just kidding (she forgot hers at home).
(@ The LINQ Promenade)

I’ll have to make my way back here, if only for Virgil’s Real BBQ. And maybe that cute guy covering Stone Temple Pilots inside.

If money grew on trees… (@ Bellagio Conservatory & Botanical Gardens)

O…MG (@ Bellagio Theater)

Infinitely better than the Luzia show I just saw in LA, but The Beatles Love is still my #1.

The guy standing next to me was belting out God Bless the USA during the entire water show. You’re lucky this is a gif (@ Fountains of Bellagio)

Pops zip lining into the weekend like (@ SlotZilla Zip Line)

We lost my dad for 24 hours somewhere between the zip lining and the poker room at the Orleans.

Put the $5 I won off of Britney slots towards his tip (@ Fremont Street)

CAUTION: They rub their meat (@ Rollin Smoke Barbeque)

Checked this gem off of my BBQ bucket list! Standouts were the beef rib (my go-to), brisket burnt ends and the “dam” hot arkansauce.

Till next time! (@ Palms Casino Resort)

Happiest birthday, Shi! I love you more than I love homemade waffles. And that’s saying a lot.

Friyay  (@ Arts District Brewing)

Weekly meeting (@ Tacos Tu Madre)

All the ladies have been complaining about how cold it is in the advertising department, so our boss surprised us with these jackets to keep warm.

Wouldn’t it have been more cost-effective to just turn down the A/C?

Also, does this come in black???

Sounds about right.

Cirque du Soleil (@ Dodger Stadium)

I love it when Weird Science is playing in the break room at work, and I get to stare at Chet’s sweet ass while I’m eating.

I didn’t even have to use my AK (@ Sweet Chick)

Rise up (@ San Diego Civic Theatre)

I think the bigger question is whether or not I’d be willing to let it go for someone who refers to Santa Monica as “SaMo”.

If you, if you could return…

R.I.P. Dolores O’Riordan 💔

Celebrating this baby’s mama (@ Liberty Public Market)

Birthdays, BBQ and BYOB (@ Grand Ole BBQ y Asado)

Thanks to everyone who came out last night ♥

A simple thank you will suffice!

Sick days are for Scandal marathons.

Actual footage of me waking up for work today after being on vacation for two weeks. Yikes!

…or this week’s edition of Mayan burns the bread rolls. Just kidding (this was the second time I burned them this week). As soon as my mom smelled the smoke, she was like, “STRIKE 2!”

I’m sure my parents can’t wait for me to go back to LA tomorrow! Ha.

Last Supper (Pop Pie Co)

Behind the scenes (@ SeaWorld)

My sister went to Christmas mass while I stayed home to avoid burning for my sins wrap presents at the eleventh hour! Ha.

That’s a wrap! 🎁

Christmas gift from my boss… I think she’s onto me.

Staking my claim 👅 (@ Little Damage)

I’ll be here all winter ✌🏻 (@ Pershing Square Holiday Ice Skating Rink)

Sunday funday (@ Smorgasburg, ROW DTLA)

The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away

Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity

Love Forever (@ The Broad: Infinity Mirror Rooms)

Unsolicited fact about me: I can ice skate circles around you ⛸ (@ LA Live Holiday Ice)

Blessed (@ Flood Church)

– Chosen as a godparent for the Lapel twins ✓

– Opened a 401k ✓

– Paid off all my credit cards ✓

I’m adulting the shit out of 2017, you guys.

24K Magic (@ The Forum)

My mom has visited me twice in LA since I moved here 5 years ago—once to see Adele at Staples, and this past weekend to see Bruno Mars at the Forum!

Now who has to tour LA for her to come visit me next year??? 

Linkin Park & Friends (@ Hollywood Bowl)

Even though it had been years since I last saw Linkin Park in concert, I was heartbroken when I found out about Chester Bennington’s suicide.

I can remember exactly what I was doing when I first heard Hybrid Theory. Pammie and I have this game we play called Guess What Year? (it’s a working title), and I can always pinpoint the year a song came out because I’m able to tie it to life events. Like I know that Boyz II Men’s One Sweet Day came out when I was 13, because I remember crying to that song at Sharon Bernardo’s birthday party when I found out that Raymond Alcarion liked my best friend and not me. I’m totally over him now, partly because that was 22 years ago, but mostly because my name would have been “Marion Alcarion” had our love stood the test of time! Yikes.

When I was 18, my friend Nick Costa told me, “Linkin Park… Remember that name… They’re gonna be HUGE someday.” I downloaded some songs off of their EP on Napster (yes, I was 18 that long ago) and became a solid LP fan after that. I remember going to the library to chat in their forum in between classes in college. I remember listening to their CD in Sheena’s car while I practiced driving stick around Jamul. I remember how sad I was when their intimate show at Canes sold out before I could get tickets to their first tour. Linkin Park soundtracked a time in my life that I reminisce about often, and it makes me sad to think that Chester is gone now, too.

I was lucky enough to see Chester in concert a couple times in my life, and being able to go his memorial show and hearing all those songs made me feel like I was 18 again (my sore stems the next day from standing during their 3-hour set reminded me that I’m nearly twice that age). All these years later, I still remember their lyrics. Also, can we just talk about how good Mike Shinoda still looks??? Some things never change…

Watch a full stream of the show here.

Lit 🔥 (@ Rise Festival)

Loved, loved, loved ♥

Stacked (@ Seven Magic Mountains)

Happy 64th birthday to a man of many talents!