I took a listen to the album whose link I posted yesterday, and... it doesn't sound all that Christmassy. But it's not bad. Oh well. Free music is good!

Anyway, there are a handful of songs that I just LOVE during the Christmas season. These are my ultimate favorites, and they put me in a positive mood when I hear them.
- O Holy Night
- Baby, It's Cold Outside
- Merry Christmas, Darling
- Grown Up Christmas List

I've conveniently put these songs and some others in a playlist!


SeeqPod Music beta - Playable Search

And some Michael Buble Christmas songs, too!


SeeqPod Music beta - Playable Search

posted by che @ 1:43 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

November has FLOWN by! Really, where did it go? It's already December this weekend, and Thanksgiving has come and gone. It's time to decorate and listen to music for Christmas! So far I've been listening to streaming radios like KOST 103.5 and youplay.fm. I enjoy classic as well as contemporary versions of Christmas songs. I love compilations, so thank you to ReadyMade for their free collection! If you prefer not to buy the mag, just download it from the site. You can even print out a fold-your-own CD jacket template. Here's the list of songs included:

* SHE AND HIM (FEATURING ZOOEY DESCHANEL AND M. WARD) / "Sentimental Heart" / Unreleased
* THE FINCHES / "Holiday Song" / Dulc-I-Tone
* THURSTON MOORE / "Frozen Gtr" / Ecstatic Peace
* OAKLEY HALL / "Light of My Love" / Merge
* GRIS GRIS / "Winter Weather" / Birdman
* DNTEL / "Everything’s Tricks" / Sub Pop
* ETIENNE DE ROCHER / "Goodnight" / Fogcity
* NO AGE / "My Life's All Right Without You" / FatCat
* JOHN VANDERSLICE / "White Dove" / Barsuk
* DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE / "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" / Atlantic
* ROGUE WAVE / "Show" / Brushfire
* TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS / "Colleen" / Touch & Go
* PINBACK / "From Nothing to Nowhere" / Touch & Go
* MATT & KIM / "No More Long Years" / iheartcomix
* MENOMENA / "Rotten Hell" / Barsuk
* ROCKY VOTOLATO / "Your Darkest Eyes" / Barsuk
* GRAND ARCHIVES / "Sleepdriving" / Sub Pop
* HELIO SEQUENCE / "Can't Say No" / Sub Pop
* GREAT NORTHERN / "Winter" / Eenie Meenie

posted by che @ 1:47 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

primp Holiday Warehouse Sale

(free gift if you have a copy of the invitation email)

Annual Hurley Warehouse Sale
Thursday 11/29(noon-8pm), 12/30 (noon-8pm), 12/1 (8am-3pm) and 12/2 (8am-3pm)
16901 Jamboree Rd., Irvine, 92606 CC/ Cash only

James Perse
Saturday 12/1 (9am-5pm)
Siren Studios 6063 W. Sunset Blvd. Cash/ Cc only

Kitson
315 S. Robertson Blvd., at 3rd St./ Robertson. in Beverly Hills

La Rok
12/6-12/7 (10am-7pm) and 12/8 (10am-4pm)
5175 Soto St., Vernon, 90058. Cash/ Cc only.

Obey
12/7 (9am-7pm) and 12/8 (9am-5pm)
3500 W. Carriage Dr., Santa Ana 92704. Cash/ CC only

RVCA
Friday 12/7-Saturday 12/8 (9am-5pm)
919 Sunset Dr., Costa Mesa 92627. Cash/ CC only.

Split
Saturday 12/8 (8am-2pm)
20 Goodyear, Irvine 92618. Cash/ Cc only.

Paul Frank Holiday Warehouse
Saturday 12/8 (9am-4pm), Saturday 12/15 (9am-4pm ) and Sunday 12/16 (10am-2pm)
Paul Frank Industries, 960 W. 16th St., Costa Mesa, 92627. Cash/ Cc only.

Guess Warehouse sale
Saturday 12/8 (7am-3pm)
1901 E. 15th St., gate 3, Los Angeles. Cash/ Cc only.

Coupons (taken from Pursebuzz)
H&M
Off 5th (Saks)

ENJOY! :)

posted by che @ 10:14 AM [[ 0 comments ]]

I saw this on one of my favorite beauty blogs, Pursebuzz. It's pretty funny and a great look into the true language of women, a good study guide for the oblivious men :P

Nine Dangerous Words Women Use

1. Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.


2. Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this means a half an hour.Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given five more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.


3. Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means something, and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with Nothing usually end in Fine.


4. Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission. Don’t Do It!


5. Loud Sigh: This is actually a word, but is a non-verbal statement often misunderstood by men. A loud sigh means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you about Nothing. (Refer back to #3 for the meaning of Nothing.)


6. That’s Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements a women can make to a man. That’s Okay means she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.


7. Thanks: A woman is thanking you, do not question, or Faint. Just say you’re welcome.


8. Whatever: Is a women’s way of saying SCREW YOU!


9. Don’t worry about it, I got it: Another dangerous statement, meaning this is something that a woman has told a man to do several times, but is now doing it herself. This will later result in a man asking “What’s wrong?” For the woman’s response refer to #3.

posted by che @ 9:47 AM [[ 1 comments ]]

After being off for a week, it's been rough getting back into the groove of work. I like being on vacation, haha... Anyway, who went shopping this weekend (there's still time, it's Cyber Monday)?! Not me, but thanks to B's effort we scored a deal or two. He endured the lines at Fry's and brought home a 40" 1080p LCD tv! :D

SAMSUNG LNT4061 40" 1080P LCD HDTV

We hooked it up this weekend and I'm itching to get the wall mount for it. We also were going to buy some furniture from Ikea, but waited until Friday to get an extra 11.23% off. It's better than nothing right?

A couple other cool things we got... B's cousin hooked us up and we got Guitar Hero 3.



I'm ashamed to say I haven't played it yet, but have watched others play :P

Also, B and I have been in the market for a good navi. We were waiting until Black Friday to get a good deal, but my sister found an even better deal the week prior at Office Depot (just at her location). I expected to pay her back, but my family ended up giving it to both me and B as an early Christmas gift. THANKS!!!

TomTom GO 910 Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator


So far, it's pretty cool. With this and the GPS on my phone, I have no excuse for getting lost!

posted by che @ 1:03 PM [[ 1 comments ]]

When choosing a grocery store, it would be ideal for me to always shop at Trader Joes and Whole Foods Market for fresh, organic, and healthy selections. Unfortunately, depending on what you're getting, this could add up so I usually end up visiting the local Albertsons. I had just read a post on la.foodblogging that's in the format of a letter to Trader Joe's which explains why their loyalty has changed due to a new grocery store in town, fresh & easy Neighborhood Market. After reading this cleverly written review, I'd have to say that I can't wait until one opens near me! They carry "regular brand name stuff", "the prices here are also more reasonable", and "they even have a very nice reusable plastic tote bag to bring back for future shopping experiences with them". And when this bag breaks, they give you a new one. How could you go wrong?

posted by che @ 10:34 AM [[ 1 comments ]]

Perhaps due to my vintage preference lately, I've been really loving cameo jewelry. If you don't know what I'm talking about, the first definition Google will return is "a carved gem or shell in which the outer layers are cut away so that the design stands out in relief against a background of a different color". Still don't know what I'm talking about? Here are some of the examples of ones that I have my eye on:


Vintage Style Crystal Cameo Earrings


Cinderella Necklace by Rebecca Berry Jewelry


Black Resin Cameo Jewelry Box by Growing veip


For more colorful cameos, Tarino Tarantino has a cute line as well. Her stuff is so cute!

CARVED LUCITE ELECTRO CAMEO MOD RING


ELECTRO CAMEO DROP EARRINGS


I remember my mother having some nice cameo jewelry when I was younger. Maybe I should ask her for them :P

posted by che @ 2:07 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

CNET Review: Zune (second generation, 80GB, black)


I haven't read all of the details, but after skimming the article it looks like this second generation Zune is exceedingly better than the first. I don't think it's anything to laugh about (anymore)! I still have my 60GB video iPod, but here are a few reasons why I'd consider the new Zune:

- the GUI looks more appealing than the iPod
- the viewable screen is bigger than the iPod
- videos can be viewed in landscape mode! (at least that's what I saw in the video)
- maybe it's just me, but working with iTunes is a pain sometimes... but I can't say that Microsoft's will be any better
- it has an FM tuner

posted by che @ 12:42 PM [[ 0 comments ]]

Love Culture is finally open at Del Amo mall. I've been excited to see what was in store since the last time I was there because I LOVED what they did with the place. I was only able to see a little of the inside of the store at the time, but it was really cute :) I got a chance to peruse the store a little bit yesterday and in short it's basically like another Forever 21 (or the flagship XXI Forever that is there). The prices, quality, and styles are about the same as Forever 21, but I like the interior of the store so much better. I was kind of sad that I didn't find anything that I had to have at that moment, but I wasn't really shopping since I wanted to go home already. And it didn't help that I had just dropped a load of cash at MAC, otherwise I probably would've came home with some cute sweaters and a jacket :\ Next time, I'll take my time to really look around. Too bad their site isn't fully up so I could really see everything!

posted by che @ 8:51 AM [[ 1 comments ]]

I have finally made the change and am now with Helio! I just got the Ocean last night, and I got a KILLER deal. There are a lot of capabilities I need to explore still, but so far it's a pretty nice sweet phone. They ported my number fairly quickly so I was able to explore some of the features almost immediately! Anyway, if anyone is planning to go to Helio, please please say that I referred you!!! :D

posted by che @ 8:17 AM [[ 0 comments ]]

After reading some reviews on Yelp, B decided he wanted to take me to try Bouchees Bistro in downtown Long Beach. From their website, the concept:

bouchees bistro, designed by Chef Tony Zervas, is designed to provide gourmet casual meals with premium ingredients to today's fast-paced society. Using his extensive experience to create approachable dishes based on a combination of new and classic sandwiches, bouchees bistro provides you with top-quality dishes that can be enjoyed in our comfortable surroundings, on the road, or taken home.

bouchees bistro - French for "small bites", offers design your own mini burgers which allows the opportunity to explore the extensive combinations of gourmet toppings and sauces. Smaller portions and more options enhance the dining experience by providing more flavor combinations. Freshly ground meats, golden sesame rolls and gourmet condiments are all prepared in house by our kitchen staff. Additional specialties include jumbo lump crab cakes, baked macaroni and cheese and a variety of fresh homemade cupcakes. bouchees bistro strives to provide the best product it can produce by starting with the perfection of basic preparations. Our goal is to create simple, fresh, and delicious food without preservatives and additives.

Overall, I liked this place. The prices were reasonable, and the ambiance was nice. I guess I would describe it as artsy and modern. B and I split a small crab minestrone, 2 mini applewood bacon chipotle cheeseburgers, 2 mini turkey and shitake mushroom burgers, and a side order of parmesan and herb french fries. It didn't look like a lot (except for the fries), but it was definitely fulfilling. I was a little skeptical of the mini burgers, but each bite was packed with flavor. The soup and fries were rich in flavor, too. My only gripe was the service. When we got there, there were probably only about 2 other tables being served. Soon after, those customers left and it was just us 2 but the time it took to get our food was as though the restaurant was packed. Perhaps the wait felt worse than it was because I was starving, or good gourmet just takes some time, but it just felt a little excessive. Luckily, the food made up for the wait and I left satisfied. Too bad for me, it's not down the street!

posted by che @ 11:38 AM [[ 0 comments ]]

For a while now, B and I have been trying our best to do our part for the environment because we're what I like to call "wanna-be treehuggers", haha. We recycle and we've invested in a handful of inexpensive reusable grocery bags to cut down on the amount of plastic bags we collect. Unfortunately, we don't always use them. Most of the time we forget to put them in the car, or we'll decide to shop on a whim and forget that we have the bags in the car.

Lately however I've been trying to make a conscious effort to use them, and I just found out some interesting information that will give me (and hopefully YOU) more incentive to using them. At a recent trip to Albertson's, the customer behind us questioned our bags. The cashier went into it a little and had stated that for each of the bags you bring in and they use you get 5 cents off of your final total! That's about the same price you get back for a bottle just for using a bag! He also mentioned that Trader Joe's does the same thing. We checked the receipt to see if he was pulling our chain, and sure enough there was 5 cents discounted for each of our own bags.

So, where can you get these bags? Personally, I've collected my bags from Mitsuwa, Marukai, and Target all for about a buck a piece. Let me tell you, I LOVE the ones I got from Target. I'm not sure if it's still available, but they had some in their dollar bins the last few times I went. They don't have the plastic bottom support like my other ones do, but they fold up and zip up. It becomes about the size of a checkbook and you can carry it around in your bag! I carry a few of these around so that I have no excuses :) A lot of other stores have been getting into the spirit and have started providing their own reusable bags for about a dollar. I have one from Ikea, and I've seen some from Ralphs, Seafood City, etc.

If you don't like the looks of these and want something cuter but don't mind paying more money for it, check out fred flare's kawaii cute grocery totes. At $30 a bag I think it's a bit steep and not kawaii enough for me to spend that money. Or, if you want to really be eco-conscious and save money at the same time, make your own reusable grocery bags using all your old grocery bags! I have yet to find the time to do this, but it's definitely a project I want to try out (amongst other plastic bag crafts) :)

posted by che @ 10:34 AM [[ 1 comments ]]

Since I recently talked about "old Hollywood", I thought that it was appropriate to bring attention to the Pinup Parade With Dita Von Teese holiday line at Frederick's. Dita, the modern-day pinup girl and burlesque queen! Here are my favorite picks from the line:


Lace Bustier
$48.00


Parisian Lace Corset
$58.00


Ruffle Satin Chemise
$48.00


Ruched Bra Top
$29.00

posted by che @ 2:45 AM [[ 0 comments ]]