a memorable three day weekend.

this weekend is labor day weekend. having a three day weekend actually means something to me now that i have a job.

i have been a little MIA the past few days as i was in texas for my onboarding at my new job. it was one heck of a week- i met so many people and learned so much about what i will be doing going forward. it was a whirlwind of a week, but i am excited to get my two feet on the ground in new york.

i hope everyone has a fabulous weekend! here is to the end of the summer. [how sad.]

j

a revisit: new york resolution number two and four.

moderation is key. i must admit, when i was at home, moderation was not something even on my mind. my unhealthy eating habits [raiding the cupboards and zero portion control] combined with my lack of exercise really took a toll on my body. though my weight didn't fluctuate very much, i felt very unhealthy. it is a vicious cycle too- it has effects on your confidence and will power.

"eat healthy, but treat myself to something sweet everyday."

once i get into my work routine, i decided to start over.  though i have eaten relatively healthy since moving into the city, i decided to do a three day detox. since it is for a short period of time, 1. it will be bearable, and 2. it will give me just enough of a jump start to eating healthy.  i promise to eat more greens, vegetables and fruits. i promise to drink plenty of water each day. i promise to always think about the effects food has once it is ingested: ex: the small bag of potato chips- lets be honest, it will go right to my waist and i will have to work ten times harder to get it off- not to mention the feeling of guilt.

luckily, i love fruits and dark chocolate- both which for me, can count towards my "something sweet." i have a horrible sweet tooth and love to have something sweet after every meal- instead of cookies or candy bar, i opt for an apple, berries or a small piece of dark chocolate. so much better for me- but again, everything in moderation.

yes. i know i skipped number three. there is a reason to my madness: two and four go together.

"be active: go to yoga at least three times a week and start ballet again"

i finally broke in the pair of sneakers that i bought in summer of 2011. i am embarrassed to say, they have been worn once to actually run in, and once to run errands. sad, but true. moving to the city in and of itself has already forced me to be more active. i love walking around and seeing the little beauties that make up new york city. this may take a little more time to achieve as a goal, because i first need to get used to my life and work routine. not only that, it is better for your body to ease into a work out routine- and to give yourself some time to adjust.  i do go to yoga to the people when i can, but i have yet to sign up for a gym or studio membership. i am weighing my options and looking for a good gym or studio. i am not sure i am ready to go back to ballet [the idea of a leotard frightens me at the moment], but i thought a barre exercise class would be a great hybrid between ballet and working out. in the meantime, if time and weather permits, i promise to ignore the subway and walk as much as i can. i promise to do these amazing work out videos from fitsugar at home if i can't make it to a class.

what juice cleanses have you tried? what is your favorite? do you recommend three or five day cleanses?

do you know of any good barre exercise classes in the city? what is your go-to gym or studio?

a revisit: new york resolution number one and eight.

now that i am officially living in new york city, and that i have a job (not to mention a steady income!), i feel like i can finally revisit the resolutions i made for my "new life" here.

though i haven't been completely ignored them while living at home in the hamptons, i felt like it was difficult to truly get started- though i loved spending some quality time with my family,  i was starting to lose the feeling of independence and my confidence.  so here goes:

"laugh, if even for just a moment each day."

laughter is such a simple thing but it does wonders to the mind, body and soul. often dubbed "the best medicine," laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, and helps to keep you grounded. if you laugh hard enough, it could even help you tone your core! who doesn't love an effortless workout?

last night, a friend of mine went to the comedy cellar in greenwich village. while sipping on a non-alcoholic drink (darn you, antibiotic!!) and eating some food, we enjoyed listening to five hysterical comedians.  i must admit, it was my first time at comedy show like that, and i loved every single minute of it.  it felt good to just laugh and leave my worries at the door.

"be positive: make the most of every moment"

you can't really take life too seriously. thought it is easy for a textbook virgo such as myself to do so, life is just too short to not make time for something fun- whether it is alone or with others. to every cloud, there is a silver lining- even the toughest moments are there to make us that much stronger. it might take a little bit of time and an extra push, but always be positive- for everything happens for a reason. my favorite quote from the beatles: there nowhere you can be that isn't where you are meant to be.

and there you have it. these are resolutions for life- i won't give up so easy.


j

a moving truck.

it is finally here. the day that i move into new york city. i could not be more excited!


wish me luck. actually, wish my dad luck. he is my moving company.


j

a diagnosis.

so as i have mentioned before, i have had knee issues for the past few months. the swelling and pain was not a result of an injury, or an accident, but something that just started out of the blue back in may. with the timing of me moving back to the united states, and waiting for insurance to kick in, it was hard for me to go to the doctors to truly figure out what was wrong with my knee. by the advice of a doctor i visited in japan, i have not exercised in since the pain started. needless to say, i am going stir crazy, and have possibly gotten too lazy for my own liking.

in preparation of seeing the orthopedist, i went to my family doctor who ran a few blood tests- primarily looking for rheumatoid arthritis which runs in my family. turns out, i had lyme disease. for those of you who don't know what lyme disease is, it is a bacterial infection that is spread through the bite of a tick.

i bet you are in awe as i am. i have never even heard of a tick in japan, or lyme disease for that matter.  i never had any of the early symptoms, nor have i found a tick on my body. i have no idea when i was infected, but am glad that it was discovered now. lyme disease can be quite nasty and turns out, isn't the easiest thing to diagnose as it has such an array of symptoms. my symptom [swollen joints] is actually one that occurs months after exposure.

though i am glad that it was diagnosed prior to any irreparable damages [it can do nasty things to the joints, heart and nervous system], taking antibiotics is not the way i wanted to spend the last month of my summer vacation. the medicine makes me sensitive to the sun (and heat) and also does not react well to alcohol.  talk about a detox.  i suppose i cannot complain.

to see what damage has been done to my knee, i finally went and got an MRI yesterday. i will be going to the orthopedist to read the results in the next few weeks. hopefully it isn't anything too serious.

in the meantime, i did finally get approved for exercise, but i have to wear a knee brace.  super excited. first stop, yoga!


j

another august birthday.

happy birthday to my ojiichan!  still a stud after all of these years.

love you,

j

and another happy birthday.

i told you. august is FULL of birthdays for me! a very happy birthday to my obaachan. still as beautiful as ever. [please ignore the reflection in the first picture...]

stay you.

j

two very happy birthdays.

august is full of birthdays for me. over the weekend, we celebrated my dad's 57th birthday. or as he likes to say, his 26th birthday, as he has been counting backwards for years. as predicted, we went to dinner at my dad's favorite sushi restaurant. needless to say, we ate a lot of food.

ALSO

today, it is my good friend go's birthday. お誕生日おめでとう！sorry i can't be there to celebrate with you!

hope you all have a wonderful start to the week!


j

a job.

i knew that when i moved back to the states, that my biggest challenge would be would be finding a job. is there such thing as a perfect job out there? i have been doing human resources related work and was looking for a great opportunity to expand on my experiences. i knew that coming back from being in japan for three years, it would not be particularly easy to find the next job.  i met with recruiters, scoured the internet and used my networks. i may not have given it my all 100% of the time, but honestly, i was getting restless. to the point that i didn't think it was going to happen for me. i realized that you can't always have it all- i had to prioritize the most important things to me. i had hard limits- things that i would not budge on, and then i had things that i would be willing to compromise on. i expanded my search, got a little down on myself, i went on several interviews, entertained ideas that i wouldn't normally entertain, and ultimately, i was beginning to become desperate.

...but i found it. i have officially accepted my offer this afternoon for an exciting opportunity- one that is in line with exactly what i want to be doing. i start in less than three weeks. don't give up. great things come to those who deserve it, and work for it.

it has been one heck of a ride, but boy, does it feel good to be employed again!


j

new memories.

this past weekend, i made the trek out from new york city back out to the hamptons. there was a family in town from japan, and i was asked to show them around a little bit. i was a little nervous about what to do as the daughter, an adorable ten year old, might get bored doing something too "adult." the family actually had asked to go to the local carnival- something that does not exist in japan. it was exciting to see her face in awe of the flashing lights, the crowds and the fun rides.

talk about a flashback to childhood.

just a few of my new memories:

 hope you all had a great weekend. onto the new week!


j

an icon.

wandering through the streets of the west village, i stumbled upon this little gem.  it is really amazing that there are so many people and places to accidentally run into, even if you aren't looking for them. 

recognize it? 

hint: i had the 90s sitcom theme song stuck in my head for the remainder of the day.


as always, have a fabulous weekend!


j

the little things.

there are little things in daily life that help keep my mind off of other big things going on. though i need to start focusing more on getting organized and finding a good job, its still the little things that keep me going.

hand-picked, homemade lobster salad

local long island corn 

mexican for dinner 

little bit of nature in the concrete jungle 

new goodies in the mail!

don't worry. be happy.


j


ps. can you even believe it is august!?

direction.

have you ever had days where your brain just feels like mush? like it is going in all sorts of directions all at the same time? well, my thoughts are moving similarly to the people walking through the busiest intersection in the world: scramble intersection [スクランブル交差点] in shibuya, japan.

i am a text-book virgo. i plan meticulously, and know what i want and where i want to be. unfortunately, there are roadblocks and obstacles to get around to get there. for the past month and a half, i have been living at home. [thank goodness it is the summer!] i hate the feeling of not having to wake up to do anything, as if i have no purpose. i want to be going to yoga and work out everyday, but unfortunately, i have hurt my knee and was told to take it easy (ie: no yoga!) until i get it looked at by an orthopedic doctor. [i have an appointment with one in two weeks...]  i know i am being hard on myself, and that these things happen, but to be quite frank, i am ready to get back to work and to have a daily routine.

today, i have two (what i hope to be) final interviews with two different companies for two different positions. i couldn't be more excited and nervous.


wish me luck!

j

new memories.

so this past weekend was full of clouds and rain. it figures that today [monday] is absolutely beautiful. nonetheless, i had a great weekend- full of family, baking, and the olympics. i went with my family to costco for some good ol' american shopping. we also swung by my grandmother's house to make her dinner. this week is going to be interesting- i have a lot going on! hopefully i will have some good news in the next few days.

[please note that the beautiful beach pictures are from friday...before the torrential downpours.]

how was your weekend?

j

a grand opening ceremony.

it is finally here! the summer olympics of 2012- hosted by london.

will you be watching?? what are your favorite events?


have a fabulous weekend!

j


photo courtesy of a friend of mine taken in london a few weeks back.

a good recipe: chicken pesto.

trying to make the most of my time off, i have been trying to balance my time at the beach with a little cooking and baking.  yesterday, i baked oatmeal blueberry cookies and for dinner, i made chicken pesto. in the backyard, we have so much fresh basil that had yet to be used- rather than leaving it for the bugs, i wanted to take advantage of what we had and make a fresh pesto.

what you need
food processor
one large frying pan
one large pot

the recipe
6 cups of fresh basil (not pressed down)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese *
1/4 cup pine nuts*
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
two pinches of salt [to taste]
two pinches of pepper [to taste]
one box of pasta of choice (i used a thinner spaghetti)
one pack of thinly sliced chicken breast (about 5 pieces)

the possible adjustments for taste
pesto is all about finding the right balance of ingredients that works for your taste, so keep that in mind!
instead of parmesan, you can also use romano cheese for a stronger taste
if you have a nut allergy, you can omit the pine nuts all together
for added flavor, you can also add sundried tomato to the mix

the cooking
toast the pine nuts lightly in a pan over low heat. set aside.

using the same pan, grill the chicken using a bit of olive oil and seasoning only with black pepper. once grilled, use a knife and fork to pull the chicken into small pieces. set aside.

in the food processor, combine the fresh basil, olive oil, cheese, garlic and pine nuts [setting aside a small amount for garnish].  pulse until all ingredients are well blended. add salt and pepper to taste.

boil the pasta. once boiled and strained, set aside momentarily. in the large pot where you grilled the chicken, add some olive oil and the shredded chicken to reheat. add the pesto and stir. add the pasta a little at a time. continue to stir until the sauce and chicken are evenly distributed. use the pine nuts set aside for garnish. you can also choose not to mix the pesto in with the pasta and instead spoon the sauce over pasta.

makes 4 servings [with enough leftover for seconds for one person, or one packed lunch!]

you can also use this pesto as a spread over toasted baguette, or even a baked potato.

yesterday, we also figured out why our chives weren't growing in...

enjoy!


j

the little things. [and a glossybox review.]

as much as being unemployed seems like a temporary vacation, i must admit, i am getting quite tired of it. i am itching to get back to work, to a regular adult-like routine (as the majority of my day right now consists of laying at the beach).  although, i will say that it has made for a smoother transition, i start to doubt myself in some strange way. being the only one of my friends in this situation, having no one but myself to enjoy the beautiful summer days with... i am sure you are thinking: "rough situation, julia, really rough." but let me tell you, i do not feel independent. i do not feel as free as you would think. i have really had to look to the little things that surround me to keep me staying positive.

tackling my summer reading list

homemade games made of driftwood left at the beach

flags hung at the beach

my much needed new wallet

at the original tate's

ALSO

the june 2012 glossybox

the june 2012 glossybox review that i owed ya!

the ahava: mineral botanic hibiscus and fig velvet cream wash smells amazing and left my skin feeling very soft. 

i have a confession. i don't ever use shaving cream- just soap and hot water. so it was great to try the first aid beauty: smooth shaving cream. it left my legs feeling uber moisturized and i loved it. i think it turned me into a believer. 

the ofra cosmetics: eye shadow ICE was an easy application. a little goes a long way- and you can add layers to deepen the color. 

one thing that i am always self conscious of is the dark circles around my eyes. luckily in the summer when i have some life to my face, it isn't as noticeable, but the vbeatute: lite up, buying time, and eye never creams will be a great addition to my routine come winter, when they are most noticeable. 

as i have mentioned before, my hair tends to get very dried out, so i was excited that for the second month in a row, there was a deep conditioning treatment in my glossybox. the wella professionals: enrich moisturizing treatment only took a few minutes but left my hair feeling naturally silky.

i got a sixth item this month [score!]: the a perfume organic: urban organic eu de parfum is a great summer scent.

get your own glossybox here!

happy wednesday!


j