lazy monday

(Sweater: Nordstrom; skirt: Brandy & Melville; socks: J.crew; shoes: Madewell)

My day in pictures - G and I stopped by Urth Cafe for a quick lunch, and then headed over to Diamond Bar  to see what it's all about. With some helpful recommendations from a friend, I checked out some Asian-style clothing and cosmetics stores, and then had dinner at a Japanese curry restaurant called Coco Ichibanya. The eggplant curry was so light and refreshingly yummy! The last couple of photos are in Genki Living, a Japanese -style dessert place. Isn't their interior so unique? It felt like I went back to Japan in the 60s or 70s. What a nice surprise :)

I hope you had a lovely MLK day <3 

Until next time.

Love,

Samantha Mariko

healthy choices

Here it is! My first cooking post. 

Tonight, I made basil chicken breast & a vegetable medley, paired with a parmesan-asiago rosemary roll from Trader Joe's.

Both were really easy to make. 

For the vegetables, I used olive oil, minced garlic, salt and pepper to sautee the yellow & red bell peppers, green beans, carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms.

I sliced the chicken breasts into smaller pieces so that they would cook faster, and cooked them in olive oil, salt & pepper, and basil. I accidentally added a bit too much olive oil to the pan, but it actually gave more juice and flavor to the meat. It was surprisingly delicious.

Next time, I want to try a red wine reduction for the chicken :) 

Cooking is so fun, I wish I had time to do this more often. 

Anyways, cheers!

Love,

Samantha Mariko

hapa love

(shirt: blacklava.net; cutoffs: vintage Levi's; shoes: Converse; earrings: gift)

Growing up, I would always be confused whenever I had to check a box to describe my ethnicity-
 Asian or white/ Caucasian.
That's why I love the hapa shirt my guy gave me for Christmas. It's the only box I should be checking now ;)

You can view more hapa shirts here.

I had received these earrings a while ago but never had the opportunity to wear them. They're handmade Native-American turquoise earrings - the color seemed appropriate for the warm LA weather.



All in all, even if you can't find a shirt to describe your ethnicity, you should be proud of who you are. I definitely am!


Much love,


Samantha Mariko

2012!

Happy New Year everyone!

I kick-started my year with runway shows and performances in Little Tokyo for A Japanese New Year's Celebration. It was so warm today but I had a great time :)

(shirt,vest and hat: 2WJD; jeans: BDG; shoes: Madewell)

The runway show was for the boutique 2WJD, and I sang two songs, an original called "Miss you" and a cover of "Tomoshibi ~when the earth shakes~" by Sunplaza Naganokun.

Not everything went as planned, but we made do. It was definitely a great experience.

I am so excited for this year, I hope you all have a wonderful 2012!

あけましておめでとうございます！

Love,

Samantha Mariko

looking back

I can't believe that 2011 is finally coming to a close. This year was a very exciting year for me - many new experiences, people and places. Some memorable moments:

1. My first piano recital at UCLA

2. My first kimono fashion show at LACMA 

3. Dying my hair for the first time ever

4. Winning first prize at a Japanese speech contest at CalState LA

5. Meeting some awesome Japanese models Melody Yoko, Audrey Ayaka, and Akane Nakajima

6. Going to some amazing concerts (B'z, Dreams Come True, Suburban Legends, Neon Trees, Yuja Wang)

7. Participating in my first runway show for 2WJD, as well as subsequent ones

8. Participating in several Japanese festivals in LA

9. Expanding my modeling portfolio

10. Turning 21 :)

11. Starting my first blog on Wordpress

12. Starting my second one here in October

13. Finishing my classes at UCLA!!

14. My 2 trips to San Francisco with my man 

15. Celebrating my one year with him <3

The list became a bit longer than I thought.. but there you go. 

What was your most memorable moment of 2011? 

Also, I just want to thank all of my followers and readers for reading my blog and leaving wonderful feedback. All of the comments mean so much to me (I read all of them!). I am honestly surprised to see that this blog has reached over a thousand views in 3 months. Thank you!!

あなたにとって、来年も良い一年になりますように☆

Hope you have a great year! See you next year!

(from the above-mentioned kimono show :) )