Not long after Comic-Con, Dominic and I attended a truly one-of-a-kind event: Mark Hamill’s street sign dedication! I heard about the event on KUSI News because news anchor Lisa Remillard mentioned she would be hosting the event. It was a hot day, which made it a tad bit rough on Dominic, but he stuck it out like a (Storm) trooper and we witnessed a cool bit of Star Wars history. For those of you who are wondering, “Why San Diego?” Mark Hamill spent some of his childhood in the Clairemont area, where the street sign is located.
We originally had a strange vantage point because we decided to grab some lunch nearby, which meant had lost some prime real estate where we would have had a better view. As a result, we had to stand in an awkward place behind the media staging area. Luckily for us, my cousin Regi and her son Riley had been in attendance and we moved closer to the action right near the actual stage. I’ve included a couple of videos below, which was Mark Hamill’s speech, the unveiling of the honorary street sign and declaration of July 30, 2017 as “Mark Hamill Day”.
May The Force be With You and Cheers!
Clockwise from the left: Me, Regi, Riley & Dominic
Fashion powerhouse Balenciaga introduced the “Cosmetic Pantashoes” taking the thigh-high boot to a new level by creating a legging/boot hybrid. I love the look, and it can be worn so many ways, as in the images below from The Daily Mail (article here). While the look is sleek and very fashion forward, the price tag of $2,850 may be a little more than most of us can afford.
Balenciaga’s Pantashoes
Elastic Wonder’s LeggingShoes™
One of my favorite designers, Idil Vice (see posts here, here and here of her rock inspired designs), has a second company called Elastic Wonder, showcasing her amazing spandex clothing line. To expand her current line, Idil has a Kickstarter project that will offer a more affordable version of the Pantashoe called the LeggingShoes™.
In addition to the fabulous LeggingShoes™, her new Kickstarter project also features 80 fabulous solid colors of her spandex leggings and tights, as seen in the images below. With fall just around the corner, these leggings, tights and LeggingShoes™ will brighten up any wardrobe!
There are 15 different ways to back this fantastic project, and you know I’ll also be supporting it as well. Click the link below for the Kickstarter campaign, and check out samples of the the colors Idil will offer of the leggings and tights, including a color card of all of the colors that will be available at Elastic Wonder once we help her hit her goal!
Back in March, my sister and I had a wonderful lunch at Bongiorno’s New York Pizzeria at Poway Valley Center (original post here). If you’ve been by there lately, there are some exciting changes happening, with completion planned for this fall. Although updates are underway, all of the businesses are open during renovations! My sister took these pictures this week, and even stopped by and picked up her favorites at Bongiorno’s. We have also made plans to come back and try out Don Pollo, and then get our nails done at Glaze Complete Nail Care.
So if you’re in the area, come on in and visit Poway Valley Center because they are definitely open for business!
It’s been a busy year for The Chen Family! From getting new jobs to graduating college, we’ve been busy bees since the start of 2017. As a blogger, I do have the occasional post that I’m required to upload no matter what, but there are also many events that I get invited to that I share mostly on my social media platforms. Outside of those required posts, I’ve finally found time to post a few catch up posts of all the wonderful events I’ve attended in the first six months of this year.
Cheers!
Louis Vuitton x Unicef – 1/12/17
One of my blogger friends, Ashley Pöppe, works at Louis Vuitton at Fashion Valley and occasionally invites fellow bloggers and stylists to events there. At the Louis Vuitton x Unicef, a specially designed Lockit pendant and bracelet that was created to help children in urgent need was presented for purchase. For each sale, $200 was donated to UNICEF.
This wonderful bootie is called “The Ranger”
Easily my favorite set of pictures from that night! Kali from In Spades is a lovely friend and a blogger who I’ve come to know better in this interesting and creative world of blogging. There was a person stationed at this picture spot who just made us crack up as he was taking our picture, and we loved that he captured every giggle-filled moment!
Grand Opening of Flourish By Blues & Shoes – 2/18/17
Flourish by Blues & Shoes opened in February of this year where The Beat Clothing used to be in Carlsbad. Although I will miss The Beat dearly (see posts here and here), Flourish is a unique bohemian shopping experience with beautiful clothing, accessories and home goods!
Malia Designs Spring Collection 2017 – 3/16/17
I was introduced to Malia Designs two years ago (posts here and here), and I do everything I can to laud their cause, as they support the fight against human trafficking. They introduced their spring collection earlier this year at the Rigby & Pellar store in Fashion Valley.
It’s always fun to attend runway shows when I can, even when I arrive late! I attended the Primavera Fashion Show at Fashion Valley in celebration of the San Diego Latino Film Festival, and caught this video capture that I shared on my Instastories, as I arrived “fashionably late” from my office in Carlsbad.
Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer Collection 2017 – 3/31/17
Maria Von Losch is a stylist, author and blogger of Savvynista who I’ve also come to know. I’ve had the pleasure of being invited to a few of her events, including this one at Macy’s in Fashion Valley. During this showcase, she featured festival style, showing multiple ways of wearing the same piece.
A Stargazer Brunch at Vocabulary Boutique – 5/7/17
Cecilia Church, owner of Vocabulary Boutique, always has wonderful events either on location at her shop in Little Italy, or somewhere fabulous in San Diego. I’ll put up a full post of her most recent event on a catamaran (yes, shopping on a boat), but I also attended their delightful “A Stargazing Brunch” the day before my birthday back in May, complete with celestial cookies and a Tarot card reader!
How fabulous are these cookies?
I adore my Taurus necklace, a gift from Vocabulary Boutique!
Fashion Week San Diego Spring Showcase 2017 – 5/13/17
Fashion Week San Diego celebrates their 10th year anniversary this year, and I have been attending since 2013. Back in May, I attended the FWSD Spring Showcase 2017, which is the kickoff event to all of the celebrations leading up to the runway shows in October.
With Fatsani of Tasanni, one of the designers featured in FWSD 2015
I purchased a fabulous leather cuff from Alber Rezko (a jewelry designer who showed at FWSD 2014 & 2015) and a FWSD bomber jacket!
Natuzzi Italia Collection at Hold It Home – 5/18/17
Hold It Contemporary Home in Mission Valley had a VIP celebration back in May because they added luxury brand Natuzzi Italia to their showroom. Pasquale Natuzzi founded The Natuzzi Italia Group in 1959, and is Italy’s largest furniture house. The designs are beautiful, sleek, and meticulously designed and the event was fun to attend!
Sips & Sparkle with Art In The Find and Touchstone Crystal – 6/15/17
Conni of the blog Art in the Find had a fun event in June with Touchstone Crystal by Swarovski at the beautiful Bay Club Carmel Valley. Touchstone Crystal is a more contemporary arm of Swarovski, allowing more casual designs with the same quality crystals, that can be worn everyday.
Delicious drinks and appetizers provided by Bay Club Carmel Valley
We each got to take home a beautiful tennis bracelet by Touchstone Crystal
Have you read Ready Player One by Ernest Cline yet? I’m obsessed with everything RP1 because although it’s set in the near future, it heavily features the nostalgia of the 1980’s (not to mention, the audio book is narrated by Wil Wheaton). In the book, I imagine that the OASIS game creator James Halliday’s collection of video game consoles and arcade games would have looked exactly like this new exhibition at Balboa Park’s Fleet Science Center, GAME MASTERS: The Exhibition. I first heard about this exhibition on Good Morning San Diego on KUSI News from none other than Brad Perry. After seeing just the arcade game portion of the segment, I knew I had to take the kids to see it. I actually finished RP1 after I visited this fantastic exhibition, and I’m so glad I did because I learned so much about the game designers that I recognized exactly who Ernest Cline was referring to in many instances, including when he mentions Dave Theurer, creator of my all time favorite arcade game, Tempest.
GAME MASTERS is separated into three sections. It starts off with “Arcade Heroes” showcasing arcade games from my childhood. The “Game Changers” section features games and consoles that took video game playing to the next level. Finally “Indies” highlights current games very familiar to my son and niece, like Angry Birds and of course, Minecraft.
Video game aficionados and fans of RP1 should definitely take advantage of visiting this amazing exhibition. GAME MASTERS was developed by ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) and is open now through January 15, 2018. Information about the Fleet Science Center, including hours and admission can be found here.
Cheers!
ACRADE HEROES
Mei-Lin attempting to play Space Invaders
My husband showing Dominic how it’s done! (Playing Elevator Action)
There, in front of me, at the base of this long pillar of light, stood an old coin-operated arcade game. I recognized its distinctive, angular cabinet immediately. Tempest. Atari. 1980.
– Parzival, Ready Player One
Your’s truly and Mei getting on the board!
GAME CHANGERS
Dominic playing SIMS
Mei-Lin…concentrating
INDIES
Playing Angry Birds on a touch-screen TV
Having fun with Castle Crashers
Not your typical game of “Air Hockey”
The only other game I’m actually good at: PaRappa the Rapper
One of their all-time favorites: MINECRAFT
FTC Disclosure: I received complementary passes to enjoy Game Masters: The Exhibition at The Fleet Science Center. Although I did receive complementary passes, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
During the summer, it’s always great when my sister and I can get together and take the kids out, especially since we have similar days off. Earlier this month, we took the kids out for a fantastic lunch at Quick Wok, located in the Carmel Mountain area at Rancho Carmel Plaza. The food was fast, delicious and the prices averaged at $10 or below, which made our lunch with drinks $35 for four people!
If you’re craving tasty Chinese cuisine at an affordable price, Quick Wok is located at 10175 Rancho Carmel Drive, San Diego, CA 92128 and they can be reached at (858) 592-7770. If you’re in the area, you can also use Door Dash to have their full menu delivered to your door!
Cheers!
Hot & Sour Soup
The Sesame Chicken was amazing!
My sister had the House Special Beef and she loved it!
The kids love dumplings, so each ordered the Fried Pot Stickers. With a side of rice, it was a perfectly sized meal for each of them!
Our entire meal as pictured, with four drinks came to $35!
FTC Disclosure: I received compensation to patronize a business at Rancho Carmel Plaza. Although I did receive compensation, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
It’s getting hot here in San Diego, and what better way than to cool off at LEGOLAND’S® Water Park in Carlsbad! A couple of months ago, my sister and I got to spend the day there with the kids to kick off their “Splash Out To Summer”. In addition to the festivities, we also got to see behind the scenes during the construction of their newest attraction, Surfers’ Cove. We captured all of the fun we had that day, and I’ll be sure to post when Surfers’ Cove officially opens!
A very early morning at LEGOLAND®!
(This image courtesy of LEGOLAND®)
While I stayed with the kids at the Water Park, my sister got to tour the area where Surfers’ Cove was being built.
This area is near where the entrance would be to Surfers’ Cove and the blue platform area will become the Surfers’ Ride. There will also be a Beach Street Taco stand, and we got the chance to sample what will be offered. Pictured below is a delicious fish taco!
A fun little gift pack; I’m excited to finally have a waterproof carrier for my phone!
(Most pictures taken by Rholnna Jiao & Cy Chen, unless otherwise noted)
As mentioned in my previous post, I purchased two Victoria Beckham items at Target: a bomber jacket and a dress. I purchased a black shirt dress with a white-collar and white cuffs by Glamorous back in 2013 that I wore to Fashion Week San Diego (post here) . Unfortunately, I followed the wash instructions incorrectly and I damaged the collar and cuffs. Since then, I have been on the hunt for something similar. When I saw the Black Collared Dress from the Victoria Beckham for Target collection, I knew I had found the one. It is extremely well made and fits perfectly, skimming my body without being too tight. The rabbit details are more charming than cutesy, giving it a very vintage feel, which is why it was perfect that we did a photo shoot in South Park at Bad Madge, one of my favorite vintage stores in San Diego. A big plus: the dress is machine washable, and came out just as perfect as when I bought it!
Inside Bad Madge. I was going to buy that cape, and let them know I was coming back for it. I haven’t gone back yet, but I’m hoping it’s still there!
Outfit: Black Collared Dress by Victoria Beckham for Target (no longer available online); Miista “Eva” pumps (no longer available); BCBG purse (from the outlet store); Kate Spade bracelet & earrings (no longer available); Tights c/o Berkshire at eberkshire.com; Savannah Animal Print Frames c/o Select Specs
Having been to London three times (and counting), I have a great love of pubs. I love the sports fueled atmosphere, the camaraderie, and especially the food, affectionately known as pub grub. Recently, my sister and I had lunch at a great little pub located at Sabre Springs Plaza called Phileas Fogg’s Bar & Restaurant. They were voted “San Diego’s Best” three years in a row, and by the experience we had, we could see why. Right when I walked in, I felt like I entered a pub in London, soccer prominent at every turn, even on the ceiling!
The food was just as wonderful as the atmosphere, reminding me of England on one hand, as well as making me feel right at home. Their menu ranges from traditional British fare, to Asian and Mexican. I had the Bangers & Mash with brown gravy and onions, and my sister had the fish tacos, along with her favorite appetizer, poutine fries. We finished off our afternoon with bread pudding and banana fritters with ice cream for dessert. It’s good to know that I can have delicious pub grub right in my own backyard!
If you would like to indulge in some pub grub while catching your favorite football club on the telly, Phileas Fogg’s Bar & Restaurant is located at 11385 Poway Road, #100 San Diego, CA 92128 and they can be reached at (858) 486-4442. Cheers!
Football (NFL) & more football (soccer)? Why yes! Plus, take a look at that ceiling and the amount of jerseys and flags; I spotted Manchester United straight away!
Above: Bangers & Mash; Poutine Fries
Below: Fish tacos
Above: Banana fritters with ice cream
Below: Bread pudding with white chocolate chips and caramel
Pub grub just the way I love it!
FTC Disclosure: I received compensation to patronize a business at Sabre Springs Plaza. Although I did receive compensation, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
Hometown eateries are always a great find because they’re like hidden gems. My sister and I have been discovering fun places to eat up near where she lives in Rancho Bernardo, and Bongiorno’s Pizza in the Poway Valley Center is a tasty and affordable choice for Italian cuisine. Our entire lunch meal, which included our main dishes with garlic knots, drinks and dessert only came to $29! There were so many great choices, which solidifies a return trip with our families!
If you would like a great and affordable Italian dining experience, Bongiorno’s Pizza is located at 13332 Poway Road, Poway CA 92064 and they can be reached at (858) 679-3278. They also do deliveries within 5 miles. Cheers!
Bongiorno’s has a cozy feel, with lots of pictures of New York. Isn’t that pizza clock awesome?
I had the spaghetti with meat sauce, and my sister had the baked ziti. Both were really good, and we loved the garlic knots!
“Leave the gun, take the cannoli…”
This is absolutely one of the best deals at Bongiorno’s: the Dough Bites. They are deep fried dough rolled in powdered sugar, and come in a small pizza box. The entire box was only $4.99 and so great hot and right out of the box!
FTC Disclosure: I received compensation to patronize a business at Poway Valley Center. Although I did receive compensation, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.
