Shady Business.

It's finally Friday! I can't wait for the weekend to actually hit. What are my big plans for this holiday weekend? Well being that I don't get Monday off, it doesn't feel like a holiday. So my weekend consists of doing absolutely nothing but run errands. Going to go buy me a some new primer (any recs?), I'm going to read a lot of books, go through my netflix, stroll through the farmer's market, church it up, and hit the thrift event happening in LA. Yes, I have a busy weekend planned. I'm going to enjoy this last bit of sun we've been having and just kick back.

I'm ready to go on an adventure y'all! Have a Happy Weekend!

Go lightly.

I've been kind of in a weird brain funk. My mind is going kooks and I'm going bonkers trying to figure out what's next in life. I'm entering my mid-twenties soon (so excited!) but I want life to.. be. In my prayers I keep asking, What's next? What do you want from me?

I'll turn on a film & pour over the art & aesthetics of the picture. 

I think it's time to dust off my old sketchbook and pencils and return to the world of art & design.

I think need to return to my love. It's time.

The magic of movie making is and will always be my first love. Sorry future husband, but that spot is taken. I can spend hours/days watching movies and feel joy and happiness. I can spend weeks talking philosophy and theory behind movie making but the indefinable, intangible magic behind the moving pictures makes me speechless. I studied film in college. 

Cameron Crowe recently got his hands on a note that Ms Hepburn wrote to the composer of Breakfast of Tiffany's. Her letter makes me long for beauty in cinema. She writes,

A movie without music is a little bit like an aeroplane without fuel. However beautifully the job is done, we are still on the ground and in a world of reality. Your music has lifted us all up and sent us soaring. Everything we cannot say with words or show with action you have expressed for us. You have done this with so much imagination, fun and beauty.
You are the hippest of cats - and most sensitive of composers!

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I want to watch a picture that makes me soar above reality.
Ms Hepburn is so beautiful.
She is bewitching.

diy stripes.

This year is already craaaaazzy but I do have a DIY I wanted to share with y'all! 

Inspiration:

Esquival brogues

The tools:

1. Shoes that are worn beyond necessary

2. Paint

3. Lots of tape

 Step 1: clearly mark with your tape the section you want painted. (My tape job is a little messy)

Step 2: Paint, paint, paint. I used many coats.

Step 3: Peel the tape and fix any messy spots. I took art my whole life so I have a steady hand when it comes to painting (only painting though).

Step 4: Wear and enjoy!

Seeing in instagram

A little round up of pictures from my instagram. I love this app! You can find me @thanksgrace if you are a user. 

 At the hardware store, cutting some wood. 

 Crumbs cupcakes

 Anthro inspiration. Love the lights

Yummiest Mac & Cheese as a part of our New Years Eve meal.

NYE feast

Love the colors of the tommy toes.

My sister is a goofball!

 cutest salt and pepper shaker

yummiest sandwich from a place near work.

Can you tell I love food? It was my greatest comfort this week. 

Happy Friday Y'all! Hope you have a YUMMY weekend!

wake up.

It's only the 4th day of this new year and I'm already sinking into the hole of bad attitudes. I just want to curl up into a ball in bed all day and not come out. It's hot. I'm looking outside thinking is it really January? 

And there is so much uncertainty in my life that my hair is falling out. Sometimes I think it would be easier if I knew how to turn my brain to silent. Is there a mute button somewhere? Anywhere?

 Over the break, I was like this. Blissfully unaware of the tightening of clothes as I spent my time with good food and even better company. But I am resolved to never let failure defeat me so I won't. Even harder, I will never let bad attitude defeat me.

I planned on being fancier this year. A little more put together in my dress so hopefully my mind follows suit. I tried, I really did.

But then, I checked the weather and decided that being fancy is not on the agenda for today. So I quickly changed into cropped pants and a blue tee. 

I think I'm more like this..

As much as I love Carrie's sophisticated style, I love her in casual clothes.Pairing an oversized sweater with Manolos.

But I'm ready. Armed with an apple and lots of water, I plan on taking on my bad attitude with ... resolve!

Here's to 2012!

I am very excited for 2012. On New Years, my family starts the year off with the Korean tradition of eating dduk guk, which is a rice cake soup. The tradition is to bless the parents with one deep bow and wish the parentals a very blessed new year. After that, the parents give words of wisdom and new, crisp money. The New Year traditions are all centered around family, blessings, and prosperity.

 The rice cake soup with dumplings. My momma is the best cook ever. Everything is home made.

All the sides, even though we don't really need anything besides the dduk guk.

I really hope to be a better person in the new year. I'm horrible at making and keeping resolutions. I'm a moment-by-moment gal and my life is so unpredictable. However, there are certain rules and resolutions that I need to live by no matter the circumstances.

I was inspired by this great post on how to make and keep resolutions.

She says there are 4 steps in making and keeping New Year resolutions:

Step 1: List your goals.

Step 2: List any barriers to your goals.

Step 3: Write and action plan for each goal.

Step 4: Mark key dates in your yearly diary planner.

I want to laugh more, travel more, style more, love more, read more, diy more, cook more, clean more, sing & dance (I know no one else wants that from me) more, and be more. This is a year of focus and determination and learning how to be the woman that God wants me to be. 

Hello 2012! I'm ready for you!

goodbye & hello!

I don't know about you, but 2011 was a hard year. I was challenged in every way possible (financially, spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally) and my true friends rose above the bs and came to my side. Thank God for friends, accountability, and hope. I don't think I would have made it to the today with such high spirits if it wasn't for good people. But the year wasn't all bad, 2011 was filled with some good times so let's cut to pictures!

 I crossed off working in NYC from my To Do List. Picture is from The Met and Jacque Torres Chocolate Chip Cookie which is the best thing I ever ate!

Had an all expense paid work trip to Chicago. It was a great summer! Started off as hell but ended it with a bang!

 Many trips to Disneyland with the Sister.

And a very special trip to Bishop to see the trees with my mom.

My main lesson for 2011 was to have hope and to cling on to what is good. The year ended with a slew of movies watched but the last one for 2011 was The Adventures of Tin Tin and boy did that movie speak to me. Captain Haddock says something to Tin Tin towards the end of the film that stuck with me (may be a spoiler... so skip this section if you plan on watching it).

Captain Haddock 

I thought you were an optimist.  

Tintin

You were wrong, weren't you? I'm a realist.  

Captain Haddock 

Ah, it's just another name for a quitter.  

Tintin 

You can call me what you like. Don't you get it? We failed.  

Captain Haddock 

Failed. There are plenty of others willing to call you a failure. A fool. A loser. A hopeless souse. Don't you ever say it of yourself. You send out the wrong signal, that is what people pick up. Don't you understand? You care about something, you fight for it. You hit a wall, you push through it. There's something you need to know about failure, Tintin. 

You can never let it defeat you. 

So here's to you 2012! I will never let failure defeat me!  

Happy New Year everyone!

excuse me while I look at cuties.

I'm not the biggest fan of animals. I think the wild needs to stay out in the wild. I see movies like Rise of the Planet of the Apes and I think, "really?! you're bringing a wild creature into your home and you're not expecting it to go crazy?" So when I see pictures of animals and I say AWWWW... You know I'm looking at something special.

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Hope you're all having an 

ADORABLE holiday!

Allow me to reintroduce myself.

My name is Grace

G to the R-Ace. 

--

Thank you for letting me have my little Jay-Z moment.

I don't think I ever did an introduction to who I am and how I came to be at this blog. 

Welcome to the many sides of ME!

I am from Los Angeles (born and raised) and my parents are from Korea.

I went to school at USC for Cinema-Television or we're now called Cinematic Arts (oh-so fancy title for the unemployable). 

I studied classic art (painting, drawing, pastels) for 12 years. I was planning on going to art school, had my portfolio all made, but as soon as I got accepted into USC film I pursued my movie making passions.

I currently work freelance as a casting assistant and I still love production. 

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Now for the real making of Grace and the Grace note.

I am in love with fashion and food (preferably sweet foods) if you can't tell by my blog and I have really love-hate relationship with food.

I'm told I dress like a mix between a 6 year old and a 60 year old. Being that I studied art my entire life, I like small details that make me stand out. I don't like to be the center of attention but I do want a little bit of my personality to come out in what I wear.

I'm very easily distracted by shiny, colorful, and soft.

I truly believe in finding beauty in every moment and in every place. I think this world is so bombarded by what is ugly and what is mean-spirited, that we are blind to the greatness right in front of us.

I'm constantly distracted by my own hopes and dreams that I often forget to live in the now. I'm constantly looking ahead, and I don't realize that I just stepped in poop. I want to focus on what's happening now in front of me.

I cannot believe we are in the last week of 2011!

Merry Christmas!

What's Christmas without some Friends?!

Merry Christmas & Happy holidays everyone!