dynamo donuts

The kind of place with chocolate rose and caramel del sel donuts (among many others). The donuts were rich and indulgent, but my favorite was the lavender view.

Check out Katrina's photos here.

24th & mission

Hanging out with Katrina, snapping photos all along 24th and Mission. These are only glimpses of the vibrant colors and yummy Mexican bakeries we saw, but I already know I need to spend more time there.

Check out Katrina's photos over at Pugly Pixel.

trouble

After Outerlands, Katrina and I took a roundabout walk to Trouble Coffee (even though it was only down the street). I loved that we started talking about photography because I really admire her photos-- especially on Instagram. I have a real soft spot for all of her great feet photos since I take feet photos in every new city I visit.

Trouble Coffee is an adorable coffee and coconut bar in the Sunset. They only offer drinks in one size, the entire menu fits on about half a page, and their coffee is fantastic. Their seating area outside is made up of distorted tree trunks and everyone dresses like it's the 90's. Portlandia indeed.

outerlands

Sometimes I feel insecure about my blog. I worry about what I write, how I portray it, if it's reaching anyone. I get caught up in numbers.




How silly.








I met Katrina for lunch at Outerlands and remembered why I began blogging-- that this space is my virtual journal and my only real audience is future me. Any friends who stop by along the way are blessings. You can imagine how elated I was* to get this reminder from the author/mastermind behind one of my favorite blogs.



*You can also imagine how elated I was to learn we're both Filipino pescetarians!

PS - Outerlands was amazing. I'll go ahead and speak for both of us when I say we recommend this place 1000%.

meeting joy

There's something different about meeting a blogger in real life. When meeting actors and musicians, you have a tiny idea of what to expect-- you've seen them perform and how they move. Bloggers are more like authors, probably because I think they're one and the same.

They have a book (or in this case, a blog) that you've invested part of yourself into. They write words you could have sworn were yours first. And you get to follow them along over the period of many books, even series (or in this case, over years of posts and photographs).

I've come to know Joy the Baker for her innovative recipes and the anecdotes and photographs that come with them. The ease and honesty in her posts are something I aspire for in my own writing. Her photographs are vivid and real; they don't feel staged. And everything I've made from her blog has been out of this world.




Luckily, she's compiled even more recipes in her new cookbook and has been traveling around on her book tour. I got to meet her this weekend at Omnivore Books, a local bookstore dedicated to all things food. One thing about Omnivore is that it's tiny. And there must have been at least 100 people who came to see Joy.

The "wait" was long because Joy took the time to talk to everyone, sign their books, take photos. When it was my turn I asked her if she said she was tired. "Nope, not at all. I'm great. This is amazing" is how she responded.

I told her how I felt about her writing, that I wished we could sit down to a cup of tea, and asked her if she'd ever heard of ube. (She hadn't, but fingers crossed we see an ube recipe on her blog some day!) When I left the bookstore, her uncle asked me and some girls how we'd describe her if we could only use one word. At the time I said "radiant," but when I think more I'd say "warm." Radiance has a kind of untouchability, whereas Joy is someone you want to have over for a tea and waffle party. Every Sunday morning.

She was so happy to meet everyone, so happy to share her art and her passion. So warm.



Adoration aside, it was just nice to finally meet her.

fairy tale lands

I wrote about these (and other) fairy tale lands* over at Kelly Ann's yesterday! What I wouldn't give to jet off to Europe this weekend...

*As mystically beautiful as these two cities are, they are, indeed, real. San Marino and Salzburg, to be exact.

#janphotoaday

My twitter and instagram worlds have been inundated with Fat Mum Slim's January Photo-a-day Challenge... and I love it.

I'm sure David will be rolling his eyes whenever he reads this (he likes to remind me that my "Letter A Day" project is terribly misnamed) but I've been really good about this one. I love seeing how my breakfast compares with Katrina's or Maddy's. Or how my sky is the same but different than Johanna's or Ashlee's.

It's something simple and silly but it makes me love blogland even more.

(Psst-- it's not too late to join in! My username is extracelestial-- you know, kinda like ET.)

lately

Lately, I've been waiting for the call. The email. The anything.

I scroll through website after website wondering if maybe this job is the one. If future me will look back on this moment and say, "If only you knew then what clicking on this link would lead to." But it's not the one. "It" isn't anything, actually. And it hasn't happened.

You guys, this job search is eating away at my soul.

I've never seen myself as someone who likes to boast about their accomplishments. I like to let my work speak for itself. But these dozens of cover letters, these resume revisions, these interviews are wearing me down. I know that it's a tough market and those dozens of interviews-past "just weren't meant to be," but each unanswered application and each interview I hear nothing from is like another blow to the ego.

So I wanted to reach out to blogland and ask if anyone could share... well, anything. How you transitioned to this awful thing called "adulthood." How you found your job.(If you know of any editorial positions in the Bay Area anywhere).

Or just a little story to remind me that one day I will look back on this time and laugh because it'll all have been worth it.

a litte makeover

Who am I kidding-- this is a BIG makeover!

The amazing and wonderfully talented Suzy created my new header and sidebar illustrations and I am in love! (I tweaked the rest of the layout myself). If anyone is thinking of giving their blog a new look, I highly recommend her-- she's an amazing artist and really easy to work with.

Instead of completely revamping everything and pretending like nothing happened, I thought I'd give a little insight to the illustrations. I asked Suzy to add the books, tea, globe, and stars because I felt that together, they represented my little corner of the internet.

Books: Some of my best childhood companions. My favorite way to get lost is in a book.
Tea: I'm obsessed (especially with tea parties) and it represents my blog's "food tendencies."
Globe: For all the travels, you know?
Stars: My name, Celeste Noche, means "heavenly night." I've always admired the night sky so I think my parents did a good job naming me.

Other than that-- I hope you'll take a look around! Everything is updated and new!

*Photos from the week.

PS - This is the original drawing I sent in to Suzy. It's pretty sweet that she got THAT ^^^ from this:

florence in film

I wish I used film more. Rhianne is a friend I really admire because she's so dedicated to film that she'll pack multiple film cameras with her for one trip-- just so she has each camera on hand when the moment calls for it.

This batch of film wasn't supposed to turn out. I had just crossed the Ponte Vecchio and somehow, for no reason whatsoever, I dropped my precious little yellow holga onto the cobblestone street. Its back popped open, exposing my film to the midday sun and I thought, "surely this whole roll of film is ruined." (Actually, I thought a whole string of expletives but I'll keep those to myself).

And then these turned up! What a miracle. This is what I love the most about film. You can't check your photos immediately after taking them-- and in my case, it takes me so long to develop a roll that I completely forget what I'd originally shot. And when something turns up-- it's the best feeling.

Every camera snap is a flutter of hope. A wish and a prayer that what you see will be captured the way you want it, in one of the most beautiful mediums on the planet.

PS - My shameless loves are over at Molly's today! (They're embarrassing but I embrace them).