all of the happiness lost in cyberspace

Have you ever submitted a happy list? Yesterday I was home sick all day and David came over after work with lots of water, juice and soup for me. When he left I was so happy I wanted to write a little happy list and share it somewhere. Then I realized that over the past 2 1/2 years I've submitted five to the aforementioned happy list haven.

50 wonderful things that never saw the light of day because I only shared them with one person.

And then I thought of the hundreds of other people who surely had sent in lists, too. And those thousands of wonderful things that might never have seen the light of day, either.

So, in an effort to help recover all of the happiness lost in cyberspace, I thought I'd start by sharing my very first happy list right here.

May 5, 2009

1. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
2. stationary and writing letters
3. tulips and tea parties
4. the sound of my mother's sewing machine
5. finding the right words
6. being speechless
7. cooking with david
8. "dancing in the moonlight" - the song and the action
9. fall foliage
10. old couples holding hands

Feel free to share your happiness here, too.

{things to love} about sunset magazine

1. Two words: test kitchen.
2. Seeing multiple employees use fitness orbs instead of chairs at their desks.
3. The multitude of beautiful props in the photo studio. Gorgeous plates and fabrics galore!
4. Hearing business owners instantly brighten up when they find out Sunset Magazine is calling.
5. The tiny gym that's always empty. (And watching Gilmore Girls while I work out.)
6. The beautiful test garden and the fact they they grow tons of their own food.
7. Surprise birthday cakes/ice cream/pies.
8. Wisteria, tulips, and generally lovely flowers everywhere.
9. Marking up stories so that they're covered in tons of colors.
10. Being part of a wonderful team that produces an amazing magazine.

The past 12 weeks went by faster than I could have imagined. I got to intern as an editorial assistant for Sunset Magazine and realized that there's so much I love in the world of magazine journalism. Unfortunately, my internship ended on Friday but up until now I've never really wrote about how much I loved the place. (Maybe it's because I was working 20 hours a week on top of being a full-time student). Even while I was there, it was so amazing to be part of the Sunset team and directly interacting with so many stories in the magazine (the food and travel stories were my favorite, of course). The most gratifying feeling was seeing all of our hard work in print. The feeling is indescribable. I learned so much about the West that my wanderlust heart has been eager to take trips to places like Louisville, CO and Albuquerque, NM.

Fortunately, I'll be back again at the end of April to do some freelance work. And who knows what could happen from then.

If you have a list of things you love about your city (or job!),
feel free to send it in (with a photo of your feet)!
celeste.noche (at) gmail.com

things to love {about los angeles}

by the lovely Stephanie

{because uggs still remain a trend in los angeles}

1. little tokyo, koreatown, little ethiopia - los angeles is a little bit of the world, in one city
2. every band or artist will always have a show here. ellie goulding had two shows in the states. one was in los angeles. you bet i bought tickets right away
3. we are home to the trendy cafes you see on blogs and tabloids
4. food trucks are all the rage now and they're everywhere! ... in LA
5. we have winning sport teams and yes, i am talking about the los angeles lakers. we also have a great usc vs. ucla rivalry and baseball teams such as the angels and dodgers!
6. bombdiggity music venues and of all sorts - small, intimate, big, or outdoors
7. the diversity in nationalities, religions, food
8. there is every sort of activity available! shopping, visiting the beach, countless museums, there is a whole range! mind i say, we have awesome weather to do these awesome activities. you can snowboard, go to to desert, and visit the beach all in one day if you wanted to!
9. how they cater to my late night, mexican food cravings... and for cheap
10. trademark signs like this one and this one

{urth caffe}

{usc football game}

{huntington beach}

{the roxy / el tepeyac cafe}

And the "things to love" series is back! Thank you so much to Stephanie for sharing her perspective of LA! Her list and photos make me wish I could take a little road trip down south, but I might have to wait until after I graduate. In the mean time, I'll have to make due with my beaches and burritos up north.

If you have a list of things you love about your city,
feel free to send it in (with a photo of your feet)!
celeste.noche (at) gmail.com

things to love {about home}

1. Old photos. There aren't a lot, but I love them all the same.
2. Random things from my childhood that my mom kept. (Rocking horse, Little Mermaid pillow...)
3. Our Audrey Hepburn coffee table book collection.
4. Rice cooked and ready 24/7.
5. Being with family everyday.
6. Raiding my mom's closet (she dresses better than I do).
7. Waking up to the sound of my mom and her sewing machine.
8. Despite the fact that we've lived in more than 15 houses, each one has felt like "home" as long as we were still together.

If you have a list of things you love about your city (or home!)
feel free to send it in with some photos (including one of your feet!)
celeste.noche@gmail.com

things to love {about zaragoza}

by Andrea, my new favorite photographer.

1. The fact that it’s in Spain means the food is awesome. The historical centre is full of little tapas bars where you can eat amazing food in small portions, do some bar hopping and get drunk in the process.
2. Despite being a big place (it has a population of 700,000) the centre is relatively small, which makes it a very walkable city.
3. It is a very old place. Zaragoza was founded by the Romans 2,000 years ago. Romans, muslims, christians and jews have left their imprint in the city, giving it an amazing cultural richness that I sometimes fail to appreciate.
4. Its location. As far as Spain goes, Zaragoza is in a privileged location. It might not be surrounded by beautiful scenery (it is in fact surrounded by a dessert), but it is located in a crossroads, exactly between Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and Valencia, which are some of the most important Spanish cities. Besides, it is also near the mountains and the border with France.
5. The weather (sort of). We might have temperamental wind and really hot, almost unbearable summers, but we get many days of sunshine a year, even in winter. When I lived in the UK I used to find the light blinding whenever I came back home. It is that bright. Or maybe the UK is just really dark.

Spain. Close to Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia AND France? Can I just teleport there now?

If you have a list of things you love about your city,
feel free to send it in with some photos (including one of your feet)!
celeste.noche@gmail.com

things to love {about san francisco}

by Danny,
my music/badminton/life guru,
my sophomore year prom date,
and one of my best friends.

1. Not only does SF have a rich history concerning all walks of life, but its history is visible on a daily basis when walking through different ethnic neighborhoods.
2. Farmers’ markets are in abundance all year round in all parts of the city.
3. We are the home of the 2010 World Champion Giants!
4. If you’re in need of any kind of food, you’re literally within walking distance of it due to the small 7-square-mile area of the city, and there’s food for every kind of craving, from buns to tamales to curry to steaks.
5. We may not have much of a night-life, but there are coffee shops galore.
6. There’s a hill for every occasion.
7. We have fog; we have rain; but, most importantly, we have more sunny days per year
than even cities such as New York.

I'll just start out by saying that Danny and I met playing badminton while we were in high school. He's two years older and we found out that we lived a few blocks away from each other and carpooled home. Since then I've grown to see that he's one of the best people I know. He introduced me to music galore (Jimmy Eat World!) and always gives the best, most encouraging advice. We even went to prom together (I have no digital photos since my old computer died :\ but you can ask him) and he is a true gentleman.

After living in the Bay Area for almost all of my life, I'm rather embarrassed that I haven't done a "things to love" list about San Francisco yet. Good thing Danny's here, right? I completely agree with everything on his list (even if I prefer the A's, it's about time that the Giants won...). Farmers' markets, food, and hills are what we're all about over here. Another friend also once told me that San Francisco is the smallest big city, since it only has a 7-square-mile radius as Danny points out. It amazing how easy it is to get from one district to another: one minute you're driving along the Great Highway and before you know it you're in the Presidio and the Golden Gate is getting close. Danny has a true San Francisco heart-- I'm not even really sure what I mean by that, but it makes complete sense to me. And I think he'd agree. Thanks for your list, Danny! I'm proud to call San Francisco home.

If you have a list of things you love about your city,
feel free to send it in with some photos (including one of your feet)!
celeste.noche@gmail.com

things to love {about portland}

by Stacey, a new blog friend

1. It’s green. No, I don’t mean environmentally friendly (though it is). I mean good old-fashioned green: all of the streets of downtown are lined with trees, bushes, and flowers…it makes Portland feel more homey and less hectic.
2. Portland is equal distances from the mountains, the desert, and the beach. Whatever scenery you want, you can get it in less than two hours.
3. The quirkiness. I’ve never seen another city put random punctuation marks on their sidewalks, or go nuts over a shop called Voodoo Donuts (that really sells voodoo donuts, with pretzel stakes through the hearts), or put on shorts and sandals when the weather hits 60 degrees (it’s like the tropics!).
4. We like to eat organic, local food here in Portland, and it’s easy to find. There’s at least one farmer’s market every day of the week here in town, full of local farmers selling their produce, beef, salmon, cheese, jams, and bread.
5. There are distinct seasons, but they’re mild. We get blissfully perfect 80-degree summers, magnificent autumns, winters with just the right amount of snow (enough to build a snowman, but not enough to block up the roads), and sweet, delicate springs. (And yes, it rains quite a bit, but we're used to it.)
6. The public parks are some of the best in the country. From Forest Park in the West Hills (one of the largest in the country, with extensive trails), to the beautiful Rose Garden at Washington Park, to the world’s smallest park (Mill End Park, 0.3 square meters in size), Portland knows how to rock the outdoors.
7. The people are friendly. They’ll chat you up in line at the grocery store, smile at you as they walk past on the sidewalk, and run after you if you drop so much as a quarter on the ground so they can return it. It’s just grand.

Well, I'm ready to pack my bags and move up north to Portland. I love green. I love mild seasons. I love quirk. Before Stacey sent in her list, I'd heard of Voodoo Donuts and I love that such a wacky bakery is a city trademark. Her lovely photos only add to the list's charm. My favorite thing about this post is that David and I will be in Portland in approximately 2 weeks and we get to witness the lovely things Stacey shared with us. Well, we probably won't go to the beach and the mountains while we're there, but I'm excited for local produce, beautiful parks and friendly people. Thanks for sharing your list, Stacey! I can't wait until I'm there myself!

things to love {about nuremberg}

by Jenni, the blogger I live vicariously through
as she lives abroad in Austria and Germany. (Seriously, though, I'm so jealous).

1. If Nuremberg doesn't have something you need, huge cities like Frankfurt and Munich are just a train ride away. On the other hand, Nuremberg is surrounded by small Bavarian villages so a ''small-town feel'' is easily within reach as well!
2. With only 1 million inhabitants, you can wander around the city without feeling as though you are lost in a sea of people. Tourists do come to Nuremberg, but it is by no means a ''tourist trap''. I love that!
3. Walking through Nuremberg feels as though you have entered a fairy tale land. The castle, the churches, the buildings - all of it exudes a Middle Ages fairytale-ish feeling and you'll wonder if you've gone back in time.
4. There are so many historical sites to be found in Nuremberg! After WWII, for example, German officials involved in the Holocaust were brought before an international court; famously referred to as The Nuremberg Trials. Visitors can see the site firsthand and visit the documentation center where the Nazi rallies once took place. Hauntingly fascinating, it is not something to be missed.
5. You won't go hungry in Nuremberg. The Nürnberger Bratwurst, for instance, is a burger so famous that McDonald's added it to its German menu! I've never tried it but I love walking through the Hauptmarkt (main market in the city center) trying all sorts of snacks; roasted almonds, pretzels, chocolates, etc.
6. The beautiful Pegnitz river runs through the city center and further enforces the fairytale-ish nature of the city. One of my favorite things to do is stroll across the bridges at sunset and stare out at the peaceful river. It's a very tranquil place to be!
7. Perhaps what Nuremberg is most famous for (arguably moreso than the Nuremberg trials) is the Christmas market. Every year at the end of November (and throughout the weeks leading up to Christmas), 2 millions visitors from all over the world flock to the city to take part in this festive tradition. Hundreds of vendors set up wooden stalls in the Hauptmarkt (main market square), festooned with red-and-white cloth, selling traditional Christmas treats; Nuremberg spicy gingerbread, fruit loaves, baked goods and other sweets, Christmas ornaments and candles, Christmas toys and various other arts and crafts products.

This week, I'm so excited to share the first international "things to love" post! Jenni is a Fulbright scholar spending 4 months in Austria and then 10 months in Germany. Did I mention that these are two of my favorite countries that I've visited? My favorite thing about her list is that Nuremberg is like a fairytale- untouched by tourists and not a tourist trap. When I travel, these are my ideal cities. There's something so honest about them. Jenni's list also comes at a very timely part of the year as she writes about the Christmas market at the end of the month (Jenni, I hope you're stocking up). Any town that dedicates this much love and attention to Christmas has my stamp of approval anytime of year. Thanks so much for sharing your list, Jenni! To see more of Jenni's Nuremberg photos, visit my flickr-- or, just visit her blog and delight in all that is beautifully Austrian and German.

things to love {about washington, d.c.}

by Liz, one of my oldest friends
(oldest time-wise, not age-wise!)

1. They call Washington the "Hollywood of the Intellectuals." I've been a political wonk for a long time, so it feels awesome to be surrounded by people who feel as passionate as you do.
2. Biking in a bike-friendly city. I explored most of the city on two wheels. There's no adrenaline rush like biking down Pennsylvania Avenue, where the bike lane serves as the traffic median.
3. The history. Oh goodness, the history! How much power this city holds over the rest of the world is astounding. The Greek, Roman, and English-inspired architecture (not to mention the French traffic circles) makes DC the closest you'll get to Europe.
4. Farmers markets on weekends. There are more 6 or 7 farmer's markets available around the city, and Eastern Market is open all year round.
5. It's intimidating to walk around the city, where 90% of the people around you are in business or business casual. Everyone here looks good.
6. DC is obsessed with Sunday Brunch, and they are damned good at it.

I'm really excited to share Liz's list this week because

1. We have been friends since middle school.
2. She is a wonderful person.
3. Washington, D.C. is beautiful through her eyes.

Over the past few weeks, DC has really been on my mind. Four of my friends (including Liz) have been there within the past few months, and I really wanted to be in DC a few weeks ago during the Rally to Restore Sanity. Liz's list just makes me wish I could plan a trip there sooner. Biking everywhere... everyone well dressed... BRUNCH?!?! Need I say more? I've also heard that they have beautiful cherry blossoms in the spring. What a gorgeous city. Thanks so much for sharing, Liz!

If you have a list of things you love about your city,
feel free to send it in with some photos (including one of your feet!)
celeste.noche@gmail.com

PS- How cute is it that Liz's daily route forms a boot?