JV's 2013 (Posted in early 2015! ;P)

NOTE: I wrote this one year ago and never posted it. I figured why not share it with the universe. :)

Hello, bloggers! I've missed you!

In April 2014, it'll be two years since moving back to America. We've made some great friends and met some incredible people! Seattle feels like home, and we continue to explore this fine city. 

I'm starting to feel like myself again; however, I also know when to save my energy when I encounter insincerity. I love zoning out into my own world of images, books, music, private uncouth tweets, extraneous information, which I haven't had much time to do in 2013, but I'm catching up. 

I got back in touch with my adventurous spirit and couldn't believe how dead I felt inside with two jobs and school. Sometimes, I try so hard to complete too many tasks and be too many things, I usually say "no" when I've stretched myself too far. That's why I disappear sometimes. These photos may lead you to believe that I'm a person who likes to socialize constantly. Yes and no? I like to observe/snap everything happening around me. 

"I can just hold up my lens, and then I disappear." - DRM

Here are some of my favorite 2013 moments in the form of sentences and lists:

January

We welcomed New Year's 2013 in Capitol Hill singing karaoke and dancing at Mel and James' place. We made our farewell to the King Tut exhibit where I befriended dozens of good-spirited souls. I've got nothing but a whole lot of well wishing for these big hearts! I watched Aaron J Shay play an amazing mashup of the Sex Pistols meets Israel "Iz" Kaʻanoʻi Kamakawiwoʻole (yes, I Google'd that) at the final party. Chris and I celebrated our second-year anniversary.

There were beautiful walks around Green Lake. Mitzie and Jack visited us Vegas transplants! We started planning their move here ;) The Hart of Dixie obsession began. Let's talk about Team Zeorge vs. Team Zade!!! I converted LSL! I started watching Girls. It reminded me of when I lived in Brooklyn with Jenn and Nicole (just as lost but not as messy). Turns out Hannah and Adam live on the same street I lived on in Brooklyn! I got a new job back in the communications field again!

February

Chris and I went to the EMP. We started a band called Headaches named after Jeff's band called Headaches in New Zealand. LOL! I had major hair envy at the Worn to Be Wild exhibit. :) We absorbed the city on date days. I juggled a full-time job, part-time job, attending part-time school and kept it together while lost in seclusion. Two hours of free time felt like an eternity. Chris had Cupcake Royale for his birthday!

March

Our new office moved downtown near the world famous market!

This awesome couple aka. Mike and Kel came to visit us, and we had many discussions about culture shock and reverse culture shock. So many puns and corny jokes! They held Madagascar cockroaches at the PSC :) We celebrated Lady C's birthday dancing to Cut Copy and STRFKR. I had to work on a class project with my classmates a.) the hilarious unintentionally funny class clown b.) the charismatic story-teller and listener. Consummate professionals. I wondered how I got so lucky.

April

Spring came along. We went to Vegas and ate at a neon Denny's just because! Back in Seattle, I FINALLY saw the gum wall and went to my first Mariners game! Chris in Philly sent me an awesome mixed CD (I hate myself and owe him one bigtime)! We've carried on this tradition for about 13 years now. We watched Chuck Ragan, Tim McIlrath, and Rocky Votolato play in the Revival Tour. Man punks! Sandy took me to her favorite place ever - the Suzzallo Library's reading room. We introduced Rakesh to the boot at Von Trapp's and Gas Works Park.

My Mom The Style Icon

In honour of Mother's Day, I'd like to share a few photos of mum in the 1970s.

Mom in New York City circa 1979, check out the twin towers!!! Can you see? This is probably why I became obsessed with the glamour, hustle and bustle of NYC! Whether my mom likes to admit it, I think she did enjoy the city life.



Mom on the far left! This is either Philly or NYC circa 1978, my mom was about 24 or 25 here!



Mom in Philly circa 1978, MAN! What a style icon! I love this outfit so much! Perhaps Rocky Balboa is jogging around the corner. :) I wish I knew were this Philadelphia stoop was...I'd totally dress up in this exact outfit & reenact this photo.



My mother 21-years-old circa 1975 first runner up in a beauty pageant @ her nursing school in Cebu, Philippines. (She's not pregnant here! That's just her dress. She had me 6 years later.)

Mum doesn't understand why I love vintage clothing so much! When my Auntie's saw photos of me back in 2004 wearing 60s dresses and oversized sunglasses they laughed and said, "The spirit of Jacquelyn O'nassis" HAHAHAHA!

I found these incredible photos of my Auntie's wearing 60s mini-dresses. I said,
"What do you think happened to those dresses?!"
"They are long gone eaten by a moth."
Perhaps, that's where I get my wackyness from.

Anyway, Happy Mother's Day mum! Love you!

Friendster 2003 - 2004

I just found out that I have one month to save my Friendster profile! I can't believe it! It's fun to look back at what a nerd I am. I've dug up my old photos from 2003/2004.

True fact: I told Dave & Mark from The Killers to make a Friendster profile, and they did :) This was in their very early demo days, playing shows at Sasha's.
This is the first social networking website (see here) they made for the band back in 2003!
I'll have to blog about those good old fun days another time, but I'm obviously out of touch with those guys.


Here are my Friendster photos:

I'm on 13th street in Philadelphia, PA at a gelato shop with Philly Mark.
He took me there on a scooter! This is one of my most favourite vintage dresses (purchased in Brooklyn), and I still have it and wear it!



I'm visiting Boston here and used to have really short hair! This is just off of Newbury St.




Enids in Brooklyn, NY with Ted & Melissa 2004! I spent this really amazing summer in Philly and New York the semester before I graduated. It was the best decision I ever made since I worked for a solid 3.5 years after that!




downtown Las Vegas, admiring the vintage neon signs




And here I am with blogger Doug from Sixties Soul Blog, Christina and Joe from Lipstick and Cigarettes! :) We're at Club Underground in Los Angeles, and it was my most favourite place to go dancing. Sixties soul, indie, punk and brit pop music = the best.

(And here's the rest of my profile)
Interested In:
Friends, Activity Partners

Member Since:
Mar 2003

Hometown:
Philly // Las Vegas

Occupation:
journo

What I enjoy doing:
dance partner remington. YOUR VESPA. bon bon. paul weller. michael blessed nesmith. traveling. philadelphia. los angeles. oldies. the british invasion. hipsters. fash f+cks. mods. beatniks. swankers. punks. rockers.

Favorite Music:
exploding hearts. the rutles. the kinks. the beatles. the adored. the monkees. beulah. gang of four. pulp. the police. morrissey.

Favorite TV Shows:
the monkees!!!!!!

Zodiac Sign:
Scorpio

About Me:
in the South Pacific (this was obviously updated last year!)

Who I Want to Meet:
Nice people.


I'll miss you Friendster, 2003 and 2004!