Because produce is good for you.

So fresh and so clean, clean.
That's what produce on the streets look like.  No such thing as 'farmers markets' here... they're just markets. Plus they're SO cheap... 30 bahts = 1 dollar at the moment.  Numbers depicted above are in bahts.

Banana tree flowers used for cooking and a pumpkin of sorts

Giant cucumbers!! 

My favorite. Thai chili peppers! 

My mom and aunts shopping for groceries to cook for monks in the morning. 

Thailand - The land of cold showers

I'm pretty sure I start off most blog posts like this: Sorry it's been so long since my last post!!

Let's face it. I'm just not a very good blogger.  Hopefully, that will change as I will be turning to social media frequently now for my new venture: BEING A BUSINESS OWNER!  YEAH!!!

Plans for my online accessories boutique are already in the works... Hoping to launch early 2013. Stay tuned! :-)

As of right now, I'm in Thailand with my mom.  It's my fourth trip here, but first time to visit during the fall/winter months. As Thailand is a tropical country, summers here are pretty horrible for those of us who like to feel clean.  You pretty much sweat all day and savor your sweet moments in air conditioning.  Central A/C doesn't really exist here, so most houses just have room units - this does not include the bathroom. -_-

Well - October isn't exactly autumn, but I'm definitely not drenched in sweat every time I leave a room into no a/c zone.

After too many experiences seeing the same temples, markets, and vendors - there's not much left to enjoy in Bangkok except food.  FOOD. Thailand itself is FOODIE HEAVEN.

Krapow (a type of basil) Gai (chicken) Kai Dow (fried egg)

I told myself I would NOT be coming to Thailand to stuff my face... so far, I've been good and more selective.  However, that doesn't mean that my eyes can't wonder, or that I can't steal a bite of whatever my mom and aunts get. :-D

I have a very short list of things I MUST eat while here, because you simply can't get the same dishes cooked to Thai perfection in the states.  My fave:  Kra pow kai dow.
Kai dow translates to FRIED EGG. YESS... anything Kai dow is an A++ in my book.


Here are some other delightful foods that are Thailand MUST EATS!  Next blog I am dedicating to produce. Because for some reason, produce just looks so much better when it's at an open air market or on the side of the road... :) Till then, Sawatdee ka!

Sakoo Sai Moo - Tapioca flour stuffed and cooked with pork, peanuts, and more goodies!

Kanom krok (Flour and coconut, but this is a new fancy version... its not as good as the classic, which I'll have to get before I leave!)

Hmm, I forgot what this is called. And everyone went to sleep..

Khao Soi - DELICIOUS curry with egg noodles and crunchy noodles... a specialty in Chiang Mai up north.  I ate it two days in a row. 

On the job!

Again, it's been a while... 

Yesterday marked six months on the job!! Wooo hoo!!!  To celebrate I brought in two dozen Bundtini's to work last Friday.  If you've never heard of Bundtini's, ...OH BOY. :)  They're delicious little cakes from Nothing Bundt Cakes.  Maybe a little smaller than your average cupcake.  It's dense and moist, and topped with a cream cheese frosting.  They also refrigerate well as we kept the last 5 in the fridge over the weekend!  

Work is going well and I'm getting more responsibilities.  I am lending my awesome CAD and design skillllllls to Marketing and Sales.  I'm super excited as I love designing all of these little promos and fliers!!  

Today I went to the World Trade Center in Dallas for the first time.  WHOA.  There was so much stuff to look at (and potentially buy), my brain almost exploded.  I had to seriously pry myself from merchandise.  

It was sweet and homey inside, all Christmas-ed out! 

The last few days in Dallas have been colder than in NYC which makes me laugh!!  It's SO cold this year.... Maybe we'll get a white Christmas?!  Here was my car yesterday morning.. I don't even know what this stuff was!!

My pre-new year's resolution is to start blogging more.  Now that I have my very first smartphone (Iphone 4s! Yeah!), I don't have to carry my big ol camera with me all the time!  Which ultimately means I'll take more pictures wherever I go. :)   What's your new year's resolution?!

xo

Monica

Sorry, it's been a while...

So, my last posts were about my new line that was traveling fashion show to fashion show in Austin.

WELL.  Since then, I've gotten a job, traveled to Miami, San Jose, (Austin is implied always), Colorado, New Orleans, and Tampa (for 10 bucks for an opportunity to stay at Sand Pearl Resort for FREE), and.... hmm.  Maybe that's it. With that said, I will quickly summarize my life since my last post.  SO, Here are the months of May to September in a super small nutshell based on what pictures I have:

May: My family finally makes it to my last fashion show in Austin for this collection!

May: BFF Kerry and I road trip to Denver to move her things for a summer internship!  Here we are at the border, leaving TX.

May: Amanda and I drive to New Orleans for Alexis's wedding blocks from the French Quarter!

June: Cousin Adam graduates from high school! YAY!

June: Hang out with LOTS of family and see cousin Anthony play in an MLS game! (He's in blue, mid air)

June: I see, and walk through, one of the COOLEST art exhibits EVER.

From the inside of the exhibit... :)

July: My grandfather turns 100 years old!!! WAHOOO!!!

July: I turn 24 years old!!! We head up the long elevator ride for a nice night in Reunion Tower at Wolfgang Puck's restaurant. 

July: I meet Mack Brown, have him sign my UT grad pic on my debit card and life is complete.

August: I head to Tampa to work from the Sand Pearl Resort as Rossen attends an Engineering  conference there.

September: I make the executive decision to put grilled pork belly in bun bao.  SUCCESS!

September: Mom and I paint fish scenes in a children's dentist office who has VERY limiting decor budget, as in no budget.

September: I head to ACL for the first time and experience the glory of it all. :)

PHEW!!

So here I am, sitting in a hotel in Brenham, Texas, traveling for work.  Another designer, Yvette, and I have been here since Sunday night and have braved the heat, trekking antique and vintage shows full of vendors for miles and miles outside.  Tomorrow will be our last day at it as we look for a few more vintage fabrics and props.  Look for a post soon on that... If you love old stuff (or as some vendor signs said: "Dead peoples stuff"), you'll love these pics! :)

Balcones Canyonland and Rainey Hall, UT campus

  

Here are more photos of the two shoots we did!  Everyone was amazing!  I couldn't be prouder of knowing such talented professional people. 

Photography by John Jiles (www.JohnJiles.com)

Models: Emily McGee, Connie Ding, Lisa Husberg, and Natasha Para

The Beallos Spring Flare Fashion Show (www.beallos.com) at Beauty Bar was awesome!  Special Thanks to Sammantha for inviting me to show my collection and to all of the backstage help!  Come see the collection again at the Fiesta Fashion show Fundraising event in Austin on May 8th: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=100194460069207

And the shows keep coming

The weekend was super crazy with the Natural Beauty Expo, finally meeting with Sammantha of Beallos.com, and our last photo shoot for this collection.  I got to work with some amazing people this weekend.

Here are a few more peeks at the first shoot:

The women from the Natural Beauty Expo loved wearing my garments, everyone was photographing them after the show and expo were over!  They were all amazing people to work with and befriend. :)  The expo had great vendors and speakers.  I bought my boyfriend's sister some rockin feather earrings from a Houston jewelry designer.  I also learned a lot about black women's hair and this new technique created by Dr. Cornwell to give black women another option for a natural hair style. People from all over Texas came to see Dr. Cornwell, who flew in from Maryland.

And a few behind the scenes photos of our shoot this last Sunday: 

We were all getting pretty tired by late Sunday night, so I'm afraid we rushed it a little more than I was hoping towards the end.  I have yet to see much of the product, but what I have seen has already blown me away.  I think this was another great shoot with John Jiles.  www.johnjiles.com

To see info on the next show, go to http://www.beallos.com/BeAllos/Fashion_Show.html

I've been invited to show my collection in yet another show on May 8th in Austin!!  More info on that as it approaches.  I really need to start breaking into the Dallas fashion scene...  all the driving is starting to get expensive, I almost gagged at the prices this last weekend!

I'll be meeting with my photographer this Thursday for a complete collection of photos we've taken, so I'll be posting more by the weekend!