Holiday Greetings
Featured: Holiday Spirit
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the cassiemarkk blog! Hope your holiday is filled with fun, family, and food.
Bake Marathon
Featured: gingerbread cookies recipe | red velvet cookies
I think this winter break is going to be the main culprit of the elusive freshmen 15. Right when I hopped off the plane, all I wanted was: eat Din Tai Fung, get In-n-out, and bake (and yes I did do those things in that order).
It's been kind of a tradition of mine to make cookies and give them to my friends during winter break. This break is no exception. I've been wanting to bake gingerbread cookies because I've fallen hopelessly in love with them (yeah, like that Fault in Our Stars type love). Screw that pumpkin spice stuff. Ginger is where it's at. And these cookies are really (expletive) good.
As I mentioned in previous blogposts, I am a die-hard fan of Cool-haus. Well, last summer I bought a cook book filled with their most popular ice-cream and cookie recipes. I decided to try out the red-velvet cookies. I mean you can never go wrong with a cake + cookie combo. These are my mom's favorites, but I stand by my gingerbread (SO GOOD).
The best part of baking these cookies is decorating them. Honestly, I just like the idea of drawing with something edible. It's just the icing on the cake to make for a festive look (I really tried to stretch that pun, sorry).
Food is love, food is life. Happy eating this holiday!
NYC: Thanksgiving
Featured: NYC
Used: Canon 7D | 50mm
So the sad part of Thanksgiving break is that it's not a week long, making it impractical to fly home. But that's okay, because I got to visit New York! I probably was a little bit too excited for this trip only because I was going to see one of my best friends (she's the next best thing to going home for break).
My first time visiting, I left the city not really liking it. But after this trip, the city has grown on me. I miss the Halal cart that was conveniently located across the street from my friend's dorm and served really good food. Actually, I miss finding food for $5; they don't have that here in Boston. Despite only being in NYC for about 3 days, I've grown accustomed to stores being open 24/7. I only realized that this was a privilege when I stuck hungry in the middle of the night, with no places to go, like I am now.
I know you must be thinking that my trip only revolved around me eating food. It kind of did. Most of the money I spent was on food. But I did see the Macy's Day Parade and explored Chinatown. I wish I could of gone to all of those "tourist-y" spots, but I don't think I would've grown to like NYC that much if I see them. When you're trying to see all of these things in a short period of time, it just leads to stress. I'd much rather enjoy my time with my friends and explore the city with them.
Since I'm going to be in the east coast for 6 years, I figured I have all that time to explore and visit those tourist spots.
Fall Glow
11-11-14
Featured: Boston Commons
Used: Canon 7D | 15-85mm lens
I admit it. I'm another one of those Californians who is enamored by everything Fall and the changing colors of the trees. We all expected a fall post, so here it is.
I only recently noticed the different colored leaves since I've been kind of stuck in this bubble of bio and chem. Even now, all I can think of when looking at the trees are: carotenoids, photosynthesis, and cell respiration. Today, I decided to just enjoy my first Autumn in the east coast. I'm kind of obsessed with the vibrant reds and oranges the trees create. The hype is real, and it's great.
Here's to finally being inducted as the stereotypical Californian surprised by weather, different colored trees, and pretty much everything.
Trick or Treat Yo-Self
Outfit: dress-Marshalls
Happy Halloweekend! I've come to the understanding that Halloween isn't really a one-day holiday in college. I guess my celebration started Thursday night.
TBH, my week started out pretty rough with midterms. And my anxiety kind of lingered on throughout the week just waiting for Monday's midterm grades to come out. Come Thursday, I was pretty much ready to take off my thinking cap and wear a different costume. Actually, I didn't wear a costume, but I did dress up to go to the MFA After Dark. But I mean, this dress kind of makes me feel like some evil witch or something. I try I try.
The MFA was actually pretty cool (you know what was also cool? free gelato. smooooth- oh my the puns). I was pretty disappointed that I wasn't able to explore the entire museum. But, that place is freaking huge. You need to spent at least a good 12 hours there to get a feel of this place. But, I guess I do have 6 years to explore.
Anyways, it's getting late. Enjoy your weekend (;
2014 Fall Playlist: CommonFire
Featured: Boston Public Garden
Here it is, my Fall playlist. I can't believe that it's already fall. These are the songs that I have been listening to this past month or so. And just like the changing weather, I believe that there might be a changing of playlists sooner than I thought. But, I had to share these favorites. Most of these are songs to keep me up while late-night studying. Since I made this playlist a while ago, some new songs have been added to the playlists: "Leave Me Alone" by KAYTRANADA and "que paso?" by Robby Hunter Band. Also, I had to put "Carousel" by Melanie Martinez to celebrate the premiere of American Horror Story: Freak Show. The song is featured in the trailers; it's incredibly creepy just like the series. Ugh, the show is so good though. A+ acting and costumes. Another episode of AHS comes out this Wednesday. I highly suggest you to start watching it.
Side note: I went to the park to take pictures for this post, and I met some squirrel friends. A few squirrels came up to me asking for food. Agh, they are so freaking cute.
Status Update.
Outfit: top- F21 | bottoms- UO | cardigan- H&M | necklace- Nordstrom | combat boots- Bakers
It's been over a month since my last post. TBH, it's been a really hectic month. College is no joke. I remember quietly wishing to be college as I sat in my Calculus class during high school. For some reason, I had this perception that college would be so much easier and that I'd have so much free time. But, no. Actually, college is easier in a sense that you're taking classes that you are somewhat interested in. So, the material isn't completely irrelevant to you. Being a pharmacy major, I feel as if there is a lot more pressure to do well. Every little mistake will have some effect on my future career. Hence, I've been trying to solidify my studying habits.
So yeah, this past month has been me just eating, sleeping, and studying (and a bit of socializing). But, I really want to keep this blog active, so I am going to try to post every other week..maybe every week (just maybe).
Right now, it's rainy and gloomy in Boston. So, I had to break the chunky cardigans. I find it too hard to think of something to wear, especially when I have to wake up at 8 am everyday. You can never go wrong with an all black outfit + a cardigan.
Ugh. Time to study. K bye. See you next week? Maybe.
Next Stop.
8-17-14: Next Stop-Boston, MA
This is actually an extremely accurate representation of packing for college. To be honest, I was actually really stressed trying to pack everything to move to Boston. I always had to ask myself, "Do I need this to survive?" As a self-declared pack rat, it's extremely hard to just pack the essentials. So, I gathered all my stuff I thought I was going to need in my daily life. After compiling so much stuff, and more, I just wanted ship myself to college and that's it. But no, a girl's got to bring clothes, bedding, etc (and fit it into a tiny dorm). 4 luggages and 2 carry-ons later, I finally finished packing.
Now that I'm all move-in, I can say that I probably over-packed. Oh well, being over prepared never hurt anybody. Maybe I'll show you what my dorm looks like. Just maybe.
LA♥MA
Featured: LACMA
Outfit: top + bralette- UO | shorts- gift | necklace- diy | shoes- Jeffrey Campbell | sunglasses- Michael Kors
If you censor the C in LACMA you get LA and MA. It's like a friendly reminder than I am moving from LA to Boston in a few days. LOL sorry for my lameness. Anyways, this weekend I went to LACMA! My family and I got to see the Van Gogh exhibit. AHHHHH. I mean, it was pretty cool. It's actually really cool just seeing artworks of people that you've learned about in school. It's just adds to your appreciation of art and history.
But yeah, I've been wearing this outfit a lot (no shame) lately. It's like the perfect lazy, but put-together outfit. I have no patience when it comes to dressing up in hot weather. So, get that bra out the way, and bring on the bralette. And put on a shirt with A+ ventilation. This shirt is probably a little scandy, but I can't tell with fashion now-a-days. It has lace panels on the sides of it. To make it seem less promiscuous, I wore some high-waisted shorts.
Along with this scandy-ventilation thing, I wore some cut-out boots. I'm absolutely obsessed with them. I think they add that bad-ass vibe that I don't actually have. To add a more quirky element, I wore a Japanese-sandal necklace. Usually in hot weather, I like to accessorize with minimal/dainty jewelry. It makes the outfit look put-together, but it doesn't stick too much when you're sweating (trying to take pictures in yellow noodles).
If you didn't get my drift. It's hot in Topeka Cali right now. It's also almost 2 am. Slowly loosing my noodles. Oodles of Noodles, good night.
Decoration Installation
More Accessories
Pushpins? Nah, they ruin your photo with a hole. Tape? That ruins the paper too. Twine? Too cumbersome. I don't know for how long, but I've been searching for the perfect way to display my pictures. Originally, I wanted large magnetic, whiteboard tiles. But, I realized that it's too expensive. Instead, I opted for this wire net I found at Daiso. The net allows me to display my pictures but also it works as a customizable storage rack. This idea is similar to the Container Store's Polytherm Grid System-here, but Daiso has all the materials for only $1.50 each. Obviously, if you are not near a Daiso store, the Container Store has all the materials you could dream of (plus I think the quality is way better). But hey, we're on a college student's budget here. Anyways here are the steps to installing this simple, but crazy useful display:
1. Place your Command hooks on the wall. I like to install both the hooks and the net at the same time to skip the whole measuring process.
2. Helpful tip: If you are planning to hang baskets on your rack, I suggest two medium/large sized hooks. If you are just going to display pictures, I suggest two small hooks on top, and a third hook on the bottom (to keep the rack from moving).
3. Attach accessories and decorations. S-hooks and attachable baskets work great!
4. Optional Make your own. I made some small S-hooks from paperclips. They are great for hanging small things. Just bend the middle section of the paperclip until you have a s-shape.
5. Helpful tip: If something is too thick for the magnetic, you can paperclip it and hang it from an S-hook. See last photo.
I just bought a bunch of these wire racks for my college dorm, and I couldn't help to share this idea with you. I hope you enjoy!
Special Pesto.
Featured: Pistachio Mint Pesto- Savour this Sauce
Ingredients: Pesto | Multi-Grain Bread | Mixed Greens | Turkey
I found some kick-ass pesto sauce at the farmer's market last weekend. I can't say that I am a pesto connoisseur, but I've never tasted a sauce like this. It has pistachios for goodness sakes. What? I know. Crazy. On a whim, I decided to buy it. Life is short, why not enjoy some quality food while you're at it. Plus, I'm a sucker for cute packaging.
And now, I have less than a week to finish this jar. It doesn't expire until the 24th, but I leave for Boston before then. So, I'm trying to think of the various contraptions that I can eat with my pesto. Obviously I am too lazy to actually cook something. Here is my first dish using my pesto: a sandwich. So creative, I know.
In my defense, it was a pretty good sandwich. I'm one of those people who've eaten 5 billion versions of the same turkey, mayo, and bread sandwich. So, this was a nice change.
Final Verdict: I honestly like this pesto for it's surprising use of pistachios. It adds an interesting texture to an otherwise mushy sauce. However, it's a bit on the oily side. It's probably not the best thing to put on toast, or a sandwich, but it works. I'd suggest adding it to pasta. Maybe I'll try that later.
One Last California Adventure.
7-25-14: Disneyland | California Adventure
I am so blessed to have been able to visit both Disneyland and California Adventure. Although it's one of my favorite places, Disney is ridiculously expensive. Thus, it has become one of those rare treats that I so desperately wish I had the luxury to of going whenever I feel. But I guess that's what makes these moments all the more memorable.
My family and I started the day in California Adventure. I haven't been there since before they renovated it. It has changed so much. Honestly, I miss the huge California sign in front of it, but it's all good. Right when we entered the park, my family and I had to visit the new Car's Land. It's just as cool as I imagined. Pro-tip: wait in the single line for a shorter wait time (we waited 10 minutes for Radiator Springs. Afterwards, we explored the park. I'm so sad that they replaced the giant peach swings. But, I finally tried a Disneyland corn dog. (yes I know that's a weird thing to note, but I've wanting to try it)
Anyways, we went to Disneyland after lunch. We visited some of our favorite rides: Astro Blaster, Space Mountain, Matterhorn, and Indiana Jones. My dad and I got to ride Matterhorn twice which was a nice surprise. Our car was pulled to the side for a while, so the workers let us ride again after that. Plus, I got to get Dole Whip. I don't know if it's something in it, but it's freaking delicious.
We ended the night back in California Adventure to watch World of Color. I've always heard great things about it. Boy, it surpassed expectations. I don't know what to say other than, check it out if you can. Best way to end a great day.
Here's to one last California Adventure before I leave for Boston. I really hope you enjoyed that pun. Maybe it's not my last Cali-venture, but it's definitely one of them.
Venice Canals
Featured: Venice Canals
Outfit: top - UO | skirt - Cotton On | shoes - Reef | Sunglasses - Anthropologie
I've always wanted to visit the canals near Venice beach because it's reminiscent of the famous canals in Italy. I can't really afford to hop on an airplane to Italy, so this is the closest I can get for now (besides Las Vegas). I am kind of jealous of the people who live here, and have a boat. Did I ever mention that I wanted to try rowing? Well I do, and these boats just remind me of that goal.
Anyways, I've been really digging skirts this summer. They are ridiculously comfy. Although it may look like you're dressing up, in reality you were just too lazy/hot to wear pants. Perf. Add a mix of prints and you're set and looking put-together. I kept it pretty basic with neutral colors. But, my top has sexy (not too sexy) cutouts which make everything interesting.
To be honest, sitting on the bridge was pretty scary even though there was only 10 inches of water below me. But that's okay, live life on the edge (of the bridge). Don't follow the rules, mix prints and stuff..
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Cassandra Mark
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