Coffee tolerance building

Whew! What a weekend!

1 comedy show

3 birthdays

1 year-end party

(deep breath)

200 lumpia (right after learning) and

300 dumplings (this one is a guess)
 later...

I am ready to call it a night. 

The hunt for a tiramasu cake ended well (Costco only carries it seasonally), it was her one request. I take this space to thank you Whole Foods. (It seems all JBear's previous coworkers girlfriends all work there now. Is there something I'm missing out on?) My housemate turned 30 with a dumpling party. I hope I can cook, bake, garden, sew and all those other magical gifts she possesses as well as her by my 30th birthday.

 Can you see our remote-controlled Christmas lights in the background? Love it.

Getting lost in Los Altos (on my way to a party, of course) landed me at a closing shoe store and I ended up with some new Tamarac sheerling boots for half off. (My Uggs finally get a break! They've been faithfully working hard these past few years.)

Leaving the party in Los Altos I was once again lost and found a cute product market and after sampling every apple and pear they carried came home with some delicious pears. (But before making it home, helped wrap almost 200 lumpia to feed a Sunday service of 40 hungry people.)

Mushrooms at the market. I am too tired to rotate this image.

---------------------

Just purchased tickets for a Warriors game in March. My college friend from Japan is visiting next year and this will be her and her husband's first NBA game. Last time they were here, she mentioned visiting next year quite a few times, and he responded with uncertainty due to work quite a few times. The moment we drove past the Oracle Arena and mentioned basketball, the husband's ears perked up, his eyes grew wide with wonder and he no longer hesitated to agree with his wife that a return trip next year was in order.

Tip: Apparently, the key to getting your friend's spouse to visit is to promise sporting event tickets.

Five minutes after purchasing tickets she sent me an email ending in...


"...We can see our first NBA gammmmmme!!!Yeahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Haha. I imagine her on the other side of the world yelling at her computer screen, then calling her husband on the phone and yelling at him. The good kind of yelling.

---------------------

Despite feeling terribly overwhelmed on Friday and a few bumps in the road, this is one of those crazy weekends that makes weekends worth the count down. I wouldn't wish it any other way.

There is that small detail that

in 7 hours it's...

Labor day weekend

My weekend plans were to...
* do laundry
* clean my room
* relax at the beach
* go to bloomingdales to get more clinique moisturizer + the free gift


 What I did over the weekend...
* did laundry
* made jambalaya
* went to the gym 
* download songs from amazon
* rode a bike around my neighborhood for the first time (which included me losing control on the railroad tracks and running off the sidewalk into the street. scary.)
* went to a wedding
* went to a pool party
* vacuum
 and slept hard.

Did your weekend (not) go according to plan too?

Congratulations!

(I would post more pictures but iphoto keeps eating them.)

Fwd: Note to self... eat slower.

[My thoughts last night as I tried to sleep.]
I find myself hunched over and falling forward more than walking because my stomach is so full. My parents are in town. So every meal, every day, is something good. And the end of every day I find myself lying in surrender of an aching stomach because I ate too much.

Saturday: Ferry Building Farmer's Market (SF) Baker Beach (SF)

Sunday: Left Bank (San Jose)

My refrigerator shelf is packed full of togo containers. This just feels wrong.

Can you guess?

Can you guess what is coming next?

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Saturday full

Saturday was a very full day. 

The Wow-what-a-productive-and-fun-day kind of full.

I wish every weekend felt this great!

* There was the epic morning breakfast. Apparently, good things happen when you start the day with mimosas. Jeff picked up a free couch set from a garage sale around the corner.

* Experienced college nostalgia as I passed out flyers at the electronics swap meet and encouraged people to attend our student art show. Not too many electronics junkies were very interested in art... or having human contact. But now I know where to go for cheap electrical tape!

* Jeff/Geoff visited the art exhibition. I'm still a bit amazed how well everything came together.

* Listened to some amazing artists share their passions.


* Snuck out for some chicken verde nachos from Whole Foods. Yum!

* Got to go back to Whole Foods during a late lunch break to get some mint chocolate gelato.

* Came home with paintbrushes and a giant Sharpie paint marker! (FYI: I kind of love sharpies.)

* Went grocery shopping at Maxim and Safeway. Less than $30 for a cart full of groceries vs. $10 for two packages of hot dogs. I am so grateful for Asian supermarkets.

 * Cooked a giant batch of Filipino spaghetti.

* Went out at night and tried some new drinks, even taught the bartender something new. I think I prefer my usual choices though.

* Ended the night with a burrito + orange sauce from La Vics.





All that and I didn't drink any coffee all day!
(I was doing two-a-days at Starbucks most of the week.)

I've decided to practice discipline and started my food blog with the goal of posting a few times a week and forcing myself to learn how to cook. Is it bad I like taking pictures of food more than people? Food doesn't complain when it thinks it looks bad in a picture. An awesome photographer at the exhibition spoke about taking lots of pictures growing up but decided to learn more about the craft and composition through classes. Right now I can only dream of taking pics as beautiful as his. But I hope to learn more.

I'm still debating what to include on both blogs, if I should combine both blogs or turn this one private and keep it as random thoughts. My original intent of this blog was to scrapbook what I was going through in life, lessons learned, stories, travels and crazy dreams.

Thank you if you've been following this rollercoaster of a blog!

Weekend change

Last Saturday morning was terribly stressful. I think I cause most of my stress.

But that flea market that blocked off half the parking lot so there were only a few spots close to class
and the people who stole my spots causing me to park on the other side of campus
and the parking meter that ate my money
may have contributed as well.

But then

[WHAMO!]

I found out class was canceled
and everything changed.

 What a horrible, rotten day...

[changed to]

Wow what gorgeous weather!

The annoying flea market blocking off the parking lot...

[changed to]
Yay! I can browse the flea market and it's on the way back to my car!

How convenient!

 hats!

 atari games!!!

 transformers!

this reminds me of johnny number five

I got to make new plans.

That included a trip to a museum (that I never knew existed)
playing a board game outdoors,
and some delicious NY style pizza + garlic knots.
 Score!

It's amazing how a little change can totally shift your outlook.

If only I could start my day that way...

Saturday stroll



Crispy crunchy autumn leaves under my feet. Door hangers in my hand.

Welcoming local east san jose residents to our baby church. I wish I could recall more Spanish. My mom always encouraged me to learn more languages because it can only help you in life. How do you say we are from the church at the park? All morning I thought "iglesia en el park?" but was too hesitant to try it outside of my head. Park is actually "parque". We are more similar than I think sometimes. Quite a few people had their front doors open and the smells of their mornings drifted out to the street. People did not look at us suspiciously and shut their doors on us. They took my doorhanger and nodded politely. Community is more than a row of houses with closed doors. Houses in the neighborhood reminded me of my random jogs and emo walks in berkeley through the neighborhoods straight to Ici (the ice cream shop). I am a 500 pound cookie/ice cream monster trapped in the body of a petite asian girl. I am not complaining.

Each house had it's own personality. And Everyone seemed to have a dog or (attack) cat. Across the train tracks was a newer neighborhood. Every house lined up pristine and matching. It felt like the Stanford campus versus Berkeley. No matter what side of the tracks you were on God made a beautiful autumn day.

(i'm a bit addicted to this retro camera app.)

No Pictures.

I seemed to have misplaced my camera cord during all the moving.
It isn't that I would mindlessly toss something so important aside,
I strategically placed it in the front pocket of my black backpack.
You see, I know exactly where the cord is. The problem is the backpack.

My weekend did NOT go as planned. It was even BETTER than expected.
But I do not have the pictures to show you.
So I will tell you.

Friday was supposed to be a chill movie night --> and turned into a surprise birthday people for two of the nicest people I know.
That's something I love about living in a house with a little extra space. You can fit guests in that little extra space.

Saturday was supposed to be game night with the new church --> and turned into a double date-like night with the pastor and his wife.
I imagined board games and cocoa. We had wine, Mexican cocoa (it comes in a bar), and a whole lot of Xbox action.

Sunday was supposed to be a daylong birthday celebration with ONE of my favoritest people --> and well.. you can read about it in an earlier post. I thought I would get to recycle the birthday balloons and hat from Friday but they are still eagerly waiting in my trunk for the next birthday boy/girl. I got to see TWO people I rarely get to see! Except this week I get to see this rare person THREE times!

Tonight may be epic. Let me emphasize. E-P-I-C.
If you are from the Bay Area you might be there too.
If tonight goes well, I hope I find my camera cord soon so I can share it with you.
[Note: President Obama is in the area today too. Avoid 101 at all costs.]

Falling into place.

I have always dreamed of living in the city. It would be so fun and exciting. There are so many people and things to do. Every moment would be a new experience.

I spent all day today in the city and in light of my new experiences from today, I am sooooo glad I do NOT live in the city because I am NOT a city driver. First, there was a 49ers game meaning one word... traffic. Yes, those ideals of fun and a plethora people culminate into a herd of people seeking a fun day at candlestick park storming the freeways and clogging up the roads for innocent passerby-ers like me. Although I admit I would love to go to a game someday. 

So many things fell into place so that my childhood friend and I were able to meet up this morning before my predesignated plans. This meeting felt fated. Despite the traffic (and a few detours) everything went rather smoothly. I took her to my favorite bakery (introduced to me by my brother) and despite being near Church Street (with at least 2 churches at every intersection) was miraculously able to find an awesome parking spot. I was beaming with excitement for this place. A cute, chatty elderly lady behind kept commenting about the line out the door and asked me if it was really worth the wait. I told her I had driven up all the way from South Bay just for the A-mAzing chocolate croissants and I overheard all her friends ordering it. I hoped they liked them as much as I did.

My lunch plans were for a dimsum place to celebrate my lovely friend's birthday. The evite did not include an address so I quickly googled the place before leaving bright and early. Search result #1 listed a place in Milbrae. Perfect! Only one exit away from the airport. So I drove my friend out of the city and delivered her to SFO. That is when the perfect morning ended and my day began to spiral downwards. After dropping off my friend I curse the macchiato and giant glass of water I had drank because my bladder was on overdrive demanding bathroom stops about every five minutes. The clouds began to trickle rain, just to remind me I shouldn't have drank so many liquids. Rainy days also make me sleepy so my sleep-deprivation kicked in. I stopped at a gas station in Milbrae, realized my phone was beeping that horrible red, you-have-no-more battery light and discovered the restaurant was not in Milbrae. Somehow everyone knew which restaurant it was... the one back in the city. Yes, I was sleepy, stressed, and on the verge of no communication with the purpose of my venture.

I finally arrived to the restaurant 1.5 hours late. Everyone was done eating. I was starved but nauseous and frazzled from being honked at by those city drivers (why are there so many unprotected turns? apparently i am not aggressive enough for those) and struggling to find parking and running into a YMCA to beg for bathroom privileges and that sleep deprivation thing I mentioned earlier. (I was up at 5am.) But who am I to complain? The birthday girl was up even earlier than I for a marathon and was having an allergic reaction to herself and was as chirpy as that silly rabbit when he gets his hands on some Trix (prior to the mean kids who don't share). I marvel at marathon runners. Being 1.5 hours late, everyone was done eating and were ready to get on with the days activities. Next up, a musical in downtown. I ordered some chive buns to go which somehow ended up taking 15 minutes. 15 minutes in Chinese dimsum restaurant time is like 1237937589275987519205792180 years. Usually things are out in a snap. I felt so terrible for making us late to the musical. I am a musical fanatic but today I had a hard time keeping my eyes open. This was serious. I decided it was best to head back home before I fell asleep driving up a hill so me and my ready-to-present birthday present and birthday balloons and leftover chive buns headed home... straight into traffic because now the 49ers game was over and people were heading home.

Sigh.

BUT prior to leaving the parking lot I got a taste of one of those most oily, delicious chive buns. I basically stuffed it into my mouth because my nauseousness level decreased enough to allow eating. As I contemplated eating another bun while driving, I saw a man next to the freeway holding a "Starvin Marvin" sign. I took one more whiff of those delicious chive buns and passed it off to the man. If I had not gone to the wrong city, if I had not arrive 1.5 hours late and if I had not waited those 15 minutes of anguish for those chive buns I would not have had any to share. And if I had not been so tired to leave straight from the musical and if I had followed directions properly thus not requiring a detour, there would have been no Starvin Marvin to share my chive buns with. And if I had not been honked at and so frustrated with parking I would not have called Jbear the moment I returned to suburbia to thank him for always driving in the city while I cling to the I-See-My-Life-Flashing-Before-My-Eyes handle and make anime noises. And if it hadn't rained and been so cold I would not be as appreciative for my winter clothes and bed as I am now.

Perhaps my day went exactly the way it should have, everything falling into perfect place.
Maybe where I am now is exactly where I should be.

Plans change.

I accept that.

My engine light has been consistently on for the past two days. Maybe Chevron just isn't good enough for my car so I fed it some Shell. Then I found out I'm not supposed to mix different types. Darn! I just got an oil change last week. Now my car is going to eat all my sorbet money and I made plans to spend my Saturday sitting in the dealership waiting room... sorbet-less. Just when I thought I was going to experience another unfortunate string of trips to multiple mechanics, the light disappeared. Yes! I am thankful plans change. [It keeps me on my twinkle toes.]

This weekend I'm planning
a dash of this

So'fella pumpkin spice bars.
Now at Cost Plus World Market.

a dab of that

how to train your dragon.
blockbuster express kiosk code: DRGN1 (10/15 only)

hopefully a smidge of this
[sorbet]

a pinch of that

 

 i hope i don't get stuck playing xbox.
am i the only one that finds sports games dreary?

perhaps a second helping of this

Zzzzz...

[sleep]

and a large dallop of friends.

But if my plans change.
I will be okay with it.

My week. My world.

This week has been a bit... crazy.

On Saturday, my father and stepmom cooked a family dinner. My dad bought lobster. Real live lobsters. This is not normal. I think the special occasion was a combination of my stepmom returning from taking care of her mother, my stepsister beginning her first post-college job, my brother being in town and me finally moving out. I'm not sure which item was the tipping point that upgraded family dinner from a trip to Sweet Tomatoes to making lobster, but I'm thinking he's pretty excited about the last one. When I asked him where he learned how to cook lobster he admitted he didn't. But, he DID eat some good lobster in Boston earlier this year. What a guy. No recipe. No instructional. Just gut instinct. I was impressed.

Sunday's move was a success for the most part. I had a minor panic attack Saturday night/early Sunday morning when my dad asked me about the truck rental. I forgot what the prices were and told him rental was only $20 for the first hour and $40 for each additional hour. He kept telling me I really messed up and was making a big mistake. My dad makes me very nervous sometimes. I didn't mention to him it was first-come-first-serve, no reservations. There are some things people who worry a lot don't need to know. I prayed. I woke up at 6am. I got a got a truck for $19.95 for 75 minutes and $10 for each additional hour (not $40). My faithful, sleep-deprived friends showed up at pre-bright but very early at 7:30am to help. There was a Starbucks right next to the Home Depot. All my furniture fit in the truck and was moved in one trip. This move cost less than $100. I felt like the luckiest girl in the world.

My brother left Sunday night and returned back to the other side of the world. I am assuming I will not be seeing him for another year unless he gets invited to another wedding. Things are definitely not the same now but I am so happy I got to see him for the short time he was here. Is it normal to be this ecstatic that your family member talked to you? I'm still giddy. I tried so hard to stay awake and alert after the morning move and then church and then a giant sleep-inducing wet burrito and then church prep for next week and then more moving... but then my body decided I was a terrible master and revolted by going into hibernation mode so I was unable to drive my brother to the airport. He said it was okay and to get some rest. I stayed up doing homework for my class.

Monday was the day I gave up trying to add a class late. It the day I skipped class and then found out later it was still possible to add classes past the deadline. Monday was also the day my friends surprised me for lunch and the day I decided to go to the post office in the morning and the day I left my phone charging at work and the day I almost witnessed intentional manslaughter. Lunch was good. The drive back from the post office was not. In the 2 miles from the post office to work my naive heart was shattered. The one day I leave my phone at work to charge is the day it would have been most helpful. Luckily, other people have phones. I was driving back to work and saw fire out of the corner of my eye. I turned and saw a van rammed into a light pole with its front engine area on fire. A man running as quick as the wind with all his might away from the scene. Another man from a car ahead of me running toward the scene hollering something. I thought he was going to run after the van driver who was quickly escaping. This was all terribly confusing because I don't normally see fire and the van was facing the wrong direction and was on top something and I've never seen someone run so fast. Then I noticed what the brave man was running towards. Caught under the fiery front of the van lay a cube of shiny metal. That cube was a motorcycle lying on its side. Still in sitting position on the motorcycle was a police officer. Caught under the blazing van. Still wearing his spotless, shiny white helmet.

I stared in rubbernecker shock. Do you ever dream about what you would do in a situation when someone's life is at stake? Do you dream of putting yourself in harms way and being the hero that saves the day? Do you run away? Or do you freeze in a sudden panic? Apparently, I am a freezer. I froze but my car rolled on. And almost hit the car in front of my who had abruptly stopped. My first reaction was purely a product of Hollywood. I admit it was terribly selfish. This scene looked like a product of Hollywood. So don't all its Hollywood norms apply? Once a car crashes and catches on fire, it will inevitably create a mushroom cloud explosion and all those still alive in its vicinity will shield their charred faces from the sun and say something vengeful. At this point I was directly across the street from the accident and my first thought was to get further away in case the blazing car explodes and shoots pieces of scrap metal in every direction. (I now know only cars with gunpowder and explosives inside will perform such feats.) My second thought was rather selfish too. Call the police. People like me don't know how to deal with these situations. This is not my world. Oh how I wish I secretly moonlight as an EMT or even knew CPR or first aid. But I don't. So let the authorities do their job. I've been saying that quite a bit lately, "this is not my world". When something feels too foreign and unfamiliar I give myself this affirmation as if its an excuse to excuse myself from the situation. Unfortunately, it isn't. The world isn't filled with just rainbows and butterflies and yummy things to eat, it's a fallen world where evil dwells as well. Our world is not perfect and our defining moments include how we choose to deal with those imperfections.

No one ever told exactly what to do in a situation like this. They don't prepare you for this in school. Acing a calculus test seems less significant in the grand scheme of living life. As I drifted away in daze I saw the blur of oncoming police car lights responding to their call. I turned around, prayed for the officer under the van and the man who had fled the scene, and returned to the scene of the crime. As of yesterday, I learned the driver was apprehended in LA and the police officer received surgery on his leg and foot at a local hospital and will soon be (unless he has been) released. You can read more about this incident here.

Monday was also my first night at the new place. The new place is beginning to feel less like my friend's home and more like my own. I have slept a total of 4 nights there and each day I wake up a little later. I want to stay in bed longer. I am growing more comfortable with my surroundings.

The rest of the week was filled with work and small group and moving and smitten kitchen's mushroom lasagna and Glee and a rainbow and the last book club meeting and exploring the church office and thai food and an awesome tiramasu cake and hugs and healing. Happy Friday!

Sunday/Saturday Signs

{Let's go backwards. Sunday...}

Sunday was an exciting day!

Jbear and I have been attending a few meetings for a new church plant. 

After months of preparation, it was opening day.

This past Sunday was the first service for Jesus the Recreator!

I can't believe how smoothly everything went. Everything pretty much exceeded my expectations. Praise God for everything coming together! The church hopes to reach out to different ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds so Pastor Abel found a facility in downtown San Jose. We are renting from the Roosevelt Community Center. Amidst some older neighborhoods the city has built a gem of a park. The facility was gorgeous, the worship music was diverse but the musicians are so talented they can pull off any style, the message was great, and the food was delicious. I admit I was very hesitant about becoming involved in another church when I feel as if I haven't yet experienced all that my current church has to offer, but I am so glad I did.

Check it out on facebook.

Jesus the Recreator Covenant Church

AND...
despite helping out with lunch and staying to clean up, we were able to make it back to GRX for (the end) of Fall Launch. My beloved small group. Sometimes you can have it all, with flan.

 

{On Saturday}

After an amazing Pho breakfast at Cong Ly,
our little trio went to a park in attempts to burn off the filet mignon meat and endless noodles.
Actually, the plan was to go for a hike. But hike easily turns into eating LARGEst bowl of noodles available and taking pictures at the park.

I wish I could start all mornings like this. Yes, I got a LARGE.

Oh what a beautiful Saturday morning.

As we left the park I noticed this sign... then found out my future residence is just around the corner.
What a pleasant surprise.

YouCapture

The one with the (not) taco trucks.

Lately people seemed to have upped their standards on fast food. Not only do we want it fast, but we want something beyond burgers and fries. We want variety. We want quality.

I had a food festival Saturday last week. Taiwanese Kids Day in Cupertino in the morning. Then we headed to Oakland. In an area around here.

To Eat Real.

Why pay rent when you can go mobile?
Here are some of my favorites.

Taco Guys. Maui Taco.
We saw a line waiting while the truck was closed and we figured this would be a good place to try.

El Porteno. Best Empanadas I've ever had.
(meat. good. bananas + caramel. amazing.)

Scream Sorbet. I had the pistachio.
Apparently, they were big on the farmers market circuit. They will be opening up an Oakland location near Bakesale Betty's. I am excited for both.

Sam's Chowder Mobile. The bread used in the lobster roll is so thick and buttery it reminds me of Texas toast. Clam chowder was still good a few days later.

Some various other things. Fried cactus. Various types of fried chicken (OB Town still wins my vote). Chairman Bao Buns (fried tofu was my favorite). They were all pretty good. But the the $3-5 price tag could be a bit debatable.

Another sunny day in cal-i-for-ni-a.

Where do you find a good hat?

Last week I had my first Western-style tea party.

I am more accustomed to Asian tea houses where everyone comes as they are, huddle around a single teapot either sitting on bare ground or propped on pillows and listen as a tea expert advises on steeping time while proclaiming the medicinal values of various types of tea. The general custom is smell the first cup, toss it, and drink the rest, savoring the way it trickles down your throat and the sweet or bitter aftertaste many of them leave.

The tea party was to be a ladies tea party but due to a series of unexpected events, the party dwindled to an intimate setting for two. So Mother Hen (MH) took me to Lisa's Tea Treasures in Campbell (apparently better than the other locations), and took me down a rabbit hole into another world. A place where pretty china gets used (not stored in a dusty china cabinet), beaded doilies cover the cream, cookies (biscuits?) are dipped in lemon cream, people use knives and forks to cut their delicate sandwiches and quiche, and your table comes with a bell to summon a waitress who wears an apron and one of those small black-and-white hats a maid might wear. Everything felt so delicate. My big bulky camera felt terribly out of place. A black brick of plastic doesn't quite belong in a place abounding with teacups covered in dainty roses. A bit like me. I am reminded of a particular scene in Titanic where Rose (Kate Winslet) is questioning living a lifetime of high class poise and manners and looks about the dining room. Her eyes settle on a woman teaching a young girl how to place her napkin in her lap. I took etiquette classes when I was young but ended up forgoing all silverware and eating all those dainty tea sandwiches with my hands. How do you expect to raise a lady in Texas? My favorite food is ribs and I eat them with my hands the way a Texan should. Gretchen Wilson might be proud.

MH told me how she had fallen in love with tea time during a previous trip to England.

This made me reminisce of my trip to London in elementary school. I was clearly out of place. As we took a boat ride under the London bridge I happily belted out a verse of "London Bridge Is Falling Down" before my mother hushed me, other patrons in a pizza restaurant looked at me for using my hands to eat pizza and I looked at them because who puts asparagus on a pizza?, I giggled anytime someone said "madame" and I thought the people at McDonalds were crazy for charging 6 pence per package of barbeque sauce. Even though Americans don't say things like "madame" in a cool accent, I was reminded how wonderful it is to live in the United States. I never got to experience tea time in England, but it was one thing MH missed about the country.

Her first time to Lisa's was when an older friend had brought her when she was 23.

My first reaction to a place like Lisa's is what do I wear!?! Do I got for 'old British granny' with a modest flowery number or 'Betsey Johnson/Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland' with extra tulle underneath?!? Oh the choices. Then I remembered I have nothing like that in my closet. Actually, I was in SF in the morning and thought tea time had been canceled. Luckily, I made it back with time to stop by IKEA AND wash off the Mission district. MH was kind on me, she showed up in capris and sandals showing her turquoise toenails. What a cool mom.

Her friend had told her to wear a dress and a hat. 

A HAT!?!

Yes, a Hat.

And she scrambled to find one.

Thank goodness I did not have to go through that.

Which brings me to this post. Where do people even find a good hat? Do milliners still exist? Who wears hats besides Lady Gaga? (When she isn't using her hair as a hat.)

You've seen this one right? Las Vegas CES Show 2010.
Source: Becker/Getty

Then I was reminded horse races seem to be synonymous with fancy schmancy hats.

Here are a few of my favorites from the Royal Ascot race.

AP Photo-Alastair Grant

REUTERS-Luke MacGregor

REUTERS-Stefan Wermuth

How does this work?

Do they bring their dresses to the milliner and say make me something that coordinates? Or is it the other way around? Or do they magically have ample hats available to match every palette? It must be pretty awesome to make such cool creations. They do not get scuffed up and dirtied like shoes. They are worn prominently for everyone to see. AND they protect from the sun (at least some). How functional.

I bet this woman is a tea party pro!

REUTERS-Luke MacGregor

Yes, that is Queen Elizabeth herself. With a matching hat. Of course.
If there was a reality tv show about manners and tea parties she would be the Tyra or at least the Tim Gunn. And afterward, the whole world will know the secret to poise, being a lady, and keeping those fancy hats in place. Could you imagine her on a show like Charm School?!?

V

VH1