sugarette

happy birthday to me

2012-02-20T23:19:00.000-08:00

i feel old ! the times sure do fly by..

good seeing my lovelys <3

Philippines Recap

2011-09-12T00:19:00.000-07:00

I had an incredible time while i was in the Philippines last month. Here are just a few snippets from my journey to Anvaya Cove..<3

rusty

2011-07-13T00:44:00.000-07:00

seven.ten.eleven

2011-07-10T16:59:00.000-07:00

95035

2011-07-08T11:26:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't wanna have it any other way

2011-06-15T17:57:00.000-07:00

LA, you've done me well.

2011-06-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

C'est la vie.

orange peel

2011-05-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

grad month

2011-05-20T04:23:00.000-07:00

These past few weeks have been so consuming, I felt like I was running around everywhere, although I had such a hectic month, I still somehow manage to keep calm.. two of my favorite people graduated this month, and I am so proud of them.

There was so much inspiration in Jennie's room..

Congrats to my bff Jennie from CSUF

& congrats to my man from USC :)

life.

2011-05-18T17:49:00.000-07:00

The Dalai Lama's eighteen rules for living. Apply yourself.

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three Rs:

1. Respect for self

2. Respect for others

3. Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

7. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open your arms to change, but don’t let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don’t bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It’s a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go someplace you’ve never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

Babie's Babies

2011-05-07T01:10:00.000-07:00

abandoned bridges

2011-05-01T18:21:00.000-07:00

did a shoot today with my boyfriend's car.. shot with Leon Tang, found crazy hidden places in downtown..coool.

had to finally unwind from the heat... watermelon slushies anyone?

///MFEST5

2011-04-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

I have been the MFEST spokes model for almost 4 years now, I have watched this event grow and develop throughout the years and it gets nothing but bigger and better..This year I hosted the Ms. Mfest competition and I have to say this one would have to be unforgettable. I love this event because it's like a huge reunion.. it was good seeing some old buddies and catching up like old times, it only happens once a year, and we of course would like to thank Chris for creating such an awesome comradeship and family. I also want to thank all my models for working so hard and for keeping up with all the stress and behind the scenes work! There wouldn't be an MFEST without you..

Day 1: Roll out @ 5am. Vegas Bound.

all of a sudden my babes is the traffic dude..

300+ Ms in the caravan

Day 2: REGISTRATION

even Hann is exhausted..

we are all a team.

hustle & bustle girls <3

my girl Tracy works so hard.

boyfriend so tireddd

workin hard but still keeping it diva. ;P

my poor baby<3

Day 3: Track day

fueling up babe's car

getting camera ready

I hired her all the way from east coast! representing NYC yep!

his fastest Track time was 2:08, wow go love!

Day 4: RELAX&PARTY...and okay GAMBLE

Puldoggy you funny banana boy!

finally get time to EAT!

Tao beach with my sista

Jo cajita got tatted up

Siraggy

Iris Van Herpen X United Nude X Kermit Tesoro

2011-04-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

what no way..... it's so easy to fall in love... my bank account must love me too? temptation, temptation..............

bloom forth spring

2011-04-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

white sheets

2011-04-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

I have this thing for white sheets. I never have any other color besides white for my bedding, waking up to the brightness of everything just starts off my day pure, peaceful, and calm.

breakfast at Amandine's

2011-04-11T03:10:00.000-07:00

It's always a pleasure spending time with my better half, sista kim, her bf, and of course bandit.. breakfast would have to be my favorite time of day, I just wish I could always get up in time for it..luckily I did today.

Literally, night at the Roxbury

2011-04-11T02:38:00.000-07:00

good times with my playboy fam<3 happy bday houman!

donna's

2011-04-08T04:45:00.000-07:00

You know, I may not have your regular 9-5 job or anything .. but I have been working at Donna's since the age 21. She and Art took me in while I was still a young newcomer, possibly because I think they believed in me. I was still learning the ropes, barely grasping the ability to become a "people-person", learning how to sell, learning how to speak to customers, learning how to work in a fast-paced environment, along with those responsibilities came Donna and Art's old fashioned ways of teaching the girls, scolding them, and telling us straight forward, always correcting us, even point fingers at us, they didn't care if our feelings were hurt, because they just wanted us to learn, and the most important thing I learned from that was Discipline and Obedience. I remember nights I felt like crying so bad if I made one little mistake, but I sucked it up, and learned how to appreciate it because I always had Donna and Art's voice in the back of my head and it made me feel accomplished and never forgot to do the things like turn on the back light switch, always lock the kitchen door, remember to bring a cleaning towel to my tray, pick up empty bottles, never leave the trash bins full, memorize drink orders, keep track of tabs, do multiple orders, you know little things like that... and up to this day, I know that they know I do my job 110%, they just don't tell me, but I could tell.. and with that came growth within myself.

I know working at a bar may seem "easy", I mean, yeah it is easy, once you become routine to it.. but believe it or not there are advantages. Advantages that you may find hard to find anywhere else. And these come from the friendships you make with the people in this non-remodeled, still kept it's substance, old-school feeling environment. There is something special about Donna's bar, I mean you usually think the typical bar scene right? drunk men, creeps, you have your occasional coo-coos, no, Donna's isn't like that,.. but what You will find here, is the same cute little old woman sitting in the same spot she's been sitting at for more than 15 years, you will find the cute old men possibly in their late 60s-70s still having a beer or two at the bar and still dance their little twist and do the hop to the tunes in our jukebox, which I may say is by far the best jukebox,.... maybe because of preservation? i dont know, but i believe it to be the best in Gardena, well only because I myself enjoy Marvin Gaye, Paul Anka, Al Green, The Isley Bros, James Brown, The Temptations, The Eagles, acdc, The Stones, etc etc. Of course you don't just have the "old" crowd, you will also find the younger crowd here and there, but they too, for some reason are far beyond your creeps, maybe because I pretty much grew up in gardena/southbay area, that the "younger" crowd usually end up being my old middle school and high school classmates, you know who you are! all of you! You will also find RESPECTFUL and completely HARMLESS individuals, and that is by far one of the most important and proudest qualities that this bar has to offer.

Donna's gives off that "home-body vibe" where everyone treats everyone like family and are very welcoming. Where else can you find a bar full of locals, who bring in and share home-cooked meals to each other? where else can you find the owner of the bar cooking up a buffet full of hawaiian/japanese/chinese food? where else can you find a group of best friends who religiously attend their own dart leagues? where else can you find the best beef jerky in town? the best beef dip? where else can you find a bar full of generous people who actually care about them and REMEMBER your favorite song? food? cupcake? drink? and they even REMEMBER what days you work so they can go out of their way just to bring you your favorite latte? your favorite oldies songs burned on to a cd just for you? They know I love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so they even make me some (crust cut and everything) and make sure I have food in my stomach, They always make sure I had something in my stomach, because I was always the "baby" so even if there wasn't any food in sight, they would still be kind enough to walk to the 24 hr donut shop across the street just to snag me a donut.. They'll always break out a sweat for you, make sure you are safe and out of trouble. I dont know where else I can find such a caring and genuine crowd.

I think the best part of my job is putting my "people-person" skills into work, allowing myself to conversate with my customers, you'd be surprised at how much you will learn and achieve from having one conversation, especially from the old and the wise. I love LISTENING to people's stories, their lives, their everyday beings, some of the most Hilarious stories ever, they will make you laugh and cry, and even spit out your drinks.., the other best part about it, is when I tell them MY stories, They NEVER judge, They are never judgmental, they never put you down, no matter what type of problematic story I am telling, no matter how stupid of a story I may tell about my life... they are always a good listener, they never tell me what to do, they just simply say "you will figure it out jo," or "you will find your way",.and smirk, because to them I still have a lonnnggg ways to go in life.. and 99% of the time the old and wise are always right. It is definitely a cherished feeling, and it is something I keep close to my heart.

What I'm trying to really get at is.. Today I heard some tragic news about one of my "regulars" at my bar who passed away due to a car accident, His name is Rene Rivas, he was, I'm guessing in his late 40s, has I think about 4 or 5 children (all young, and teenager), a wife who he always tells me is his best friend, he always lit up the room with his spunkyness and cool collected vibe, has stories to tell for daaaaays, has advice to give for daaays, has words of wisdom for daysss, hes like a walking fortune cookie full of "old sayings" and "let me teach you something about life" quotes, a jokester, but underneath it all has one of the biggest hearts. Another one of my regulars is Kevin Tokuhara, he also was in the car with Rene, but luckily he survived but is in intensive care.. I love Kev and Ritz, they are so funny.. This is all just unreal. It sucks getting attached to the people you were so used to, imagine a routinely schedule where you did the same things and out of nowhere one thing goes wrong, it just messes everything up.. but I guess his time was near, I know the rest of the Donna's crowd is heartbroken as well... may he rest in peace.

-Joanna

Bella Mod.

2011-04-05T04:58:00.000-07:00

I have recently been chosen to be on the ads for bella modella 2011 collection.. awesome! thanks Bianca, great time working with you.

beach

2011-04-05T04:39:00.000-07:00

baby pink

2011-04-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

candy girl

2011-03-30T04:07:00.000-07:00

value

2011-03-30T03:45:00.000-07:00

I have the greatest set of friends, and sometimes I wonder how lucky i am to have such amazing people in my life.. i still wonder how we held on to each other throughout all these years.. seeing each other grow....even welcoming our first godson together, M.J..we may be a little weird, a little crazy at times, we speak our own lingo, but the cool thing about it is, you really can't find a friendship like this nowadays.. and of course, as cliche, as i may sound, it's something well worth cherishing. hmm... i wonder who's the next soon-to-be mommy? haha, or who's getting married first?? uh oh....

honey butter

2011-03-21T00:21:00.000-07:00

"I might just get to know the inner you: witty, adventurous, passionate, loving, loyal. A little bit crazy,a little bit bad. But hey - don't us girls just love that?"

young heart

2011-03-21T00:02:00.000-07:00

One of the greatest feelings is being lost in the crowd, putting everyone on mute except you and him, laughing like there is no tomorrow, sharing stories through the blaring music, and having a drink on hand... feeling dizzy, feeling absorbed, and carelessly whispering sweet nothings..and you can't help but think to yourself, "It's okay to live a little."

classic

2011-03-19T10:51:00.000-07:00

sheer

2011-03-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

my friend Kim came back from Paris & brought me back something sweet.

 & Jennie came back from Hawaii with a little gift <3

 "It’s hard when you’re used to love being so dramatic, so many obstacles, but it’s so painful and it’s so destructive. I had to teach myself, the next guy I’m going to have is going to be fucking a good man to me, he’s going to treat me good. That’s hard to recognize, when you’re standing in front of a good person. You have to be ready for that, a love that’s not immediate, that’s just warm and it’s just there. I realize there are different stages—love, lust and infatuation, and that’s the most dangerous one that I experience, like obsession. It feels so much, but it’s bullshit. And then love, which is something that is like a warmth between you."

warmth

2011-03-14T16:52:00.000-07:00

lazy days are the reason to have the whole day to yourself so you can rummage through your buried closet, have bobby caldwell on repeat, & find hidden things.

& limitless

2011-03-14T03:13:00.000-07:00

sunday stripes

2011-03-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

Olveritas Village

2011-03-06T21:19:00.000-08:00

It's funny how i accidentally stumbled into this tiny tucked away place. I was appalled, had to quickly make a u-turn, park, and snap a few photos. I just haaaaad to. LA surprises me sometimes.

collab

2011-03-06T19:06:00.000-08:00

I've had the incredible experience to shoot and work with Mr. Dave Jaranilla, Ron Alan, and my best friend, 
Chris Basilio last month, i was anxious to see how everything turned out and exceptionally enough, 
everything just fell into place. naturally effortless. Feel free to check out some behind the scenes footage. :) 

free spirit

2011-02-28T00:56:00.000-08:00

come true

2011-02-28T00:42:00.000-08:00

90012

2011-02-21T02:48:00.000-08:00

R. Alan Photography.

"You have a good life, my Dear"

2011-02-17T13:54:00.000-08:00

11:11

2011-02-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

bon apetite.

2011-02-13T03:30:00.000-08:00

all thanks to you, Valentine. <3

charming town

2011-02-13T02:50:00.000-08:00

Rag & Bone

2011-02-06T23:51:00.000-08:00

sunshine

2011-02-04T04:31:00.000-08:00

indulge

2011-02-04T04:27:00.000-08:00

best friends never go out of style (missing jocy)

2011-01-30T16:05:00.000-08:00

chasing the sunset

2011-01-29T03:34:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles, CA 90015

2011-01-27T10:17:00.000-08:00

few of the reasons i make this my home.

#101

2011-01-24T16:17:00.000-08:00

the asian in me

2011-01-23T23:42:00.000-08:00

happy birthdayJ.Laz

2011-01-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

Hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, black&white, bossanova, dim light, gardenia scented candles, fashionable people, laughter, and a ton of good vibes.

new place

2011-01-22T19:29:00.000-08:00

2011

2011-01-01T04:02:00.000-08:00

my craftiness on NYE.