It's been awhile since I've done a personal update, so I thought I'd start a continuing series to share with everyone how things have been going, and to hopefully get to know my readers more.

My sister, Michelle tagged me in a Facebook note the other day where she shared 16 things about herself (some of which I didn't know -like why she wants to be an endocrinologist!) and then I was supposed to do the same. Now I don't want to say that I'm technically challenged, but when I went to college, email had just emerged in our world, and I don't think the internet was around till my later college years. (Man, that's just giving out way too much info on my age here.) So long story short, I didn't know how to send her and 16 other people a note back! But I do know how to blog, so I thought I'd take from that note & expand it to a running series on my blog. :D

So, here are my 4 THINGS for today (2 past, 2 present):

1. I was a boat person who escaped from Communist Vietnam with my family when I was 3 on a small rickety boat. We landed in Bidong, an island of Malaysia, where we stayed at a refugee camp for a few months. Food was sparse and at night everyone slept in fear of robbers who would come into our camp and snatch jewelry right off of our bodies while we were sleeping. My mom said that someone had tried to pull off a gold necklace I was wearing, but they failed. Go home robber!!!

2. We weren't poor when we lived in Vietnam. My grandparents owned a Chinese herbal medicine store & made a good living there. My dad was the best dentist in town and everyone went to see him for their dental care. My parents had a house, car, and motorcycle, which of course were all taken away when the communist came to town. Once we landed in America though, we were POOR as hell! More on that in the next posting.

3. Addiction. Since we've moved over to the Phoenix area, I've been addicted to shopping at Anthropologie. This was a store that I fell in love with when I lived in San Francisco, but could never afford anything there back then. Now I can't get enough, but it's still taking me a while to get out of the frugal mindset. (I still shop on their sales rack!) But here are 2 items I bought & love from that store. There's a few more sitting in the closet, but you don't want to see my whole wardrobe now do you?)





Look at the cute little birdies on the buttons!!!


4. My new home. It's slowly, but surely getting furnished. I wish I were living back in Hillcrest where there were so many cool furniture stores around. I feel like I have to trek around town looking for something that feels right here. But luckily, I found a few pieces!

This nightstand I turned into an end table b/c it just goes w/ everything in this soon-to-be studio of mine.


The little birdies were just screaming my name in the store!


I love this console from Costco Home. Yep, in Tempe there's a Costco warehouse filled with furniture. Only 2 of these stores in the nation!


The sofa.


And the happy matching chair!


This and the nightstand are my 2 favorite pieces in the house. Ok, and the console. But look what the little rascal Tovi did to my new happy chair!


I was mortified when I saw this and yelled at that cat like there was no tomorrow. Here's the bubble boy himself (b/c he's still on the bubble), hiding in his usual kitchen cupboard. GRRRRR Tovikins! GRRRRR!!!


Now I'm looking into getting a doggie. :D

Ok all you readers out there. Now it's your turn. Please take a moment to introduce yourself & tell me 4 things about you (or 3, or 2). I'd love to know!!!!! If I already know you, then tell me something I don't know. And if you have a blog, tell me! :D