Little Things

1. Sorry I peaced out on y'all for two weeks. Now that that's done...

In other news, Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and hopefully we're all going to be chowing down on some amazing food. We might even have to deal with the most boring/awkward game of all time- the "What are you thankful for?" game.

Now before you all take up your pitchforks, hear me out. No one wants to hear that you’re thankful for your family, friends, job, and house right before they can eat. Let's be real- food is always better than talk. In order to not bore everyone at Thanksgiving, I thought I'd write about what I'm thankful for now!

Yes, there are the big things- friends, family, school, environment, which I cherish, but I think the little things truly make life worth living. Little moments here and there to make you laugh or smile are worth the hours of work and the occasional fights. 

Here are some of the "little things" that I've been thankful for lately. 

1. Messing around with the little bro. He's always around to joke with me and make me laugh when I'm slogging through mountains of Scarlet Letter annotations. Plus he's the cutest thing ever. Look out for a post on what I call "Yashisms" coming soon!

2. Christmas movie nights with this dapper couple and the child above. Yes Hallmark Channel is our favorite-how did you know?

3. Dress days. Because after all the days of crappy clothes, we need to redeem ourselves in the fashion world somehow. 

Also excuse the boots + tights. I'm a CA girl and it was less than 65 degrees. 

3. Friends like this one who dance with you and your dad and teach you how to wear beanies. 

Obviously, it didn't work. 

I'm still struggling, but I discovered that bobby pins help. 

5. This happening. 

I subbed in as mascot for our intra-district rally, and it was simultaneously one of the most most difficult and fun things I've ever done. 

#victoriathevikingunmasked. 

6. This isn't really a moment, but I'm really thankful that I live in a community where I can embrace all of my cultures, from my sari-wearing Indian side to my Starbucks and yoga pants inner white girl to my pearl milk tea loving asian side. 

(quick note that everything I say on my blog is in good fun, so please don't take offense to anything!)

Again, sorry I've been gone for so long. I have SO many posts written in my head but no time to write them all down!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone- what are you thankful for? 

xo, Hima

P.S. This blog and I got a twitter over the weekend! Hit us up @himahearts. Creative, I know.

Also….I’m going to be holding the Blog Baton, which is basically a blogger Instagram account that the wonderful Mason from Mason Likethe Jar put together. Come say hi @theblogbaton on Instagram on Friday!

Just for Funsies

Wow. That was a long week. 

Just really. really. really. busy. 

Busy enough that I barely took any pictures. 

Busy enough that I'm oh so glad it's the weekend. 

But even during the busiest of weeks, it's important to make time to do things just for funsies!

Formal Friday with these girls! Sometimes it surprises me that we can stand still for that long...we're such children. 

We're all equally obsessed with Lorde and Royals (honestly, it's been on repeat for almost two months now), hence the "Queen Bee" and her princesses. 

More pictures and a mutual love for dress days on Tulika's blog coming soon! :)

I also cooked a lot this week, just for funsies. Recipe posts coming soon because this stuff is the bombdotcom and it's completely clean because no one has the time and energy to work off 290348032984 calories. 

sidenote: The domain name bomb.com is available if anyone is interested. 

Chocolate Coconut Microwave French toast.

Chocolate coconut mug cake. I don't actually know how this tasted, because it was for a friend, but it looked pretty amazing. 

My mom must have gotten excited about all my cooking, so she tried to teach me how to cook real food. I sliced the wrong thing....but princess bandaids make life a lot better :)

So maybe this wasn't the most exciting week, but that happens. Just remember that you can always make time to do things just for funsies. Mmk peace out, girl scout. 

xo, Hima

Happy Birthday Mommy! + Caffeine Overload

Today is my wonderful mommy's birthday. 

Our relationship has changed a lot in the past year- now there's a lot more fighting and a lot more love. My mom is my rock, and Mommy, if you're reading this, here's what I have to say: 

Happy Birthday to the most beautiful woman in my life, inside and out. Thank you for being my best friend, my favorite shoulder to cry on, and my favorite prankster to laugh with. Thank you for putting up with my sass, for making me coffee at 1 AM and staying up with me when I need to, for being that weirdo who watches Christmas movies with her kids all through November. Thank you for spontaneous dinner outings, for thoughtful surprises, and for endowing me with your fashion sense. Thank you for not letting me forget my roots and for being the best role model a daughter could even ask for. Happy Birthday Mommy. 

Oh yeah, and I had a lot of caffeine this weekend. It wasn't intentional, but my mom now thinks I'm addiction to coffee. The irony is that I actually don't even enjoy it that much! 

Oh yeah, and I've been milking that "for here" trick that I told you about last week. There is something infinitely more satisfying about a latte in a mug than in a cup, right? 

Saturday was the most productive study date of all time with one of my best friends, Prachi. 

Word of advice: Never mix a gingerbread latte with a peppermint mocha. It gets kinda gross. 

Sunday was a long-awaited catch up session with another good friend, Somya! We headed out to Peet's, and I've gotta say, I'm definitely a Starbucks loyal. My sea salt caramel latte sounded really yummy, but was way too much coffee for me to handle. 

I think I'll just stick with Starbucks for now!

(Or maybe I'll take a break from coffee for a while so I don't become dependent on it- I'll wait until college for that!)

Don't be deceived by how pretty it is!

Yay for heart to heart catch-up sessions!

(P.S. Yes, I know I look like a drowned dog, but I always let my hair air dry because I'm lazy. Oops!)

Happy Veterans' Day everyone! Don't forget to take a moment to remember those who have fought for our country!

Happy Birthday Mommy!

xo, Hima

AP Candyology, Mustache Shenanigans, and Vine Swingin'

First off, HAPPY FRIDAY. 

This week felt like an eternity and I couldn't be happier that it's almost over. 

From yummy coffee to candy-infused bio labs to the start of Movember, this week had everything. 

1. I don't normally take selfies wearing fake mustaches, but when I do, it's for a good cause. Movember is an organization that promotes mens' health throughout the month of November by encouraging men to grow out their facial hair to raise awareness. Obviously, girls can't really do that, hence the fake mustache! 

ohmygod did I just use hence. 

What is happening to me. 

[okay, moving on]

 Our school is doing a huge campaign, which I've been working really hard to shamelessly promo, and I'm really excited about it!

2. AP Bio DNA Candy Models are the best! Never mind that I felt really sick for like 3 hours after because of all the sugar. 

3, 4, 5. Leadership Ropes Course YAYAYAY. Okay, technically this was last week, but I didn't write about it, so it got pushed. 

Imagine the best experience of your life. Now multiply it by infinity. 

That was the ropes course. No, just kidding, but it was SO fun!

Thanks to Ian for the great photos!

Other than that, this week was pretty mellow, y'all. Here's to a wonderful 3 day weekend!

xo, Hima

How to Starbucks

I know what you're probably thinking. 

How to Starbucks? What does she even mean?

or something more along the lines of 

HA please. I am the Starbucks queen. Hima is a mere peasant. 

I've come to tell you a secret that will change your life. 

We all know that Starbucks between the beginning of November and the end of January is the best time ever. I mean, it's the return of the red cups!

pair it with a good book like Divergent, and you're golden!

Also, we all know that Skinny Peppermint Mochas are where it's at, right? More of a Gingerbread Latte person? Or the straight "I need my coffee just give it to me?"

Me? SPM. (I don't know if that's a thing, but PSL is, so SPM is now too!)

Red cups are great, but I've just discovered the secret to an amazing Starbucks experience. Ask for your drink "for here." 

Happiness will ensue. 

(Yes I know it's a terrible photo, but it's the best I've got. Thanks Sneha!)

Good god, that looks amazing. 

Moral of the story: Always ask for your drink "for here." Let me know how that works out for you!

Also, there's a super cool swapporunity going on that all you bloggers should sign up for!

Basically, you get to switch blogs with someone for a day, gaining more exposure for yourself, and making new blog friends. 

What's not to like, right? Go sign up here!

Happy Wednesday y'all. We're halfway there. 

xo, Hima

It's a Love-Hate Relationship

We've all got 'em. 

They make you look amazing, and your confidence levels just go sky high. 

But you also look like a newborn horse struggling to take its first steps. 

If you're like me, you give up and end up walking barefoot through the streets of Santana Row. 

Could it be the SAT? (No, although I did take that this weekend).

Yup, it's those heels. 

Among other things, this weekend, I spent 4 hours in 5-inch heels. I loved being super tall, but my balance is questionable as it is, so it was definitely a struggle. Any tips for not being the loser holding her shoes while walking through downtown? 

This whole ordeal was for my friend Prachi's 16th, and it did make for some pretty cute pictures- enjoy!

apologies for the crappy phone quality and the demon eyes. 

I like to think the second picture is more relationship representative. 

This weekend was also Diwali, or the festival of lights, which is the world's best excuse to play with fire. 

gaah, it's gorgeous. 

Oh yeah, and I dressed up my dog for Halloween. I'm that kind of person. 

How was your weekend? Any exciting Halloween parties or firework mishaps? Let me know :)

xo, Hima

P.S. Best friend Tulika started a blog. Go show her some love!