BLOG . JENNIFER CHONG

Carl Kleiner for IKEA

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-08:00

i love the work of carl kleiner, loving this new series for ikea where kitchenware turns to art. you may have seen some photos from his other series homemade is best where he worked with stylist evelina bratell and arranged baking supplies. more beautiful art and photography can be found on his website.

PHOTOS BY CARL KLEINER

Color Pop

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

pretty pops of color.

1. TRIANGLE NECKLACE 2. PAINTED CUFF 3. SKYLINE NECKLACE

Behind Photographs

2012-01-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

i love these images, from the book behind the photographs by tim mantoani. famous photos that we've seen before, with stories from their photographers.

PHOTOS BY TIM MAHOANI

Neon Legs

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

neon is really big right now, but i love just small touches of neon. i can't get over these legs on this dining room table, they just painted them neon and it looks grand.

PHOTO BY LEELA CYD VIA APARTMENT THERAPY

Happy Friday

2012-01-20T15:32:00.000-08:00

a late happy friday to you all, hope you all have a wonderful weekend! here is a picture of my steak salad from my weekend adventures, for more of my iphone snapshots visit snapshots.jchongdesign.com

PHOTO BY JCHONG

Protect IP / SOPA Breaks the Internet

2012-01-18T07:46:00.000-08:00

i've been seeing a lot of #sopa lately but didn't quite understand, here is a video that helped. take a stand.

VIDEO BY FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE VIA DESIGN WORK LIFE

WANTED / Cutting Board

2012-01-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

it is pretty embarrassing that i am even saying it out loud but i don't own a decent cutting board. when i moved i bought some cheapo plastic things till i found the one i wanted but somehow i never got around to getting one. so im on the market for a new and improved cutting board, these from branch home are quite nice. do you have a favorite cutting board?

PHOTO FROM BRANCH HOME

Kindergarten Kekec

2012-01-16T07:00:00.000-08:00

love love love this kindergarten school in ljubljana, slovenia, designed by architect jure kotnik. love the colorful wooden against the natural wood. the design doesn't block all the light either, fabulous design.

PHOTOS FROM ARCHITIZER

The Holstee Manifesto

2012-01-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

some of you may have seen the holstee manifesto poster before - well here it is in video form! great video, hope you all have a wonderful weekend enjoying life!

VIDEO DIRECTED BY COOPER MILLER | HOLSTEE

Eleven Questions Part Two

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

a continuation of yesterday's post - eleven questions from leah.

11 QUESTIONS FROM LEAH
1. List 3 words and a color that describes you the best.
reliable, hungry, adventurous - green
2. If you had to pick one, which Muppet would you be? Why?
kermit! he is the kindest.
3. Share three different photos from your travels and tell us a little about them.
top photo - from my travels to southeast asia, this was a temple i was visiting in chiang mai, thailand
bottom left photo - hawaii, with three of my closet friends
bottom right photo - manchu picchu, morning sunrise as we rise into manchu picchu
4. What’s your favorite video game of all time?
i love mario party - great game for lots of people and tons of fun.
5. What is one accomplishment you are most proud of doing in 2011 and what is one thing you’d like to accomplish in 2012?
2011. shooting for whisknladle hospitality / hiking manchu picchu
2012. travel more, play more, do more.
6. What is the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
traveling alone to southeast asia - although, once i got back i realized it wasn't scary at all, traveling alone is fun!
7. What are your “go-to” pair of shoes right now?
because its winter - j.crew cece flats (if it was the summer i'm in flip flops all day everyday!)
8. What was the last thing you bought online?
well fed and a new turn south cookbooks
9. What are three websites that you visit on a regular basis (besides Google, Twitter, FB)?
oh joy, bonnie tsang, and pinterest
10. Winter or Summer?
summer!
11. What are you most passionate about?
eating :O

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

Eleven Questions Part One

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

leah from velokova tagged me in this 11 question post. im breaking the rules but thought it would be fun to answer a few questions. thanks for the tag leah!

11 THINGS ABOUT ME
1. i love chick-fil-a, although I try to maintain a paleo lifestyle of eating most of the time.
2. i crossfit regularly.
3. i play volleyball as much as i can, sometimes six or seven times a week!
4. i didn't realized it until i moved to california, but the weather plays a huge part of my life - love sunny socal!
5. im passionate about eating and taking pictures of what i eat.
6. i don't make new years resolutions, but i make goals - one of which is to travel to a new country ever year.
7. one of my biggest pet peeves is when people are late, especially if you're really late and don't call until the time your suppose to be somewhere.
8. some people call me jennifer, jchong, or jenn – (i prefer jenn with two n's over one n) not a fan of being called jenny!
9. i get really excited about glass tupperware and facial products, i think it's a sign that i am getting older. ;)
10. growing up i was a figure skater - i wanted to be the next kristi yamaguchi
11. i always have burt's bees chapstick on hand.

PHOTO BY THEARY MEAK

I Love Doodle

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

i can't get enough of lim heng swee / i love doodle's work!

ILLUSTRATIONS BY LIM HENG SWEE

PrepKitchen

2012-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

at the end of last year, i had the great pleasure of shooting for prepkitchen in preparation for their newest location in little italy - scheduled to be opening at end of this month. i've said it before and i will say it again – their food is absolutely fantastic, if you're making a trip to san diego, this place is a must! congrats to the wnl hospitality on their newest restaurant!

PHOTO BY JCHONG

New Turn in the South

2012-01-05T10:04:00.000-08:00

while i was home in atlanta, i sure didn't hold back on the food intake. snault and i had our christmas gift dinner at empire state south, which was absolutely fabulous! i don't have pictures of our meal – but it was definitely one of the most memorable meals i've had in 2011. lucky for us, chef/partner hugh acheson has a book out with a few reciepes from the restaurant as well as beautiful photographs with fun handwritten designs. a new turn in the south is definitely on my cookbook wishlist!

PHOTOS FROM AMAZON.COM

Goodbye 2011

2012-01-03T15:17:00.000-08:00

goodbye 2011 and hello 2012! i ended my year with lots of good food, family and friends. i know some people dread the holidays and i know my tummy is glad the holidays are over but i already miss everyone i saw a few days ago!

i wasn't into all the hoopla when instagram started but i am warming up to it - if your on instagram you can follow me at jchongdesign.

PHOTOS BY JCHONG W/INSTAGRAM APP

Twenty Eight

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

i've never been big on birthdays, i generally stay pretty low key and usually spend the day working and a nice dinner in the evening. this year will be the same but i have to say i am sort of excited for year twenty eight. who knew getting 'older' would be so exciting, 26 was bleh, 27 just got better as the days went by, so 28 i am ready for you!

DESIGN BY JCHONG

Georgia on my Mind

2011-12-15T12:24:00.000-08:00

i haven't been very good a posting consistently lately. i've got an exciting project i am working on this weekend that i am prepping for and then i am off to atlanta. post will likely be sporadic till the new year but wishing everyone a happy holiday!

ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA ROTHMAN FOR DESIGN*SPONGE

The Millers

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-08:00

a few weeks ago i was asked to shoot the miller's apartment in seal beach, thought i would share a few photos from her space. beside having a great apartment with a full patio – i loved the way jillian placed these adorable little trinkets that she had been collecting throughout her travels all around the apartment.

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

Happy Friday!

2011-12-09T07:40:00.001-08:00

happy friday everyone! it's been a wonderful week for me personally and i am excited for the weekend. i'll be spending part of my weekend baking for a few holiday parties and volunteering at help portrait! i hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

PHOTO BY JCHONG

Photography Fun

2011-12-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

a few fun things for those who love all things photo!

one. instax two. camera strap three. 4gb usb film roll four. ona camera bag five. popeye camera six. fish eye gold edition

Tartine Bakery

2011-12-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

while i was in san francisco for thanksgiving i definitely did some indulging and had some wonderful things from tartine bakery. my friend has been raving about their ham and cheese croissant she says it is one of the best thing she ever ate and the morning bun was listed as 7x7 top 100 things you had to try before you die. so you can't go without trying those things right? and just because we were being thankful... some banana cream pie! everything was quite tasty the layers in the croissant were just buttery, flakey, awesomness!

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

Happy Weekend!

2011-12-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

it's time for the weekend again! yipee - here is a picture from my last weeks trip to big sur, that place is beautiful. hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

PHOTO BY JCHONG

fun for food lovers

2011-12-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

i don't want to call it a gift guide... because this might be the only guide i make – so lets just call it fun things for food lovers! some unique fun and tasty looking things i'd like in my kitchen.

one. tcho chocolates two. il boschetto spice grinders three. salt cellar four. teak jar five. camano coffee mill six. teak measuring spoons seven. viltri storage containers

Tavern LA

2011-11-29T07:00:00.000-08:00

hope everyone had a lovely thanksgiving holiday. i am recovering from all the delightful treats i had (probably one too many treats!) - but the time off was great looking forward to christmas and new years now.

last week when sarah was visiting we made lunch stop at tavern in brentwood. it's been on my go-to list for a long time so i was glad we made the trip. the space is one of the best restaurant space's i've been to. they have three different rooms, all with a unique feeling but all cohesive together. you can see a little tour here. you see that tree in the middle of the room, thats real! for lunch we the shrimp & crab and a chopped chicken salad, both light but filling.

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

well, where did the year go! it's already thanksgiving time. i am spending the weekend in san francisco where some friends and i will be cooking up a feast. wishing you all a wonderful holiday.

DESIGN BY JCHONG

Meet Logan

2011-11-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

meet logan. logan is super duper adorable kid who knows how to put a smile on your face. on our way to prepkitchen he came right up to me and gave me a hug - this guy wasn't shy! logan's dad owns a sushi catering business in san diego, so if your looking for sushi - check him out freshsushicatering.com

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

PrepKitchen

2011-11-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

although i've been to san diego several times now, and i've been given lots of food recommendations for the city - i always find myself back at whisknladle. this time sarah and i decided to try their sister restaurant prepkitchen. we headed down to the la jolla location for lunch. the restaurant small but absolutely charming, with a covered patio as well as a small indoor communal dining area.

i ordered the beet, tangerine, goat cheese & avocado salad – sounds weird right? nope freaken amazing. sarah ordered the winter squash panini, squash, gruyere, quince mostarda, pear & fried sage – as soon as we took a bite we kept talking about how we could whip up our own salad version of this delightful panini.

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

Bottega Louie

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

what a weekend! my dear friend sarah came to visit and as always we spent a lot of time eating. we went to my favorite brunch spots - bottega louie. i got the ahi tuna niçoise salad and sarah ordered the smoked salmon, two thumbs up for both!

of course we had to finish things off with a little bit of dessert for breakfast, raspberry beignets!

Big Cookies Small World

2011-11-17T10:33:00.001-08:00

these photos from the latest sweet paul magazine made me smile. i am ready for the holiday cookies are you!?

PHOTO BY HECTOR SANCHEZ | STYLING BY PAUL LOWE

MOON

2011-11-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

do you wear contact lenses? check out this awesome case design by beverly moon. i've always been annoyed at the screw on, pop on cases for at home use. i never even screw them on most of the time, so im thankful for beverly's design. help her fund her project on kickstarter for $40 you can back her up and receive 1 MOON lens case (retail value of $60). yes $60 might be a little steep for a contact case but lets think about it really... when have you ever bought a contact case in your life - you know they are always free from the doctor!

CASE DESIGN BY BEVERLY MOON

Peppermint Pinkberry

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-08:00

hope everyone had a lovely weekend. i got a little peppermint treat this weekend at pinkberry - so delicious!

PHOTO FROM PINKBERRY

Lunch in Atlanta

2011-11-10T07:00:00.000-08:00

even though it is still early november i am looking forward to spending some time back in atlanta in december. besides getting to see some familiar faces, there are definitely a few places i want to grab some grub at!

some amazingly delicious fish tacos from taqueria del sol / a sea salt bagel from belly general which also happens to be one of the cutest stores around / shrimp po' boys from star provisions / grassfed burgers and fried pickles from yeah! burger

PHOTO OF YEAH BURGER AND BELLY GENERAL BY JCHONG | PHOTO TDS FROM TDS | PHOTO OF STAR PROVISIONS BY JIMMY

Bacon Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2011-11-07T08:49:00.000-08:00

sunday morning was filled with rain, so instead of my usual volleyball routine i decided to make some bacon chocolate chunk cookies also known as 'infamous' bacon cookies from the primal palate. since i've started eating like a cavegirl, i've searched for blogs that have paleo recipes with good photography and hayley and bill from primal palate definitely have most paleo bloggers beat. i ordered their new book "make it paleo" and i've been enjoying new recipes, if you're interested in eating primal or just looking for good recipes i'd recommend this book.

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

In Your Arms

2011-11-03T21:53:00.000-07:00

i've been following kina grannis music for a while now, not only does she have a beautiful voice, her videos always have awesome creative. loving this stop motion, jelly bean video directed by greg jardin.

VIDEO DIRECTED BY GREG JARDIN

La Tartine Gourmande

2011-11-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

oh, beatrice peltre you have an amazing eye for food. how gorgeous is this photo of roasted root veggies? if you're a food - food photography lover – bea just came out with a new book "recipes for an inspired life" that is absolutely stunning. check it out!

PHOTOS BY BEATRICE PELTRE of LA TARTINE GOURMANDE

Bakluvit

2011-10-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

last weekend i had dinner with the lovely melody and we went to this adorable place called milk and honey for some after dinner treats. they had baklova - appropriately named "bakluvit". they had unique flavors including pumpkin and chocolate! we tried the pumpkin, but now i'd really like to try the chocolate.

PHOTO FROM BAKLUVIT

Wanted / Storyteller Scarf

2011-10-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

i am in love with this storyteller map scarf from madewell. im adding it to my wishlist, but currently can't justify spending $60 on a scarf, maybe i'll have to splurge a little this month.

PHOTOS FROM MADEWELL

Happy Weekend!

2011-10-21T10:02:00.001-07:00

happy weekend to you all - hope it's a great one.

PHOTO BY JCHONG

Hay

2011-10-20T09:28:00.000-07:00

oh, it might be fall(ish) but i am still in love with neons. loving the home goods from hay. really love the neon tea towel, i will need to get my hands on those!

PHOTOS FROM HAY

The Chocolatery

2011-10-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

this weekend, i also had the pleasure of photographing some delicious chocolates for the chocolatery. here is a sneak at one of the images. if you looking for some delicious chocolate, made with quality ingredients - check out the chocolatery. she can even ship them to you too!

PHOTO BY JCHONG

Weekend Highlights

2011-10-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

oh what a weekend + and extra day! with friends visiting there is never a shortage of food. one of the stops on our food tour was fonuts. baked not fried donuts. while i was hoping that they would taste like ny's doughnut plant (they didn't) but they were a-ok. we tried several different flavors but the strawberry buttermilk and lemon were our favorites. salted caramel was the next top contender. we tried the maple bacon fonut, but none of us were really fans.

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

Happy Weekend!

2011-10-13T21:03:00.000-07:00

i am starting my weekend off early! friends in town so you know what that means, lots of food adventures! hope you all have a good one.

PHOTO BY JCHONG w IPHONE

24hrs of Long Beach

2011-10-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

i haven't been shooting much lately, so when i heard about the 24 hour long beach photography contest i was excited to get out and shoot. here are few pictures i submitted in the contest.

PHOTO BY JCHONG

Weekend Highlights

2011-10-11T09:09:00.000-07:00

hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. i spent most of it playing volleyball, but this weekend i also took my camera out to take a few shots of some players at the beach for a 24 hr photo contest in long beach. here are a few of my favorites, thanks mils, joe and skippy!

PHOTO BY JCHONG

Pumpkin Muffins

2011-10-06T09:01:00.000-07:00

we had a full day of rain yesterday it was such an odd feeling to be stuck inside the house, but i do miss the sounds of rain. this morning woke up to cold crisp air that made me miss the fall weather in georgia. last night i baked up some pumpkin muffins with chocolate chips, but not your everyday pumpkin muffins, these bad boys were grain and sugar free! (refined sugar - only the natural stuff!) if there is one thing i have the hardest time giving up its the sweet stuff. this was a perfect after dinner treat and morning breakfast. check out the recipe on balanced bites

PHOTO BY JCHONG

Dude, Sweet

2011-10-04T13:32:00.000-07:00

loving this package design for dude, sweet chocolates by patrick enstorm – dude, it is sweet!

DESIGN AND PHOTO BY PATRICK ENSTORM via DESIGNWORKLIFE

Absolutely Fabulous

2011-09-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

i've been feeling pretty awesome lately, so i hope you all are feeling wonderful too. sending good vibes to every this weekend.

DESIGN BY DREW MELTON

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf

2011-09-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

with fall approaching and my love for scarves, this video is super!

VIDEO BY WENDY LOOKBOOK VIA SALLY SHIM

Dreaming Of...

2011-09-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

i know i was just in peru not too long ago but if i could find some way to spend all my days traveling id be golden. here are a few places on my list to visit next.

LEFT TO RIGHT// TAIWAN . JAPAN . REDWOOD NATIONAL PARK . GREECE . PORTLAND . BIG SUR

Common Good

2011-09-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

beautiful and simple package design – common good

PHOTOS FROM COMMON GOOD

Emedemarta

2011-09-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

beautiful triangle necklaces by emerdmarta

PHOTO FROM EMERDMARTA

WANTED / Polka Rounds Clutch

2011-09-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

can't have too many polka dots in my closet right!?

IMAGE FROM ANTHROPOLOGIE

Caveman Cookies

2011-09-19T08:27:00.000-07:00

over thirty days ago i took a challenge to begin eating healthier and started on the paleo diet, inspired by this ted talk. for someone who is such a food lover this was tough, but i am happy to report i feel great and my performance level is up. i'd recommend the paleo diet to everyone, just try it for thirty days.

with that said, i still love my sweet treats, and these caveman cookies look yummy and are paleo approved! i am loving the design by kristina sacci. just ordered a pack of each – i'll let you know how they taste.

PHOTOS FROM CAVEMANCOOKIES.COM DESIGN BY KRISTINA SACCI

Happy Weekend

2011-09-16T10:28:00.000-07:00

hope you all have a lovely weekend, i am off to las vegas for a work trip next week.

PHOTO BY REN ROX

TwentySevenNames

2011-09-15T15:42:00.000-07:00

is it weird that i really want a photo of mysel wearing the same shirt pattern as the wallpaper behind me like these photos from twentysevennames collection? it is so fun!

PHOTO BY GUY COOMBES FOR TWENTYSEVENNAMES

Yellow Pages Art

2011-09-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

i don't remember the last time i touched a yellow page book. since we have the internet so easily available im not sure why many people would use the actually printed thing! but i do have to say if our yellow page cover looked like this i would be more enticed to take a peak!

DESIGN BY ALT GROUP IMAGES FROM BEST AWARD

Saxton

2011-09-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

love this package design by supply

VIA BEST AWARDS DESIGN BY SUPPLY

Remembering 9/11

2011-09-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Remembering those we've lost and being grateful for this moment. Never forget.

PHOTO BY JOE WOOLHEAD

slowdown

2011-09-08T12:36:00.000-07:00

DESIGN BY JCHONG

Mochi Cream

2011-09-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

this weekend i discovered mochi cream a place inside the torrance mitsuwa market that sells some beautiful and delicious mochi desserts. mochi is a japanesse rice dessert that is soft and chewy – usually filled with red beans, ice cream or fruit. mochi cream, fills it with.. you guessed it cream! i tried the double mango and probably one of the best mochi's i've ever had. if you are in the so cal area - i'd highly recommend getting your hands on these treats! you can buy them individually for about $2 or in packs of 6 and twelve.

PHOTO BY WID SULSTIO

Happy Weekend

2011-09-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

i know lots of people are celebrating the last few days of summer – but it is getting pretty hot in california so it feels like summer is just getting started! hope you all have a lovely weekend. i plan on spending my days playing come volleyball and soaking up the sun.

PHOTO BY JCHONG VIA IPHONE

Makr Carry Goods

2011-09-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

loving this carry all bag from makr. it is simple but looks very well made and durable!

PHOTOS FROM MAKR

Kitchen Goodies

2011-08-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

i've been spending a lot more time in the kitchen lately. here are some fancy things i'd like to add to my kitchen.

1. joseph joseph peelers 2. ashes and milk dipped spoons 3. royal doulton tray
4. salt and pepper switch 5. opinel knife set 6. gold dot bowl

SEE ABOVE FOR PHOTO SOURCE

Patisseraw

2011-08-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

i've been on a health kick lately and removing any added refined non natural sugars [among other things] out of my diet. i recently discovered these little bit size treats from patisseraw that i love. strawberry sublime is my favorite so far, it is made of a mixture of nuts, coconuts, agave, lemon, vanilla and strawberries. if you live in so-cal you can find them at some whole foods market.

PHOTO BY JCHONG

Christopher Bettig

2011-08-25T15:02:00.000-07:00

oh my, can't stop staring a this installation in jcrew [rockafeller center] by artist christopher bettig. check out more of christophers work at the moutain label

VIA JCREW

WANTED / Duvet

2011-08-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

loving this simple striped duvet from unison.

PHOTO FROM UNISON

West Elm

2011-08-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

crate and barrel, cb2 and yes even ikea tend to be my go-to sources for simple home things, but over the last year west elm has started to add a lot of things i really love. besides beautiful products i've noticed a difference in their styling and branding. love it.

PHOTOS FROM WEST ELM

Weekend Highlights

2011-08-17T23:42:00.000-07:00

behind on blogging this week because i have jury duty. it is my first time and despite what everyone says about jury duty... i am actually enjoying my experience!

last weekend some friends and i took a bike ride from seal beach down to newport beach – it was good times and great scenery. lots of people out enjoying the last few bits of real summer!

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

They Draw and Cook!

2011-08-16T23:58:00.000-07:00

so cool! - a site dedicated to illustrated recipes! i could spend a few hours browsing they draw and cook they also have a sister site called they draw and travel.

TOP ILLUSTRATION BY KRISTIN JACKSON | MIDDLE LOGO FROM THEY DRAW AND COOK | BOTTOM ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH CLARK

Art of the Menu

2011-08-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

besides loving to dine out, i love it when i go to a great restaurant with a well designed space and menu. check out this new site from under considereation that documents the art of the menu.

one. la condessa designed by mucca two. schillerys designed by mucca three. the kickin chicken designed by fuzzco

IMAGES FROM THE ART OF THE MENU

Mochin + Baggu

2011-08-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

i love baggu's! especially their zip baggus [see how i used them on my asia trip here.] their zip baggus are great for traveling everything has a place. recently the city of long beach put a ban on plastic bags [YAY!] so people are encouraged even more to bring their own reusable bags. i try to keep a stash with me at all times but i think i am ready to add these to my collection. i love the new pattern designs by mochin.

PHOTOS FROM BAGGU

22,144

2011-08-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

last year i took an amazing journey to southeast asia to teach and travel. i came back with lots of great memories and gigs of photos. i finally got a chance to compile it into a photo book and to my surprise it is actually listed as a staff pick on blurb.com. check it out!

PHOTOS AND DESIGN BY JCHONG

Wanted / Twinkle Toes

2011-08-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

as fall approaches, i think i probably need to step up my game with my flip flop all year wear. so i am in the market for some new shoes, don't these shoes from bhldn make you sparkle? they might look like my little niece could wear them too but cute for a fancy night out.

PHOTOS FROM BHLDN

Move. Eat. Learn.

2011-08-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

if you follow my blog, you know besides design, i love to eat and travel. rick mereki, andrew lees and tim white got an amazing opportunity to travel the world to shoot three videos for sta australia. be sure to check out the other videos. move. eat. learn.
now i am ready for my next adventure!

VIDEO BY RICK MEREKI AND TIM WHITE via BONNIE TSANG TWITTER

Elon Schoenholz

2011-08-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

last weekend while my sister was here we spent a good four to five hours eating and checking out all the lovely art and crafts at unique la. i did make a sharp turn to check out the photos of elon schoenholz.

elon: do you like trees?
me: well i like photography and trees. why?
elon: you're the first person who seemed to stop their tracks just to check out trees.

i do love the way elon captured the trees, funny thing is his first name means 'tree' in hebrew and last name means 'beautiful wood' in german. check out his prints on etsy.

PHOTOS BY ELON SCHOENHOLZ

Carl Kleiner

2011-08-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

lovely work by carl kleiner, love the shapes and colors.

ART BY CARL KLEINER

WhisknLadle

2011-08-03T07:00:00.001-07:00

since i was in san deigo, i didn't want to miss the opportunity to dine at whisknladle again. sarah and i had such a wonderful experience there i wanted to take my sister and some other san diego friends. this time for dinner. we were not disappointed. to start us off we got the cutting board (cured meats, cheese, spreads, and pickles), flat bread, bone marrow, and scallops [i know some starters right, but we wanted to try so many things!] the favorite among the table was the flat bread and scallops but everything was so good. the flat bread was super super thin, like a thin tortilla chip topped with heirloom tomatoes, some sort of corn puree, and well it was pretty freaking amazing.

for dinner we ordered the summer salad, squid ink linguine, and the hanger steak. every dish was well prepared, fresh and best of all delicious. now, lets take moment to admire this hanger steak. hello happiness!

for dessert [not pictured] we ordered the stone fruit pie with sweet corn ice cream and the jojo cookie plate. our tummies left happy to say the least.

there are many things i love about whisknladle, besides the food, the ambiance is great. i love every bit of sunshine i can get, so their outdoor patio seating is wonderful. it's fine dining without the fluff. although i've only dine there a few times their staff never disappoints, they are knowledgeable, friendly and i even think they all share a passion for food. if your ever in the san diego area - be sure to check them out! - next up for me is their sister restaurant prep kitchen!

My Lovely Sister

2011-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

i had a wonderful few days with my sister, i wish she lived closer so we could hang out more. here are a few pictures we took around balboa park in san diego, the weather was perfect.

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

A for August

2011-08-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

a for august!? seriously... where did july go, or the summer.. or the year for that matter. hope you all had a good weekend, my sister is still visiting so i will post the weekend highlights later this week. happy monday!

LETTERING DESIGN BY JESSICA HISCHE

Happy Friday!

2011-07-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

happy friday! my sister is visiting this weekend – you know what that means?! FOOD! we will be heading down to san diego for a day and then checking out unique la on sunday. hope your weekend is lovely!

PAPER ART BY DANIEL CARLSTEN

Just Lucky

2011-07-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

loving this poster design by just lucky. i love how they show their creative process on their website.

PHOTO BY RYAN P PHOTO DESIGN BY JUST LUCKY

Tattly

2011-07-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

i'm sure by now you (if not everyone!) has heard of tattly created by swissmiss. it is a wonderful idea – i've always known i'd never be able to get a tattoo because i would never be able to commit. tatt.ly has brought the temporary tatto to a new dimension. this new design 'focus on happy' my marc johns is my favorite.

PHOTOS FROM TATT.LY

Peru [Part Four]

2011-07-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

day four - a 3:45am wake up call to hike to intipunku, or the sun gate to finally reach machu picchu. oh what a site, you can definitely take the train as an alternative instead of hike your way to machu – but the scenery you see along the way is breath taking, no photo will ever do it justice.

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

Peru [Part Three]

2011-07-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

day three - a long day of hiking down and up hills with a few few ruins inbetween - i loved all the colors of the growing flower/plants between the ruins.

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

Peru [Part Two]

2011-07-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

and the hike begins! day one - mostly flat rolling hills along the river. all along the way porters carried food and cooking supplies to prepare our meals. day two – five hour uphill battle to the highest point known as "dead woman's pass", thankfully we were well prepared for our trip so the uphill wasn't as painful as we had expected.

there are so many photos i wanted to share, so more post to come next week! hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

Peru [Part One]

2011-07-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

we started our trip in cusco/cuzco - a beautiful quant little city in southeast peru. we spent three days here before the start of our four day adventure hike to manchu picchu in order to get acclimated. the weather was nice in the 70's in the day but chillier at night - much like southern california winters. they had these great alleyways that were fun to photograph.

we picked up some eats at a few different places including pastries from meli melo and huevos rancheros + a mango pancake from jack's cafe. two of my favorite dishes [not pictured] was the rocoto rellleno from quinta eulalai and the cuy pequinés from chi cha.

more to come on the inca hike tomorrow!

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

Bormioli Rocco

2011-07-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

loving these bottles by bormioli rocco - spotted on swirl. perfect for a summer picnic don't you think?

PHOTOS FROM SWIRL

Back!

2011-07-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

i am back from peru, what a wonderful trip. i am going through my photos and will have a full photo update later this week - hope you all had a wonderful start to your week.

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

Happy Weekend - (and week!)

2011-07-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

happy friday! i am off to peru to hike the inca trail i'll be back in a week - so it will be a bit quiet around here till then! i hope you all have a wonderful weekend and week.

if you're interested in seeing some snapshots of my travels be sure to follow snapshots.jchongdesign.com where i'll try to post whenever i have wifi connections!

PHOTO BY SLACK12 DESIGN BY JCHONG

Wanted / Printed Scarf

2011-07-07T09:46:00.000-07:00

i know its summer – and actually quite warm in los angeles the past few days, but i really like the print on this scarf from jcrew.

PHOTO FROM JCREW

Emily Rothschild

2011-07-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

have you heard of fab? it an online discount site for all thing modern and cool similar to gilt or ruelala. this morning i spotted these wonderful emily rothschild mini usb necklaces. these have to be one of the coolest/nerdiest things i've seen in a while.

PHOTOS FROM EMILY ROTHSCHILD

Straw SF

2011-07-05T11:52:00.000-07:00

hope everyone had a wonderful 4th. i had a great time with some good friends. on day one of our sf trip we had brunch at straw a carnival themed restaurant. i loved the decor of the place and it had a bunch of great tunes jamming over the speakers. we started out with jenga french toast – which wasn't actually that delicious but definitely fun to photograph. i ordered the ranchers reserve [bottom left] and a friend ordered the bearded lady [bottom right]. The food was alright (i'd recommended the bearded lady if you go) - but the service and atmosphere were even better!

PHOTO BY JCHONG

Happy Weekend!

2011-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

it's finally friday and the start of the long weekend! i'll be taking a road trip up to san francisco for some good eats and even better company. i hope you all have a wonderful holiday weekend!

PHOTO + DESIGN BY JCHONG

2011-06-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

beautiful painting by vince contarino

PAINTING BY VINCE CONTARINO

All things Gold

2011-06-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

somewhere within the last two years i've started to be drawn to all things gold and metallic. here are some of my gold favorites.
one. gold scalloped glass two. painted stripes thank you card from rifle paper company three. jonathan adler brass hippo four. jenny ann by kate spade five. whirl flats by jimmy choo six. twril by kate spade

DESIGN BY JCHONG

Weekend Highlights

2011-06-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

last weekend - in preparation for my trip to manchu picchu some friends and i did a ten mile hike up to mt. baldy. the hike is definitely a butt kicker but the views on this hike are one of the best. it never fails i've always seen pretty blue skies on this hike.

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

HarLex

2011-06-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

i've completely fallen in love with harlex etsy shop. a husband and wife duo based out of hong kong. you can see the love and craft in every piece in their shop. i need to add alot of these items to my wishlist!

VIA THIS IS GLAMOUROUS PHOTOS BY HARLEX

Happy Weekend

2011-06-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

looking forward to a weekend at home before i start traveling again. sadly i had to turn down an awesome food adventure this weekend – but hoping that the opportunity arrives again. wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

PHOTOS BY JCHONG

G

2011-06-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

lovely wooden type G - from guru a design store in mexico city.

PHOTO BY NICK SHERMAN

At Last Cafe

2011-06-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

everyone knows i'll travel for food, but i hardly ever explore my own backyard. at last cafe is only a few miles away from my house, and i've heard raves about the brick chicken from james. friday night – sarah and i headed over to try the famous brick chicken and mac n'cheese with ham. the chicken was tender and juicy but i wished the skin was crispy like aframe's beer can chicken, but still delicious. our favorite was definitely the mac n'cheese though, cheesy but not overly cheesy, and the chunks ham was the perfect touch. for dessert we ordered orangeade cheesecake [definitely recommended!] and strawberry shortcake [will pass next time]. overall a good meal in my backyard.

PHOTO BY JCHONG