k is for rad

the time i was almost crafty

2012-02-02T20:34:00.000-08:00

the view from my bed

I've decided there has to be a point when you have one too many empty frames hanging in your apartment. It's the first thing I see when I wake up (see above) and the first thing I see when I open the door (remember this). I've also had this box full of stuff that Todd and I have collected (tickets, playbills, postcards, room keys, random pics, etc) over the years that I've been trying to figure out what to do with. It seemed like such a waste to keep in a box. So I figured why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone?

I think it turned out good enough. Thanks for the inspiration Switz.

While I'm ~~blogging~~ bragging about being crafty... I am actually pretty excited with how my jewelry case turned out. I don't wear jewelry much, but I actually really love my jewelry. I have so few pieces, that each piece has a story behind it (and most were given to me by someone for a special occasion). In an effort to wear it more often, I decided that I needed to get it out of the box in the bathroom cabinet and out in the open where I'll see it. I've picked up a few old school suitcases from estate sales (despite Todd's many complaints that they're junk) lately and I finally figured out what to do with one of them. It was actually pretty simple. I just covered cork board (from Office Max) with scrap cloth (from the Crate and Barrel outlet) and glue gunned it to the inside of the case. I used t-pins as hooks, hung it over my closet door with a ribbon and "tada."

a weekend in Tahoe

2012-02-02T19:36:00.000-08:00

the departure:

miraculously we all were able to take off friday. 10:30 and away we went.

the wheels:

we all pitched in and rented a great car! it proved quite entertaining- i think i might want one.

the joint:

we got a two bedroom suite right at the bottom of gondola at heavenly. it was pretty much that. heavenly

the peeps:

(no picture)

Todd, Kiera, Kristen, Pat(rick)

Jake and Elisha

the scenery:

friday's activity:

hearts- or an attempt at it

phase 10- or phase 4

fantastic mr fox- or bedtime

saturday's activity:

i rode the lift (at kirkwood) to snowboard (jake and elisha too)

todd rode the gondola (at heavenly) to hang out in the lodge (pat and kristen too)

sunday's activity:

kristen, pat, and i won big! todd had fun.

we all learned something:

todd- you can't walk behind the roulette table

kristen- no cell phones at the table

pat- there is a min you have to lay down at the table to get chips (not to be confuse with the min of the hand)

me- you can go to the bathroom without losing your spot at the table AND no pictures of the chips in the casino

we didn't look like a bunch of beginners or anything.

the catch phrases:

win, win

vroom, vroom

push, push

the drink of the weekend:

the best thing about our the place we stayed was the full kitchen (dishwasher and all). the first thing we did was grocery shop. we made a huge pot of delicious and aromatic cider (thanks to my family for introducing it to us over christmas). it was definitely a crowd pleaser

the song of the weekend:

we listened to it almost a million times. still not old... yet.
a close second:

the human nest

2012-01-21T20:01:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I was itching; itching for a getaway. Todd was on board. So after a little research, tiny bit of planning, and a whole lot of spontaneity we were off!

It started with the drive. We couldn't have timed it better if we tried. We hit the cliffs right at sunset which made for the most gorgeous drive along the coast. (Not to mention, we had a very exciting 49ers game blasting on the radio to entertain us).

The drive ended at Treebones Resort where we had reserved...

Which is literally a human bird nest...

at the top of a hill...

right on the coast...

looking straight out on the water...

It was incredible. One of the best ideas we have ever had!

The first morning we woke to watch the sun rise.

Surprisingly cozy, we loved cuddling up in the nest! (The nest itself was nice and roomy and came with a decent "mattress" pad and pillows. The million blankets we brought to stay toasty didn't hurt either).

However, Big Sur has so much to offer even we couldn't spend the entire weekend in the nest.

We spent a beautiful day at the beach- sunbathing (that's right sunbathing in January!), snacking on cheese, sausage and crackers, reading books, watching the surfers, playing in the waves, jump roping with kelp, collecting rocks, and of course listening to the waves.

Before heading back to the resort we went for a quick hike to some waterfalls.

The next day we "hiked" some more.

The Treebones Resort itself is actually very cool. In addition to the nest they also have campsites, treehouses and yurts.

The entire resort is "off the grid" meaning they have their own water system (tank and well), septic fields, and fire suppression system. They generate all their own power and use the exhaust heat from the generators to heat their pool, hot tub, and radiant heated floors in the main lodge and bathrooms. With no cell service or internet, it felt amazing to be completely unplugged! So peaceful and relaxing, I even finished an entire book!

The water was delicious! Each day they would put out different waters at breakfast- cucumber, lemon, mint, orange, etc.

The lodge felt very communal. Each morning they served breakfast to everyone staying at the resort in the lodge. They also had a couch and fireplace with boardgames you could play. We met some other interesting couples in the hot tub each night. What made the resort really great were all the little details.

The ceiling in the lodge

A chair swing in front a rock fountain

The bathroom counter made of wood

An amazing trip! Can't wait to go back.

another visitor, yet a drastically different post

2012-01-20T00:07:00.000-08:00

For New Year's my cousin, Emi and her husband Stu came out to visit for the weekend. Trips with Emi usually make for good pics, so I knew this would be a perfect time for me to work on implementing my goal to take more pictures (especially since she signed me up for instagram).

(vintage shrug- incredible. every last detail down to the claws)

cuz necklaces

I may have gone a little overboard. Can I say happy medium?

no wonder I am her favorite... we're good times

2012-01-19T23:21:00.000-08:00

I have had this extremely long and quite pictureless (yeah Imade that word up) post in my drafts for quite some time now. Normally, I’dhave just bagged it by now, but I can’t help but feel this particular event warrantsrecording. My mom came to visit me (in December) for the first time since I’velived in San Francisco. It was a blast! My mom and I always have a great timebecause we are all too alike (even if I don’t want to admit it).

She flew in on Wednesday night and so out came the Murphybed. She testifies- it’s comfy. (Feel free to visit).

Thursday morning we went to my current favorite brunchrestaurant, Dottie’s. Per usual it was tasty! I can’t get enough of theircinnamon and ginger pancakes. Ironically, we met some tourists in line who werealso members of the church. My mom got a kick out the fact that the firstpeople she met in San Francisco were also members.

After an amazing brunch, we trekked over to the Golden GatePark to the Academy of Science. For anyone who hasn’t been to the Academy ofScience, you can read more about it here. Basically it’s a combinationaquarium, planetarium, rainforest, living roof and natural history museum with greatlectures and temporary exhibits designed to teach the public more about thescientific research being conducted. The Academy of Science in and of itself isfun (which is why Todd and I bought a membership- if you live in SF and everwant to go let me know). But going with my mom was even more fun. I think wedrove Todd insane. We literally stopped at every last tank/case/etc and wouldnot move on until we found what was inside (which can be quite difficult whenyou are looking for a frog the size of a quarter in a 3 ft tall case).

The best thing about my mom is that she can take a joke andeasily laughs at herself all the time. Anytime we are together, we spend mostof the day laughing at the stupid things we say and do (laughing at her expensetends to be more frequent).

Prime example: In the planetarium the introduction of themovie went something like this…

Planetarium worker (introducing the movie): “It is notuncommon for some people to experience motion sickness throughout the film. Ifyou feel this sensation coming on there is a simple solution to fix it.”(pause)

My mom: “Barf!”

Planetarium worker: “Close your eyes”

I could not stop laughing. I love that my mom blurted out barf.Liking barfing would be the simple solution the planetarium worker wouldencourage the audience to do. The day was basically filled with a series ofsimilar events.

After the Academy closed we headed over to one of Todd’sfavorite restaurants and arguably the best Chinese in the city, San Tungs. Wegorged ourselves on garlic eggplant, dry-fried green beans, and crispy chickenwings.

We followed up a delicious dinner with a night at thesymphony (part of our 24 days of xmas). I LOVE the symphony and the best timeto go is at Christmas. There was no better way to kick off the season than withsome fabulous Christmas music. Our seats were literally on front row seat infront of the violins. It was almost weird being so close. We could see everymove the violinists made. In fact, we probably could’ve read their music if we hadtried (more accurately: if I had glasses, Todd knew how to read music, or mymom tried). It was definitely a new and interesting perspective. My mom loved it because each time theperformers or conductor would come out they would walk right in front of us.She was so sure that the conductor said, “Merry Christmas” to her personally.Right.

To top off the night, we headed to Union Square for somedessert at the Cheesecake Factory, which most of you know is at the top ofMacy’s. We sat outside on the deck so we could watch the ice skaters in the square.I love Union Square at Christmas. It just feels so alive and all the storedisplays are incredible.

By day two my mom was already exhausted. Every time I have avisitor, I realize how much and how frequently I walk. Blisters undoubtedlyfollow day one, followed by the visitor asking to go to the nearest place theycan go to buy some more comfortable shoes (no matter how practical they thoughtthe shoes they brought were). Anyway, my mom was no exception and had gearedinto snail pace by midmorning.

We went to the Muir Woods- something my mom had specificallyrequested but immediately regretted because it entailed more walking. Despitebeing extremely tired of walking, the woods still impressed. No matter how manytimes I go to Muir Woods, it still continues to impress on each occasion. Somethingabout the mist, moss, and monstrous trees. It’s gorgeous. Relaxing. A greatescape from the city.

(my mom posing like a weirdo and me slowly trying to inch my way out of the picture)

(blurry and cheesy but can't help but love it)

Coincidently at the same time my mom was in town, mybrother-in-law also came for a client dinner and so my sister and her kidstagged along. Friday afternoon we took my nephew Zander (10), nephew Ozzie (7),and niece Zakrie (6) to Cirque du Soleil’s show Totem at the AT&T Park. Atone point I looked over to see Ozzie and Zakrie both standing (they had slid sofar forward in their seats they were eventually just standing), mouths hangingopen, staring wide-eyed at the performers. I thought to myself “How cute. Theyare so into it.” Ten minutes later I caught myself on the edge of my seat,mouth hanging open, staring wide-eyed at the performers. I guess that is just Cirquedu Soleil for you- absolutely incredible!

Going anywhere with kids is always fun. They remind you ofthe perspective and simplicity of being a kid. At dinner the following night weasked Zakrie what her favorite part of the show was. I was sure she would saysomething like the moment when the female roller-skater was hanging by the maleroller-skater’s neck as he spun in circles on a 3 ft wide platform or when thecrew of guys did triple back-flips on 5 inch wide bouncy boards balancedbetween the shoulders of two other guys or even the part where the 8 unicyclingchicks were throwing bowls onto their heads from their toes, but nope… ofcourse a six-year-old’s favorite part would be the comic relief- the guyfishing in a boat and then eating a fake egg after bouncing it around like ahack-sack (as she exclaimed “ew! He ate it with the shell on”).

After the show we tried our best to show the kids a goodtime- taking them to the wharf, Boudin bread factory, and the Pier 39 arcadepretty much did the trick. I loved being able to spend a night with my nieceand nephews! It’s crazy how fast they keep growing up yet I can still remember sovividly when each one of them was just a baby. It is also sad how difficult itis to stay involved in their lives when they live two states away. Todd and I wantthem to move back to the bay (we have the kids convinced).

Saturday we spent the majority of the day at the SFMOMA. Iwas impressed by how long the kids lasted (even with my brother-in law quicklyskipping a floor with my nephews after discovering 90% of the exhibit was nudephotographs). The audio tours really killed it with the kids (now I know why Isee kids on ipads and ipods all the time- even the ipods that were loaded withnothing but the audio tour app kept the kids entertained for hours) and I haveto admit I was quite impressed myself. It adds a whole new element to themuseum and I love that they are self-paced.

(stolen from my sister's instagram)

The museum gift store was a hit ofcourse as well. I found my new favorite obsession- Boo! The dog.

We still found plenty of opportunities throughout the day tolaugh “with” my mom who “is kind of in her own world” (understatement?). Zach (mybrother in-law) found it quite hilarious to tell my mom to run out into themiddle of the street, despite the fact she would actual do it. We almost losther to a taxi when she darted across oncoming traffic to literally jump infront of the taxi to stop it- apparently waving isn’t enough. However, by theend of the day I think she may have finally figured out which hotel had thehappy hour with the fake snowfall- doubtful, but maybe.

That night we hit up Cow Hollow for some delicious gourmetburgers (Barney’s) and pretty great shopping (Lu lu lemon). My niece even gotto ride a pony… can I say thrilled?! The Union Street Light Festival was goingon that night. Santa, the Ice Princess, and other characters at the festival didn’tfancy her, but as soon as she saw the pony she went wild. So excited sheliterally jumped right up on the saddle by herself (to the amazement of the guyleading the pony). We topped of the night with none other than Bob’s donuts.What better way to impress 2 boys than a 10 inch donut?

Sunday. Shopping. Shopping. Shopping and more shopping. Mymom and I took off early in the morning down to Union Square area until we hadour fill and then we headed over to the Mission for more shopping. The Missioncontinues to be my favorite place to shop and for that matter do most things.Todd was smart and met us in the Mission to bypass as much of the shopping aspossible. That night we ate at the most amazing Peruvian restaurant, Limon.Virginia met up with us so she could meet my mom which of course made for greatfood and great conversation. We ended the night by trying to find some lights-I’ll just leave it at we were semi-successful.

Early Monday morning my mom and I caught the cable car(right outside my apt) down to Market St and then ran (of course we wererunning late) to the Ferry Building to catch the ferry to Larkspur. We must’vehad the forces with us because we couldn’t have asked for a more perfectmorning for a ferry ride. Clear day without an ounce of fog + blue skies =breathtaking views of the skyline and the bridges as we traveled across thebay. My aunt, Darlene who lives in Auburn met us there and took us shopping (yes,more shopping) at one of her favorite places in Corte Madera. Todd again wassmart enough to just meet us for lunch after. We filled my mom’s last request-to eat some incredible seafood. We sat literally on the water (on a Pier) inTiburon.

I always love having people come visit me so I can attemptto share a little piece of this city I love so much. My mom made for a greatvisitor and I can’t wait for her to return…

Good bye camping chairs. Hello couch

2012-01-11T20:06:00.000-08:00

About two weeks ago...

Me: "I think I love you today"

Todd: "Is this because we're picking up our new chair?"

Me: "Well... maybe"

I think the chair got the ball rolling. We dedicated an entire day to looking; we were committed to finally buying.

Hours and hours and about 5 more places later:

Me: "Why is it so difficult to find a couch?"

Todd: "It's not. We are just poor people with expensive taste"

But we did it! A few hours after I got to work this morning, Todd texts me:

I couldn't be more excited. Surprisingly we still have so much space! Now all I need is a chair and a rug and a table and about ten other things and our living room will look just like the catalog... only not.

All too typical...

2012-01-10T09:53:00.001-08:00

Yesterday at 7:15:
I'm practically mauling Todd trying to figure out which of his pockets my phone is in (yes, of course he carries my phone for me. It's far too valuable for me to keep track of)
Todd: "what are you doing?!"
Me: "trying to find my phone to see what time it is"
Todd: "you have a watch on your wrist"
Me: "oh I can't read that"
Todd: "what? What do you mean you can't read it?"
Me: ugh! "fine. I can"
Pause (me looking at my watch)
Me: "it's 6:10"
Todd: "you really can't read it. Let me see"
Pause (Todd looking at watch)
Todd: "did you set this?"
Me: "yeah"

And I wonder why I'm so bad with time.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

24 days of Christmas

2012-01-09T00:33:00.000-08:00

We called it our advent calendar. Todd took 12 days. I took 12 days. Each day we would surprise the other person with the daily advent... some were treats, some were activities, most were Christmas related.

It made for a busy, but well celebrate Christmas! I won't go into detail for all 24 days, but here are a few of the highlights (with unfortunately very few pics to document)...

A night at the Symphony- We started the month off right with a Christmas concert at San Francisco Symphony (but more about that in another post).

Gingerbread House Kit- Surprisingly this provided us with hours of entertainment. Our supplies were somewhat limited, but I still think it turned out pretty cute.

Forking Christmas- A "choose your own adventure" play where the audience determines the outcome of the story. I admit, I was a little unsure how this would turn out when I was buying the tickets. It was at no name, hole in the wall theater which only sat about 30 people. But, Todd and I had both read the "choose your own adventure" books as kids and loved them so I figured I'd give it a shot. It was a blast! About every ten or fifteen minutes they would pause the play and then they would give the audience two choices and we would vote which should happen next. Super clever and very well done! (Unfortunately no pics)

My company Christmas party- I'm actually pretty horrible for saying this was one of my favorites, because Todd never ended up coming. The official party was for employees only, but they had an after-party that Todd was supposed to come to. By the time the after-party started I was pooped and had left! (Lame, I know! It's official. I'm turning into a grandma). To my credit the party had pretty much lasted all day- it started with a huge end of the year "Town Hall" meeting and awards ceremony, followed by an amazing beauty fair (where I got all done up), all before the actual party at Temple (a pretty sweet nightclub) which mind you began at 4:30. Having made the mistake of wearing heels all day, there was no way I was going to make it through the after-party. 4 hours of dancing was a blast but more than enough.

I felt so bad too because when I got home, Todd was all dressed up and ready to go! We still had a pretty fun time at kicking it at Pat's for the rest of the night. I love that Todd isn't looking at the camera in the picture. It's fitting. Just as he never made it to the party, we never ended up with a picture with him looking at the camera.

Decorating our apartment- I am glad Todd got just as excited (or at least pretended to for my sake) about decorating for the holidays as I did because it made it that much more fun. I swear we could have kept decorating until our entire apartment was nothing but a big Christmas bonanza (think the lights in Christmas Vacation). Fortunately because we were buying all our decorations for the first time this year our budget prevented us from going too crazy.

We hung ornaments along the bookshelves on either side of the Murphy bed.

I filled clear ornaments with fake snow and piled them on our record player/tv stand.

Since we weren't able to get a tree (we were tempted to get a tree- I love the smell- but the work of getting a tree didn't seem worth it considering we would be in Utah for Christmas), I was so excited that Trader Joe's sold fresh wreaths and evergreen branches! My favorite decoration ended up being the wreath because it smelled so amazing!

I liked the way the framed ornaments turned out too. (Now I need to figure out what to do with the empty frame hanging on our wall. Suggestions?)

Winter Wonderland in Santa Clara- The Winter Wonderland itself? Pretty much a joke. (see website) Felt a lot like Lombard Street (the crooked street)... overly hyped and packed with Asians (if you live in SF you know what I mean, if you don't and ever go to Lombard street you'll laugh because it's true). Going to Santa Clara? Incredible! We got a killer room on the top floor of the Marriott in Santa Clara which is all it's hyped up to be and more. (see website)

Brunch at Dell'Uva- Todd knocked it out of the park with this one. He knows Dell'Uva is one of my all time favorite restaurants in the city. Sunday brunch turned into basically the day at Dell'Uva and wandering around my old 'hood. We even made a friend at the restaurant.

Union Street Festival of Lights- Again more about this in another post (I have quite the draft started) but a preview...

(my niece beaming on her pony ride)

Celebrating Christmas with Todd's family- The Sunday before we left for Salt Lake, Dan and Kim (Todd's bro and sister-in-law) had Todd's mom, her husband Steve, Todd and I over to celebrate Christmas. I was in heaven holding Owen (Todd's nephew who was only 4 days old)- if you don't know by now, babies 0-3 months old are my favorite- so much so that I neglected to take a single photo. Todd's mom brought a delicious dinner. We watched Todd and Dan's favorite childhood Christmas movie: the Muppet's Christmas carol. And of course we exchanged gifts. Todd's super cute niece, Aisley made the gift exchange really fun. She is 3 and so the perfect age. She was really excited to give us the presents she got us and helped us open them. She was also so stoked about the present we gave her (Elefun- an elephant game that shoots fake butterflies out his trunk). Little kids are so fun because they get so excited about things that they can make even the most mundane activities seem exciting. It's really fun having her so close since I live so far from all my nephews and niece.

Many more nights making Christmas treats (or attempting to do so), drinking eggnog and other tasty holiday drinks, and watching all our favorite holiday movies!

These were just a few of our 24 Christmases, but our December was a fun-filled action pack month!

SLC for the holidays

2012-01-02T20:25:00.000-08:00

I have become extremely horrible about taking pictures-hence the lack of posts. However, my lack of posts does not reflect a lack ofactivity in my life.

Isn't it ironic how the busier you are the less time you care to dedicate to blogging? (Or is that just me?) When I am busiest (and have less time to blog) it's usually because I am actually doing something worth blogging about.

Anyway, December was a very busy but exciting month. My mom came to visit. My job kicked into full gear and I even had to work in store (which was quite interesting). Todd and I attempted to celebrate 24 days of Christmas (yes 24! it was a lot). Todd and I flew to Utah to celebrate Christmas with my family (not before celebrating with his family- including his brand new ADORABLE nephew born on Dec 14). My cousin Emi and her husband Stu (remember their wedding?) came to visit and celebrate the New Year. Last night we were sad to see them go, but Todd and I turned to each other and both said "now we can sleep."

I will be filling in MANY more details of our month, but until then this pretty much summarizes our trip to Utah:

it's probably time...

2011-12-19T23:11:00.000-08:00

Laundry? that thing I did 2 months ago? Yeah, I should probably consider finding the laundromat.

mascara and boyfriends

2011-11-12T08:00:00.001-08:00

So the title may be a little misleading. No, this post is not about boyfriends that wear mascara. (Despite the fact I have a boyfriend who is all too willing to let me play dress up with him, including practicing applying makeup on him. Clearly he never had an older sister).

Working for a beauty product company, I often see some interesting signatures on emails. I recently saw this quote on one of our pro team member's signature. I couldn't help but share.

"Mascaras are like boyfriends some are too thick, some are too thin, some are flaky, and there are some you just can’t get rid of, so choose the right one."

Who turned up the fast forward?

2011-11-08T23:21:00.001-08:00

I can't seem to get over how much faster time seems to pass the older you get.

Maybe that's why it stuck out to me when a friend randomly said this to me.

"The reason life goes so fast is because it's eternal. This life is just a glimpse."

Interesting theory.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Glam words

2011-11-08T23:03:00.001-08:00

The thrill is in the hunt.

"Living. It. Up. It's about being happy, positive, alive. There's even something so chic in the brevity of the phrase, as if it were a synonym for style itself." -R. Zoe

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Lazy Sundays

2011-11-06T13:30:00.001-08:00

"Sundays are for dreaming "
I saw this post on the Lane this morning and it couldn't have set the tone for the day any better.

Now that the chill of November has set it in, I'm even more stoked on the new apartment. It's amazing how much more appealing cozying up inside sounds. Just finished Sunday brunch- Banana, Cinnamon, and Ginger Pancakes. They were delicious! Now time to enjoy the rest of lazy Sunday.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

what can I say? it's my favorite holiday

2011-10-30T18:30:00.000-07:00

Halloween does something weird to me. Call me #1 girl at the party (and you can put that on my resume), but I have always been a sucker when it comes to dressing up. I just love trying to figure out how to make myself something for the least amount of money (and very limited skills since I can't sew and just discovered to use a glue gun) possible.

I credit my mom for being so creative (as mentioned in other posts). I never ever had a store bought costume as a child. I loved it! Every year I would decide months in advance what I wanted to be and my mom would help me create (or honestly pretty much do) an amazing costume. It wasn't just at Halloween either. She would find any excuse to incorporate a costume (oral report? be the county; colonial Christmas? make me the room mother; mardi gras costume contest? winner).

So this year I decided to be the black swan. I started by making my own tutu (this was a gamble as I really had no clue how to make a tutu and didn't have any idea if my method would work out but again $20 for a store bought tutu? or $4 on tulle and elastic? it's clear why I chose to gamble).

I was really happy with how it turned out. After making the tutu I decided to add black feathers to it.

Then I made feather gloves to match.

The icing on the cake were the incredible eyelashes from Sephora.

In the end, I think the costume turned out killer.

So who could top it? Only Todd. He went as Snooki and totally killed it. His costume still makes me laugh.

I even found a feathered friend.

It was a blast! Can't wait for next year.

crippled by perfectionism

2011-10-30T17:37:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, I am a major perfectionist. A lot of people are surprised when I tell them this... I guess I can come off as pretty dreamy/flighty/airheadish/easy-going and those are generally not attributes people associate with perfectionists.

There is a reason I love math. It was by far my favorite subject in school because the answer is the answer. There is absolutely no ambiguity, which makes it easy to become perfect at. I am the kid who had to get 100% because 95% just wasn't good enough (especially if any other kid in class got 100% and I didn't). I am also the kid who would spend hours (unfortunately I still do this at times) reorganizing my things. I even started refolding my laundry after my mom would do it (once my sister started working at a clothing store and clued me into board folding) so I could make it perfect.

I'd like to think I've learned to manage my perfectionism as an adult. I've really learned to let things go and have become way more conscious of time management and the need to just get things done whether they are perfect or not. However, every once and a while it gets the best of me. It tends to be when I am trying to do something artistic. Go figure since my mom is the most creative person on the planet, my oldest sister is a professional artist (whose artistic talent is reflected in everything she does), and my other sister knows how to make anything look adorable and fun (hence the reason she makes such a great elementary school teacher). I know this was something I would struggle with in school. I generally did the worst in art because I would spend too much time trying to make it perfect that I would never actually finish an art assignment.

Well it has happened again. Every year I struggle when it comes time to carve pumpkins. In the end I am never very happy with how they turn out. Last year my roommate convinced me to use a pattern to carve my pumpkin.

Admittedly, it was probably the best looking pumpkin I have ever done, yet I still didn't love it because I felt I didn't really create it (the person who made the pattern did). In the end, I ended up turning it around and carving the word "spooky" into it. Oddly that became my favorite part.

This year I let Todd convince me we should carve pumpkins. Several hours later...

Todd's would be the one on the left. Mine would be the one on the right. That's right. After several hours of debating what I should do. Drawing and cutting out my own patterns. Deciding my pattern wasn't good enough. Drawing more patterns. Etc. I gave up. Todd had finished his pumpkin, watched a movie, roasted his pumpkin seeds and gone to bed. With nothing but a hollow pumpkin I gave up. Put our pumpkins on our shelf and turned in for the night. I had let my perfectionism get the best of me. Oops!

It's definitely not HGTV, but it's home.

2011-10-30T00:40:00.000-07:00

2 words. WE MOVED!!

It's not really new news, but it's HUGE news! Most anyone who has had contact with me in the last 6 months knows what a huge step this is. First, it's big to have officially moved in with Todd and we couldn't be happier. Second, it was a very long and difficult process trying to find a place (months of scouring Craigslist, viewing apt after apt- no joke at least 25, and many hours filling out applications and following up with people). Lastly, we are finally out of the hazardous dungeon (which was literally a living nightmarish joke of an apt).

Although our place is still quite bare ( I can still count on 1 hand the pieces of furniture in our apt- unless I can count our camping chairs and storage container as living room furniture), I thought I would post a few pics of the place.

(Disclaimer: the pics are about as high quality as the camping chairs are furniture)

The view as you walk in the door. There is a closet on either side of the door (Finding 3 closets in 1 apt in SF is like finding the money in the gutter- we feel pretty darn lucky). The second door on the left is the bathroom and the room straight ahead is the bedroom.

The bedroom. I love the bay windows (feels so San Francisco).

Just to the right of the bedroom is the living room. (Bay windows again- score!)

You can see that one wall of the living room has a Murphy bed and two big built-in bookcases. So if you are ever in SF and need a place to crash... the Murphy bed has your name on it. :)

Despite the fact we have very few books, I have had no problem filling the shelves. I really love finally having a place to put decorations.

Speaking of decor, on a totally random side note I have to say I love decorating for Halloween. Maybe because it's my favorite holiday, or maybe it's because candy corn tastes best at this time of year, but maybe it's because all you need are a bunch of gourds and Indian corn to be completely festive.

Anyway, back to the "house tour". Our most prized gem...

We were total suckers for the stove, cabinets, and granite counter tops.

Hope you love; we do. Now come visit.

It's official...

2011-10-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, about six months ago (May 1st to be exact) I quit my job at Del Sol and started as a contractor at Sephora. I actually had an offer at First Republic Bank's in the private wealth management department. I really debated over which position to take as both Finance and the Beauty/Fashion industry both intrigue me. Boy am I happy I made the choice I did. I love it!

So why is this post coming 6 months later? Well I didn't want to jinx it. As a contractor my position was only temporary, but now I have just accepted an offer for a full-time position in the department. Without further adieu I officially introduce to you the Education Travel Coordinator. I am so excited about it!

Things I love about working for Sephora...

My department!

I love working in Education. The department is small and so everyone makes a huge impact. We also have sooo much happening in our department. It's very inspiring and exciting.

My coworkers.

They are all awesome. I have never been in a place with so many people on their A game. Everyone is very dedicated to their position and the department as whole.

My office.

I love working right on Market St. It's fun working downtown. Being surrounded by skyscrapers just feels right. Plus it's very convenient and there are tons of great lunch places.

(The view from my desk)

My commute.

I used to find it really relaxing to ride Bart in the morning. However, my commute just got better. Gotta love when you can walk to work!

The company.

I love working for a company that has a clear direction, defined values, and a passion to be better. I have already seen that there are so many opportunities to learn and develop with this company and hope to do so in my experience here.

And of course the gratis always helps...

Leftovers

2011-10-04T00:25:00.000-07:00

You've probably all noticed my blog has been pretty pathetic the last few months. It is a stark contrast to the almost daily posts of last summer. I'm not sure how or why this has happened, but kudos to those people I know who have steadily kept up their blogs for years.

The less I blogged, the more I began debating whether I should even bother. However, I keep going back to those reasons I even started blogging in the first place and still feel there may be some value in blogging. (It's a great creative outlet, an opportunity to write, a journal of sorts, a record of those activities that seem so mundane but I'll probably appreciate looking back on at some point in the future).

So with that being said here are a few "Leftovers" if you will. Pieces of what would've/could've/should've been a post. And with that I vow to post more.

Is it just me or does time pass faster and faster the older you get? I'm honestly amazed every single year how much faster time seems to pass. I swear yesterday it was the beginning of the summer. An hour later it was the end of the summer. I blinked and it's October. Can someone please explain to me where 2011 has gone?

SLEIGH BELLS

I have a serious girl crush. I absolutely love Sleigh Bells and was gutted they didn't have that jersey in my size at the concert.

MATT AND KIM

A DAY IN NAPAAKA ESCAPE TO SUNSHINE

The best part of the day was the company. I love those friends that you can go years (literally) without seeing and when you finally do reconnect, it's as if you hang out daily. You can pick up right where you left off because you are that comfortable and have that much fun together. This day I rediscovered one of those friends. We have the best conversations. She makes me think (in an attempt to not just ramble). I was lucky enough it happened again with another friend a month later.
THE SIS CAME TO VISIT

Cafe gratitude, plant cafe, adventures riding Bart, slow new shoes followed by new new shoes, a beautiful day at the park, beyond yummy ice cream, the container store, SFMOMA half off Thursdays, where's Waldo, Muir Woods, "every where you look", and more.

A DAY AS A TOURIST

Todd got to go to Seattle for work one weekend. So Pat decided we would play tourist too! Pat hooked us up with a killer hotel room in San Jose and we played tourist for the day. Complete with souvenir cups and postcards.

We went on not 1 but 2 tours of the Winchester House (and the grounds). We were a little dubious as we walked in. They have really done up the place. It's like freaking Disneyland. I couldn't help but feel it would be totally overdone. However, it turned out pretty amazing! Super interesting to say the least. I couldn't get over how HUGE it really was. 10,000 windows, 2,000 doors, 160 rooms, 47 fireplaces, 40 sets of stairs, 6 kitchens, 3 elevators, and only 1 shower.

The tour of the grounds turned out almost as interesting as the tour of the actual mansion. Our tour guide was awesome. He was the biggest dork with the dumbest jokes but I could not stop laughing. I probably made his day. The fountains were all very interesting and each had a story. I thought this was the funniest because it was installed crooked. The hunter is supposed to looking at a deer... instead it's looking about a foot left of the deer.

That afternoon we went to Santana Row (a row of designer shops). It felt just like stepping into a European city (or what I would imagine European city would look like) only brand new.

WEDDING BLISS

My cousin Emi (2 months older than me) married her boy of 7 years. In Ozzie's words "It's about time!" It was very laid back, funky and fun. I could of spent the whole night (with a much better camera) taking a million pictures of everything. My sister was VERY involved and her unbelievably artistic, creative talent really shone through every detail.

My roommate (and sister in Chi Omega) also tied the knot this summer in San Jose. I was so excited I was able to go! It was so great to see her and all her fun friends from Jersey. No surprise the wedding was a blast!

My best friend from Utah State (roommate and sister in Chi Omega) also got engaged! Her ring is gorgeous! The proposal sounded amazing (on a glacier in Alaska? What could be more romantic?). I am so excited for her and her fiance Hunter! I can't wait for the big day and I am so honored to be her maid of honor.

RECONNECTING WITH MORE FRIENDS

I am so lucky I got to see so many of my great friends this summer.

FOOTBALL STARTED

Ahhhh! That pretty much sums it up.

I feel I've made the best of it. We took advantage of the sunshine and went to the Cal game at AT&T park (their stadium is under construction). It was actually pretty fun. However, that could just be the sun and the french fries and good friends talking... not so much the football.

and last but not least...

MY BEST DAY AT WORK

I literally screamed when I saw it. I am obsessed! I absolutely love it!!

so whimsical

2011-09-22T22:53:00.000-07:00

Absolutely love this braid.

I'm really digging the half braid right now. My cousin rocked it at our cousin's wedding.

This half braid across the front is incredible. Must learn how to do it.

enchantment

2011-09-20T23:15:00.000-07:00

(photo from i live here sf)

"When you're enchanted it's sometimes very hard to put your finger on exactly why" -Marc Jacobs

It's so hard to begin to explain what is so enchanting about this place. It seems you either see/feel/get it and you can't resist being enchanted or you just don't.

I can't explain it. I can't show it to people. I really can't quite define it. It's the way people move. It's an attitude or difference thereof. It's the little plaza behind my building with the farmer's markets on Monday. It's the fog in the morning that clears by lunch. It's all the great lunch places. dinner places. brunch places. late night places. It's tales of a fight between a cracked out crazy woman and a 70 year old Asian trash digger/bottle collector with her mini cart and bonnet. It's Bart- elevators, strikes, police controversy and all. It's the triangle on Market street where pidgeons, homeless, lunch goers, and bike messengers (that's right they still exist) gather. It's the packed alley restaurant calling my name every time I pass it. It's the buildings. Better yet, the blue sky between the buildings. It's enchanting.

2011-07-31T19:10:00.000-07:00

"When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself"

-Jacques Cousteau

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

2011-07-28T00:06:00.000-07:00

Sweet. Endearing. Instant vivid memory of the Moon Festival in China.

vegan stoner

2011-07-27T23:46:00.000-07:00

So I will 100% admit that I often find it totally dorky when I see people post recipes on their blog, but let's face it... I'm a dork.

I absolutely love the website the vegan stoner. All the adorably illustrated recipes look so delicious! so simple (yes to 10 ingredients or less)! so easy! and healthy to boot. I have been dying to try one. Every time a new one is posted I tell myself I will try it... months later I finally did. I can't help but blog about it because it was amazing! (and cheap to boot)

The Vegan Stoner's adorable version (taken from their blog):

My (not so adorable, but very tasty) version:

a new take on classic shoes

2011-07-24T12:25:00.001-07:00

I have had cut-out oxfords floating in my head for months now (still not sure where the thought originated from). Now that I've found a real life pair, that thought has become a wish. A heart-aching desire.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

home sweet home

2011-07-15T20:50:00.000-07:00

Check out number 8

The 40 Worst-Dressed Cities in America

yet here I go...

Front row seats!

2011-06-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

06.25-06.26

Sunday + Market Street + Floats + People = Pride Parade

My office is on 425 Market. Pride parade goes down Market street. Best seat in the house? That's what we figured too. After an hour or so at the office party, we decided "Why watch the parade when we could be in the parade?"

And so it went...

Best part? Pat working the crowd.

Thanks Zynga! woof

It could be Monday forever

2011-06-20T12:55:00.001-07:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

more than cool vintage decor

2011-06-14T23:11:00.000-07:00

It's probably something in the name... keira r

TYPEWRITER art

to be real

2011-06-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

artistic. insightful. entertaining. heart-warming. snapshots. love. sadness. homosexuality. dying. living. and a damn cute dog

"Real isn't how you are made. It's a thing that happens to you...You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all."

-Velveteen Rabbit

stolen words

2011-06-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

Todd found "our theme song". The Cult's honestly stole the words right out of my head.

(free download)

sights of the city

2011-06-13T13:58:00.001-07:00

It's not until someone who doesn't live in SF comes to visit that I notice the sights of the city. Not the tourist sites but the sights. With my sister in town last weekend we saw a few... The slightly crazy and therefore frightening homeless people. The people openingly smoking pot in the middle of the park without even attempting to disguise it. The mob of naked cyclists casually riding along as their exposed parts flop about. It's an odd feeling when you realize that to anyone else these things are so blatantly out of the ordinary they are almost shocking, but to you they are so common you barely take note.

However, every time I think to myself that nothing would shock me because I've seen it all- I stumble upon a new sight even I can't ignore. This happened Sunday... As my friends and I were walking from brunch we passed a man emptying his catheter on the sidewalk! It took me while to process what I had seen.

First his hand adjusting the tape securing the tube to his leg and then the puddle around him. Pat saying "wtf was that?" Todd choking down his breakfast. And finally my brain caught up... "Yes I just saw what I thought I saw."

The image has been burned into my memory forever reminding me that I have not seen it all.

hoping my luck will never run out... I could get used to this!

2011-06-06T23:47:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have those times where everything just keeps working out? (maybe you can relate more to those times where it seems like no matter what you do nothing seems to work out). Or do you ever look at other people and wonder what makes them so lucky?

Luck's interesting when you really think about it. What is it? And what makes some people so lucky? I read this (timely) quote the other day.

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

I like the notion that you have some control over your luck... it takes work to be lucky. But I also appreciate that the person who said this didn't disregard the involvement of chance in luck.

This past month I've been super lucky. I guess I've been prepared for the opportunities thrown my way.

Case in point:

All year long I've been looking forward to Sleigh Bells coming to SF. I didn't buy tickets when I first saw them, the concert sold out FAST of course, and I spent four months kicking myself in the butt for not buying tickets. 1 week and 1 day before the concert I message my friend who always introduces me to good tunes and stays on top of the Bay area concert scene to see if he has his ticket for the show...

I say "Sleigh Bells?"
He says "I know. Tomorrow!" (mind you this is 1 week and 1 day before the show, but he never gets his dates wrong)

Confused, I say something to the jist of What?
He says something to the jist of Sleigh Bells added a 3rd night and the tickets go on sale at noon the next day.

Although that in and of itself is pretty serendipitous, it gets better.

The next day at noon I just happened to be having the slowest day at work since I started. So I take my lunch and hop online. I score 2 tickets right away (not even sure if I should be buying 2 since Todd was planning on buying tickets as well). Turns out the show sold out in minutes. Todd, Kimball (friend from above), and many of my other friends came away empty-handed (good thing I bought 2).

That's just one example!

More include:
The unlikely interview timing for my job
Nabbing a job I absolutely love with a great company
An amazing trip in Portland- staying on the same floor as the SLC Real (what are the chances?)
Killing my night class and ending with a big, fat "A"
Sleigh Bells- tickets and concert
Todd nabbing his dream job
Picking placers for 5 straight races at dollar days
and the list goes on...

global warming? then why am I still freezing?

2011-06-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to hold out, but another rainy & cold weekend and I might just go insane... I need some sunshine ASAP!

a new look for a cantilever

2011-06-04T14:54:00.000-07:00

Tell me this isn't rad...

Peter Bristol used the science of a cantilever to design this incredible chair. Completely stable and functional. So innovative and unique.

Other cantilevers you may be more familiar with...

What's not to love?

2011-06-03T00:06:00.001-07:00

Although a little part of me has a hard time writing a post where all I do is brag (but what better place to brag than my blog, right?)... A bigger part of me wants to share my love (that's already pretty apparent) for the city I live in. So here's to bragging! I mean here's to the city!

I'll admit our relationship has it's ups and downs-50% of those are weather related, 8% public transportation, 2% the expense, and another 40% the weather (70s should not be considered a hot day!)- but the love is still there.

Honestly, EVERY day I catch myself thinking "where else ..."

Where else can a hole in the wall restaurant create so much anticipation prior to opening that a crowd will assemble for a free tasting of what's to come?

Where else can you not only go to a different farmer's market every day of the week, but your biggest decision on the weekend is which farmer's market is going to suit your fancy? (mind you this is in addition to Trader Joes and Rainbow Grocery)

(sugar cane)

(goose eggs)

(amazing flowers)

(And that's not even counting the food)

Where else does your team win the World Series?(and you have your pick of attending pretty much any other sporting event you choose)

(not recommended if you don't plan to stink for a week)

(thank you for the introduction Danen, hot dogs could never compare to the goodness of this brat)

(10 try's later this as good as it gets)

Where else can you see almost any band you please in concert? (making it almost impossible not to stay on top of the music scene)

Where else can you continually find new and interesting things to breathe life back into the places you love?

(admiring the new sculpture while sitting outside the ferry building eating my veggie chili)

Where else can you build bonfires on the beach and roast Italian soy dogs?

Where else can you go to dollar days at the horse races? (that's right $1 entry, $1 soda, $1 hot dogs, $1 beer, etc)

(getting my dollar chips)

(waiting for the horses to come by so I could pick the winner)

(the best part was seeing people all dressed up- this guys seersucker shorts were rad!)

(one the MANY failed attempts to take a picture- it's almost comical how bad we are at it. It's no wonder I'm not ever in any of the pictures I take)

Where else can I dip my feet in the bay and look out over the water at the most amazing views?

Where else this? Where else that? The list could literally go on forever (these were just the few things I took pictures of in the last few weeks so I'll spare you the rest).

I'll admit though, there is a downside to living in the most amazing city... I may or may not be turning into a SF snob.

Case in point: The other day Shannon and I were gchatting about memorial day weekend plans. It went something like this...

Me: Weekend plans?
Shannon: ...you?
Me: Hoping for Tahoe. But will settle for the beach in Santa Cruz
Shannon: Haha. I'd "settle" for the beach too, you brat

I laughed because she's right. I'm spoiled. I love this place!

energy

2011-05-25T23:12:00.000-07:00

Be forwarned: Here comes my inner hippie...

Call it an aura. Call it a spirit. Call it a mood. But I find it intriguing to feel the 'energy' of things. Maybe you've felt it too? I think it's most pronounced when it changes. Like when you are in a room and you can 'feel' someone new walk into the room.

It's changing. I can feel it. It's invigorating. SUMMER is around the corner!

I couldn't be more excited.

sneak peek

2011-05-03T17:27:00.001-07:00

Just got back from an epic weekend in Portland! So many stories I don't know where to begin. Perfect group, amazing hotel, unbelievable food, and of course tons of shopping. To top it off, I got spend the weekend playing photographer and pretending I have a nice camera thanks to Emi. (I've officially decided that a fancy camera will be my next major purchase. I loved it!)

That being said, I won't be able to write the post the trip warrants until I get the pics from Emi. (hint , hint). Until then here is a little sampling of snapshots I took on my phone...

04/24/11

2011-04-28T17:19:00.001-07:00

A little Easter fun...

Dying eggs

Reese's eggs

Plus Peeps

Peep s'mores! Yum!

Picnic and sunset at Ocean beach

Made for a pretty good day

Easter outfit

2011-04-28T17:02:00.001-07:00

Is this not adorable? Saw this on The Sartorialist. This guy is a stud. So sharp. Easter in Harlem? Rad

a new angle

2011-04-24T12:33:00.000-07:00

"Height provides an overview. And an overview facilitates insight, while insight generates consideration - perhaps." -Georg Gester

I feel like I've been seeing aerial photography everywhere lately. I find it pretty incredible. Maybe it's all the patterns and lines that are captured. Or maybe it's the fact they seem so perfectly framed yet they are like an action shot in that the photographer had only seconds to capture them while flying. Or maybe I just like looking at things from a new perspective... and aerial photography gives you no choice but to do so.

Some of my favorite Alex Maclean's

(Algae between logs-Washington)

(Backyards of housing subdivision- Kansas)

(Bathers in wave pool- Florida)

(Dinghies clustered around dock)

(Floating daisy docks- Chicago)

(Flower fields- Carlsbad)

(Railroad turntable- Minnesota)

Some of my favorite Georg Gester's

(I may be partial to the fact this is the Great Salt Lake)
Great Salt Lake- 1990

Grand Prismatic Spring (Yellowstone)- 1982

Sewage (Lousiana)- 1982

Some other favorites

Bernhard Lang

Suburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark (Yann Arthus-Betrand)

Military cemetary in France (Yann Arthus-Betrand)

say cheese

2011-04-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

Remember that Reese's campaign- how do you eat your Reese's?- where they had commercials showing different ways people eat their Reese's.

I always related well to the concept because I am really particular about the way I eat certain things... one of them being Reese's (Reese's eggs in particular). I would share via pictures but it looks way too disgusting. Basically, I eat off all chocolate and then place the "peanut butter" on my tongue to slowly melt in my mouth. I absolutely have to eat them this way every single time.

(On a side note I literally bought out all of the Reese's eggs at the Walgreen's next to my house. They had one certain pack mismarked or something because they were always cheaper at that Walgreen's than at any other. I interpreted it as destiny... until one day I bought the last one on the shelf and that was the end of that.)

Anyway, I stumbled across this on Post Secret...

I almost died because that is totally me! I swear! I love to eat Kraft singles. Not because they taste good (we all know they are pretty revolting), but because I love the act of eating them. I fold them into little squares over and over and over again until they are as small as I can get them.

I guess it's not just me. Other people like to eat things a certain way too.

highly recommend

2011-04-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

I'm at a loss for words, but I'm going to try and give you my opinion anyway...
Ironic. Inspiring. Introspective. Incredible.

I might go so far as to say it was one of the most interesting movies I've ever seen. I went to the matinee last Friday and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. I've been wanting to write about it, but just can't find the right words to describe/analyze it.

I don't want to talk it up too much. After all it is a documentary. So you do have to appreciate that type of movie. Plus it is about fashion so having a passion for that helps. But what makes it interesting is that it is about so much more than that. It's about a man- Bill Cunningham. It's about a city- New York. It's about capturing history- through a camera lens.

However, the most amazing part is the contrast. The contrast between the extraordinary career of Bill and the unbelievably simple life he leads. The contrast between the fancy, extravagant, flamboyant clothes he captures and his readily recognizable blue smock. The contrast between an industry marked as shallow, cut-throat, and vain and a man who is honest, humble, jovial, and endearing.

The simplicity of his life is unbelievable? peculiar? inspiring? Never married. Lives in a tiny studio (no kitchen, bathroom, closet) filled with filing cabinets. Has next to no clothes. He has dedicated his whole life to clothes. In his words "If it isn't something a woman could wear, I'm not interested in it." Yet he seems so joyous and filled with no regrets. He isn't in it for the money. "You see if you don't take money, they can't tell you what to do, kid... Money's the cheapest thing. Liberty, freedom is the most expensive." (Bill) He is just truly passionate about clothes. It's almost enviable. How would it be to be so passionate about something that you could dedicate your life to it. That's what I call loving what you do and doing what you love. It makes you think. And I like movies that make you think. Can't wait to see it again.

love or lust?

2011-04-19T21:15:00.000-07:00

Not sure if I love these or if I am just lusting after them. Either way I'd take a pair.

happy easter

2011-04-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"

~Robin Williams

shopping

2011-04-03T20:59:00.000-07:00

Todd and I finally checked out this boutique we've been wanting to go to in Lower Haight. It did not disappoint. The clothes were great, but I was more preoccupied by the displays/art. (It apparently doubles as a gallery?).

You can see the first exhibit in the picture above. It is framed picture of a car with a note in the windshield wiper. Around the frame is a collage of letters/notes with a variety of handwriting (all emacculate of course) as seen in the pics below. I loved the contrast of all the different penmanship and paper types.

Underneath all of that is a row of mailboxes each designated for (and filled with) different types of letters. The first was "Chelsea I want my flannel back stories- about things you have lost & the people who've taken them." The next "Public letters- leave them for people to read & feel free to snoop." The third (locked one with a mail slot) "Secret letters- no one will read them... we don't even have the key." The last "Anonymous letters- you write them, we'll send them... no one will know it was you." All around were paper scraps, pens, stamps, and even a working vintage typewriter you could write letters with.

I read through a bunch of the letters. They were so interesting and random. Some serious. Some light-hearted. Reminded me a lot of Post Secret. It just interesting to peak into another person's life and realize you relate (or you don't at all).

In the next room was another cool display.

On one side of the room was this desk, branch, and map collage. I loved the map collage! I've always loved globes. As I kid I would spin our globe over and over again and feeling the ridges of the "mountain ranges" as they passed under my finger until eventually the globe would stop. Each time it stopped spinning I would look at the country and say "that's the next place I want to go travel." (It magically ended up on Australia more often than not). Anyway, the old maps remind me of a globe.

On the other wall were these cool books. Each had a portrait sketch mod podged to the front. It was so simple yet so unique.

overalls? stylish? age appropriate?

2011-04-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

I love that wideleg pants/jeans having been popping up everywhere. After my sister, Janelle talked me into buying an amazing pair of wideleg dress pants from Anthro a few years ago, I've been a big fan! (Even paid $30 to repair the zipper on the paints I love them that much) They are just so comfortable, look great with any shoes, and have the ability to make your legs extend forever.

Naturally, I totally dig this guys jeans, but who knew? I think I might actually like the overalls on the woman even better?! Is that wrong? Is there an age in which you should no longer wear overalls?

Spring romance

2011-03-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Loving the romance in so many of this Spring's editorials/lookbooks.
Harpar's Bazaar has two great examples in their April issue. Here are a few pics I stole from the edititorials because I love them.

I've also decided this year may be the year I finally invest in a classic trench.

A modern day Goldilocks

2011-03-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

It all started months and months ago when I tried on this shirt at Wasteland...

But clearly I was to busy having a blast with the sis to worry about the shirt. Then I saw this Rag and Bone version...

Which I loved even more because it was long enough to wear as a dress. But it was way too expensive. But then I saw this...

Which was even radder because of the "Arizona" print. But it was only available in Australia. So today I find...

And I decide it's perfect- the oversized armholes, half front button closure, color. It's just right. Now where to get the money to buy it?

office space

2011-03-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

I've always loved the idea of having a wall with collection of mismatched frames of various size, shape, style, etc. (kind of like the one above) But today I saw this. (pic below). Isn't it such a cute idea for an office? Decorative but a great way to stay organized at the same time. Time to start collecting interesting clipboards... scratch that, I probably need an office first.

5 randoms i love

2011-03-28T12:21:00.000-07:00

just rad. rad hair. rad jacket. rad shirt. rad combination of colors. rad depth-I always love lines and shadows.

i love how much this picture says about this person. such a small cross section yet tells you so much.

one more reason I love this city! titled "waiting for spiderman"

the EYES. amazing. again love the shadows and light.

the new pink

2011-03-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

I don't know what it is but I swear I've seen cake pops everywhere lately. Even Starbucks has them.

For all those people who thought that pies could be the next trend (as cupcakes die out), I'm going to say I think cake pops will be next (if they aren't already). Anyway, I decided see how to make them myself. They seemed surprisingly simple. While looking up how to I came upon bakerella.com. After seeing all their cute examples, it was a done deal.

Mine didn't turn out half bad, except I should've definely opted for candy melts the instructions call for instead of chocolate chips. Turns out they really aren't the same thing. I would give it another go but after eating nothing but cake balls for two days straight (so much for being vegan... I'll start again next week) I've decided I'll never be making them again.

stuff

2011-03-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

I've been loving vintage shopping lately. Who am I kidding? I love shopping in general. I just went on a vintange hunt the other day with Anisha. Stopped at the Painted Bird which was meh. Stopped in at Candy Store Collective where Todd bought me the rad cuff (below). Such a cute store!

But then we hit the gold mine with "Stuff"! It's a co-op of vintage/antique finds. Basically professional shoppers go scavenging flea-markets, thrifts stores, etc to find all the best pieces and then they bring it here to sell. Unfortunately, the price reflects it. It was still unbelievable! I wasn't comfortable just blatantly taking pictures. If I had been though, I would've taken a picture every two feet. There were so many cool things I couldn't take it all in. Here are a few I manage to snap pics of.

(this "7" is actually an old runway light that actually still lights up!)

dog or baby?

2011-03-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

As creepy as this is I also find it completely adorable. Can't decide which is cuter the dog or the baby?

Another one for you. I keep seeing these owls everywhere and I just can't decide what to think of them. Cute or creepy?

A new age of careers- "anticipate, adapt and act"

2011-03-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

I found a very interesting article about the shift in careers today (which I seriously encourage anyone who cares about having a career to read). I probably found it interesting because the author put into words a lot of my thoughts about careers and workplaces and how they have evolved so much from my parents generation to now.

In case you don't read the article here are a few things that I took from the article:

The American workplace has taken a monumental shift. NO JOBS OR CAREERS ARE FOR LIFE ANYMORE. Which essentially means there is no such thing as job security. Employers will no longer take care of employees or be responsible for the livlihood of individuals.
The result is INDIVIDUALS MUST ASSUME FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THEIR OWN CAREERS AND SOURCES OF INCOME. Ultimately this means that each individual now needs to monitor and assess the job market; anticipate future developments, trends,and industry shifts; gain the necessary skills, qualifications, and assests to match these shifts; and continually adapt to thrive in this ever-changing workplace.
Jobs are limited but opportunities are limitless.
You are responsible for your future and YOU CAN NO LONGER DEPEND ON ANYONE BUT YOURSELF.

All these points make me sound like my mother (who, out of love, was constantly trying to shove a dose of reality down my throat). However, in addition to this harsh reality he presents he also gives 6 strategies for thriving in such a transitional workplace. You can read the rest yourself but I'll note #6 as I think it is something we don't generally associate with developing a career.

"Invest in good health. No one can build a thriving future with poor health, no energy, and a negative mindset. We all must work as hard on ourselves as we do on our careers."

Spreading the word

2011-03-20T11:39:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendars for this Saturday (March 26) at 8:30pm- it's earth hour! So what is earth hour? Well every year on earth hour hundreds of millions of people, organizations, corporations, and governments around the world turn off their lights for one hour. In addition to saving energy, by participating you can show you are environmentally conscious. The best part? It's super easy! Just flip your lights off for one hour!

As a whole, those participating in earth hour make a bold statement about their concern for climate change. Dozen's of buildings and monuments will be turning off their non-essential lighting. I was surprised and seriously impressed by the list of ionic landmarks participating:

■Empire State Building
■Brooklyn Bridge
■Broadway Theater Marquees
■Las Vegas Strip
■United Nations Headquarters
■Golden Gate Bridge
■Seattle’s Space Needle
■Church of Latter-Day Saints Temple
■Gateway Arch in St. Louis
■Great Pyramids of Giza
■Acropolis and Parthenon in Athens
■Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro
■St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City
■Big Ben and Houses of Parliament in London
■Elysee Palace and Eiffel Tower in Paris
■Beijing’s Birds Nest and Water Cube
■Symphony of Lights in Hong Kong
■Sydney’s Opera House

If they can participate, can't you?

Apparently penguins fly free on Southwest

2011-03-20T11:11:00.000-07:00

Surfed into this video. Couldn't help but repost it because I think it is cute! Who doesn't love penguins?

If I could have a penguin as a pet I would. However, I'll settle for a piglet.

(If anyone was looking for a belated bday gift you've just found it...piglet please!)

March Madness Fail

2011-03-17T20:12:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly, I've never actually followed March Madness before. This year I decided to give it a shot. I even made a bracket.

Day 1 of March Madness and I've already failed epically. I better stick to things I know.

In other sports news, this made my day...

C.J. Miles drops 40 from MLMarchitect on Vimeo.

CJ is my boy! (Always had a soft spot for him and the Ronnie's)

"What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner."

2011-03-12T14:52:00.000-08:00

Steampunk: a subgenre of speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternate history setting. Best described by the slogan "What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner."

I don't know if you are familiar with steampunk (I know I wasn't before) but I had no idea how seriously some people take it. I guess it can actually be adapted as a lifestyle. I don't know if I can quite wrap my mind around that idea but I can definitely appreciate some of the cool steampunk style things I've discovered lately. I love the laptop pictured above! I also thought this cake was pretty much amazing...

It was featured on the show Amazing Wedding Cakes (which I hate to admit absolutely fascinates me).

WAY too much Twilight!

2011-03-12T14:24:00.000-08:00

One more reason to thank Stephanie Meyer for infecting society with her Twilight Saga...

I stole my sister's facebook status for blog material because I can't stop laughing about it. Each time it randomly pops into my head I can't help but crack up a little. It's just one of the many hilarious stories my sister has shared in her adventures teaching 3rd grade. If I could retell them half as good as she does I would have you chuckling all day long. However, I can't so you'll just have to enjoy this for now.

Why hike when you could watch this?

2011-03-11T20:52:00.000-08:00

Green Tunnel from Kevin Gallagher on Vimeo.

Despite the fact I got a little motion sickness watching this incredible video, I couldn't help but share it. I am still trying to determine which I find more impressive that
a) Kevin Gallagher (the creator of the video) was actually able to create this video using a collection of 4,000 photo slides in this stop-motion film
or
b) he completed the six-month journey along the entire 2,200 mile Appalachian trail (from Georgia to Maine).
Needless to say, I am inspired. Time for a hike.

Market HQ

2011-03-09T13:31:00.000-08:00

I stumbled on this website a while ago and love to just get on and check out the looks for inspiration. I also follow the blog regularly because I love their branding concept. It pulls at my inner grunge. I like that they are very retro in a non typical way... definitely not an old fashion kind of style. I also love that they merchandise their site by looks. It makes it really easy to see how you could piece their product into an actual outfit and makes for great browsing. I figured I'd share some of my favorite looks right now.

(cuddle me quick knit vest)

(lonely nights blouse)

(tab contrast tee)

Too bad I'd have to go to Australia to get them.

"New York has Fashion Week, Austin has Style By."

2011-03-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

Just one more reason to wish I was in Austin for SXSW! It's officially the meca of all my interests... music, innovation, tech, and style. Check out more StyleX here.

the holiday spirit

2011-03-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

I feel like I have the holiday spirit. Odd I know, being that Christmas was months ago. Maybe it's all the INCREDIBLE soy chai's from Cafe Capriccio.

2011-03-07T00:18:00.000-08:00

Isabel Marant

Loving her new collection. Dig the Navajo feel. So many amazing pieces. A few teasers... (but you should really check out the whole collection because there are so many more great pieces!)

3.5.11

2011-03-07T00:06:00.000-08:00

Mission United at Public Works

quite the little bird

2011-03-06T11:32:00.000-08:00

This definitely isn't breaking news (but hey when have I ever claimed to provide breaking news on my blog?) but I did it. I broke down. I finally gave into that little bird and joined the rest of the world in tweeting.

I know what you are thinking, believe me I've been there. I honestly could not figure out the point of twitter ...A world of just status updates? Kill me now! That's the worst part of FB so why would I want another outlet for my "friends" to complain about the weather, how sick they are, how bad their life sucks, or conversely brag brag and brag some more? Or why would I care what Kim Kardashian is doing at the moment? And who cares what Ashton Kutcher thinks?... until I joined. (I actually couldn't even figure out how to follow the dumb thing prior to joining- all the #hashtagging, RT, @soandso, etc lingo just made tweets seem like a mess of a sentence).

Let's just say, I'm embarrassed by close-minded attitude toward the technology of twitter. I find it extremely exciting to live in San Francisco, in what I believe is the city on the forefront of technological advancements. So how could I have been so anti-embracing? I vow to never again to reject technology because I don't understand it or see the point of it.

I haven't felt this way since my brother, Danen, introduced me to Google Reader. I feel it has totally changed my perspective of the web and the social media driven digital world infecting society. Like Google Reader, it feeds you information from the web. (Why surf the web, or go from website to website, when you can just have it all streamed into one place?). Like, Google Reader, you choose what to stream (on Reader you subscribe to websites and on twitter you follow who you choose). However, unlike Google Reader, full articles are not fed to you. Instead, you receive a 140 character taste that is usually accompanied by a link if you want more. Also, unlike Google Reader, you can interact with others. The stream isn't one way. You can take the cool stuff streamed to you and restream it (retweet it) for those who follow you to view.

So what's really so great about twitter? Besides the fact it is yet another way to "connect" (which feels more and more like stalking everyday), I've found the value is in the real time aspect. Because everything is condensed into short (140 character or less) snippets, information can be shared more rapidly. Here are a few figures (taken from Viral Blog) to give you an idea of how rapidly...

As quoted from above "Twitter asks "what's happening" and makes the answer spread across the globe to millions, immediately." It's a whole new way of sharing information. Therefore, it has helped create a new way of branding- both personal or commercial.

It has rocked my world. I have never put so much thought into my online prescence, my personal brand, and social media marketing in general. I'm fascinated! I want in. But that's a whole other blogpost (soon to come).

It's all passion

2011-03-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

So again I usually refrain from referencing any pop culture buzz (I'm pumping this blog up- time to "just do it") but in the interest of fashion I couldn't help but share this.

If you are like me, you've probably heard way more than you've cared to about the whole Charlie Sheen saga. However, you may or may not have seen the actual interview. After watching the interview you'll probably appreciate this find more, but the choice is yours here. (On a side note I actual found Charlie quite inspirational. Maybe he should start giving motivational speeches? Or maybe I am the only person on earth that takes his "winning" attitude seriously. After all he is correct: Nike did not adopt the slogan "Just try it". But seriously, I want to be able to achieve things by just blinking my eye and doing it! Is tiger blood a requirement?)

Anyway, my whole point is to show you this amazing shirt that artist Alex Pardee created. I discovered it on Haighteration, a blog about the happenings of Lower Haight, (yes, I am a dork who follows it). I secretly almost want one.

bordering lunacy

2011-03-03T19:10:00.000-08:00

October brings...

which basically = the most ridiculous amount of sugar intake by one person in a one month span that you can possibly imagine (most of you know this about me). I don't know what it is but I just can't stop myself in October (candy corn doesn't even tempt me the rest of the year, go figure?).

However, Spring brings something even worse...

Let's just say if October is ridiculous, Spring borders lunacy.

just a thought

2011-03-02T11:54:00.000-08:00

"Accept responsibility for your life. Know that it is you who will get you where you want to go, no one else." - Les Brown

The past few weeks I've really been feeling this way. I feel it is part of leaf that started turning over a long time ago, a slow realization that although you cannot control life you can still be proactive in making decisions before life makes them for you.

shocking? not quite... interesting? definitely!

2011-02-23T12:17:00.001-08:00

The World Is Obsessed With Facebook from Alex Trimpe on Vimeo.

a dream

2011-02-22T18:02:00.000-08:00

I've found my dream home. Can you imagine living there? I love it! I love randomness of having the bathtub in the center of the room. I love that it is one big room and so open. I love the vaulted ceilings, chandelier, and rafters that give it such a loft feel. I love the shutters that open in. I love the fireplace. I love all the natural light. I love the simplicity. I love that it is all white. It just looks so peaceful. A scene straight out of heaven... or maybe just my dreams.

2011-02-22T17:58:00.000-08:00

being political...or something like that

2011-02-22T16:59:00.000-08:00

So I generally refrain from writing anything politically charged on my blog, but I've found something I am willing to make an exception for.

You may or may not (if you live under a rock) have heard abouth recent legislation that was passed by the House of Representatives to cut federal funding for Planned Parenthood.

I honestly don't care to express my personal opinion (although it is probably quite obvious what my opinion is) on the matter. I just ask that everyone take a minute to decide whether you support the House's decision or not. You are probably thinking "Why does it matter what I think if the legislation has already been passed?" or "What good will deciding whether I support it or not do?" Well if you support the House's decision then just let it be and forget you read this. However, if you don't there is something you can do about it...

Click on this link

(Because I trust your decision will be an informed one):
If you would like to know more about the legislation you can go here or here or you can always just google it.

If you would like to know more about what Planned Parenthood does than you can go here.

And if you would like to read one of my friend's simple, straightforward and interesting opinion on the subject you can read here.

inspired

2011-02-21T12:42:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across AlisaBurke's blog today and fell in love. She posts "a peek inside her sketchbook." I think it is so rad!

I am trying this! I want to start my own sketchbook. I am absolutely positive it will look nothing like this (since I seriously lack the artistic talent she posseses) but whatev, looks like fun anyway.

NYFW repeated a year later

2011-02-19T17:19:00.000-08:00

I can't believe I have been pretty steadily blogging for over a year. It didn't really hit me until these last few posts. It is funny how fast a year can go by. It seems like I was just barely posting about last year's Valentine's Day and obsessing over Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York.

With that being said, I present to you this year's post about fashion week.

First day of fashion week I had a convo with Todd:

me- "I am sooooo JEALOUS! It's fashion week in New York."

Todd- "That's it. What do you mean you are jealous? Jealous of who? Do you know someone going?"

me- "No. Just jealous of everyone. Anyone going or who is apart of it or is New York witnessing it."

Todd- "oh"

Again, I know I am weird. I really don't know why I love fashion week so much. It's not like I've been, or will probably ever go, or have any involvement in it. I just love the opportunity to peruse the highlight reels after, watching runway video after runway video. I'll spare you the in depth analysis I supplied last year but here are a few highlights...

Charlotte Ronson

Nicholas K

Nicholas K again- such a cool dress!

Nicholas K yet again (he was clearly a fav)- Mostly just love the jacket

Nicole Miller

Vera Wang

Vivienne Tam- she had a lot of these cool cutout elements in her whole show. I really like how it looks.

v-day

2011-02-19T16:59:00.000-08:00

I loved it. Simple. Understated. But fun and random. And all about the food! Yum!

The night before, we made chocolate dipped strawberries with the biggest most amazing strawberries from Whole Foods and of course nothing but the best, Ghiradelli chocolate. (Yep, we cheated on the diet) and played board games with another couple. Todd and I both love to play games but it's seriously trouble for us to play together or with anyone else. We are both soooo competive. I'm a sore loser and he is a sore winner- bad combo. Yet it is seriously one of our favorite things to do.

The next day we both had the morning off together so we made brunch. We started with a delicous breakfast quinoa! I LOVED it. Enough that I am going to share the recipe (although I am not typically a recipe sharer) because it was super easy to make, really healthy, and tasty!

1 cup soy milk

1 cup water

1 cup quinoa

2 cups fresh berries (I used blueberries and grapes but you could use any- blackberries, raspberries, etc)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped walnuts (or any nut of your choice), lightly toasted*

(The recipe suggests 4 teaspoons organic agave nectar, such as Madhava brand but I didnt use any and thought it was still tasty)

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in berries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with nuts. (Drizzle 1 teaspoon agave nectar over each serving).

*While the quinoa cooks, roast the walnuts in a 350F degree toaster oven for 5 to 6 minutes or in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.

We also made vegan whole wheat pancakes (that I added red food coloring to to make them look tastier). Also pretty darn healthy and delicious!

Todd has mad pancake flipping skills. Check it out...

We had work/class the rest the day so we missed the massive pillow fight! I was slightly bummed until I found this...

It was sooooo fun! It was at the Roxie Theater. They played the music videos with the lyrics on the big screen for tons of great 80s songs. Everything from random total hair bands, to Meatloaf, to Bonnie Tylers "Total Eclipse of the Heart", to Journey, to Aerosmith, and many more. The entire theater was full of people just belting out the songs at the top of their lungs. Random people would walk up to the front of the theater and dance. Lighters in the air were plentiful. It was one of those things that are just too rad to document but I tried...

Now imagine that all night long. Needless to say, I had a blast! Didn't think the pillow fight could be outdone. Can't wait for next year. Man I love this city!

trouble

2011-02-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

Went to the Valentine "happy hour" yesterday. To get a special Valentine treat...

(Chocolated caramel hearts and gummy hearts)

Walked out a lot poorer with this...

So much for the diet (we'll be rationing these for the next few months).

From left to right peanut butter and chocolate covered toffees, an assortment of dark chocolate almonds ginger and orange peels, curry covered cashews, and yogurt gums! I blame the grief.

twas a sad day in history

2011-02-11T21:07:00.000-08:00

I know you all know about this already so in no way am I trying to provide breaking news. I am just still processing. I may or may not (we both know which) have teared up (which is a considerable improvement over the night I bawled with Tasha because our beloved Craig Bolerjack was leaving Sportsbeat) when watching this...

It very much marks the end of an era for me. The last piece of the team linking me to the childhood team (John Stockton, Karl Malone, Jeff Hornacek, Bryon Russell, etc) I grew to love is officially gone. Only it's worse as he has been there for all the ups and downs of my Jazz love. I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later, I just didn't expect to happen so quickly. Todd tried to tell me it's a good thing, like the ripping off of a bandaid. Not sure I agree but I'll let you know when I am no longer in shock.

Ironically, I can't help but finally empathize with one of my accounts when I worked for Prestige financial... When I called to ask him why he hadn't paid his car payment he told me he had missed work and was short on money. When I asked if he had been sick he said no he had been grieving. I immediately thought he must've had a death in his family or something. But no, he proceeded to tell me that when Micheal Jackson died he was so distraught he couldn't work for days. I laughed my a** off at the time and it became the daily joke of the office. However, I have now been reminded what it is like to become emotionally connected to a stranger/celebrity. Don't worry though. I made it to work just fine.

it's coming

2011-02-08T18:07:00.000-08:00

One week. What's wrong with me? I may actually be a little excited. I think it's because I had such a blast at last year's giant citywide pillow fight.

SOLITUDE and thoughts

2011-02-08T17:54:00.000-08:00

Nothing beats a few hours of solitude. I'm not talking about being alone for a few hours. That happens all the time (at least for me). I'm talking about those (for many soooo rare) times where you have time to do nothing but escape into your own thoughts (and not thoughts of the things you should be doing instead of pondering). Maybe that's why I love going to Washington Square so much. I can lay on the grass under the blue sky with the rays of sunshine beating down on my face warming me from the constant chill of the city and listen to the birds, the humming of the busses stoping and going along Columbus Avenue, the hippies jammin', couples bickering, and the occasional bum making a fuss because the police our on his back again, as my mind rolls...

(Wow. That wasn't meant to sound poetic. I sound like my father... Describing a simple experience as though it merits the imagery and eloquence of a Charles Dicken's novel.)

"If we share the DNA of our parents can we ever actually escape becoming them? Which parent would be worse? Or is it really so bad afterall? Why is that always considered a bad thing? Should we be appreciating we share their DNA? My parents are so different how could I ever be like both of them?

Why do males and females think so differently? Do we really? Or does it just constantly seem that way because we are paired against each other? But if that's true how can trends of collective thought amongst individuals of the same gender be so apparent? We most definitey think differently. Why don't males ever plan ahead? If they think so big picture why can't they seem to anticipate and plan accordingly? But why do females feel the need to plan every aspect of their entire life? Is that why females tend to idealize things? Is our desire to sit around and vent a by product of being frustrated that things aren't going as we planned? Is that why guys don't vent, they just look for solutions to the current situation because they never had a plan to begin with in the first place?

Why does so and so seem unhappy about what she has if that's what she wanted? Well do we ever really know what we want? Does it take getting what we think we want to find out it's not what we expected and we actually don't really want it? Is that just another female thing? But can anything ever be what we expected? Why do we think we know what's best for ourselves? Or does living mean we are forced to constantly guess what we want? Because it works in reverse... What happens when you end up with something you didn't think you wanted but you love it? Is that luck?

Why are we constantly changing our minds? Is that a good thing? A way to adapt and grow and progress?But it's weird when you experience that feeling where someone has changed their opinion about you especially when it's for the worse. Things will never be the same. It's disheartening because you can't control how someone perceives you. Or can you? But is that being true to yourself? How often do you change your opinion about other people unbeknown to them?

Do we have a maximum capacity of friends? Does making a new friend force you to fall out of touch with another friend? If you become closer to one person is it at the expense of distancing yourself from someone else? Hmm maybe that's why it seems like so many girls (and maybe guys too) lose themselves when they fall in love with a guy. Does that make marriage the ultimate example of losing yourself?

Does losing yourself happen when you finally let go an completely trust another person? Should you ever completely trust anyone? Can you really even trust yourself? So how could you give full trust to someone else? Is that stupidity in it's highest form? But are you really living life and experiencing it if you don't take leaps of faith and trust others? But how many and how big of leaps of faith can you take before you've dug yourself a hole too deep? It's like the quote it is better to have loved and lost than to never love at all (or something along those lines). Is that really true? If we know that all experiences aren't good... And that the majority of experiences in love result in a corresponding bad experience (divorce rates are proof enough not to mention most people don't only fall in love once and marry that love so they will usually experience mutliple breakups)... Then can that quote really be true? Or is it just something someone made up to make people feel better about all those break ups. Could you say that the risk of hurt is directly proportional to the reward of happiness? Does that mean that hopeless romantics are just not risk averse? Is being in love like being in a ticking time bomb? And what about when you factor in what the other person is thinking and feeling? Obviously people aren't always on the same page as each other. Do most couples start out on the same page and some how end up on different pages? Do they think they are on the same but then later realize they are actually not? Or do they just never really start out on the same page? Hmm maybe I need to stop watching movies like Blue Valentine. Yeah because I think I over analyze the simplest of movies. Like Marley and Me. Not meant to be thought provoking but I kept thinking about it. Does this mean I should quit watching all movies? Or just quit analyzing them?

Do other people sit and ask themselves questions for hours? I still wonder if people always think in their native language? I can't imagine being fluent enough in another language to think in it. How does your brain decide what to consciously think about? Are we still thinking when no thoughts actually consciously enter our mind? Is that what happens when I all of a sudden realize I need to pee so bad? Was I thinking about it subconsciously but never allowed my brain to bring it to my conscious thought? Speaking of I really need to pee. Better find a bathroom. Now!"

- Just an excerpt from my morning thought reel

2011-02-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

I thought today was chilly

2011-02-02T13:50:00.001-08:00

...but then I looked at the weather in the rest of the country and changed my mind. SF isn't so bad. I knew there was a reason I moved here.

eat to live

2011-01-29T14:57:00.000-08:00

So here it is. The diet post. I'm not writing this to announce to the world I am on a diet, or to make myself accountable, or to try and convince others to join me. I am simply writing it because I feel it has been an interesting change in my lifestyle right now.

I know what some of you are thinking (only because several people have voiced it), I don't need to go on a diet. I agree. I don't feel I need to lose weight (although who doesn't want to lose a little weight, right?). Plus I LOVE food (as do most Americans). Thus the reason I have never gone on a diet before. However, I am constantly trying to be more healthy (who knows any day now I could lose the gift that genetics has giving me and no longer be able to hide all my unhealthiness) so when I heard about "Eat to Live" I was instantly interested.

I have to credit my friend Aubrey (well technically I should credit her friend Erin for introducing it to her). She introduced me to the diet. When she first told me about the diet I thought to myself that it wasn't too different from what I ate already (or at least tried to eat), so I probably would've never committed to doing it. However, after watching her and her husband Chris (who seriously impressed me as he was the biggest fast food junkie I had ever seen!) commit six weeks to following the diet and seeing their progress, I wanted in on the action. So I bought the book...

After reading the book I was sold! Why?

It's an "ALL YOU CAN EAT" diet. SOLD! As I mentioned before I LOVE to eat. I am smart enough to know trying to restrict how much I eat would just cause me to give up and binge eat a bag of cookies, box of caramel bars, or something of the sort.
It is sustainable. Although the more strict you are the more results you are going to see, the diet is something you can easily adapt into a lifestyle and not just a fad. Plus it is something that would be healthy to do the rest of your life unlike most diets.
It makes sense. As I mentioned before, it's not about how much you eat but what you eat. The basic concept is Health=Nutrients/Calories. So the more nutrient dense calories you eat, the more healthy you'll be.
The results promised are incredible. Not just the weight loss, but the disease prevention and curing, energy levels, and overall health promised are astounding.

Since I was moving to San Francisco and had ZERO groceries and unhealthy things already in my cupboard, it seemed like a perfect time to start the diet. Todd decided to do the diet with me which has been really helpful. We help each other prepare meals and in general stick to it. We are just starting week 4 of the 6 week plan. During the first 3 weeks we have both lost weight, seen changes in our cravings, learn to live without caffiene (and shockingly Todd who was a Dr Pepper fiend never got a single withdrawal headache), stabilized our energy levels (I no longer have surges of energy and then feel super tired), learned to cook and like a lot of new and interesting foods, and overall enjoyed the experience.

The basic jist of the Eat to Live plan can be summarized in this chart...

We decided to try and take the strictest approach (for the first 6 weeks) and actually eliminated all the bottom 2 sections of the chart making us essentially vegan. As well as eliminating salt, sugar, and oil (which we've discovered are generally unnecessary and added to foods more out of habit than need). San Francisco is the perfect place to adapt such a diet. The # of amazing restaurants here is astounding and we've found so many of them are vegan friendly. We try and eat most of our meals at home (where we can control the way the food is prepared and not use salt, oil, or sugar) but we've splurged and tried some of the great places around the city.

Cafe Gratitude

Our first meal out was at Cafe Gratitude. I absolutely loved it!

We got the special Pad Thai ("Celebrating"). The zucchini noodles were delicious! We also got the nachos ("Honoring") -Flax chips with spicy sunflower seed “refried beans” on a bed of mixed greens with guacamole, salsa, & cashew nacho cheese- They were awesome!

Rosamunde

Todd was a big fan of Rosamunde before, so when we saw they have 3 different Vegan dogs we went for it. I got the sage apple sausage and Todd got the Italien sausage. I forgot to take pics but they were great! So delectible. You would never have a clue they weren't meat. Served with beans and a side salad, they were definitely a healthy treat!

Souley Vegan

So this was more of a diet cheat than a healthy meal, but when I got a Groupon to try out vegan food prepared southern style I went for it. The staff was sooo nice! They must be trying to bring some of that southern hospitality our way.

We got the everything platter and then some so that we could try it all. Fried okra, red beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, BBQ tofu, cornbread, southern fried tofu, Mac n cheese, potato salad, black eye peas, yams, lentils, and mustard greens. It was a feast of southern deliciousness. I couldn't pick a favorite but I was amazed that some of them could taste so good and still be vegan like the cornbread or mac and cheese or potato salad. We got a strawberry ginger drink and it was tasty! I do love ginger.

Speaking of cheating, we have cheated a few times here and there. But it is so funny to feel like you are cheating and eating something you shouldn't when it's something that would have seemed super healthy to me before. For example we got sushi one night at Blowfish while Rob and Brittany were in town. We were beating ourselves up for getting a roll with fish in it since it was the first time in 17 days we had eaten any animal products. Or beating ourselves up over Souley Vegan. Or the butterless popcorn from Red Vic.

One last thing I feel I can't help but mention. My favorite part of the diet? Grocery shopping! Not having to do it (because that's a pain), not the actual act, but looking in my cart at the end of a grocery trip and thinking to myself "Wow!" It's filled with so much produce and healthy stuff. I used to get all embarrassed when my cart was filled with cereal, cookies, chips, or whatever other crap I managed to fill it with. Now I proudly push it through the store like the vegan dork I am secretly hoping people will look in my cart and think how healthy it looks. The other day when we went to check out the guy in the lane next to us walked over and looked in our cart and said "that has to be the healthiest looking basket I have ever seen." I am such a dork! I LOVED it!

Anyway, I am halfway through the 6 week plan and think I may or may not continue forever! TBD

lately- SF edition

2011-01-23T23:02:00.000-08:00

Moving back to San Francisco has been a whirlwind. From the moment I got off the plane, I hit the ground running. Unlike most the times I've moved somewhere new, I haven't spent the initial time getting settled and trying to get acquainted with my new surroundings. There was no having to find friends, or figure out where to go and what to do with myself. I have just been living it up.

So what have I been up to in the last few weeks (to be exact only 18 days)?

"Last supper" (which ended up being second to last) at Fly Bar (first night in town). I got the goat cheese quesadilla of course.

Emily Llyod's Birthday dinner at Slow Club

Played 2 new board games. (Which is pretty amazing because I thought I had played most board games).

Bluegrass Monday at Amnesia.

Followed by Ms Pac-Man at Elbo Room.

My first Junior League meeting

Black Swan at the Metreon

Dinner for Paul Larsen's Birthday at San Tung's. The eggplant was amazing! One of the only foods in China I actually miss.

Ryan Abernathy's big 3-0 party (his gf Liss knows how to throw a pretty good party. great location. great food. fun minute to win it challenges. good company)

Walking (which of course turned into shopping thanks to Ambiance's Martin Luther King Jr SALE) on Haight street followed by a movie at the Red Vic

A holiday afternoon in the Mission. Cafe Gratitude (read more here). Dolores Park and a celebrity sighting(well I may or may not have seen Adam Savage from Mythbusters, you be the judge). Bi-rite market. Stroll down Valencia. Scavenged Mission Thrift where I picked up some books and a board game for $5.

Watched the sunset from Twin Peaks. I LOVE the way the fog moves across the city. It reminds me of a very slow version of the black cloud thing on Lost.

(If you look really close you can see the very tip of the Golden Gate Bridge peaking out of the fog enveloping it.)

(Here is a zoomed in picture of the same scene. Can you see the GG?)

Hot Cocoa and catching up at Virg's place in North Beach.

(one more reason I LOVE Trader Joe's)

More catching up with one of my other favorite people in the city.

Saw Breakfast at Tiffany's for the FIRST time! at Red Vic (Todd and I both love that theater, the wooden popcorn bowls, vegan cookies, and awesome films). I absolutely LOVED it. Could be one of my new favorite movies. I relate so much to Audrey Hepburn's character. (oh and the # of movies I've seen in the last few weeks shocks me since I saw about the same number of movies the entire time I was in Key West).

And of course there was work, work, and more work.

I also had my first day of class (which was an entire day from 8am-7pm) of trying to sign into classes (semi-sucessfully).

A good week of Bikram (followed by a full week of no Bikram, time to get back at it).

(this is the actually studio)

(the classes are vastly different than Key West)

(there may or may not be a "few" more people than in the Key West studio)

But the biggest news? my diet! That's right. I've done it. I've actually gone on a diet. more to come...but I will say that it has required me to spend a ton of time grocery shopping and cooking.

Which brings me to this weekend (as described in my ABCs).

the ABC's of my weekend

2011-01-23T20:12:00.000-08:00

A AIR HORN, ANIME
B BOATS, BRIDGES, BAY, BOB'S, BLOWFISH, BRITTANY, BRUNCH, BIG
C CRYSTAL'S COMMENTS, CRUISE AROUND THE BAY, CUPCAKES, COOK'S
D DARTS, DIET CHEATS, DONUTS
E ELBO ROOM, ERIC, EDEMAME
F FRIENDS, FUN, FOOD, FIREWORKS
G GOOEY GLAZED, GIANT RING OF DELICIOUSNESS, GUESTS
H HEMLOCK, HILARIOUS, HUKA
I INTERVIEW, IT'S-ITS, INDICA, IRREPLICABLE (yes I know it's a made up word)
J "J" BOMBS
K KARAOKE, KIERA, KENZIE
L LAUGHS, LITTLE
M MRS PACKMAN, MEMORIES, MISO, MAPLE
N NEPTUNE'S, NICK, NO SLEEP, NIGHT CRUISE AROUND ALCATRAZ
O OWNER'S DISCOUNT
P PACKHAM, PHOTO BOOTH PICS, PORTOBELLA MUSHROOM, PROSECCO
Q QUINTESSENTIAL REUNION WITH ROB AND PACK, QUORA
R R-BAR, ROSE'S CAFE, RED JACK'S, RANDOM, RISOTTO, REUNION, ROB
S SUSHI, SAILBOATS, SLUMBER PARTY, SPY SHUFFLE
T TRIVIAL PURSUIT, "TITTIES IN THE TRUNK", TROUBLE, TICKETS, TWO NIGHTS, TWO FRIENDS, TWO O'CLOCK SHADOW, TODD
U UNFORGETTABLE
V VANESSA, VIEWS
W WORK, WINNING DARTS,WATER
the rest was XYZ

i must note

2011-01-23T19:05:00.000-08:00

Full eyebrows are back! And of course I'm loving it! I have had no problem embracing this (in theory that is, in all practicality I actually have very sparse eyebrows that just don't know how to be full). I've been letting my eyebrows fill in as much as possible over the last 6 months, but I've got quite a ways to go before they will ever look like any of these...

B

2011-01-18T19:06:00.000-08:00

a little post secret

2011-01-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

I know I've mentioned this before but I love Post Secret. I have a few of the books and I check the website often. I don't know why I just find it very fascinating and entertaining to see and read what people write. Recently, this one was posted on the website.

I thought it was so interesting because I would imagine it's so true. I know that when a person is willing to stick by when you are at your worst, it creates an irreplacable bond. I just never would've thought about it.

a collection of my randomness

2011-01-14T20:54:00.000-08:00

1.1.11 and then some

2011-01-14T20:38:00.000-08:00

It started like a pretty typical New Years. Vanessa and I went to the sunset celebration to watch the last sunset of 2010.

We made our way to the beach for one last happy hour in the sand.

Then rang in the new year by watching Key West's own little version of the ball dropping in Time Square... a tranny in a red heel drop.

(the shoe before and then the shoe with tranny in "toe")

Here is a video of the shoe actually "dropping" (slowly lowering). I would recommend muting it.

The fun stopped there.

The next morning we (my roommates Paige, Vanessa, and I) were madly cleaning our apt. Packing, weighing and repacking our suitcases over and over again until they were finally under the weight limit. Then it was off to the aiport where we waited in line (#1) for over an hour, only to be informed that our flights were so delayed that we would miss all of our connections (that's right my original itinerary was Key West to Ft. Lauderdale, Ft Lauderale to Houston, and finally Houston to Salt Lake City arriving at 11:38pm). Our options were to stay in Key West for the night and try and fly out the next day (which the thought of made Paige cry, starting a chain reaction until the lady who informed us said "please stop, you're going to make me cry) OR spend the rest of the day in the airport and catch a flight that night to Tampa and then fly from there in the morning. Naturally, we took the latter.

So it was 6 hours in the tiny Key West aiport twiddling our thumbs and gorging ourselves on airport food using our airport vouchers (given so kindly by the airline for stranding us). Our flight boarding time comes and goes and yet we've heard nothing about our flight. As our flight time rapidly approaches some fellow passengers and my roommates go to the counter to inquire. The news? Our flight was cancelled. Thanks for informing us, btw. It was back in line (#2) at the ticket counter. Over an hour later after realizing there are absolutely no flights available on Continental (our airline) for the next 3 days, we finally get to the counter. By some miracle the ticket agent was finally given the ok to start switching passengers to another airline (maybe it's because of the many passengers we saw before us getting $700 taxi vouchers to take a car to Miami/Tampa/Ft Lauderdale/anywhere they could get on a flight out sooner). The new plan? Fly to Ft. Lauderdale immediately (and by immediately I mean it's 8:45pm and your flight leaves at 8:50pm better run to security), stay the night (or measly few hours), then catch flights out the next day on Delta.

After running to the plane. The cabin door literally closed behind us as we boarded. Immediately we took off. "Finally," I thought as we landed in Ft. Lauderdale. Boy was I wrong.

We got our bags so we could recheck them in the morning. Headed to the curb. Waited in line (#3). An hour later we boarded the hotel shuttle. After driving from hotel to hotel because they were all full of "distressed passengers" (that's what they call it when you get stuck somewhere overnight because of your airline), we finally arrive at a hotel with vacancy... and back in line (#4) for over another hour.

1:00am we finally make it to our room and to bed. 3:30 am we wake up again to catch the 4:00am shuttle to the airport. At the aiport it was yet another line (#5) to check in. Whoops! Wrong line. Back in line (#6) again. At that point I would've cried had I not been so grumpy for it being so early.

As we boarded our flight to Atlanta suddenly everything became ok... FIRST CLASS!

That's right! They sent us first class from there on out (which is very exciting for someone like myself who has never flown first class). The Atlanta airport was fabulous. The airport vouchers came in quite handy at Starbucks and again at the nicest restaurant we could find.

The best part was as we started descending into the Salt Lake area. The views were stunning!

it's like if you don't love SF as much as i do.... go away

2011-01-14T19:29:00.000-08:00

So it's obviously been way over a week, which means... I'm in San Francisco!

How does it feel to be back? I think my gchat convo with Virg explains it best...

Virginia: happy to be back?

me: so happy
totally feels like home
almost feels like i never left

Virginia: yes, i love this
love love love it
you belong here, kiera
this city is so you
i think there are those who sorta like it here,.... and then those like you and i, who love it and can't imagine being anywhere else
like it's part of who we are

me: totally agree!
100%
and i love surrounding myself with people who feel that way

Virginia: me too
it's like if you don't love SF as much as i do.... go away

love what you do

2011-01-14T18:38:00.000-08:00

"Love what you do, put your heart into it and you will be rewarded."

This quote is fairly basic but it stood out to me. I feel like so often I hear "do what you love," but I love that he said "love what you do." I feel it's so true. If you love (or learn to love) what you do and put your heart into it, what you are doing will always be more rewarding.

The chandelier was what caught my eye originally, the quote was an added bonus. It was sooo beautiful. When I stopped to take the picture the person working laughed and said "everybody loves that thing."