:: LIFE :: It's A Coffee & Donuts Kind of Life

Sorry, I'm a bad blogger...  I certainly have not been keeping up my part of the deal as author of this blog.  You see, the title implies that I actually write something here, which I have been neglecting to do as of late.  With that said and my sincerest apologies, I do have good reason for being a absent these days.

So I started my new job two weeks ago, and holy cow -- I LOVE it!  I'm not totally in love with getting up at 5:45am everyday and getting home at 7pm, but that's just temporary while I go through the training and learn the ropes.  It's small potatoes compared to the fact that I work for the most awesome company and I actually enjoy what I do.  What a concept!  And probably one of the best parts of my job is our amazing kitchen, which I sit only 15 ft. from and so I'm back and forth all day long, mostly just trying to feed myself something to keep my eyes open.  But it's got everything from drip coffee and espresso to organic yogurt and granola.  And we get free, catered lunch everyday.  On the down side, I've now become that working person who has consumed a entire cup of black coffee (after the espresso I made at home) before I'm even through my morning inbox.  And occasionally someone brings donuts in... I'm not going to lie, the prospect of a good ol' fashion donut gets my heart racing.  I always eat one, desperately hoping that if I got up the nerve to go back for a second (or...third?), no one would notice that the new girl is a bit of a fat-ass.  But I restrain myself for the simple fact that I wouldn't want to have seconds before someone else had their first.

But that has become my life now: the coffee drinkin', donut eatin', working girl.  And because I've been so busy with work I've totally let my other duties fall behind.  You obviously know I haven't been spending time on my blog, and if that wasn't bad enough, my sister's baby shower kind of fell by the way side, too -- yikes!  It was just this last weekend, and boy was it a crazy weekend!  I spent all day Thursday driving down to Newport Beach with a car full of fabric and my cat (yes, she travels with me and travels well).  By the time I got there I was exhausted from staying up until all hours of the evening the night before, so it was a relatively early night for me.  Friday was spent running errands -- mainly driving all the way to Beverly Hills to pick up these -- and getting things together.  Then it was a mad dash Saturday morning as everyone rushed to put things together, after we had kicked my sister out of her own house because I wanted everything to be a surprise.  And then the baby shower (post and pictures coming soon)...  I'm pleased to announce that it was a hit and everyone loved it, including my sister, which made me very happy.  And then Sunday I packed it all up and hit the road again... then back to work yesterday.  And I'm on the train to work again today.  So as you can see, I've been busy.

I have a feeling it's going to take some time to adjust to my new schedule and lifestyle, but I promise to do my best to keep dishing out my life stories and sharing fabulous things with you.  I'm just going to have to keep the coffee flowing and the donuts AWAY so my typing fingers can keep up with my whirling head.

:: LIFE :: Goal Tracker Update 2/9/10

Before I get to the goals at hand I just want to say, it’s official: I’m a working girl!  As I sit typing, I’m on the train to work (desperately hoping it’s the right train) and uber excited.  I know this week is going to be a HUGE shock for me – going from days on end with no place to be, to working 9 to 5, five days a week – but I am actually thrilled to be working again.  I even get a desk!   Yesterday was my first day and I had A LOT of information thrown at me, but I was less overwhelmed than I thought I would be, which is a good sign I guess.  While they knew I wasn’t that technically inclined when they hired me, I am working for a web-based company so my capacity for technical knowledge will have to go into ultra-super overdrive now.  I’ll be sure to let you know how the rest of my first week goes.  And now, back to the remaining goals…

:: move to San Francisco           

I had a wee bit of a rude awakening regarding this goal last weekend as I consulted with my mom about the future.  She reminded me that while I will be capable of moving out once the money starts rolling in, I do have some credit cards that need to be paid off and she suggested that I get those down before I do any relocating… L.   Still, it won’t be too long before I move, but I think the more likely move-out date will be closer to April 1^st rather than March.  I suppose I can deal.  I mean, it is my fault I have the credit cards to pay off anyway.  But true to form, I still look at apartments online just about everyday – it’s motivational ;).

:: read more books

I’m getting close – so close to finishing Eat, Pray, Love and it’s so good!  I kept telling my mom that she had to read it, so yesterday we stopped at the bookstore and bought a copy for her and my sister, at my urging.  And for someone who hasn’t been much of a reader in the past, I walked out of that bookstore with some new material of my own; four new books, to be exact.  As I’ve explained before, I have a bit of a shopping problem, and books are no exception.  But I am really excited about my future reads, one of which being Committed, Elizabeth Gilbert’s follow-up to Eat, Pray, Love.  I’ll be adding the rest of my new books to my GoodReads page today.

:: learn to meditate

So one of the many things that Eat, Pray, Love has inspired me to do is meditate.  I’ve always been curious about it and have wanted to do it, but this book really made me want to make that a priority, so I’ve added it to the goal list.  I’m going to have to do a little research figure out which style would suit me, in addition to where I can learn more about the ancient practice and how to do it.  While I'm at it I would also love to get back to my beloved Bikram yoga.  Should be a fulfilling quest…

:: lose 15 lbs.

So yeahhh…  This goal, not surprisingly, is by far the most frustrating.  I’ve been working out more than I ever have in my life and I can’t seem to lose any weight.  And the lack of weight loss is definitely not due to muscle gain because those fleshy little love handles haven’t even gone away, and those are usually the first sign that I’m making progress.  I’m not sure I understand this evil resistance to calorie burning that my body is experiencing, but I will get to the bottom of this!

:: relearn French

I’m beginning to doubt my inclusion of this on my list of goals because I’m not making any progress as of yet.  Unlike the previous goal, I haven’t even tried, mainly because between the working out, the reading, the baby shower and my new job I’m not sure when I have the time to review my old college textbooks on the subject.  On the bright side, now that I have this bonus time on the train every morning and night, I think I’ll come up with a schedule for how to utilize it: i.e., Mondays – blogging, Tuesdays – reading, Wednesdays – French, and so on and so forth.  By George, I think that just might work!

So you see I’m creating quite the busy life for myself these days, which is actually something I’m cool with because there’s just so much I want to do and it’s about time I hopped to it.  I don’t want to feel like I’ve wasted time in this life—well, more time.  I’m a recovering procrastinator and this goal tracker is like my AA or something – you know, like steps to take to help me break the habit.  I have no doubt keeping a full-time job will make this all a little harder, but you can’t really call it “achievement” if you didn’t have to work to get for it, right?

:: LIFE :: Enjoy The Weekend

This is it folks: my last weekend as an unemployed woman!  And you better believe I'm going to enjoy it :).  I hope y'all have as good of a weekend planned as I have for myself.  Tonight I'm off to the boyfriend's new place for their housewarming.  I'll be making the boys some Boozy Baked French Toast (courtesy of smitten kitchen) in the morning, then I'll be off to get a massage -- desperately needed!  But first I'll leave you with these bits of goodness...

8tracks
Some clever genius out there created this site for people to create a playlist, compiled any way you see fit, give it a name and cover art, and then share it with others.  I was introduced to this site via Urban Daddy today and now I'm hooked.  Great, one more thing to eat up my time...  But seriously, have a go.  I did and I'm currently listening to this little gem by 8tracks member Chelsealee:

I love her selection of both old and new tracks.  I rarely listen to anything created after 1984, mainly because I just don't get it.  I'm an old soul and I like my music old, too.  But Miss Chelsealee introduced me to a few newer tracks that I actually enjoyed.  So kudos to you, Chelsealee!

Modern Radar
Because I'll be starting a big-girl job on Monday, I decided to update a few things to make me feel more like an adult and more put together.  I bought a bag from this ultra cool site for my sister for Christmas and was so enamored with the designs that I got one for myself as well.  My makeup bag seriously needed to be replaced so I updated it from this tired-looking LeSportsac one:

to this awesomely cute one:

{Clouds Pouch via Modern Radar}

And last but not least, I leave you with this ultra cool lady to inspire your fashion this weekend...

{via Faux.}

Have a good weekend!

:: EVENTS :: Baby Shower Sneak Peak

I love a good party.  Especially when I get to throw it!  As I mentioned before, my sister's first child is due early April and I am terribly excited.  I'm also excited to throw her the most amazing baby shower ever!  And I'm lucky enough to have this hot mama to work with on this very special event, along with a couple other very talented women in the family.  The details are very *hush hush* because the only thing better than an awesome party is surprising someone with it.  However, now the that invitations are out and we gave my sister a sneak peak I figure I could do the same for you.  So here is a teaser of the most awesome baby shower to come...

{invitation via Tiny Prints}

Everyone involved is very crafty so a majority of the party will be DIY and based on the prep we've done so far I know that everything is just going to look amazing!  There will be plenty of pictures to share after the party, so stay tuned!

:: WEDDINGS :: Vintage Love

As you may well know by now, I read a lot of blogs.  I actually cut the new posts on my Google Reader in half today - success!  But one of my favorite types of blogs to read are the wedding blogs.  I'm an event planner at heart so I'm always impressed with all the little details that go into some of the amazing weddings that I read about.  Not to mention the fact that weddings combine all of my most favorite things: fashion, food, decor, design, and music.  I guess most types of events do that, but with weddings you get to  take all those things to the limit, within tasteful reason, of course.  But I seriously read so many wedding blogs that when I decided to start my blog and share my favorites with you, I couldn't decide which ones to go with...  Eureka!  Today I discovered a wedding on La Belle Bride that I immediately knew I had to share.  This is quite possibly my favorite wedding...

New Yorkers, Hannah & Brady, tied the knot in Chicago but didn't forget to bring their hometown style with them.  They wanted their wedding to imbue a sense of classic Americana, circa 1940.  And so with simple, hand-made touches and vintage details, an amazing wedding was created.  And kudos to the couple for using local goods and services as well as eco-friendly vendors.  I mean really, could they be any cooler?

I think I've even developed a bit of a girl-crush on this bride.  Her style is impeccable -- the dress, the hair, the veil -- impeccable!  And it's clear she is having the time of her life, as she should.  I can only hope to look this stunning on my wedding day.

The party began before the ceremony at a local pub.  What a fun idea!  It takes all the pressure off of the "big day" and makes it more like just a super fun party, but still a fabulous one.  And yet the day is not robbed of that very special moment when the groom sees the bride for the first time in all her splendor.  How great is that look on Brady's face as he greets Hannah at the pub (above)?

Um hello, fabulous.  First off, I'm loving full-length glimpse at the back of her dress.  And the groom's suit is so simply classic -- spot on!  Second, I'm not a fan of fur (for ethical reasons) but I'm going to pretend that her wrap is vintage and, thus, not a newly created fur product (and it may very well be, but I don't know for sure).  You can't blame her for recycling a perfectly good, incredibly stylish, vintage wrap.  And she pulls is off flawlessly.

I love this wedding so much I would blog about it everyday if I could.  ... Maybe that's pushing it.  But this wedding is so vintage chic and it just screams fabulous.  

This last picture says it all.

{All photos by Jeremy Lawson via La Belle Bride}

:: HOME :: Wishful Thinking

Because I am who I am and have already started scouting possible apartments in the city even though the projected moving date is at least a good month away, the wheels in my head have started turning, too, with design ideas and wish lists for my future apartment.  Here are just a couple of bits of inspiration that I'm keeping in mind for when that joyous day actually does come...

{via coco + kelly}

{Kishani Perera via coco + kelley}

{Shine Home via coco + kelley}

{Skona Hem via decor8}

{via design*sponge}

{Emily Henson via design*sponge}

I find these living rooms/sitting areas to be utterly fantastic.  I love color, but I love the brightness and airiness of white, too.  I also love grey in all shades!  If I could make the main room of my future apartment look half as beautiful as any of these bold and peaceful rooms, I would be content.

{Emily Henson via design*sponge}

{Polly Wreford via desire to inspire}

I selected these simple and fun dining areas keeping in mind that my first San Francisco apartment isn't likely to have much space for dining.  Both of these examples would be happily at home in an eat-in kitchen or, at the very least, a small alcove near the kitchen should an actual dining room be lacking.

{Kishani Perera via coco + kelley}

{Stella Nicolaisen via desire to inspire}

{Emily Henderson via desire to inspire}

{Canadian House & Home via A Great Full Day}

Along with grey, I also love green, and the first bedroom is amazing!  The deep, dark green makes this bedroom look very sultry and comforting -- heavy like a big down comforter.  I find the neutrals in the second bedroom give the same feeling of comfort without the divineness of the green room.  It's rustic and lived in.  And the last two bedrooms are just so happy and, dare I say it, girlie.  I'm not one to go overboard on the "girlish" decor... actually I tend to stay away from it when possible.  But something about these two bedrooms would make me feel very in tune with my femininity, in a European "I love being a girl" kind of way.

{via desire to inspire}

Last, but definitely not least, this example of open clothes storage from desire to inspire is what I have always longed for.  It's like the clothes have their very own home and you get to invite yourself over to play dress up with them.  It would be a dream to have an extra space -- be it an alcove or a tiny room -- to house my wardrobe and be able to see my fabulous friends together all at once.  I think seeing all the facets of one's wardrobe at once is key to inspiring great outfits.  My only question about this picture is... where are the rest of the clothes??

And while checking out my favorite blogs for inspiration, I came across this ingenious project from design*sponge.  It's a handy, dandy, DIY Take-Out Menu binder to store and organize all those pesky menus that you inevitably collect over the years whether you actually use them or not.  I happen to love to eat out just as much as I love to cook -- sometimes things do just taste better when someone else makes them.  I'm also a little OCD and if I can alphabetize something, you better believe I'll do it.  So seeing that I'll be moving to what I consider the best food city in the country, and will have at least a dozen eateries within walking distance of my future apartment, I thought this would be a great project for me to do and share with you!

{via design*sponge}

And of course, I'll also be rifling through my sister's blog, Today and Yesterday, for more ideas and great tips!  Not only does she have fabulous inspiration but great design resources, too.  Can't wait to get crackin'!

:: GOAL TRACKER :: Update 2/2/10

:: get a job!
In case you missed the announcement last week, I have a job!  I will be working for a cool tech company in Palo Alto starting next Monday.  So this week is officially my last week of unapologetic freedom.  I'm going to try and enjoy myself as much as I can, but I also have baby shower duties to tend to for my sister's shower, as it is coming up faster than I even realized.  Let the cutting and gluing resume!

:: get a job! - DONE and DONE!

:: move to San Francisco
Anyone who knows me (and you don't even need to know me well) knows that as soon as I got the call that confirmed my new employment, I was online looking at apartments in the city.  Actually, I've been looking at apartments since about the time I realized that I was less Orange County, where I lived for 4 years, and was more Bay Area, where I grew up.  Specifically, I was more San Francisco.  I think it's my ridiculously romantic, head-in-the-clouds ideals, but I've been craving city life for a long while now.  I just imagine myself in my 1920s, Victorian-style apartment with hardwood floors, decorated with panache, drinking tea from the kettle while snacking on a fresh baked croissant, reading the paper (which I don't even do now) and looking out at the tops of the Golden Gate Bridge reaching through the foggy ring around the city as the sun lightly taps each peak as if summoning them awake from the previous night's chilly slumber.  I want to be able to walk to a farmer's market every weekend and bring home fresh flowers to sit on my antique kitchen table.  I want to have my double-hung windows constantly open with the freshest California air filling my home and letting my French music filter out to the streets as a fellow Francophile walks by and is immediately lifted in spirits by the mysterious melody that seems to have come from the sky... *sigh*


:: read more books
Still actively working on this.  I am getting so close to finishing Eat, Pray, Love and it's definitely keeping me inspired and motivated, which is something I can definitely use at this time of serious transition.


:: relearn French
Eh...  I still haven't quite applied myself with regards to this goal.  But at the very least I do listen intensely when Conor's French roommates speak to one another.  They always say immersion is the best way to learn a language, right?


:: lose 15 pounds
I don't want to talk about it...  No, I want to report my progress to you but it's hard when you spend a weekend in Tahoe eating Creme Brûlèe Cheesecake and sipping warm, chocolaty coffee drinks.  I did get back to my routine today, though, starting with a 6:30 am wake-up call to walk with my mom and then my usual 2 mile run on the treadmill.  Between my interviews, being completely out of FRS and preparing for Tahoe last week, my routine took a dive...  actually, it just up and keeled over.  But I revived it, and my new supply of FRS just arrived, so I have high hopes for positive progress reports in the near future.

:: LIFE :: A Heavenly Weekend Gone By

I'm back from my trip to Heavenly, Lake Tahoe and I'm finally warm again!  It was such a quick trip that we didn't bother with renting gear and taking lessons for skiing or boarding, but we definitely got our fill of Heavenly.  The snow was beautiful and I even saw some fresh snow fall a couple times.  It was minimal, but it fit right in with my romantic notions about snowy vacations.  We checked out the casinos, walked around town, dined on yummy food, took a"Sight Seeing" gondola ride and even had the quintessential snowball fight, which of course Conor started.  It was a fabulous trip and I have my boyfriend to thank for such a nice and relaxing weekend to kick off my last week as a lady of leisure.  I'm hoping to make it back soon and actually strap on a snowboard, but until then I'll just remember the beautiful sights and good times...

{snowball to the purse}