Newlyweds Next Door

LBC Party, Sour Beer, and Other Adventures

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

On Friday night the Mr. and I threw a final party at our condo. The theme was "The Long Beach Experience" and it was so much fun!

We saw a lot of friends we hadn't seen in a while and I think people enjoyed our creative "Long Beach" theme.

As part of the party the Mr. wanted to do a Tequila Tasting, which was actually a huge hit! We sampled 7 different kinds of tequila (the Don Julio Anejo was my favorite). We even had scoresheets that I made up on the computer. Here's all the tequila in our freezer before the party started...

PS - We have A LOT of tequila left so if you ever want to drop by for a margarita let me know.

We also did a "Long Beach Visual Trivia" competition. I printed out pictures of 10 Long Beach landmarks/items and people had to guess what they were to win a small prize (Starbucks card).

This one was easy. It's the Queen Mary!

Visual trivia is a lot fun and the best part is that people can't look up the answers on their phones very easily.

Continuing with the Long Beach theme we also had handcrafted “Long Beach Longshoremen Burgers" and regional “Hipster” microbrew beer (I forgot to take pictures during the party because I was having too much fun).

Speaking of beer, I recently tasted "Sour Beer" for the first time and loved it! So I hunted some down at BevMo and had a couple of bottles of this Sour Beer for the party. Yum!

Have you ever tried Sour Beer? I guess it's an up-and-coming trend. The Week magazine (which I actually read every week) even did a little special on it last month.

A couple of weekends ago we drove down to Oceanside to have lunch with my parents. On the Oceanside Pier there were several of giant pelicans that clearly had no fear of people. Here is my Mom and a pelican that's almost her size!

Speaking of beasts... I often try to take pictures of our cat, Judah, but he rarely looks at the camera. A couple of days ago I caught him basking in the morning sun and snapped this pic with my phone. Consider your soul stolen, cat!

When I became a follower of Jesus almost seven years ago I bought an NIV Study Bible. If I have my way it will be my bible for the rest of my life. But recently the cover started to really peal and fall apart, so I covered it with some words and pictures I cut out from magazines and then "laminated" it with clear tape. I think it looks pretty nifty and it's not falling apart anymore. Crafting win!

And finally, because it's random/funny, here's a picture of a co-worker and I with "mustaches" at recent work party. Hers is actually a fu manchu, but you get the point, we're ridiculous. I'm so lucky that I work with such fun and funny people.

2011 and 2012 Books

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

2011 was my best year for reading yet. I read 18 books!

Here is what I read...

Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
My rating: 5 stars out of 5
My full review here

The Help by Katheryn Stockett
My rating: 5 stars out of 5
My full review here

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
My rating: 3 stars out of 5
My full review here

The Pact by Jodi Picoult
2 stars out of 5
My full review here

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home by Rhonda Janzen
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
My full review here

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
My full review here

Something Blue by Emily Giffin
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
My full review here

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
My full review here

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger
My rating: 2 out of 5 stars
My full review here

Sacred Marriage by Gary L. Thomas
My rating: 2 out of 5 stars
My full review here

The Secret Gift by Tedd Gup
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
My full review here

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
My full review here

The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Laura Schlessinger
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
My full review here

Faithful Place by Tana French
My rating: 2 out of 5 stars
I just couldn't get into this book for some reason. The plot didn't interest me and the "Irish" was hard to understand.

Who Moved my Cheese By Spencer Johnson
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
More of leaflet than a book. Easy little allegory to read.

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin
My rating: 3 out of 5 stars
A good read but didn't like it as much as Something Borrowed and Something Blue. I did like seeing some of the same characters from those books though!

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
My rating: 1 out of 5 stars
Even though I loved Freedom I didn't like this book. It had no plot and the characters bugged me. I quit about 1/3 of the way though.

The Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Great book! Interesting characters and crazy plot twists.

-------------------

In 2012 I plan to read these 12 books plus a few others for my book club that have not been decided yet.

January - One Day by David Nicholls

February - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

March - The Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin

April - Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

May - First Break all the Rules by Marcus Buckingham

June - On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah

July - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

August - The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver

September - Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs

October - The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff

November - The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by Ree Drummond

December - Wishing and Hoping by Wally Lamb

What was your favorite book in 2011? Have you read any of my 2012 books? What are you reading in 2012?

From a year of no change to a year of certain change

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

On New Year’s Day I commented to the Mr. that I felt like 2011 was a year of no change.

That was odd because if you had asked in late 2010 about what I thought 2011 would be like I would have said it was going to be a year of massive change. But it was not.

Instead we lived in the same condo, with the same jobs, with the same friends, cat, church, routines, etc. A lot of our vacations were even repeats of vacations of the past (Arizona, Oregon, Missouri). Even my job project change in July turned out to be not much of a change at all. My new project/client was so similar in terms of the people, company, and project objectives that sometimes it felt like I never left my old one (except for the insane workload I carried). In fact 2011 was one of the least change-filled years of my life. It wasn’t a bad year, but looking back on the year I felt like I couldn’t point to anything defining about it, like it was just kind of a “stuck” year.

Well I feel like God heard my comment and said, “You want change, eh? I’ll give you change!”

Earlier this week we found out that we are going to be moving.

This is something we’ve been planning for a while, but the pieces are finally coming together to make that move happen SOON. It will likely be a multi-phase move, which involves getting to pack up multiple times this year (lucky us!). I promise I’ll share more details on the whole thing later when we know more.

This move is sure to be a catalyst for a lot of change in our lives – it opens the door all kinds of personal and professional opportunities (for the record, neither of have any plans to leave our companies at this point but there may be some internal role/project changes for one or both of us). One of my biggest regrets was buying that dumb condo at the ripe old age of 24. For the the first time in along time we’re no long tied to a property or a city, and the possibilities for us are really endless.

There are so many unknowns this point, and this type-A girl is doing her best to roll with it and have fun. Enjoy the adventure, enjoy the ride. That’s what your 20s are supposed to be all about, right?

Caribbean Cruise Part 4: On the Boat (and final thoughts on crusing)

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-08:00

On our cruise we had three full days at sea, and all of our nights were at sea except our Puerto Rico night.

During the days we spent our time working out, sunning, reading, swimming, playing games, and eating, eating, and more eating.

We also got massages one day and attended a few of the "Celebrity Life" events (cooking show, Bermuda Triangle lecture, etc.) The massage was good but WAY overpriced and the Celebrity Life events were generally mediocre at best.

We did enjoy some of the evening events like the Cirque show and the Christmas show.

I most enjoyed just relaxing during the days at sea. We had a lot of quality time as a family playing Upwords and Hearts together. We had a balcony room and I really liked sitting out the balcony reading and looking at the sea.

(obligatory shot of the daily "towel art" in the room).

I really enjoyed our nightly dinners at the special "Aqua Class" restaurant, Blu.

The food in Blu is supposed to be a little more healthy and gourmet than the regular dining room. I liked the food in Blu a lot, but I thought overall it was A-/B+ food (but that was way better than the buffet lunch food). I think it's really hard to have good food that appeals the masses and can be made in mass quantities, ya know? Maybe I'm a little bit of a food snob. :)

Blu was a gorgeous restaurant with great service. Loved this chandelier.

My parents and us brought a bunch of our favorite wines onto the ship and payed the corkage fees at Blu to drink them with dinner. We had some killer wines (Hope & Grace, Opus, Cakebread, Tantara, Beckman, and an Italian Brunello). Here we are with a bottle of one of our favorite wines, Beckman Estate Syrah.

Note: Email me if you want my cruise booze smuggling tips. :)

It's no secret that I love dressing up, so I really enjoyed the formal nights.

My Mom does too, because she bought The Mr. and my Dad matching tuxedo vests for the first formal night. So fun!

My little family on the second formal night.

The ship was decked out for Christmas. Loved all these lights!

And this gingerbread house was huge and amazing!

Actually the Celebrity Eclipse was a beautiful ship in general. It's brand new and state of the art. It has lots of cool art and great decor in the social spaces. I loved this giant turquoise flower.

Overall I liked cruising a lot, but not sure if I'd do it again soon. I think I'd rather just stay at beautiful resort on an island (like St. Kitt's for example). Here are my pros and cons of our cruise trip...

Pros: Easy vacation for a group with different interests, great way to see multiple places in a short amount of time, effortless traveling, limited planning needed for meals/activities, gorgeous ship, good excuse to dress up every night, more fun than a standard resort hotel, cool amenities like free room service and unlimited ice cream all the time.

Cons: Feels a little like mass-produced "luxury", food is often quantity over quality, night life was pretty much non-existent, on-board activities were hit-or-miss, felt constrained by ship's schedule so sometimes time in port sometimes felt rushed, and Celebrity was constantly trying to "upsell" you on beverage packages, extra events on board, specialty dining, future cruises, etc.

Have you cruised before? Do you agree with my pros and cons?

Caribbean Cruise Part 3: St. Kitt's

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-08:00

In St. Kitt's we started the day off early with a rainforest zipline adventure.

This was another cruise-affiliated excursion and we loved it.

The adventure started with a terrifying jeep ride up the hills into the rainforest. I literally thought the "jeep" was going to tip over and/or I was going to fall out of the back. Look how thrilled I look.

But I survived and the ziplining was great!

The Mr. clearly had no fear as he held on with only one hand.

The views from the ziplines were so pretty and the zipline was just the right amount of thrilling. The only scary part of ziplining is the "end" of each line. Look at me all balled up in the "breaking" position. Ha!

The views were great! Beautiful forest with the ocean in the distance.

I was glad that I got my parents to do it with us. Here they are racing on the zipline. Go Mom!

After the final zipline a little boy brought his baby monkey over to us! I guess there are monkeys all over St. Kitt's but they are not native to the island.

So stinkin' cute!

After ziplining we took a taxi over to Frigate Bay to spend the afternoon on the beach (Frigate bay is near the St. Kitt's Marriott).

There was an adorable beach bar with cheap cheap Caribbean beers that we thoroughly enjoyed.

And there was a man selling fresh coconuts on the beach. We bought one from him and he sliced it open with a machete for us. Now that's some fresh coconut water!

I loved St. Kitt's so much. The rainforest and the beach were both so beautiful and the island didn't feel that crowded or touristy. I'd definitely love to go back someday.

Tomorrow, I'll conclude the cruise recaps with our days at sea!

Caribbean Cruise Part 2: St. Maarten and Newlywed Game

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

St. Maarten was our second port. For St. Maarten we booked a "Kayak and Snorkel Adventure" through the cruise ship, that was great!

We didn't take any pictures on that excursion because we didn't want to get my camera wet, but we had a lot of fun. We kayaked all around a big bay and then up to beach where we then jumped in the water to snorkel. We saw a ton of beautiful fish out there

After our excursion we walked around St. Maarten (Dutch side of the island). There's a great little area by the beach with cheap beers where you can walk around drinking and shopping. That's definitely the Mr's kind of shopping!

There were some fun reggae bands playing too.

I really liked St. Maarten and thought our time there was too short. I would love to go back see the French side some day.

The night after St. Maarten we showered up and had a nice dinner on the ship.

After dinner we went to see (and try to get on) the "Newlywed/Not So Newlywed Game Show" that was happening on board the ship.

We we didn't get picked but my parents did! They were the "old married couple" (married 38 years!)

It was HILARIOUS! For them and for me!

I was shocked how well they knew each other and at some of their answers more racy answers! My Dad even knew my Mom's bra size. Very impressive, Dad!

They didn't win. They couple who'd been married 2 years won. But they got a nice tote bag and a lot of laughs as their consultation prize.

When we got back to our room that night the little monkey we'd bough in St. Maarten was tucked into bed by the turn down service. So cute!

Tomorrow, St. Kitt's!

Caribbean Cruise Part 1: Puerto Rico

2012-01-02T08:00:00.000-08:00

Our first cruise destination was Puerto Rico (I'll recap our days at sea at the end).

This was view from our stateroom as we sailed into Puerto Rico. Pretty!

Old San Juan and The Fort from the ship as we waited to disembark.

We got off our ship and took a ferry over to the part of Puerto Rico where the Bacardi Factory is. This was the view of our ship, The Celebrity Eclipse, from the ferry area.

Then from the ferry it's a short cab ride to the Bacardi Factory. It was really easy to get there so if you ever take a cruise to Puerto Rico, don't pay for an excursion to Bacardi, just go on your own.

The first stop on the tour is a pavilion where you get taste several Bacardi rums. I tasted Bacardi 8 straight and Bacardi Apple with Pineapple juice. Yum!

My parent enjoyed their samples too.

Then you take a little tram for the main tour.

The first stop is a room with the original Bacardi bat. There they told us all about the history of Bacardi, Cuba, rum, etc.

Look, a Bacardi Christmas tree!

Then the tour goes on to some barrel rooms and rooms with artifacts where you can't take pictures, but here's a picture right before that part.

The tour ends with a mixologist who tells you how to make the perfect Bacardi Mojito and other libations.

Then you can go the gift shop and buy rum and anything you can imagine with that Bacardi bat on it. We bought some of the limited reserve rum that (for now) is only available at the Bacardi factory. Sweet!

After the Bacardi tour we explored old San Juan.

The Christmas decoration were fantastic!

Then we had food/drinks at Barrachina in San Juan where apparently the Pina Colada was in invented!

Super cute pace and yummy drinks!

Overall I liked San Juan a lot. It was fun, clean and had some really cute streets (the architecture reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean). The Bacardi tour was something cool to do if you're there but it's not "must see" unless you really like rum. All and all, San Juan was probably my least favorite destination of the three islands we went to. I guess I was hoping it would be more tropical and less of an urban city. But it was fun place to spend time in and see nevertheless.

Tomorrow, St. Maarten!

Christmas in Miami

2011-12-30T16:08:00.000-08:00

We are back from our Caribbean cruise! I'll be posting full recaps of all of our destinations next week.

For now, I'll start at the end of the trip, with Christmas in Miami...

We spent both Christmas day and Christmas eve on South Beach. It was so relaxing, but honestly I kept forgetting it was Christmas. So odd.

We ate Christmas eve dinner at an amazing restaurant in South Beach called "The Dining Room." This place is foodie food for foodies. If you're ever in Miami, go there!

Despite it being the least "Christmasy" Christmas ever, we did find a place in the lobby of our hotel to take our obligatory "by the Christmas tree" photo that we do every Christmas eve.

I realized that this is our 6th Christmas that we've spent together, so I put together a little "look back" at our Christmas eve tree photos. Enjoy!

(2006: dating, 2007: engaged, 2008-present: married)

Hope you all had great Christmases!

I'm on a Boat!

2011-12-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

By the time you see this we'll be sailing across the Caribbean, probably singing this song at least a few times.

Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas!

Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree

2011-12-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to our 2011 Christmas Decoration Tour!

When you arrive at our condo you'll see our front door wreath...

This is our entryway tree. The theme is "beach" and I just love it!

Here is a closer look at some of my favorite ornaments from our beach tree. Some of these I made and some I bought.

In our living room are our window lights and our main tree.

The main tree doesn't have a theme. It's just an assortment of Christmas ornaments -- some that are old and some that are new.

I love our mish-mash tree. This year I'm going to buy a better topper and some new red and green balls an after-Christmas sale to complete it and make it a little more bright.

Here's a close up a few of my favorite ornaments.

A bunch of these ornaments are from my childhood. Some of them were made by grandma when I was little. Some are more recent. The Starbucks cup is from when I used to work in Seattle. The green tree has a picture of us from our first wedding anniversary. And The Rockettes girls are from my trip to NYC.

Around Christmas I leave up a small festive table scape on our dining room table.

I also exchange a bunch of the items on our living room shelves for Christmas items.

Well, that's all for the tour! Hope you enjoyed it.

We wish you a ...

December Life Tips and Tricks

2011-12-08T11:00:00.000-08:00

I feel like December is always such a crazy busy month for everyone. Shopping, decorating, parties, and more! But I have a few tips and tricks to make the month of December a little bit easier.

1) Clothing

Every December turn the hangers around "backwards" in your closet like this...

Then as you wear the clothes put the hangers back "the right way." If you get to the next December and there are still hangers "backwards", remove those clothes and give them to Goodwill before January first to get one final tax write-off and make room for the new clothes you get for Christmas.

(Don't you love the mismatched hangers in my closet?)

2) Shoes

With the holidays usually comes a slew of holiday parties - work parties, church parties, friend parties, etc. And if you're a girl, you'll be in heals for most of those parties.

To find a pair of heals that don't kill your feet, shoe shop at DSW.

Why DSW? At DSW you can try on any shoe in any size without the help of a sales person. And then you can walk around the store in the shoes you try on. I always put on the shoes I want (with socks or footie stockings) and then walk around the store while I shop for more shoes. I figure if I can wear shoes while walking around a store for 15-20 minutes and they still feel good, I can wear them to a party or night out.

3) Weight Management

I always gain weight around the holidays. But this year the Mr. and I are tracking our calories on the "My Fitness Pal" app (available on iPhone and Droid for free!) and we've actually lost weight this month!

The interface is super easy to use. It has the calories thousands of food items stored in the app and you can create your own favorites too. And there's a social aspect to it as well so your friend/friends can keep you honest.

We've also kicked up our number of workouts per week because My Fitness Pal calculates your workouts and gives you more calories for the days you work out. We need those extra calories for cookies and wine!

4) Shopping

I don't do Black Friday shopping but I do do "Day after Christmas" Shopping. There are some GREAT deals on clothes but also on holiday decorations for next year.

My favorite place to "Day after Christmas" shop is Crate & Barrel. I always stock up on holiday candles and decorations for next year for SUPER cheap. Then when I open my Christmas boxes next year I already have new stuff!

I think Crate & Barrel opens at 9:00 AM the day after Christmas. Get there early to get the best stuff. It runs out by later in the day.

What tips and tricks do you use to make your December easier?

This post will make you want to move to Southern California

2011-12-07T09:08:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we went down the St. Regis in Dana Point (South Orange County) for another "staycation". We had two free nights that I earned from a Starwood promotion that were expiring in mid-December.

Here is the view from the resort!

And this was the view from our room.

We spent some time in the pool and spa...

And took some long walks on the empty beaches...

The weather was great. Clear and warm during the day and clear and chilly at night. We watched sunset from our room.

We also really enjoyed seeing how decked-out the St. Regis gets for Christmas...

We loved the "California Snowmen"

There was also an amazing sand sculpture in the lobby.

The lights all around the property were stunning.

I thought this inverted Christmas tree was pretty cool!

And this tree was HUGE.

Overall we had a great time at this beautiful resort. The one negative about the resort is that it's really isolated. There is literally NOTHING to do around it. So if you ever go, be sure to pack some good books to read!

Have you seen any fun Christmas decorations this year?

Our 2011 Christmas Cards!

2011-12-05T06:30:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to present to you ...

Our 2011 Christmas Cards...

Thank you for all of your input when I asked about which card to pick. A lot of you suggested combing the design of one with the images from the other so that's what we did!

And I really like how it turned out!

The pictures are from: Salt Lake City ski trip in February, my Hollywood company party in June, a USC Alumni brunch in July, and my Brother-in-Law's wedding March.

I've got Christmas Card assembly down to a science. Look at the Mr. working away!

I'm glad we got them out early this year. One thing out of the way!

Are you doing Christmas Cards this year? Have you gotten them out yet?

I'm linking with with Faith and the Christmas Card Carousel.

Visit Faith's blog to see lots more Christmas cards!

Christmas Time in NYC one year ago (Flashback Friday)

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-08:00

Happy December everyone! To help get in the holiday spirit I thought I'd do a little "flashback Friday" post about one a year ago when I spent 3 wonderful days in New York City with my Mom in early December. I never blogged about this trip because I was on a little blogging break.

We arrived Thursday night and went straight down to Rockefeller Plaza to see the Christmas tree. So pretty!

Then went to dinner at the Stardust Diner (sadly no pictures but it was so fun) and we then back to our hotel, the Sheraton Times Square, to rest up for the next couple of days.

Friday we got up early and went down to NBC studios

We both LOVE the Today Show so we hung out on the Today Show Plaza for a while and caught some glimpses of Ann Curry and Al Rocker!

Here's the world's blurriest picture of Ann Curry (she's in the long black coat).

Then we went around exploring New York at Christmas time. We popped into the lobbies of a tons of hotels and office buildings to see their amazing decorations.

This Hilton lobby had Christmas trees with ornaments made entirely of Chocolate!

Close-up

It's amazing how decked-out for Christmas NYC gets!

We also went to Magnolia Bakery that day... twice. Holy amazing cupcakes.

Friday nights we went to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.

Such a great show! Seriously it's a "must-do" if you're ever in NYC around Christmas.

Saturday was our shopping day! We shopped all over town including the famous Macy's.

The we went to Christmas party at friend's Tribecca loft and finally to a Broadway show called "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson." It isn't playing anymore, but it was great play. Very funny and avant-garde.

Here I am in the red red theater at Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.

On Sunday we had great weather so we took a long walk across Central Park.

Central Park was so pretty on this crisp early-winter day.

The famous boathouse.

We ended the trip on a somber note and took a trip down to the World Trade Center site.

We went inside the Winter Garden to view the progress on the World Trade Center Memorial.

As you know, the memorial is complete now, but here's what we could see in December 2010.

I had never been to New York around Christmas time, so it was so fun see all the holiday chaos /fun and do my holiday shopping. I'd love to do it again some year!

Where is your favorite place to visit around Christmas time?

Crusing the Caribbean for Christmas!

2011-11-30T06:30:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I hinted that we have BIG Christmas plans...

Because we're going on a 7 day Caribbean Cruise!

Last year I had a pretty crappy Christmas, so this year I wanted to do something different and fun! So I convinced the Mr. and my parents to forgo Christmas presents this year and instead do a week long cruise together as our presents to each other.

We'll be on the Celebrity Eclipse ship...

Staying in "Aqua Class"...

And visiting the islands of Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, and St. Kitt's!

Here's what we're thinking about doing in each place:
- Puerto Rico: Bacardi Tour
- St. Maarten: Kayaking and Snorkel Adventure in the morning, shopping in the afternoon
- St. Kitt's: Rainforest ziplines in the morning, beach in the afternoon

But if you have been to any of these destinations and have tips on things to do or see, let me know! I'd love some advice.

Thanksgiving in Oregon Recap

2011-11-29T13:30:00.000-08:00

Hope that you all had wonderful Thanksgivings! As usual we went to Oregon to spend 3 days with the Mr's family.

Thanksgiving itself was pretty low key. As usual, the Mr. and I were in charge of the mashed potatoes.

I ate so so much! We had all the traditional fare -- turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, green been casserole, sweet potato casserole, and lots of pies!

The day after thanksgiving we went to Mike's U-Cut Christmas Tree farm and cut down trees for my in-laws and brother in-law's homes.

The Mr's family has gone to this Christmas tree farm for the last 15 years, because it's seriously a great deal. You pick your own tree and cut it down for just $10. But I guess pine trees are pretty easy to come by in Oregon. Ha!

As usual the Mr. and his brothers were up to all kinds of mischief at the Christmas tree farm. I love this picture of him laughing.

Speaking of pictures I like, I took this at the Christmas tree farm and liked it so much that it's my new computer desktop background until Christmas. I thought it was festive for December.

Saturday we flew back to LA and watched USC beat UCLA 50-0. Take that bRuins!

(source)

Sunday we decorated our house for Christmas and did Christmas cards! More to come on that.

Thanksgiving was fun but Christmas this year is going to be seriously amazing! More to come on that too!

Work work work. And a some play too...

2011-11-22T10:15:00.000-08:00

Remember back in July when I said I was starting a new project at Large Consulting Firm. Well I did. And while it’s been so great and rewarding, this project has been crazy! Like working 12+ hours a day and weekends crazy. We’re now entering phase two of the project and I am getting a little bit of my life back. Woo-hoo!

Because I’m at work so much I decided to make it a little more enjoyable with some fashionable new work clothes.

I picked up two skirts from Classiques Entier at Nordstom.

This one is still online here

BTW- Classiques is pretty much my new favorite brand a of work clothes. How did it take me so long to discover that I love this brand?

I also got some Classiques blouses and some blouses/sweaters from Banana Republic and Express. Having some fun new wardrobe pieces has definitely made work a little more enjoyable!

But, it hasn’t been all work either...

The Mr. and I went to Vegas last month. We stayed at TheHotel at Mandalay, partied at Aria's Haze, and saw the Beatles Love show. So fun!

We went to an October Fest in Huntington Beach with a bunch of friends

We've been to a bunch of fun USC Games and Game Watch parties. Did anyone catch that USC win vs. Oregon?! Amazing!

And most recently, last weekend, we went to vintage/1920s-themed wedding where guests were encourage to dress in clothing of the 1920s. The wedding was in the hills outside of Carmel, CA. SO pretty!

And, tomorrow I'm off to Oregon for Thanksgiving.

So tell me, how do you maintain a work/life balance? Are you good at maintaining that balance?

Help me pick my 2011 Christmas Cards!

2011-11-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that one of my favorite things about the holidays are Christmas Cards! I just love getting real mail every day in December.

Shutterfly* has been my "go-to" place for Christmas cards for the last three years. They have so many great designs and their cards are really affordable.

Shutterfly has a huge selection of Holiday greeting cards , Christmas cards, Holiday party invitations, and much much more.

Let's take a little trip down Christmas Card memory lane, shall we...

Here is our 2008 Christmas Card/Wedding Thank You Card:

Here is our 2009 Christmas Card:

And here is our 2010 Christmas Card:

I really liked our 2010 card because it was all of my favorite pictures from our Europe Trip.

I'm deciding between two cards for 2011.

#1 - It's a collage of all the weddings we went to this year since we've been to 7 weddings in 2011!

Or #2 - It's just random favorite pics from 2011 collage.

So, which one do you like better? #1 or #2?

*Note: Shutterly is giving me 25 free cards for posting this post but honestly I like Shutterfly Christmas cards so much that I would use them even if they didn't give me free cards.

Matrimony at 10,000 Feet

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

Last month we went to Eagle/Vail/Edwards, Colorado for my friend's wedding

We stayed the Westin Beaver Creek. SUCH a gorgeous hotel. Check out this view from our room...

We got upgrade to an amazing suite which was seriously almost as big as our condo. It even had a washer/dryer that the Mr. clearly liked.

The wedding was at the The Lodge at Cordillera. It's a super gorgeous property! This was view from the wedding site...

Crazy fact -- this hotel was made famous by the whole Kobe Bryant scandal.

The ceremony was wonderful and the bride looked amazing.

They even had their Chocolate Labrador as their ring bearer. So cute!

This was their getaway "car" that dragged kegs behind it. The bride and groom own a brewery so it was very fitting.

Here I am with the Bride and bunch of the Bridesmaids. A bunch of my friends were Bridesmaids so it was fun to hang out with all of them!

The reception was rockin' and filled with lots of beer. Here's the bride and groom's first dance...

The day after the wedding the new Mr. and Mrs. threw a BBQ at their brewery. Fun times and great beer!

I've been to a TON of weddings this year. The next one is a couple of weeks. I think that will bring me to a total of 8 weddings in 2011. Whew!

10 Year High School Reunion!

2011-10-28T11:00:00.000-07:00

Last month I attend my 10 Year High School Reunion!

Friends, I feel OLD.

No, I didn't lose the weight I wanted to, but I enjoyed the event a lot nevertheless.

I had a minor "I can't find anything to wear" panic before the reunion, but I manged to find an on-sale dress at Macy's for $22 about 5 hours before the reunion started. Awesome!

Here I am with a bunch of friends that I grew up with. I met most of these girls when I was in the 3rd grade or 4th grade! So fun to get together with them. Two of the girls in this photo were my bridesmaids.

The Mr. came with me. I was so glad that he could meet a lot of that I grew up with/went to High School with. Plus, I was glad to have a date with me. :)

This is one of my oldest friends. I met her on the first day of third grade when I was brand new to my elementary school. She is one the sweetest people I know. She is getting married in February and I am SO excited for her!

This is SK. I've known her since Freshman year. She works for an awesome social media company that many of you know and love (think restaurant reviews) and she is also getting married soon. AND GUESS WHAT?! She reads my blog! So fun. Hi SK! So good to see you!

Here's my whole class that showed up to the reunion. I think only about 25% of our graduating glass was there, but I hear that's pretty normal.

A few final observations about my high school reunion:
1) People pretty much look the same at 28 as they did at 18 -- not many people got fatter or thinner. No big shockers.
2) Facebook has pretty much ruined reunions. I'm Facebook friends with so many people from High School that I feel like I kind of already "knew" what people were up to.
3) I spent way to much time stressing about what to wear. I can hardly remember what other people wore until I looked at the photos.

Did you attend your HS Reunion? Any fun observations from it?

Wanna See Me Without Makeup?

2011-09-26T19:59:00.001-07:00

I know I've been super MIA lately. I hate it. Between working 12-13 hour days and traveling every week/almost every weekend, I have about zero time for myself.

But I did have a little bit of time to try some awesome Mary Kay products!

So go to my Reviews and Giveways blog to:

1. See a picture of me without makeup. (Yikes!)
2. Win $100 of Mary Kay products. (Yay!)

Went to the Chapel in Oxford, Ohio

2011-09-14T09:59:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago The Mr. and I ventured to Oxford, Ohio to see one of my oldest friends get married!

She got married at the Sesquicentennial Chapel at Miami University in Oxford on a ridiculously hot day mid-west summer day.

It was such a beautiful wedding chapel!

The inside was gorgeous as well. It made me wish I'd had a chapel wedding.

The bride's parents are my parent's best friends. It was so wonderful to see them walk their daughter down the aisle.

The groom and she looked SO happy.

No, we were NOT bridesmaids. My friend and I just happened to dress very similarly! Too funny!

After the wedding we headed to the reception at the Shriver Center.

The bride had SO many great DIY details!

It was proof you don't have to spend a ton of money to have a beautiful wedding. Her wedding favors were homemade cookies. So cute and yummy!

The bride and groom have known each other since they were kids but didn't start dating until recently. They put together and adorable display case of their childhood letters, pictures, and emails from when they started dating. So stinkin' cute!

We danced the night away! But near the end of the night I finally snagged a picture with the bride. Love her!

Overall we had an amazing time in Oxford. Such a cute college town! And SUCH a fun time with friends and family!

Have you been going to a ton of weddings this summer too?

Nine Fine Book Reviews

2011-09-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

In the last four months I've read 9 books! That's gotta be some kind of record for me!

I've deviated a little from my reading plan, but that's OK. Here's what I've read lately and what I thought of them...

Mennonite in a Little Black Dress: A Memoir of Going Home by Rhonda Janzen

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

I read this for my book club. I felt the book had it's funny moments, but it felt kind of disjointed and I felt like it just kind of ended abruptly.

Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This was a fun, quick read. A perfect girly, summer, beach read.

Something Blue by Emily Giffin

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

After reading Something Borrowed I had to read this. I really enjoyed hearing the continuation of the story from another point of view. A very fun read.

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I also read this for my book club. Amazing book! Interesting plot and amazing character development. I seriously couldn't put it down for the last 300 pages.

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

This book was an easy read, but the main character bugged me. She was so whiny, annoying, and not believable.

Sacred Marriage by Gary L. Thomas

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars

I just could not get into this book. I liked the concept overall, but I felt like this book was written for men, not women. And I couldn't really find much practical application in it.

The Secret Gift by Tedd Gup

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This is heartwarming book about a secret benefactor during the Great Depression featuring the real letters people wrote to him. Such an interesting and sweet book.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

All the dog lovers and lovers of this book are gonna hate me, but this book was just OK for me. I couldn't get over the talking philosopher dog. And Eve's family made me so mad that it made the book painful to read.

The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Laura Schlessinger

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

My MIL gave me this as a gift. It had some really points and some good practical application of the concepts. But it bugged me how much Dr. Laura bagged on working women when SHE is working woman.

Did you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

Trip Updates - Vegas Bachelorette and Laguna Beach Anniversary

2011-09-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm now two-thirds of the way through my travel-gauntlet summer. I'm having fun, but I'm exhausted!

I have tons of travel tales and pictures but I thought I'd share two recent trips...
Las Vegas for my Sorority Sister's Bachelorette Party and Laguna Beach for our 3rd Anniversary.

First, Las Vegas!

8 of us spent 2 fun-filled days in Vegas. We stayed at the Venetian (love that hotel). We went out to The Bank at the Bellagio one night and Marquee at the Cosmopolitan the other night. I really liked The Bank, but did not like Marquee (it was way way too crowded and the multi-level stairwells were a pain). I also had a lot of fun at pool party at the Venetian during the day.

Here's the Gamma Phis that were in attendance.

(Clearly I didn't the memo about which way to turn)

Second, our 3rd Wedding Anniversary in Laguna Beach.

Before we left we exchanged gifts (as usual)

The 3rd anniversary is the "leather anniversary" (that makes me laugh for some reason).

So the Mr. got me a leather travel jewelery case.

And I got him a leather grilling mit.

Then we drove down to Orange County and checked into the Ayres Hotel, had champagne and strawberries, and then got ready for dinner.

We had dinner at Studio at The Montage in Laguna Beach.

Amazing gourmet food! Seriously to die for. And the view was one of the best in the world.

Then the next morning we had a couples massage at The Ayres Hotel (we stayed there because a sweet friend gave us a Groupon for a free night and a couples massage). I really enjoyed the massage but I don't really understand the point of a couples massage. It's not like you talk or hang out during it, ya know?

Overall, we had a very wonderful Anniversary! Thanks for all of the well wishes for us on the blog and twitter.

I have more pictures and travel tales to come soon, so stay tuned!

Three Years!

2011-08-16T08:45:00.000-07:00

Three years ago I walked down the beach side lawn at San Diego Hilton Resort on Mission Bay and said "I DO" to my best friend.

It was an amazing day!

And a killer party.

But the entire event almost pales in comparison to the love, joy, and intimacy that we've experienced over the last three years. I can't even imagine how I'll feel in 10 or 30 more years. This year of marriage was definitely the hardest, but we survived and grew closer than ever. And to that I say, "bring on year three!"

Wedding Reminiscing: Top 10 Things I Loved about Our Wedding

2011-08-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's almost our THREE year Anniversary.

Yes, I'm well aware that this blog should be called "Newlyweds Next Door No More" or something, but I still feel like a Newlywed and I like my blog, so it stays as-is. My blog = my rules.

Since I've been thinking about our wedding, I though it would be fun to remember the top things I loved about our wedding

1. The guy I married
Duh. What kind of wife would I be if I didn't say that? But really, he is the best. I though that then and I think that now.

2. Our Ceremony

I loved the entire ceremony. It really was the most important part of the whole wedding. I loved the readings, the music, the Pastor, the message, our attendants, the view, the sand ceremony, and the San Diego summer air. Our vows was one of the best moments of my life.

3. Our Faith and Our Families
I love how we focused on our Christian faith in our ceremony. And I loved how our families played an integral part in the ceremony with readings and songs, and in the reception with hosting and toasting.

4. Our Friends
Never again in our lives will so many of our friends from childhood, schools, work, church, and beyond be in one place (except our funerals... how sad is that?). So many people traveled from afar to be there for us, which meant the world to us.

5. Having a Turquoise and Tangerine Wedding
When we chose these colors as our wedding colors, I quickly found out that they are not common. But I loved having a tangerine and turquoise beachy wedding. It reminded me of a sunset hitting the ocean. To add the perfect amount of "beach-chic" we decided to accent with pencil starfish and sand dollars.

This was my turquoise and tangerine wedding inspiration board...

And this is our REAL turquoise and tangerine wedding collage.

Not bad, huh?!

6. My Dress

I LOVE that dress. Still. Period.

7. The Band and Dancing the Night Away
I wanted a dance party and I got a dance party. The Ultratones rocked and I literally danced until the last song at 1:00 AM. I wasn't about to leave that party early.

8. The UpLighting in the Ballroom
I know this is a random thing to love. But just $400 turned an ordinary ballroom into a spectacular tangerine and turquoise paradise. The uplighting was the most ambiance-changing decor item we did.

9. The flowers
Our florist did a fantastic job on our wedding flowers without breaking the budget! My bouquet and the bridesmaids bouquets were made with ivory/tangerine roses, ranunculus, and gerbera daisies and was garnished with beautiful turquoise beads. But our ceremony flowers were my favorite! I loved the rose garland with starfish that got we married under.

10. My DIY Projects
I unleashed my creative juices (and saved a ton of money) by doing a bunch of DIY projects for the wedding. It was so much fun and it really added a special touch to the ceremony and reception. My three favorite DIY projects were the starfish escort cards, the sand dollar charity favors, and the ceremony programs.

I also did ceremony signs, reception signs, reception table names, menus, out of town gift buckets with a letter, thank you cards, a card box, and photo collages for the entrance to the ballroom. Just message me if you want any of my templates!

Summer Fun (aka Weddings and Travel)

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we're already a week into August! Summer always flies by, doesn't it?

And time is really flying for me because I'm waist deep in my new project at work and with all the travel/weddings that I told you about.

But I wanted to let you know what we've been up to lately before Summer becomes irrelevant...

Two weekends ago the Mr. and I attended his fraternity brother's wedding in Glendale (North LA). It was an Armenian wedding (think Kardashians). It was a beautiful wedding and we ate SO much! I've never seen so much food at a wedding in my life.

I happened to get my hair cut/colored beforehand that day, so my friend Carey who does my hair also did an updo for me so I'd look pretty for the wedding. Love her!

Here's the happy couple with their cakes. Also check out those huge centerpieces.

And finally, last weekend we went on our annual family camping trip to Ft. Stevens.

The Mr.'s whole family was there. Here we all are (minus my brother-in-law's wife who couldn't make it)...

Note: this picture angle makes me look extra short. I'd said it before, I'm not short. I'm 5'8"! But the Mr's family is so tall, even his Mom is just shy of 6 feet.

In Ft. Stevens I did lots of sitting by the campfire and reading...

Which reminds me that I should post some book reviews!

And we played a lot of board games and lawn games, like Bocce Ball.

We have spent a bit of time at home in Long Beach this summer. A couple of weekends ago we hung out with some friend who live in an apartment on Naples Island in Long Beach. Love this view from their "backyard."

Tomorrow we head to Missouri to see my extended family and go boating/boozing on the Lake of the Ozarks, so I'll be back with more pictures and travel tales soon!

Oh The Places We'll Go... in the next two months...

2011-08-01T05:54:00.000-07:00

This week kicks off our whirlwind travel schedule for the next two months.

I am literally out of town seven of the next of the next nine weekends.

(And I'm traveling every Mon-Thur for work)

But these seven trips are for fun!

So where are we going?

1. Annual family camping trip in Ft. Stevens, OR.
See prior recap of this trip here.

2. Lake of the Ozarks, MO.
My uncle has a lake house there and we're doing a little family reunion. We last went out there two summers ago.

3. Bachelorette Party in Las Vegas, NV
Celebrating the last single days of my friend/Sorority Sister.

4. Our Anniversary Staycation in Orange County, CA
We got a Groupon for a hotel and couples massage in South OC.

5. Wedding in Oxford, OH.
Friend I've known since birth is getting married!

6. High School Reunion in San Diego, CA.
You know about this.

7. Wedding in Vail, CO.
Same friend that's having the Bachelorette Party that is getting married!

Whew! I'm exhausted just thinking about it. But excited!

Are you going anywhere fun in the second half of this summer?

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

2011-07-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

After spending the last five years of my seven year career at Large Consulting Firm at ONE client, and completing over 10 projects at said client... I am FINALLY moving over to a new project at a new client on Monday!

I am so excited!

What this means:
- New and exciting problems to solve
- New clients to meet and build relationships
- New team to work with (although I've worked with many of them before)
- More travel (I'm back to traveling every week)
- More hotel points and airline miles
- More Skyping with the Mr.
- More hours at work (I have so much to learn and do)
- Less blogging for now (new client is SO SO busy -- people are working crazy hours)
- Still traveling to Northern California

Oh, and maybe celebrating my new role with little work wear shopping at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

Wedding at the Grand Del Mar

2011-07-20T07:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend a family friend of ours that I've known my entire life got married at the Grand Del Mar in San Diego.

And WOW! What an amazing wedding.

First The Grand Del Mar was amazing. It's like a luxury, modern, Italian palace in the San Diego hills.

My parents were lucky enough to stay the Grand Del Mar. Here's my Mom and I in the lobby. Yes, the wedding was black tie.

The bride and groom got married in the Chapel on site at the Grand Del Mar. Gorgeous chapel!

Here we are, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

And the reception was ah-mazing.

The centerpieces were these giant "trees."

They had a rockin' band called "Energy." And as soon as the Bride and Groom did their first dance we filled up the dance floor for the night!

We also had like 6 courses of amazing food. There goes my diet.

The bride and groom looked so beautiful and happy. And my whole family had an amazing time!

What's new with us?

2011-07-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

This summer is shaping up to be a SUPER busy one for us!

I feel like I hardly a moment free to just chill.

Thanks for all of your sweet birthday wishes. I had a very nice 28th birthday. On my actual birthday the Mr. and I went to Lasher's in Long Beach. It was really good! We had crab cakes, scallops, mushroom soup, and this yummy Hawaiian fish.

Here we before we left...

And before we left I tried to get a picture with Judah. He was NOT havin' it.

Seriously, can you tell how much my cat loves me? Ha!

The Mr. also got me some yummy mini-cakes from Rossmore Pastries as my birthday dessert. So good!

On Friday night I went out to dinner to celebrate my birthday with three of my best friends at a new restaurant called MB Post. It was AMAZING. It's tapas style so you get to try so many gourmet dishes. I'm definitely going back.

Also this weekend our USC Alumni Club did a Luau-themed brunch at Panama Joe's in Long Beach. So much fun!

But let me just say I am getting way to old to drink mimosas all day.

This coming weekend my God-Parent's daughter is getting married in San Diego. There are wedding events all weekend long starting Friday and ending Sunday. I am SO excited and happy for her!

I've known the Bride my entire life. Here we are when I was a tiny baby. I'm in the stroller and she's on the right with the curls.

The other girl in the photo is her older sister who just had her OWN baby on 7/7/11. Lucky baby! I'm excited to meet the newest addition to the family.

Besides San Diego the Mr. and I have a TON of travel coming up over the next few months. Seriously insane. More on that later though!

And to add to the craziness, my job is really crazy right now. There may be some big changes happening soon. Nothing I can say for sure yet, but I'll let you know when I know.

What kind of exciting stuff do you have going on this summer?

Another Year Older

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

Today is my 28th birthday!

Source: hellolucky.com via Allison on Pinterest

I keep joking that maybe I should take the advice of Mad Men's Don Draper that, “you are twenty-something years old. It’s time to get over birthdays.”

But never the less, I'm celebrating with the Mr. tonight by going out to dinner near our home in Long Beach. I've also requested a cupcake or something else delicious from my favorite local bakery, Rossmoor Pastries. Can't wait! Then Friday night I'm doing another fun dinner out with some girlfriends. So fun!

Half-yearly obscure google searches and blog stats

2011-07-01T06:30:00.000-07:00

Can you believe 2011 is half over?! I can't.

Given this milestone, I though it would be a good time to look at my 2011 blog stats and most random google searches.

I'll start with the Top 10 most random google searches that lead people to my blog in 2011...

"my entire life is up in the air"
That sounds stressful. I'm unsure about how you thought google could help you with this. Maybe you feel better now that you’ve confessed that to google?

"what do i want for my birthday?"
This proves that google has eliminated the ability of people to think for themselves. Try this… Go on Amazon.com and click around. If you see something you like but don’t have, you can ask for that for your birthday. You’re welcome.

"my dog comes to the bedroom only at night"
Sounds like a question that could be better answered by Caesar Millan. Caesar, any thoughts on this one?

"do we engrave the door knocker with the year we got married?"
Sure! Really the door knocker engraving possibilities are endless. But I’d recommend against just picking a random year to engrave because then people will forever be asking you something like “what happened in 1991?” and that will get annoying quickly.

"where did the hand on hip pose come from?"
I’m not sure if “came” from anywhere. Putting your hand on your hip is rather intuitive and natural. Try it, you’ll see.

"broke both my arms same time."
Jeez louise, how are you even typing? Go the ER already.

"wedding blues support group"
If you’re feeling sad about getting married you don’t need a support group, you need to not get married. Simple.

"I don't like name tessa"
I’m sorry. I kinda like it. I wonder if Tessa was the “mean girl” of your high school? Again, why would you google that? Are you looking for some Tessa-hating chatboard?

"battle star gallactica wedding dresses"
Oh good gracious, I don’t even want to begin to imagine the geekery of a battlestar gallactica themed wedding. I shall probably have nightmares tonight.

"newlywed next store"
It’s newlyweds next DOOR. Not STORE.

Now, the Top 10 blogs that referred people to my blog in 2011...
In This Wonderful Life
Jimmy Choos and Tennis Shoes
First Comes Love
Chapters
Tales of the Tress
Pineapples and Pickles
Brown Girl Blogs
In No Simple Language
Chic Runner
From L.A. to LA

Thanks for the link love, friends!

And here are the top 10 pages with the most hits in 2011...
The Baby Bucket List
Healthier PW Chicken Spaghetti
2011 Reading Plan
10 Ways to Beat Post-Wedding Blues
I Love USC
My Family
The Zeros Decade in Review
Newlywed Survival Kit
Dream Home Wine Rooms
Our Anniversary Shoot/Trash the Dress Pictures

And finally, where are you, my dear readers? These are the top 10 states that visited blog most frequently in 2011...
California
Texas
Illinois
Florida
Virginia
Georgia
Massachusetts
Washington
North Carolina
New York

What I'm Loving Right Now

2011-06-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

1. Mad Men Season 4
We just finished it on Netflix and it just may have been my favorite season yet. The Suitcase was one seriously amazing episode. I'm heartbroken that I have to wait so long for Season 5!

Luckily I found the amazing website, Tom and Lorenzo, that recaps the style of every episode and character. This has kept me entertained for HOURS.

2. My Book Club
My friend Kim started a real-life book club and I love it! So far we'd read Mennonite in a Little Black Dress and Cutting for Stone. I'll post reviews of them another day.

2. Fage Greek Yogurt with Fruit
I've always loved non-fat Fage Greek Yogurt, but it was always a bit plain for my taste. Then I discovered the yogurt + fruit topping combo. LOVE it. And I found it a Costco too. Double score.

3. Playing with my New Camera
I got my Cannon Rebel last week! I've been trying out a lot of the functionality and taking a lot of pictures of Judah since he's generally the only willing subject around the condo.

4. Working out to the Song, "All of the Lights" by Kanye West
I seriously put this on repeat with a couple of other upbeat new songs for my gym workouts. I don't usually listen to much Top 40 music, but for working out a lot of the current music is perfect.

5. Gina's Skinnytaste
Shoutout to Dee for introducing this to me. Turns out everyone knew about this website except me. I made this Southwestern Black Bean Salad on Monday. Yum! Perfect for Summer!

6. Long days
I love that when I get off work it's still sunny and we can dine al fresco like we've done the past couple of evenings.

7. Pacifico Beer
Is there any better Summer beer?

8. Your sweet comment on my post Tuesday
Thanks for your kind words and supportive words.

10 Year Panic

2011-06-28T13:29:00.000-07:00

When I was a Sophomore in college there used to be advertisement at my gym that I'd see all the time about a girl working out hard to look killer at her 10 year high school reunion.

And with that simple ad, an idea was born. I decided then and there that I would be thin, toned, and hot at my 10 year reunion.

And I proceed to carry this idea around with me for many years after. So much so that I even decided that I didn't want to try for babies until after the 10 year reunion (I even put that on my Baby Bucket List).

I'm not sure why I got stuck on this idea so hard. I mean I was not a fat girl in high school. But I was not a skinny-mini thing either. I'm tall and Scandinavian, so I do remember feeling "big" a lot in high school, even though I was not.

As evidence, here I am, summer before my senior year.

I mean, I was a double varsity athlete for gosh sakes, so I was in good shape. I just never felt like I was "hot" like the smaller cheerleader friends of mine.

As I've grown up I've gotten more comfortable in my own skin. I appreciate that I have a husband who loves me as I am, that I can afford to buy nutritious food, and that I have a body that's rarely sick or injured.

But last week when I got the invitation to my 10 year high school reunion, I couldn't help but remember my goal, set over 8 years ago, of rockin' a killer bod at that reunion.

So I did some quick math... my reunion is in 12 weeks and I'd like to lose 10 pounds.

Losing 10 pounds would bring me down to my wedding weight, which was the lightest I had weighed since I was 13 years old.

OK, 10 lbs in 12 weeks, I can do this, right?!

I just keep reminding myself that "nothing tastes as good as being thin feels" and that "sweat is fat crying." I even started a Pinterest workout motivation board to counteract all the delicious sweets I see on Pinterest. Like these amazing truffles that I plan to reward myself with in October.

So tell me, did you go to your 10 year reunion? Did you do anything to prepare? And more importantly, was it a good time?

And are there any other Class of 2001ers out there?

5 Easy, Healthy, "Go-To" Recipes

2011-06-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

When I got married I was a horrible cook.

Like so horrible I could only really make spaghetti and frequently I'd screw that up too.

But about a year ago I decided to "beef" (get it? "beef!") up my cooking skills.

As part of this goal I even decided that I'd add "Learn 5 good, healthy, go-to meals" to my Baby Bucket List.

For something to be considered a "go-to" meal it has to be something I've made multiple times and have perfected. And healthy means low in calories and high in natural ingredients.

This weekend The Mr. and I remade the always amazing, and oh-so-summery Grilled Lemon Chicken with Fennel and Onion.

It was SO delish. I prepared it all and cooked the rice. Then the Mr. grilled it up. Have I mentioned that he is a grill master? He is.

If you have a BBQ you need to make this recipe this weekend. Seriously.

But in making it again I realized that I now have 5 Easy, Healthy, "Go-To" Recipes!

They are:
- Grilled Lemon Chicken with Fennel and Onion (recipe)
- Crockpot Pasta Fagioli Soup (recipe)
- Healthier PW Chicken Spaghetti (recipe)
- Gazpacho (recipe)
- Mediterranean Chicken in a foil pouch (recipe)

And as a bonus I have 4 "Go-To" side dishes:
- Kale Chips (recipe)
- Sweet Potato Wedges (recipe)
- Steamed veggies in my stainless steel waterless cookware
- Brown rice in my rice cooker

So I have my "5" recipes but I'm always looking for more. So tell me, what your favorite "easy, healthy, go-to recipes?"

Let me know and I'll pin them to pinterest foodie board!

First Day of Summer!

2011-06-21T14:01:00.000-07:00

It's the first day of ...

Source: give-me-summer.tumblr.com via socalnewlywed on Pinterest

It's no small secret that Summer has always been my favorite season.

I love the long days at the beach

Source: give-me-summer.tumblr.com via socalnewlywed on Pinterest

Relaxing in the evening with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc

Source: google.com via socalnewlywed on Pinterest

Eating fresh fruit

Source: give-me-summer.tumblr.com via socalnewlywed on Pinterest

Celebrating the 4th of July and my birthday

Source: squidoo.com via socalnewlywed on Pinterest

Cooling off in my pool

Source: becausewecandoit.tumblr.com via socalnewlywed on Pinterest

And cuddling up by the campfire

Source: symphanie.blogspot.com via socalnewlywed on Pinterest

Why does Summer always take so long to get here and then end so fast?

What do you love about Summer?

Saturday Night in Hollywood!

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

I have a confession to make...

Although I live in "Los Angeles" I don't spend a ton of time in the part of LA that most people consider "Los Angeles", aka Hollywood/West LA.

But this past weekend we did a little "staycation" in Hollywood to attend my company's annual party.

We got a hotel room at The W Hollywood.

Note: My dress is from Nordstrom Rack and the designer is Adrianna Papell. The back is a fun cross-back and there are little rosettes on the bottom. I love it!

And really enjoyed the fun lobby scene there.

We did a little pre-partying in our hotel room at The W. We loved this "Mad Men-eque" bar.

Note #2: No we didn't drink that mini-bar booze, be brought our own beer. :)

The we headed to Supperclub for the annual party. Supperclub is a new nightclub in Hollywood that my company rented out for the evening.

The theme of the party was "Cirque Du Soleil" and they had real Cirque performers there. Like this contortionist who greeted us at the bar.

There were drinks, music, casino games, and a full Cirque show. So fun!

This Cirque performer was hula-hooping with a ring of fire. Can you say crazy?

I loved the acrobats. Amazing!

The Mr. tried to look very serious in our booth here. Not sure why.

I also had a chance to mingle with a bunch of co-workers and meet their significant others.

One co-worker, who I'll call "A" told me that she reads my blog. So I told her I'd post a picture of us on it (that's her on the far right). Hi "A"! :)

Overall it was SUCH a fun party. I'm so glad my company puts this on for us and our significant others. Thanks Large Consulting Firm!

Gazpacho Season!

2011-06-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

I blogged last week about being excited for summer because it's "Gazpacho Season", and a few people asked for my recipe, so I've posted it here.

Gazpacho is cold summer soup that's made with ripe summer tomatoes. It's so fresh, healthy, and yummy!

Gazpacho

(Adapted from the Williams-Sonoma Bride and Groom Cookbook)

Ingredients:
- 1 cucumber
- 1 red bell pepper
- 8 ripe tomatoes (NOT canned. Choose ripe romas or heirlooms or a combo!)
- 1/2 cup chopped sweet red onion
- 1 tbsp of minced garlic
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 6 tbsp bread crumbs
- Sea salt to taste

Directions:
- Peel the cucumber and slice in half lengthwise, then scoop out any seeds with a small spoon.
- Finely dice enough cucumber to measure out 2 Tbsp, set aside and chop the rest.
- Remove the core and seeds from the bell pepper. Chop bell pepper.
- Chop enough onion for 1/2 cup.
- Chop all tomatoes.
- Combine all ingredients except the bread crumbs into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
- Stir in bread crumbs.
- Taste for salt and additional vinegar.
- Cover and refrigerate for two hours.
- Serve in chilled bowls drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and garnished with the reserved diced cucumber.

This recipes serves 4, but the Mr. and I eat a whole batch together for dinner quite often in the summer. It also make a great appetizer for a summer dinner party because you can make it all in advance and serve it cold.

Enjoy!

Flashback Friday - 6 Years Ago

2011-06-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

Six years ago I became an "adult".

I graduated from USC, got my own apartment, and started my career at Large Consulting Firm.

My graduation day was so fun!

I got to attend the main USC graduation with the Mr.

And I got to walk at the Annenberg School of Communication Graduation with three of my sorority sisters.
You can follow a couple of them on Twitter. Erin works for CSI NY. And Robyn works for TV Guide. They both tweet a lot about TV and life in the entertainment industry.

I said goodbye to beloved sorority house. "We'll be Gamma Phi's together and when we're gone
There'll be Gamma Phi's here to sing our song."

And then I drove down to San Diego for a fun graduation party that my parents threw for me.

The next week I moved into my first "adult" apartment in Manhattan Beach (4 blocks from the beach!). Here's my old room and living room.

The apartment was a 2 bed, 2 bath apartment and I shared it with my best friend from college. You may recognize her from here. Here's a picture of us from the housewarming party that we threw as soon as we were settled.

I loved that apartment.

I turned 22 a month after we moved in. I felt SO old and mature. Now I realize I was such a baby thing. The Mr. and I celebrated my 22nd birthday at Panchos in Manhattan Beach.

(Don't we look different!?)

The Mr., my roomie, and I had SO much fun that summer. We went out all the time to local South Bay bars and restaurants. We were adults with jobs and money and we were determined to spend that money!

It was such an exciting time. Our first taste of adulthood. Seems both like forever ago and yesterday.

What were you doing 6 years ago?

Stream of Consciousness x10

2011-06-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

1. On Saturday the Bear Triplets went to be with Jesus. I'm so heartbroken for Carey and Jeremy. Please pray for peace and comfort for them. They both wrote beautiful and heartbreaking stories about their three boys (Rudyard, Desmond, and Oscar) on their blogs: Carey's Blog and Jeremy's Blog (warning, do not read these at work like I did).

2. I'm finally getting a DSLR camera! A Canon Rebel. It's my birthday present from my Mom! Thanks Mom! Now I'll need to learn to use it. I am EXCITED!

3. I didn't win Kelly's Korner's $600 gift card. But Kelly did like my 6 ingredient recipe! Woo hoo!

4. I finally finished our Europe Trip 2010 photo album on Blurb. That only took me a year, ha!

I still need to edit the book. But if you want to preview it here, you can!

5. I really want to go to Napa this summer, but the Mr. says it's not in the budget because apparently if we go to Napa we're gonna have to buy several cases of wine. Le sigh.

6. Speaking of budgets, our Pastor wants to talk to use about leading a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace Course at Church. (I wonder what Dave would say about a Napa Trip? Le sigh again.) Exciting but kind of intimidating too.

7. We started watching Season 4 of Mad men on Netflix. Good stuff so far!

8. I think I'm gonna have the Mr. take me to Glen Ivy Day Spa for my birthday present. I think that's what I want.

9. I have several weddings coming up this Summer and my company semi-formal party this weekend. I going to hit up Nordstrom Rack and try to find some fun dresses. I'll let you know what I find.

10. I love summer because that means it's gazpacho season! I need to post my gazpacho recipe.

Rosemary Sweet Potato Wedges and Prayers for the Bear Triplets

2011-06-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite recipes that I've found doing Weight Watchers Online. These Sweet Potato Wedges make a great appetizer or side dish for a BBQ. They are so simple, delish, and much more healthy than french fries. I really think the rosemary gives them a great flavor.

via

The Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potato(es), washed and patted dry
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp table salt
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Cut each potato into 8 or so lengthwise wedges and place on a nonstick baking sheet.
- Drizzle with oil (I use a Misto olive oil sprayer)
- Sprinkle with salt and dried rosemary.
- Roast on one side for 10-15 minutes
- Toss and roast on other side until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes more.

Serve with ketchup if your love ketchup like I do.

4 wedges (without ketchup) = 3 WW points

---------------------------------------------------

If you follow me on Twitter you'll know I've been tweeting about this. My dear friend Carey is pregnant with Triplets (22 weeks today). On Tuesday night Baby A's water broke. She's been in the hospital ever since, fighting to keep the Triplets alive and free of infection.

Please pray that the Triplets will stay put for a few more weeks and pray that they all stay free of infection.

And please pray for Carey's spirit. I visited her in the hospital yesterday and she said that prayers from friends, family, and strangers is what's keeping her strong and positive.

Our God is a God of miracles. Let's pray for one!

To read more about The Bear Triplets you can read Carey's Husband's Blog, Tips on Triplets.

Arizona Weekend

2011-05-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

We spent three wonderful days in Scottsdale, Arizona for the long weekend.

Obviously a majority of our time was spent in the lazy river at the Westin Kierland.

We enjoyed reading, drinking, and relaxing poolside as well.

Yes, my husband reads "Foreign Affairs" poolside. Super light reading, right? :)

We also had dinner with some friends of mine from work in Phoenix one of the nights, which was a blast.

On our final day we hiked Pinnacle Peak.

It's a 3.5 mile hike through a really cool desert mountain.

We saw tons of wildlife. Lots or rabbits, birds, and lizards. We managed to capture a picture of one huge lizard lounging on this rock. Can you spot him?

We also saw lots of great desert plants and cacti. Like this crazy Saguaro Cactus.

There are also some amazing views of Scottsdale.

If you're ever in Scottsdale I highly recommend this hike.

How was your Memorial Day?

Standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona

2011-05-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Errr, I mean Phoenix, Arizona.

That means we're off to our fourth annual trip to Phoenix!

I've blogged about prior trips here and here.

We love to escape LA during the May Grey/June Gloom phase and get some fun and sun in the desert.

We'll be lounging by this pool...

At this resort...

But I'm guessing a majority of time will be spent in the laaaaazy river!

Is anyone else obsessed with lazy rivers like we are?

Have a great long weekend everyone!

What We've Been Watching

2011-05-25T07:01:00.000-07:00

The Mr. and I love to watch movies and TV series together on Netflix. It's something nice we can do after work with a glass of wine to unwind and reconnect.

We do however occasionally make it to the theater to catch a new movie.

Like this past weekend I (somehow) got the Mr. to see Bridesmaids with me.

It was so nice of him to go with me because this was SUCH a "girl movie" but he tolerated it and even had a few laughs. It was pretty funny, but not amazing. I'd give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

It definitely wasn't as good as some of the Academy Award nominated movies we've been watching on Netflix Lately.

We recently rented The Social Network, The Kings Speech, The Fighter, and Blue Valentine.

We LOVED The Social Network. For me, this should have won Best Picture. Great acting, great music, and a socially relevant story line. I give it 5 stars out a 5.

The King's Speech was very good. Fantastic acting. I still give it 5 stars out 5, I just don't think the subject matter was a relevant to our society as the Social Network.

The Fighter was good. It was pretty much the same as every other movie about boxing/sports/bad neighborhoods in Massachusetts/dysfunctional families ever made, but we liked it a lot. I'd give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Note: We've now seen 9/10 of the Best Picture Nominees from 2010. Not bad!

Finally, Blue Valentine. I had such high hopes for this movie. I'd heard it was poignant and superbly acted. Well, The Mr. quit watching at about the 40 minute mark. I soldiered on and in the end wished I had not. The movie was depressing, disturbing, and left me with nothing to take away from it. I give it 1.5 stars out a 5 (redeemed only by some good acting ).

We've recently also been watching some older TV Shows on Netflix: Rome, Twin Peaks, and Nip/Tuck.

Rome is fantastic! Great acting. Great history (esp. if you're a history geek like me).

Twin Peaks is a early 1990s show. It's a thriller/mystery filled with quirky, funny characters. We really enjoyed Season 1. But now Season 2 is disappointing us.

Nip/Tuck was also good for the first couple of seasons, but now that we're several seasons in, it's kind of jumped the shark. I think we may quit watching it.

Have you seen any of these movies or TV shows? What did you think? What have you been watching lately?

"You'll Wear it Again"

2011-05-23T08:52:00.001-07:00

One of my best friends and I were talking about how we have these pink bridesmaid dresses from weddings we have been in hanging in our closets, but we never have an occasion to wear them.

So we decided to make an occasion... Sunday Champagne Brunch on the Queen Mary!

Yay for bottomless mimosas!

And yay for actually wearing our bridesmaid dresses again!

Have you ever worn a bridesmaid dress again?

Healtier PW Chicken Spaghetti

2011-05-20T10:00:00.000-07:00

This recipe is my "healthier" take on the famous Pioneer Woman's Chicken Spaghetti Casserole.

Basically I increased the chicken and the veggies. And decreased the noodles, the cheese, and the cream of chicken/mushroom soup.

The Ingredients

3 cups Cooked Chicken
2 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
1 can Cream Of Chicken Soup
1/2 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 Green Peppers Finely Diced
1 Red Pepper, Finely Diced
1 Finely Diced White Onion
1 Cup of Mushrooms, Finely Diced
1/2 cup Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper, to taste
1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

(And if you have extra veggies like lying around the house, like green onions, squash, or extra onions or peppers, you can finely dice those and throw them in the mix. Extra veggies = extra goodness!)

For pretty pictures of chicken and veggies being chopped up and mixed be sure to check out the original recipe.

Preparation Instructions

Cook 1 cut up fryer (chicken) and pick out the meat to make three cups.
Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente.
Combine all ingredients except 1 cup sharp cheddar in a bowl.
Place mixture in casserole dish (or multiple smaller casserole dishes for smaller serving sizes) and top with remaining sharp cheddar.
Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly.
I like to freeze one serving and cook another right away. Double your meals!

This is how it looked right before I put it in the oven.

So delish! And packed full of yummy veggies!

Things I'm Loving... Clothing & Blogs Edition

2011-05-19T10:10:00.000-07:00

Lately I've been doing a little bit of shopping for spring clothes. I've found a bunch of adorable dresses (like the green one I wore on Mother's Day, the brand is Max & Cleo by the way) and some other fun items.

Here are some my other finds that I am loving right now!

Halogen Cardigans from Nordstrom

I own this cardigan in two colors and I just may have to go back and get more! They are the perfect sweater to wear to work with slacks or skirts in the Spring. And they are really reasonably priced.

Kenneth Cole Reaction Swim-skirt-suit from Lord & Taylor

I hate shopping for swimwear as much as the next girl but I loved this suit from the moment I tried it on. It's perfect for a more "pear-shaped" girl like me. I even got several complements on it from strangers at the pool in Palm Springs last weekend.

Gap ribbed tank tops

I own this tank top in five colors. I loved it so much when I bought it that I went back and bought four more. They are so soft and definitely long enough, even for longer-torsoed girls like me. I pretty much spend my whole weekend in these tops. Running errands, going to yoga, lounging around the house, hanging at the pool, you name it, these tanks work.

Skinny Shirt

I read about Skinny Shirt in a magazine (I think it was Self or Shape). They are collared tank tops made of cotton on top and spandex on the bottom to put under sweaters to make a basic sweater look more professional without the bulk of a button-up.

Check out this demo:

So cool right?!

Anyway, the shirt is not cheap (the Mr. had a heart attack when he found out I spent $70 on a tank top). But as I explained to him this shirt will expand my work wardrobe by making some of my older sweaters look different and classy. I've wore it a couple of times to work now and have really liked the look of it!

Switching to blogs now...

I read SO many great blogs. Some of my favorites are listed on the sidebar and you should definitely check those out. But I wanted to highlight a couple that I have loved lately.

The first, Tips on Triplets

This blog is written by my real-life friend Jeremy. I've been good friends with him and his wife for about 5 years now, ever since we were in the same Life Group at Church. Well he and his wife, Carey, are pregnant with identical spontaneous triplet boys! Jeremy is hilarious both in real life and on his blog. Plus following their journey is fascinating. I can't believe they are going from a family of two to a family of five sometime this summer/fall! I'm so excited to meet their boys!

The second, Long Distance Love and the Magazine that Saved Her Life

{AV} wrote about finding a suspicious mole after comparing it to 2-minute skin cancer test in Glamour. She went to her dermatologist and it turned out to be melanoma. Melanoma is the #1 cancer that kills young women. Yesterday I had two suspicious freckles removed at my dermatologist. Probably nothing, but better to be safe than sorry, especially since both of my parents have had various kind of less-serious skin cancer.

What are you loving right now?

Required Watching for Americans and Required Reading for Californians

2011-05-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

I don't get political on my blog a lot. Which is kind of odd, because in "real life" I am very interested in current events and politics.

I think that's because I don't want to offend anyone. I tend to be a peace-maker in political discussion, even though I have my own opinions. I pretty much have to be -- my Dad is a passionate Democrat and my husband is a Republican. Basically I had to register as an Independent so as to not pick sides. That, and I actually am an Independent.

That said, I think the most important thing any American can do is be an informed citizen and vote. Even I don't agree with you, I will 100% respect you if you are informed about the issues and vote based on that. I don't like it much when people are apathetic or when people are "single-issue voters."

So in the spirit of being an informed electorate. I thought I'd share a couple of things that I personally think should be required watching and reading for Americans, particularly Californians.

The first is the documentary, Waiting For Superman.

I think this documentary did an excellent job exposing the problems with America's educational system. I think American teachers truly are a national treasure. I had so many life-changing and amazing teachers. But I think that teachers are often surrounded by a broken system.

Does this documentary address every issue in American schools? No. But it does a great job of giving a fair look at American education. Therefore, I declare this "required watching for all Americans."

The second is The Economist, particularly the special report on California and direct democracy gone awry.

The Mr. and I subscribe to the Economist and read it every week at our breakfast table, in bed, and on airplanes. If you're looking for a balanced and informative news source, subscribe to The Economist.

A couple of weeks ago The Economist did a special report on California that was particularly good. The report covered the history of the "failed state" and the unintended consequences of direct democracy gone haywire.

Therefore, this report is "required reading" for all Californians, but I strongly suggest that everyone read it considering 1 in 8 Americans are Californians.

The Special Report had several articles. Here are the links to them all:

The people's will - Introduction to the Special Report on California
Origin of the species - A brief history of California Democracy
War by initiative - The awful unintended consequences of Prop 13
Stateside and abroad - More about Direct Democracy
The withering branch - How the initiative process has redistributed power
A lesson in mediocrity- How Direct Democracy messed up CA schools
What do you know? - Citizens are not as well informed as they think
Burn the wagons - How California must change

And for statistics/graph nerds like me, you'll be excited to know that the articles contain great charts and stats like these:

(from The Economist)

If you saw Waiting for Superman or read this Economist special report, leave me a comment to let me know your thoughts. I'd love to hear them.

Mother's Day, Luau Bridal Shower, and my BFF is Back!

2011-05-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

So this post is a few days late. I hate when bloggers complain about not being able to blog, but seriously work has been kicking. my. butt. So bear with me...

Last weekend was Mother's Day. I was so glad I got to spend the day with my Mommy!

This is one of my new favorite pictures of us -- taken on Mother's Day 2011.

This is what I gave my Mom for Mother's Day. A Blurb Photo Book of all of the trips her and I have taken together. Just our mother-daughter trips.

It includes trips to Lake of the Ozarks, Quincy IL, Chicago, Boston, Salem, San Diego, and New York City.

She loved it!

This Mother's Day was a tough one for me, so I was happy that I was distracted by co-hostessing a bridal shower for my God-Sister (my God-Mother's daughter) on Mother's Day. My Mom and I co-hostessed it with another Mother-Daughter that we're all good friends with. And the shower was mainly Mothers and Daughters that we're close with. Very fun.

Here's some of the fun food and decor. Reminded me a lot of my own 2008 Luau Bridal Shower.

The food was so good and my Mom made amazing Mai Tais!

Here are the hostesses, the bride-to-be (in black and white), and her Mom.

Also, my best friend in the whole world (aka my childhood playmate/maid of honor/almost sister) is BACK from her 2.5 years in Ecuador for the Peace Corps. I missed her SO much. I got to spend a lot of last weekend with her. I am so glad she is back! Sadly, she is moving to Washington DC in August, but I know I'll see her a lot more when she's in DC rather than Ecuador.

Reunited and feels so good!

Are you still best friends with someone from your childhood? Do you see them a lot or a little?

Book Reviews: The Help, GWDT, The Pact

2011-05-05T10:27:00.000-07:00

I am still chugging away on my 2011 reading plan.

These are the books that I read in February, March, and April.

The Help

I loved this book! The characters and their stories totally sucked me in. It was such a great way to understand more about the South and race relations in the South in the 1960s. I'm not a Southern girl, so I think I related less to the stories about Junior League and sweet tea, but I loved this book just the same.

My rating: 5 stars out of 5

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I may have been the last person in America to read this book and I may be one of the only people that didn't like it. The first 100 pages were so boring I almost quit. Then I started to get interested in the story on the Vangers which kept me going. I enjoyed uncovering the mystery of the Vanger family, but the amount of sexual violence depicted turned my stomach. At the end of the day the book was just OK for me. I will not be reading the rest of the books in the series.

My rating: 3 stars out of 5

The Pact

I think I am done with Jodi Picoult books. I've enjoyed several of them (especially 19 minutes and Plain Truth), but now I realize that all of the books follow the same formula (crime --> lies --> courtroom drama --> truth). This was by far my least favorite Picoult book I've read. I found the characters to be completely irrational and unbelievable. I just wanted to smack some sense into half of them. And the themes of the The Pact are seriously HEAVY. Pregnancy, suicide, molestation, marital strife, and the loss of best friendships. I literally felt sick reading most of this book and tried to finish it as quick as possible just to find out how it ended.

My rating: 2 stars out of 5

Did you read any of these books? What were your thoughts?

Delicious Wine... and a Dress giveaway!

2011-05-04T08:08:00.000-07:00

You all know that the Newlyweds Next Door love wine.

So I was really excited when the super nice people at FlipFlop Wines contacted me to sample two of their wines.

I had a chance to try the Pinot Grigio and the Riesling and I really enjoyed both of them.

What's great about FlipFlop wines:
1. Their wines are a fantastic value. They cost just $7.00 a bottle. For the price, this wine is terrific! It's perfect for a glass after work or bottle with friends on the weekend. There is definitely some crappy, cheap wine out there, but FlipFlop Wine packs some serious bang for your buck.
2. The wine is"idiot proof". The back of each bottle tells what it tastes like (for example the Pinot Grigio says it tastes like tropical citrus and ripe pear), if it's more sweet or dry, and what food it pairs well with. So if you're new to drinking wine this will help you to figure out what flavor/body you like and how to pair wine with food (as I learned it Italy, "you have-a the food, you have-a the wine!")
3. The wine supports a good cause. FlipFlop Wines partners with Soles4Souls, the international shoe charity dedicated to providing free footwear to those in need.They will give one pair of flip-flop sandals to Soles4Souls for each bottle of FlipFlop wine purchased. How cool is that?

My thoughts on the Riesling:
- The FlipFlop Riesling is a great "sweet wine." For me it could almost be a dessert wine.
- It's well balanced with a very smooth finish (not acidic at all)
- It's great for drinking in evening by itself or with a spicy Asian meal.
- A good wine for the price.

My thoughts on the Pinot Grigio:
- The FlipFlop Pinot Grigio is light-bodied and refreshing.
- It's a perfect "Summer Afternoon" wine.
- It tasted great with gourmet pizza from Trader Joe's.
- A fantastic wine for the price. I need to pick up more of this, stat!

Want to read more about FlipFlop Wine? Check out and "like" their Facebook page.

*Note: I was not paid or compensated by FlipFlop Wine for my review. They provided the wine to sample for free in exchange for a honest review.

And, because I love you guys, I have another NEW giveaway happening for a beautiful "North Shore" dress from Shabby Apple. Go to my Giveaways Blog to enter now!

Babies & Cats, Grand Prix, Giveaways, more!

2011-04-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

This post is about all kinds of stuff!

1. I saw the documentary "Babies" last night. So cute! And interesting to see how babies around the world live.

My favorite was the baby from rural Mongolia and his cat. The cat was so sweet to him and he was so enamored with the cat.

This just melts my heart...

The cat totally reminded my our our cat Judah. Don't you see the resemblance?

It made me excited for someday when Judah could meet and play with a future child of ours. I hope he'll be a nice "older brother."

2. The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach was a couple of weeks ago. We had a bunch of people over for a little party and then watched the races from the top of the parking structure by our house. So fun! I didn't take any pictures but my friend Brittney who was with us did. Check out her blog post about it here.

3. The Mr. meet his fundraising goal for his Tour de Cure for Diabetes race! Thank you to those of you (like Kirby from Good Gals) who were kind enough to donate. I love the blogging community! You girls rock!!

4. I donated blood yesterday. It was my fourth time so I'm really not squeamish about it anymore at all. Did you know that I have most rare blood type on earth? I'm AB-. Crazy, right?

5. I'm selling a gorgeous silk shantung strapless dress from ARIA in coral on eBay here.
The dress is this dress:

In this color:

Go the eBay post for more information.

6. My Seattle's Best Coffee and BlogHer giveaway ends on Saturday. You still have a chance to win $100! Go here to enter! It's really easy to enter to win!

7. I have a really busy weekend coming up -- Taste of Long Beach, USC Young Alumnae Scholarship Gala & Casino night, and a Tea Party to watch the Royal Wedding (DVRed)! I will try to take lots of pictures!

Visting "The City on a Hill"

2011-04-26T10:18:00.000-07:00

Last week during my furlough I traveled to Boston for family, fun, and food!

My parents and I went to two great museums.

One day we went to the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA). And in addition to viewing their regular galleries we got to see a stunning limited0-time Chihuly exhibit.

Chihuly is an artist that creates amazing glass art.

{click to enlarge}

Chihuly's work on display at the MFA included several giant chandeliers, a room where the entire ceiling is made up of hundreds of glass sculptures, a "garden" made filled with glass, a boat of glass, and an amazing forest of glass and real trees.

{click to enlarge}

Such amazing stuff!

Another day my Dad and I visited the Institute of Contemporary Art. I can't really say I love super modern contemporary art. I just don't "get it". But it was cool the see the museum and discuss the art.

There are great views from the ICA out onto the Boston Harbor.

We also ate at some amazing restaurants! I highly recommend all of these places....

Carmen in the North End for dinner, Mike's Pastry for dessert, Shabu-Zen in Chinatown for lunch, Legal Seafood by the Aquarium for Dinner, Atlantic Fish Co in the Back Bay for lunch, and The Helmand for Dinner.

My Mom and I at Helmand.

We also did a bunch of shopping and a TON of walking around the city.

The Old City Hall

Long Wharf

All and all, a great trip to "The City on a Hill."

Shameless Plea and a New Giveaway

2011-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

In the past year The Mr. has gotten really into cycling and next weekend he is participating in his first big bike race - A 60 Mile Race for the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure!

He's getting close to hitting his fundraising goal for the race, but he still needs help!

His Tour de Cure Website and Donation Page is here.

Diabetes is close to The Mr.'s heart because his grandfather had diabetes and lost his leg to diabetes. Each mile he rides, and the funds he raises will be used in the fight to prevent and cure diabetes.

Even if you're able to donate only a few dollars, your generous gift will help improve the lives of nearly 24 million Americans who suffer from diabetes.

And seriously, how can you resist this silly guy? :)

Also, I have BRAND new giveaway going that launched on Monday, for another $100 Amazon.com gift card! All you have to do is read about my experience tasting all five "Levels" of Seattle's Best Coffee and then comment on that post about which level you think you'd like. Crazy easy!

Furloughed and Heading to Boston

2011-04-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

I am on "furlough" for work this week. Basically, due to budget cuts my company is having a bunch of us take mandatory vacation. A little forced "spring break," if you will.

But I'm 100% OK with that because tonight I'm flying on a red-eye to Boston to see my bi-coastal (doesn't that term sound so friggin' snobby? Hilarious.) parents for the week!

Last time I was in Boston was Fall 2009.

You can read about that amazing trip here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 , Part 4

I plan to spend the week checking out fantastic museums (like newly renovated MFA), eating great seafood, and enjoying time with my Mom and Dad. I love Boston!

The Mr. is envious because he has to stay in LA to work. But I'll be back on Saturday so that we can still spend Easter Sunday together.

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Also, I've been on a bit a giveaway bonanza lately. This may be my last one for a little while, but it's a good one, so you should definitely enter. It's ANOTHER $100 Amazon.com gift card! All you have to do is read about my experience tasting all five "Levels" of Seattle's Best Coffee and then comment on that post about which level you think you'd like. Super simple!

What I Love About Being on Business Trips

2011-04-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I travel a lot for work.

On average I'm away from home 8-10 days a month for work (which is a lot less than my old schedule which was 16-18 days a month).

Often times people will ask me questions like, "how do you do it?!", "don't you miss your husband?", "does your husband mind you being gone that much?"

Yes of course we miss each other. But we're used to it and we don't mind it.

If fact, as I was sitting in my hotel suite (Thanks Starwood for the upgrade!) last night, I was thinking of all the things I like about being away on a business trip...

Free food! And no cooking or doing dishes.
In fact, no chores at all. I come home to spotless hotel room every night.
Being able to catch up on my "chick" TV shows like Grey's Anatomy (PS - what was with that singing episode?).
Sleeping in a king size bed all by myself (yes, we share a queen size bed at home).
Being able to sleep through the night without an adorable cat jumping on me.
Not feeling like I have to do anything besides work hard and relax (no bill paying, crafty projects, or home organizational tasks can nag me while I'm on the road).
Coming home to a happy husband and happy cat who missed me. Absence often does make the heart grow fonder.

And of I love the perks of business traveling like airline miles, hotel points, and credit card points.

Just for fun, here are a couple of pictures from my business trips...

Spending my 27th birthday out to dinner with my co-workers:

My co-worker and me in a client's office "matching" in pastels:

Am I going to travel for work forever? No. I know there is an expiration date on this life. Not tomorrow, but in two years, or five years, or eight years this will all be over. And I know part of me will be very happy but part of me will miss it.

Do any of you travel for work? Have spouses that travel for work? How do you feel about business travel?

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Also reminder about the great giveaway going on on my reviews and giveaways blog. All you have to do is read about the new Seattle's Best Coffee Levels and then leave me a comment about which one you think you are and you could win $100 gift card for Amazon.com. Go enter now here!

Financial Peace!

2011-04-12T11:42:00.000-07:00

Last fall I blogged a bit about Dave Ramsey and wanting to complete several of the baby steps this year.

For those who don't know, the Seven Baby Steps are:
Baby Step 1- $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund
Baby Step 2 - Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball
Baby Step 3 - 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings
Baby Step 4 - Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement
Baby Step 5 - College funding for children
Baby Step 6 - Pay off home early
Baby Step 7 - Build wealth and give!

All year we've been putting money toward Baby Step #2. And this month we got a HUGE and unexpected blessing and we were able to complete Baby Step #2!

I cannot even tell you the amount of peace this has brought -- even though our debt was not high interest. It's a giant weight lifted.

We've also put aside a chunk of change to buy a second car, which we will likely need very soon (we've been living with one car for over two years since the Mr. has a company car).

Now we're on to Baby Step #3, and well on our way to building up that emergency fund.

I know a bunch of you are on Baby Step #2 -- it's HARD -- but worth it. Even if you're just making one or two extra payments a month on that car loan or student loan, keep at it! Little payments can add up big.

Is anyone else out the making progress on the Baby Steps?

13 Wedding Registry "Must Haves" for the Kitchen

2011-04-07T06:30:00.000-07:00

I consider myself a bit of a wedding registry guru. I probably spent WAY to much time researching products and registering (and unregistering) for wedding presents. Warning: If you have a haphazard wedding registry I will judge you.

Now that I'm two years into marriage, I think I made some pretty choices about which items to registry and not register for. So I thought I'd share my "bakers dozen" (ha!) of "must-have" kitchen items that you should (and should not) register for. (Or if you're already married, considering adding these items to your kitchen!).

1. A Crockpot/Slow Cooker

I registered for this Rival crockpot and love it! It's the right size, it's easy to use, and doesn't do "too much." (note: all products shown are my actual products unless otherwise noted.)

2. Oven-to-table CorningWare

I have this Corningware set and it's great. It's functional, versatile, and looks nice.

3. A Kitchen Utensils Set

I hate when people register for each kitchen utensil separately. It's hard for people to piece together a nice gift of random spoons and spatulas and it takes up a lot of visual space on a registry. I like when people register for a set and I'm very happy with my Oxo Good Grips Kitchen Tools set that we registered for.

4. Extra spatulas

It's hard to have too many spatulas. It seems there is always one or two of them in the dishwasher. So after you kitchen tools set you should register for a couple of nice extra metal spatulas (good for grilling out too!). I really like our stainless steel spatula from Crate & Barrel.

5. A good set of mixing bowls

I think three mixing bowls in three sizes is about perfect unless you are a crazy baker. I love this Oxo mixing bowl set that we registered for. They are sturdy, functional, and I love the non-slip bottoms.

6. A Toaster Oven

Our toaster oven is the most-used item in our kitchen. It's SO versatile. You can toast all kinds of bread, heat up food, make nachos and other appetizers, and so much more. It appears that the Oster Toaster Oven that we registered for is discontinued but this one is similar. We love our toaster oven so much that we don't even have a regular toaster.

7. Nice everyday flatware

Most people register for flatware but I seriously love our Couture Flatware from Crate & Barrel. We spent a long time picking this flatware and it was an excellent choice.

8. Little dishes

I have these little dishes from Crate & Barrel and use them SO much. They're good for prepping food, serving sauces with main dishes, and tons of other things.

9. An Espresso Maker

If you're a coffee lover like me, then register for an Espresso Maker. It's such a fun treat to use it and if you're like me it's something you'd never buy for yourself. We like our Krupps Espresso Maker a lot.

Now for things I didn't register for but wish I did...

10. A Rice Cooker

I struggled through cooking rice for a year before I finally broke down and bought this Aroma rice cooker. It has made making healthy meals like chicken, rice, and veggies SO much easier. I wish I'd had this a long time ago!

11. Really good baking sheets

I didn't register and William-Sonoma but I wish I had so I could have gotten a bunch of their goldtouch products. I registered for cheapie cookie sheets and regretted it. I'm obsessed my goldtouch baking sheets that I got for Christmas this year.

Now for things I didn't register for, but got separately as gifts, and I'm glad I did...

12. Stainless Steel Cookware

I was registered for a mishmash of teflon and expensive stainless steel cookware when my mother-in-law told me that I should unregister for that stuff and she'd buy me some good cookware as a shower present. She bought me this surgical stainless steel "waterless" cookware set. These pots and pans really are amazing! It took a bit of time to learn to cook on them but they really are the best pots and pans in the world. And she paid A LOT less than you would have paid for a comparable set at Bed, Bath & Beyond.

13. A Wine Fridge

We really wanted to register for a wine fridge but the options at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Crate & Barrel all held between 6-18 bottles which really isn't enough if you're at all serious about collecting and storing wine. So we skipped registering for that item and with some of our wedding money bough a 40 bottle Magic Chef wine cellar at Home Depo t for the same price as the smaller ones retail for at those other stores! It's a fantastic cellar and we love having our wine properly stored in it.

So that's it for our wedding registry "must haves" for the kitchen! Maybe I'll do a follow up for items for the rest of the house. What kitchen items do you are "must haves" for a wedding registry?

Mammoth Recap and NEW Giveaway!

2011-04-05T05:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the Mr. and I spent three awesome days skiing/snowboarding at Mammoth Mountain, CA.

We drove from Long Beach to Bishop on Wednesday night after work, and spent the night in a motel there. While in Bishop we picked up some jerky at Mahogany Smoked Meats that Shoshanah recommended. Delish!

Early Thursday morning we drove the rest of the way to Mammoth Lakes and started the day off with a delicious, hearty breakfast and coffee at The Stove.

So good!

The we hit the slopes for three days of skiing and snowboarding! (We had pre-purchased our tickets at Costco which saved us a lot of money!)

Mammoth has just gotten DUMPED with snow this year so were excited to ski and snowboard there.

(yeah, I don't know what he is doing either).

Good thing Mammoth has so much snow because it was HOT. Like in the 50s hot.

We had to ditch our jackets because it was so hot! The Mr. snowboarded in just a long-sleeved shirt.

Because it was so hot, we ended our ski days a little early because the snow would get so slushy by about 2 PM.

But that gave us extra time to visit the Mammoth Brewing Company to do a free tasting and buy a lot of beer.

The beer was amazing! We bought the Floating Rock Hefeweizen, the Golden Trout Pilsner, the Double Nut Brown, and a "growler" of the Bear Ass Belgium.

We stayed at the Westin Monache. It's a really nice condo-style resort hotel. I liked it a lot because we could cook food in our own little kitchen which was cozy and inexpensive. We made spaghetti with meat sauce one night and tacos another night. It's right by the Village Gondola so we could access the slopes easily. So convenient!

This was the view from our room. The sun was warm enough to lay by the pool in a bathing suit and get a tan, but the ground was still covered with snow. Quite the contrast!

We had a lot of fun skiing and snowboarding in Mammoth, but for me, you can't beat skiing in Utah. The snow in Utah is pure perfection and the resorts are wonderful.

Switching gears a bit...

I have a great NEW giveaway going on on my reviews and giveaways blog. All you have to do is read about the new Seattle's Best Coffee Levels and then leave me a comment about which one you think you are and you could win $100 gift card for Amazon.com. Amazing right? So go enter now here!

Mammoth Skiing and Don't Forget...

2011-03-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

By the time you read this we'll be well on our way to another ski trip. The final one of the season.

We're driving up to Mammoth Mountain, CA.

I'm really itching to get up there because:
a) I didn't get to ski Mt. Hood. :(
b) I haven't been to Mammoth in almost a decade! And the Mr. has never been.
c) Mammoth Mt. has had an epic amount of snow this year! The base over 16 feet!

Also don't forget that you have a few more days to enter to win a $100 Visa Gift Card from BlogHer on my reviews and giveaways blog! It's so so easy to enter to win. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post about Stouffer's Saute s telling me how you make an ordinary night extraordinary. So go enter now!

My Work Quirks: Shoes and Hair

2011-03-29T06:42:00.000-07:00

In my job at "Large Consulting Firm" we have a strict business casual dress code (at our firm this means button-ups or cardigans, professional skirts or trousers, no strappy shoes, and no denim).

But there are two other things that aren't in the dress code that I won't (or should I say, very rarely) do at work in terms of attire.

Flats.

And ponytails.

Yep you can call me crazy. You can try to convince me of the benefits of these fashion choices (time! comfort!). But it's a rare day in the office that you'll catch me in flats or a ponytail.

Why no flats?

Personally, I feel dumpy and unprofessional in flat. Maybe it's because I work in a male-dominated field, or maybe it's just a personal quirk, but I have a deep seeded belief that this:

Looks a lot more "put together" with a business outfit than this:

Last week since my toe was hurt I wore flats to the office all week. It was my first time wearing flats to work almost two years. I felt so short (even though I am 5'8") and sloppy. And I felt like my presence is the room was less commanding.

Outside of work, I'll wear flats and sandals all day long. But in the office it's 100% pumps for me.

So, why no ponytails?

I think this one is more about how my hair looks in a ponytail than how people's hair looks in a ponytail in general.

I'd love my hair to look like this when I wear it in a ponytail:

But on me it just doesn't work in an office setting. I think it makes me look young and sloppy. Plus my hair gets little flyaways part way through the day that makes the ponytail look disheveled. I wear my hair in a ponytail to work less than five days a year. I just think my hair looks it's best and most professional when it's down or 1/2 up.

Note: When googling about these topics to see if I'm alone in my quirks, I found a fabulous working-woman fashion blog called Corporette. They've discussed both flats and ponytails at work and it seems that I am definitely not alone.

So I'm interested to hear what you other professional women think. Do you like to wear flats in a corporate environment? What about ponytails? Is there a right or wrong way to do either in a corporate setting?

Wedding Recap: Being Attendants Together

2011-03-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the Mr. and I got to be in his younger brother's wedding.

This is probably one of the only (if not the only) time we'll be in a wedding together. It was so much fun!

It was a black and pink wedding. Didn't the Mr. and all his brothers look handsome in their tuxes?

Here's the beautiful blushing bride and gorgeous bouquet.

We actually got a little bit of sun between the rain! Made for some great pictures!

So you can see my whole dress and hair here's a picture of me with my mother-in-law. I can't say I loved the bubble hem, but it looked pretty good overall.

I didn't get any pictures of the ceremony because we were in it. But it was beautiful. They did a Sand Ceremony like we did.

I loved walking down the aisle with the Mr!

The reception was in the gorgeous wedding tent at the Oregon Golf Club.

Their centerpieces had submerged flowers with a goldfish! So fun!

We dined and danced together and enjoyed being an integral part of wedding that wasn't our own.

Have you and your significant other ever been a wedding together?

Newlywed Survival Kit & Surviving the Portland ER

2011-03-24T09:16:00.000-07:00

I'm still working on getting together the wedding recap post from my Brother-in-Law's wedding. But I wanted to share a couple of things first...

1st - The gift!

Thanks for all of your advice on what to add to the Newlywed Survival Kit wedding gif!

I ended up adding a couple of games that I knew they wanted to add a little more fun to gift! I wanted to add a bottle of wine too, but I know she's not a big drinker so I skipped that.

Here's the final contents of the gift:

Cookbook, devotional, Dave Ramsey book, Bar Keeper's Friend, Skip-Bo, Phase 10, and Calphalon dish towel.

And here's how it looked all packaged up in a very functional gift bag (a cleaning bucket!)

I wrote out a explanation of the gift that you can read here. I hope they loved this gift as much as I did.

2nd - My trip to the ER.

As luck would have it, it turned out that a friend of the Mr's from High School was also getting married on the same night in Portland as his brother! Since Brother-in-Law's wedding ended early we had time to visit the other wedding, which was so much fun!

Well, toward the end of the night my feet were really hurting, so I decided to take off my shoes to dance (dumb!). I guess someone had broken a glass and I ended up cutting my foot really bad on the broken glass. It just kept bleeding and bleeding (so gross), so we decided to go to the ER to see if I needed stitches.

So two hours and several hundred dollars later, I left the Downtown Portland ER with seven stitches in my big toe. :(

The worst part was that I didn't get to go skiing on Mt. Hood because my foot hurt too bad and I didn't want to injure it more. Giant bummer!

The moral of the story -- always bring sandals to change into!

Off to Wedding and Ski Weekend! (and a giveway while we're gone)

2011-03-17T09:26:00.000-07:00

We're off!

We've packed our Bridesmaid/Groomsmen clothes, we've got the the gift all ready, and we've got our ski/snowboard gear! (That's a lot of luggage)

We're on our way to Oregon to see this wonderful couple get tie the knot!

That's the Mr.'s brother and his soon-to-be bride!

And after the wedding we're hitting the slopes here.

That's Mt. Hood.

By the way check out the Portland weather forecast for our whole trip up there...

Good thing rain on your wedding is good luck. I love the Pacific Northwest weather {heavy sarcasm}.

I'll back with lots of pictures and stories next week!

And while we're gone be sure to check out my Stouffer's Sautes for Two review and enter to win $100 Visa Gift Card from BlogHer on my reviews and giveaways blog! That's my little gift to you all while I'm gone :)

Too Much Tracking?

2011-03-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

I'm worried that I'm accidently becoming obsessive about tracking my life and everything in it.

As you know I track every dollar we spend and all of our finances in a giant spreadsheet.

And you know that I use natural family planning and track my fertility.

Well, recently I discovered Fertility Friend online and mobile. It's amazing! So much easier than the paper charts I'd always forget to write on. Now I'm a little bit obsessed. I can't stop looking at my charts and entering data pieces.

And recently I rejoined Weight Watchers online (girlfriend needs to loose 15 lbs) and I'm tracking everything I eat and drink.

I love the new points system and I love Weight Watcher Mobile because I eat out a lot and can check the points values on my phone.

But I wonder if this is all too much? I mean every day there is record of every food I eat, every dollar I spend, and everything my body does. It's a bit insane.

But I love it.

Bridesmaid Hair?

2011-03-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

I love being a bridesmaid.

Yeah, you have to buy an expensive (and often ugly) dress that you'll never wear again, but isn't it amazing to be an integral part of a couple's big day?

As you know, I'm a Bridesmaid in my brother-in-law's wedding next weekend. I'm so excited!

I have my dress...

Yup, it's David's Bridal.

I got my shoes...

$18 at DSW! I {heart} DWS!

The only thing left is to figure out is how to do my hair.

Since the dress is pretty "poofy" on the bottom (that's the Mr.'s description, not mine), I want my hair to have some volume to it balance things out.

I loved my half-up hair that I had done for my friend's wedding in 2009. But this time I was thinking of getting a full up-do to mix things up a little.

I put together a little inspiration board for the hair-do that I'm thinking (I tried to find examples with bangs since I have bangs)...

(That's me as bridesmaid in 2009 in the lower left corner to show how my hair looks with volume on the crown)

Basically I want volume on the crown with a lowish, curly, side bun/chignon.

Do you think that will look good? Any other suggestions?

My Weekend in San Diego: Rattlesnake and SDSU Basketball

2011-03-07T17:00:00.000-08:00

This weekend I went to San Diego to spend some quality time with my Dad and see the SDSU Aztec Men's Basketball play their last home game of the season.

On Saturday morning my Dad and I did a 4-mile hike on the mountain behind his house. About 1/2 mile into the hike I was chatting away, not paying attention, which all I sudden I looked down at the trail and saw this guy a couple of feet in front of me:

(not an actual photo of the snake I saw, photo is from here)

I quickly realized it was a 4 ft. long rattlesnake laying completely across the trail and I was about to step on him!

I let out a blood-curdling scream and bolted down the trail away from snake. Well I think my scream scared the snake as much as he scared me because he quickly slithered off the trail and into the bushes.

My heart was pounding out of my chest (I took my pulse and it was 190 bpm) but I finished the hike, making my Dad lead the way from then on out of course. :)

Welcome to springtime in east county San Diego!

Saturday night I joined my Dad in his season ticket seats to watch the San Diego State Men's Basketball Team win their final home game and become co-champions of the Mountain West Conference!

It was so much fun to be in a sold-out arena cheering on Aztecs! (I didn't go to SDSU but I grew up rooting for the Aztecs, so I'm still a big fan). After the game we all rushed the court. Crazy fun!

SDSU is now ranked 9th and is in a good position to make it pretty far in March Madness! Aztecs Fight!

We Are Family!

2011-03-04T08:21:00.000-08:00

You may have seen a lot of my pictures of my family on this blog, but you probably don't know much about them. So I though I'd tell you a little bit more about some of the most important people in my life.

My Dad, "The Professor"

As his nickname suggests, he's been a professor of Communication in San Diego for over 30 years. He's published tons of articles (both academic journals and in popular press like, Cosmopolitan Magazine) and several books, and on top of that is an amazing teacher. His students always tell him how much his classes changed thier lives. The Professor is also a marathon runner, a wine connoisseur, and an avid skier. He has always encouraged me to be athletic and even coached my basketball teams when I was growing up. He's an amazing person. I love my Dad.

My Mom, "The Dean"

As her nickname suggest, my Mom is a University Dean in Boston (Yes, she and my Dad are still married, they fly back and forth all the time). She is the ultimate role model of a working Mom. She's had an amazing career but still took time to help me with my homework and watch all my tennis matches. She and my Dad took me on so many amazing trips when I was young and she is still one of my favorite "travel buddies." My Mom is my hero.

I'm an only child so I'm super close to both of my parents. It's hard to say if I'm a "Daddy's Girl" or a "Mama's Girl" because I have a wonderful, close, and unique relationship with both of them.

Since I have a tiiiiny family, I thought I'd tell you a bit about the Mr.'s family too...

His Parents, "The In-Laws"

The In-Laws have their quirks, but overall they are great. I actually think I really lucked out in the in-law department. They are very loving and kind people but also tend to "stay out of our business." I have to really admire my Mother-in-Law for letting me have her first born baby (my husband) and being so chill about that transition. I always enjoy visiting The In-Laws in Portland and going on our annual camping trip together.

His Brothers, "The Nearly-Wed", "The Runner", and "The Student"

The Nearly-Wed is a year younger than me and is getting married in two weeks! He lives and works in Portland and reminds me SO much of The Mr. personality-wise.

The Runner is Sophomore at the University of Oregon and is a star track runner. Currently he holds the fastest 800 meter time of any collegiate runner in the USA! He really could be an Olympic hopeful in 2012 or 2016!

The Student is about to get his Master's degree in Finance in Portland. He's also an fantastic pianist. And he is single. :)

And there's one more person that I didn't want to forget. The only living grandparent that the Mr. or I still have...

My Grandma, "The Scandinavian"

The Scandinavian lived in Sweden until she was two years old and then moved to Chicago. She is now 92 years old and still lives independently in her historic home in Chicago. She is one of the kindest, smartest, most wonderful people that I know. She stays up-to-date on politics and news and always has an interesting opinion to share. And I love her stories from the Great Depression, WWII, and beyond. She has an amazing memory! I'm so lucky that she's lived to be so old so that I've gotten to know her so well.

So that's my lil family! The older I get the more I appreciate my family and see how important they are to me.

Head over to Kelly's Korner to read more about families and share yours!

Being Tourists in LA: Reagan Library

2011-02-28T07:30:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend we played "tourists" in our own town, and finally visited the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.

A while ago we visited the Kennedy Library in Boston and really enjoyed it. And so began our desire to visit more Presidential libraries.

So on Saturday we made the hour drive from our home in Long Beach to the Reagan Library in the beautiful, rural, Simi Valley north of Los Angeles.

The museum contains more history of the Regan Presidency that you could ever see read or see in day. Tapes of speeches and campaign ads. Actual news articles, presidential and personal photos, and actual White House itineraries. As well as explanations of various domestic and foreign policy decisions and events. Regardless of your political leaning, it's fascinating to see the history of our country and it's leaders.

Reagan was known as the "great communicator" because of his speeches and his effective use of teleprompters. In the museum they have podium where you can read Reagan speech off a real teleprompter.

(I think he looks pretty Presidential, don't you?)

There's also replica of the Reagan Oval Office. So cool to feel like you're in the President's office.

These are some Nancy Reagan's actual dresses. I always love reading about first ladies and seeing what there wore.

(Currently I can't get enough of Michelle Obama's fashion!)

A lot of Reagan's foreign policy focused on the USSR which was really interesting to read about considering that I visited the USSR in 1990, but was I so young and didn't have much context for what was happening around me.

In the part of the museum about the USSR and communism there's a replica of the Berlin Wall that you can crawl under.

Maybe the coolest part of the museum may be that the actual Air Force One used during Reagan's presidency is housed there.

And you can even go on board!

(We couldn't take pictures on board but it was really cool to see the inside of Air Force One!)

Oh, and did I mention that the views from the museum were spectacular?! What a beautiful place.

The Reagan Library and Museum was fabulous! We learned a lot about what was happening in the world during our early childhoods and had a ton of fun.

I can't wait to visit another presidential library. Maybe Nixon next, since it is near LA too? But I'd really like to visit Clinton's Library in Arkansas. Has anyone been there?

Newlywed Survival Kit

2011-02-24T10:30:00.000-08:00

My brother-in-law is getting married in three weeks! So excited for him!

So I had the idea, to make him and his fiance a Newlywed Survival Kit, as wedding present. Basically a kit of things to get you through the first year of marriage.

So far I have...

A Dave Ramsey Book, because money is a major source of newlywed and marital conflict.

My two favorite cleaning products, Bar Keeper's Friend and Castile Soap, becauase we fought a lot about chores in the first year and these products make chores a lot easier!

And some dishtowels off their registry to go along with the cleaning products.

A couples' devotional book, Night Light, because reading and praying together can do wonders.

A Cookbook, because cooking together and cooking for each other is such a fun part of being a newlywed.

And I'm going to put it all in a cleaning bucket, because that's a great way to store cleaning supplies.

I want to add a couple more $5-$15 items, but I can't think of what else to add! What else would you add to a Newlywed Survival Kit?*

*Nothing to racy, ok? This is my husband's brother we're talking about here.