Sweet Somewhere Bound

Being a Good Customer

2011-12-11T09:05:00.000-08:00

I wish I would have written this earlier in the holiday season, but work has been keeping me so busy, I didn't have time.

As you know, the holidays are upon us in full force. This time of year makes me hate my job so very much. Not only does my workload increase almost twofold, customers get mean and evil. Everything is suddenly my fault; they are cranky and tired; and we just can't make some of them happy, no matter what.

I've been on the "other side" of retail for nearly 14 years now, and have handled almost every kind of customer one can encounter. Based on my experience, I've created a list for how to be a good customer, as well as what to expect during your shopping trips, during the holiday season.

1. If the item you want to purchase is sold out of the color/size/style you wanted, it is not the retail worker's fault. 90% of the time, items are auto-shipped to the store based on availability in the company's warehouse. So if it's sold out in the store, one of two things are happening: It's out in the warehouse too, or it's in transit to the store. WE have zero control on when or if things arrive to the stores. My advice - start shopping early for best selection.

Oh, and if the item you are looking for that your husband/girlfriend/child just HAD to have is sold out on Christmas Eve when you finally decided to come looking for it, please do not throw a hissy fit and blame us. It's YOUR fault that you started your holiday shopping at 4pm on Christmas Eve. Yes, I'm talking to you, Mr. Track Suit jerk from 2009.

2. If you decide to shop on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, you cannot and should not complain about lines being long or the stores being crowded. Every store has long lines during those times, as those are typically peak shopping hours. You chose to shop during that block of time, as did 75% of the rest of the world. Stores will staff more people during those times, but every store only has a certain number of registers and associates, so there will be a line no matter what.

My advice - shop early or shop late. I go to malls or do my shopping when stores open during the holidays (8am or 9am), and am out of there by 11am. I never hit a line, I never see crowds. It's wonderful. Typically, business slows down after 7pm on weekends too, that's another great time to do your shopping. Or, if you can take a weekday off (Tuesday/Wednesday are the slowest days), and knock out your shopping then, do it. You'll be glad you did.

3. Retail workers are not mind readers. If you are looking for a very specific item, it is helpful to have an item number (you can find those on the store website), or detailed description. Some kids go as far to cut and paste the items they want into a list, including photos - those are amazing! (I've built a $500 sale on a list like that).

If you come in and say "My daughter wants a black jacket", that is of no help. We have about 20 different black jackets. If you say "My daughter wants the black Ashley brand peacoat with the fur-lined hood", we know exactly what that is and can get you in and out of the store in no time.

It's also important to know sizes of the people you are buying for, not "well, she's about your size" when talking to the retail worker because that is NEVER right. (I look at lot smaller than I am, so I guarantee your granddaughter is not my size). This will also help minimize returns after Christmas (more on that later).

4. I can tell you that retail workers hate people who wait outside the store before opening, peering into the door/windows and banging on the door. We will purposely open late if we find people doing that. Trust me. Wait in your cars or in the mall food court, and come into the store after the door/gates are open.

And if you call the store to find out if the store's hours, don't assume that because someone answered the phone that we're open. Employees get to the stores HOURS before it opens in order to restock, do markdowns, set up new promotions, etc. I know that we get there 3-4 hours prior to opening many days of the week. Yes, I'm talking to YOU Ms. White Winter Coat lady from two weeks ago - you called to see if we carried Uggs at 7:30am, and showed up at the door at 7:45am, and wondered why you couldn't get in - that's because we opened at 10am. Moron.

5. Know the return policy at every store you purchase at. Every return policy is different. The return policies are posted at the point-of-sale (register area), typically printed on the front or back of the receipt and, many times, available on the store's website.

A couple rules of thumb about return policies and returns:
-Keep the tags on. In my store, we will get about 10% of customers trying to return items purchased at a different store every year, because we carry similar merchandise to other stores. We know our product and if we carry it, so please don't argue with us when we tell you it's not ours - I think we know better than you. Keeping the tag on (just remove the price) will prove that it is our product and make your return easier.
-Gift receipts ONLY guarantee the price paid for the item and that the item is from that store. It is NOT a real receipt, therefore refunds cannot be processed - information regarding the tender is not included on the gift receipt. DO NOT expect cash back or a credit card refund with a gift receipt. And DO NOT get mad at the cashier when they tell you this.
-Gift cards usually (there are some small exceptions) cannot be cashed out for amounts over $10. So don't ask. If you don't like the gift cart you received, sell it on Ebay or Craigslist. You'll get about 50% of the value for it, usually. Or regift it. But don't ask if you can cash it out, it won't happen.
-Do not get mad if the store is sold out of the size you need to exchange your item for. Stores can do up to 20% of their entire holiday business in the three days prior to Christmas, so things will be picked over and sold out. That's why knowing the size ahead of time is very important. :-)

6. Just a note about spending your gift cards - I know that they are burning a hole in your pocket on December 26, but WAIT to use them. On December 26, stores are very picked over and light in merchandise selection, and will be that way until at least the first week of January, where the new spring stuff starts to trickle in. I suggest doing your gift card redemption shopping then. Or, if you're really patient, shop in February, when the bulk of the new spring items are coming in. Trust me on this one - I've been doing this forever.

Well, I hope that gives you some insight to the other side of retail and some tips to make your holiday shopping easier. Good luck and happy shopping!

Oh, and in case you were wondering - I'm completely done with my shopping. :-) I was done as of 12/3!

Engaged!

2011-10-11T18:28:00.001-07:00

Funny that my last post was about wedding advice and I wasn't engaged yet. BUT NOW I AM!

The BF proposed to me on Saturday night in Santa Cruz, CA. I was pretty darn surprised, as we had discussed marriage, rings, and stuff for years, but nothing ever came out of it.

We had gone to dinner in downtown Santa Cruz, and afterward, the BF wanted to go walk on the pier/wharf near the Boardwalk. I agreed, as we had never seen the wharf at night. Usually, when we go to Santa Cruz, we're going for a concert, so we always have somewhere to be at night. On this trip, we had nothing concrete planned.

So we're walking along the wharf when he suggests we stop to look at the ocean. We're leaning against the railing when he hugs me and asks "You know how we've been talking about marriage for awhile now?".

I say something like yes, we've been talking about it for years, what's going on? (I had several drinks at dinner, I was a little buzzed at the time).

Then he says, "So, will you?" and pulls out a ring box.

I stare at it in shock, then grab it and say something like "holy crap, is this really happening?".

The BF is smiling and says, "Yes, it is. Open the box!".

I open it, gasp in delight, put it on my finger and say an emphatic "YES!".

Six years and 1 month later, we are finally engaged. I couldn't be happier.

Here's the engagement porn, in case you were want some eye candy!

The ring! It's a 1-carat-ish moissonate stone with two black diamonds in a custom setting (designed by the BF and his jeweler)

Us in a self-portrait after the proposal. I can't stop smiling!

A couple frequently asked questions and answers:

Q. When is the big day?

A. No clue, but I do know we're aiming for next September.

Q. Why is your stone not a diamond?

A. I didn't want one. They're overdone. I acutally requested a white sapphire, but the BF's jeweler steered him in the direction of moissonate - it's a lab created mineral that is harder and more brilliant than a diamond. Not to mention less expensive.

Q. What plans do you have for your wedding?

A. I'm toying around with several different ideas, ranging from a modern country-themed wedding (think black, burlap, and white, but very simple) to a backyard funky music-themed wedding (think red, black, white with musical stuff intwined) to a wedding held at an aquarium. Nothing is decided, as I want the BF to have a say in everything.

Q. Did he ask your Dad?

A. Yes. I told him a long time ago that he needed my Dad's blessing before proposing. My Dad is all traditional that way. The BF remembered and did discuss this with him ahead of time.

Stay tuned for further wedding details! :-) I'm hoping to post all of the big decisions (venue, date, wedding party, theme, etc) on here.

Weddings and Advice

2011-09-03T17:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not engaged, by the way. But the BF has been asking about ring ideas recently, and I've had many ideas for a wedding over the past few years. My thoughts have gone from a wedding in Vegas officiated by Elvis, to an Alice In Wonderland themed wedding (damn you Ashlee Simpson for taking my idea), to eloping in Tahoe. I figure if I have some things/ideas figured out before the engagement happens, I'll be slightly ahead of the game.

I've attended enough weddings in the last six years to know what goes into them, and what the "have-tos" and traditional things are. I've also figured out, based on what I've seen at weddings, the things I really want to do and the things that I absolutely will not do. We're not super fancy people - we have a hard time dressing up (to get the BF in a shirt with a collar is a battle every time), we both hate being the center of attention, and we both think spending a ton of money on a day is dumb. I really want our wedding, whenever it happens, to be reflective of us - as people and as a couple.

In case you're wondering, here are those lists of wants/don't wants:

Want To Do List
-Have a family member get ordained, so they can officiate the ceremony. We like the idea of someone we know marrying us.
-Wear a knee-length dress that's not white as my "wedding gown". It will likely be made by Betsey Johnson. Untraditional, yes. Me, hell yes.
-Keep the food simple, yummy, and memorable. And not dry or cold.
-Get one of our favorite musical artists to play acoustic songs for the ceremony (if the price is right).
-Keep the guest list as small and intimate as possible: immediate family, extended family, and close friends only.
-DIY. Whatever I can do, friends can do, family can do, I'll let them do if they offer, in order to cut costs.
-The entire wedding will be fun, laid-back, and not fussy.

Will NOT Do List
-Head table. I hate the idea of "being on display" for everyone to look at. I'd be so uncomfortable (the BF would be too).
-Not allow other people to influence our decisions. It's OUR day, damn it, and we'll do what we want. No one will live vicariously through us.
-Tasteless but pretty cake. I can't tell you how many cakes I've eaten that were super pretty, but tasted bland and stale. Not gonna happen.
-Spend a ton of money on the wedding. It's ONE day of our lives, and it's not worth $1000s. The budget will likely be well under $7000.

So, questions to my readers, since I know a lot of you are married.........I'd love your advice and feedback!
-What is worth spending the time/money on?
-What is totally not worth the money or time?
-What was the most memorable part of your wedding day? Planning process?
-What details could be omitted to cut costs that really didn't make a difference (in your opinion)?
-What is the one thing I HAVE to have at the wedding/reception?
-Ideas for me? Helpful hints, resources?

I would love some comments on this! Please and thanks!

**Again, Mom or Mom-in-Law, if you're reading this, we're NOT engaged. Seriously. I just want to figure some things out. That's all this post means. Don't read too much into it**

Food blog?

2011-08-29T15:58:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading this for awhile, you'll know that I like food. A lot. I've posted photos and recipes of my creations, talked about places I've eaten, things I've eaten, etc. I also post a lot of this kind of thing on Facebook.

It was there (Facebook) that someone suggested I start a food blog to chronicle all things food-related. I would post restaurant reviews, recipes, etc.

Is anyone interested in something like this? I think it would be fun on my end, but not sure if readers would.

Thoughts? Any feedback would be appreciated. :-)

Cow

2011-08-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the short hiatus folks. It's Back-to-School season in the retail world; hence, I'm very busy. Something that I ran into this morning is prompting me to write today. Enjoy.

Today I worked in our Folsom location. When I go to this store, instead of taking two freeways that are a traffic nightmare, I take a 2-lane back road through the "country". It's much faster and saves my sanity. Plus I like being reminded that there are undeveloped parts of Sacramento County. :-)

So this morning I was on my way, flying down the near-empty road. When I was approaching the intersection of Keifer and Grantline (those EG peeps that read this will know where I'm talking about), I saw a large thing in the road. As I got closer, I could see that the "thing" was a large cow.

Yes, a cow. He looked a lot like this:

He was just standing in the middle of the road, watching the cars go past him. Thank goodness he was near the intersection, so cars were not going by too quickly, and they were doing a good job of avoiding him.

I felt bad for the poor cow, so I pulled over, got out of my car, and started to try and get the cow out of the road. I tried calling to him, mooing to him, making gestures.....you name it. But that damn cow was having none of it.

I should mention that I'm wearing a black lace tunic, black leggings, knee-high boots, and giant sunglasses. I bet I looked like a naive city girl trying to woo a cow - ridiculous. :-)

Anyway, after about five minutes of making noises to the cow, I gave up. He was apparently content to sit in the middle of the road. I was worried for his owner - the cow had an ear tag so I know he belonged to someone. There are so many ranches and farms on that stretch of road...if I knew how to identify the tag, I would have found the farm and gotten the owner to take care of his cow.

So I called the non-emergency CHP hotline to tell them of the "road hazard". Never mind that the damn hotline hung up on me three times before I got through (that's the state of California for you, nothing works like it should), but I left a message telling them about the cow, hoping they did something to get him out of the road and back to his owner.

I was a little late to work this morning because of said cow. I really hope that he's okay.

Sometimes Saturday

2011-08-06T16:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, I'm broke. Shit just comes up that requires money, and all of a sudden, I'm out of money. I've been in a state of near broke-ness since late June, barely making it through the month. I've cut back on shopping, cut back on eating out, but I can't get caught up. Things always seem to pop up - flat tire that needed to be replaced; expensive travel for work that doesn't get reimbursed for 4-5 weeks; birthday gifts; etc. I'm hoping that starting in September, I can really plan out a budget and start my savings back up.

Sometimes, I work a lot. In the past three weeks, I've worked over 160 hours (averages 53 hours/week). I'm salaried, so I don't get overtime. And I never work less than 40 hours on any given week to make up for working more the week prior. This week alone was 59.5 hours. I'm exhausted, and BTS has just started. I cannot wait for September 16 - that will be the start of my 4-day weekend of doing NOTHING.

Sometimes, I get a hankering for fruit and just have to pull over at a roadside fruit stand and fork over $6 for 3 baskets of strawberries. And sometimes I have to eat them right out of the basket on my way home from said fruit stand.

Sometimes, I feel guilty for not working out. I missed my Zumba class this morning, but it was due to pure exhaustion from working so much this week. But I feel that I need to make more of an effort to go, even when exhausted. I'm not the same when I don't attend my Zumba class, and I miss it!

Sometimes, I wish I had bigger boobs. I'm serious. I'm a size L (junior's) or M (women's), but I have a very difficult time filling out the boob area of a top in certain styles - they're always too big. I have bought those amazing 2-cup-sizes-larger bras to try and help the situation, but that doesn't always work. I've contemplated implants since college off and on. But now I'm seriously considering it. Nothing huge, just a full C-cup to put me in porportion. I have very broad shoulders, a stocky athletic build, no waist, and tiny boobs.

Sometimes, a cheeseburger just sounds GOOD. And sometimes, that craving can only be fulfilled with a McDonald's cheeseburger (and fries). And sometimes, it's heaven in a paper bag. And it makes me happy.

The BB's

2011-07-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

I have several different groups of girlfriends - The EG Blogger girls (consisting of Hutch, P-Dawg, Tracy, and April), girls from my crazy past (Morgan and Randi), and The BB's.

The BB's are girls I see quite often. We all came together because of our boyfriends/husbands. I wrote about the guys friendship here, in case you missed it.

Let me introduce you to them - they're one amazing group of women. The photo at the very bottom of this post shows who is who.

Erin is married to Jeff, my BF's younger brother. They've been together for 9 years, married for 2. She's the first of the BB's that I met nearly 6 years ago. Obviously, we will be sister-in-laws someday, when the BF finally decides to marry me. We have a mutual love of shopping, and similar tastes in clothing. We also both love entertaining, gossiping, sports, and trashy celebrity magazines. She's super cool, very sweet, and a lot of fun to be around.

Jessica is dating Ryan S, my BF's best friend. They've been dating nearly 7 years now. I met her shortly after the BF and I started dating. Jess and I instantly hit it off, and have become pretty close friends. We both enjoy trying new restaurants, have similar music tastes and love going to concerts. She's a HUGE SF Giants fan, so baseball season is interesting for us (I'm an A's fan, as is Ryan and the BF). She's smart as hell, witty, and pretty damn awsome. Love her.

Michelle dates Jason, a friend of both the BF and his brother. The three of them were roommates for a few years before the BF and I moved in together. Michelle and Jason have been dating almost five years. Michelle is really close to Erin - they're BFFs. Michelle is one of the nicest people I've ever met - she's very sweet and caring, and will do anything for anyone. Michelle and I are regulars at our Zumba classes, although she's much more diligent about going than I am. We both enjoy good beer, great food, and we're both Aries. She's got a crazy little snarky side to her that I find hilarious.

Nikki is dating Ryan N., another friend of the BF and Jeff. Nikki is also my hair stylist. Her and Ryan have been dating for almost two years, and she's been a fun addition to our group of girls. I absolutely adore her. She's so much fun, super opinionated, very witty and smart. We've been mistaken for sisters on a few occasions - we have similar face shapes and hairstyles, and pretty much similar overall looks (tattoos, similar style of dress, "don't give a shit" personality). She's pretty freaking rad.

Kristin is married to Jesse. They've been dating for several years, but have been married for just over one year. Kristin is also Ryan N.'s sister, so someday Kristin and Nikki will be sisters-in-law. Kristin is awesome - she's super funny, loves reality TV, and is another big Giants fan. I really enjoy hanging around her and getting to know her. Her and Erin started hanging out about a year ago, and Kristin has joined our group of girlfriends in that time.

Us BB's get together once a month for a different event, sans the boyfriends/husbands. We've done brunch a couple times, a few happy hours, and next month's event is a barhopping night. We're also planning on doing a limo wine tasting event this fall. In between our monthly events, we have parties, go to baseball games, you name it. I have so much fun with these ladies, and it's been nice being able to trust girls again after my horrid past with girlfriends. :-) These are the kind of friends I've been waiting for.

Summer Potluck Party - July 2011

"R Party" - July 2010

New Year's Eve - ringing in 2011!

Jessica's 30th Birthday Party - December 2010.

Halloween 2010

Decades Party - April 2011

The BB's at Brunch - April 2011.

Happy Hour - July 2011

A's/Giants game - June 2011

Brunch - June 2011

Left to right: Michelle, me, Erin, Jessica, Nikki, Kristin

Project "Get Healthy" Update

2011-07-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

In case you missed the beginning of what I've recently dubbed Project "Get Healthy", you can be updated here and here.

I'll admit that in the past couple of months, I've slacked a bit on the diet and exercise. Work has picked up a bit (it is Back-to-School, aka Round 1 of Retail Hell), I've had corporate visits, and I'm just TIRED.

Zumba has now been downgraded to 2-3 days a week, instead of 3-4. My work schedule is just crazy sometimes, and I can't always get to the studio. That, or my feet are just plain killing me, and a jumpy-high energy workout would just make it worse. I am still making every attempt to go when I can, and I do still love it.

As for diet - that's been hit or miss. There are times that when I'm stressed or traveling (like after my flat tire on Highway 99 outside of Atwater), that a Sonic Double Cheeseburger and tots sound amazing. Yes, I actually ate that. You try being stuck on the side of the road with a flat and semis whizzing by you at 65mph. Stress = comfort food.

Oh, and I've recently rediscovered soda. Yikes. I gave up soda as a freshman in high school (16 years ago, wow) and would only have a sip of clear soda (Sprite, 7Up, etc) every now and then. But I bought the BF a 12-pack of Sierra Mist Naturals and had a sip of his - YUM! It's so tasty......so I've had a couple in the last few months. I know soda is full of sugar and empty calories, but it's SO GOOD. I think if I limit myself to one per week it won't be too bad.

But for the most part, I think that my mentality with food has changed, and I've made everyday changes that help promote healthy eating. I no longer stock the house with junk food, and if I do buy it, I buy the reduced-fat version (Reduced Fat Cheez-Its are surprisingly good). Greek yogurt and string cheese are my go-to snacks. I've been hitting up the farmer's markets for fresh fruits and veggies - summer produce is fabulous! I've got strawberries, blackberries, and peaches as another snack right now - YUM!

I still make 90% of dinners at home. We probably do fast-food or takeout 1 day per week. As for my lunches, I make them 98% of the time. I do a lot of soup or sandwiches, lots of snacks, and LOTS of water! I also think that I'm more conscious of what I put in my body. If I eat one crappy meal (like my Sonic fast food mess), I make up for it by eating well the rest of the day or the entire next day. I mentally count calories and am still under 2000/day for the most part.

As for the numbers - I haven't weighed myself since mid-May when I hit 150lbs (15 pounds lost). Scales are the devil. My clothes have not fit any differently in the last couple of months; if anything, they're looser. I'm down to a size 8 in pants, Large in Junior's tops, M in women's tops, and even my shoe size is down (8 vs. 8.5).

As for inches, I did them this morning for the first time since March. And I'm pleasantly surprised by the results!

July measurements/difference from March
Bust: 36 1/2" -1"
Waist: 30" -2"
Hip: 38 3/4" -1 3/4"
Arm: 11 3/4" -1/2"
Thigh: 22 1/4" flat

Hot damn. I didn't think that I'd lost that much in my waist and hips! I'm so not complaining though. :-)

I'm gonna keep plugging away on this till I can get down to 145. Once I hit that, I might go for 140.......or even 135. We'll just see!

Help from my bloggy friends?

2011-07-18T11:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

So, I'm having issues lately with being able to comment on blogs.

There are a few blogs that are super easy for me to comment, mostly ones that have a pop-up comment box when you click on "comments".

But there are others that no matter what I do, I cannot leave a comment.

Here's what happens:
-I type in a comment in the comment box at the bottom of a post.
-I choose "Google Account", and it takes me to the log in page
-If I'm not already logged in, I log in. But if I am already logged in, I get the log in page anyway.
-So I fill out the log in, and it takes me back to the comment box. And where my name should be, it says "Anonymous".
-So I click on comment again, and it takes me back to the log in page where this vicious cycle starts all over again.
-In the end, I cannot leave a comment.

It's so frustrating! Can anyone help me? Please? Maybe?..................I would appreciate it!

F*&K IT Friday

2011-07-15T17:52:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to start a new regular feature here, and today, since I'm on one hell of a snarky mood, seems perfect to kick it off. Welcome to the debut of:

F*&K IT Friday

Basically, this will be one big vent session. Or snarky bitchfest. Or a list of things I'm saying "f*&k it" to. Whatever I'm in the mood for. Feel free to link up if you like. Not sure of how many "partakers" I'll get, but whatevs. It's therapy for me.

This week it's about my diet/exercise. I've managed to keep the 15lbs off that I lost by June, but this week my diet and exercise went to shit.

See, I had a corporate visitor in my stores this week, so I've been running around like a neurotic bitchy Energizer Bunny getting them ready. One store in particular I spent 20 hours at in two days.

Anywho, my schedule was insane. I'd go to work at 7am, only to leave around 5 or 6 pm. Doing this killed my exercise twofold:

1. My feet and back were killing me.

2. I missed my Zumba classes getting off work so late. (They typically start between 5 and 6:30).

So even if I could make Zumba, my feet hurt so bad that jumping around would be torture, and probably turn my back into a stiff mess, leaving me unable to perform my job without shooting pains through my left leg.

So, there went Zumba. I had planned on going 3 times during the week too. F*&k it, it didn't happen.

As far as diet goes? Yeah, let's just say that when you're stressed, nothing sounds better than comfort food. I had planned on cooking every night this week (with the exception of Wednesday - I was going to the Bay Area for a day and wouldn't be home till late), but that didn't happen.

Wednesday - Lunch: Giant veggie burrito with chips and salsa from High Tech Burrito.

Dinner: In'n'Out cheeseburger meal. And I ate half of the BF's fries too.

Thursday - Lunch: Chicken Fajitas from Chevy's - complete with the beans, rice, cheese, and three flour tortillas.

Dinner: Chicken cheesesteak sandwich with fries. And I ate half the BF's fries again.

I also had ice cream, frozen yogurt, or an ice cream sandwich four nights this week too. I was bad, bad, bad.......

On a side note, have you eaten Pinkberry? OMG, I had the salted caramel yogurt. I thought I died and went to dessert heaven. If you live near one, try it. AMAZING!

Anydeliciousness, my diet is F*&KED this week. I'm sitting here typing this with a beer next to me (Kona Brewing Co. Longboard Island Lager, thank you), and an empty Cheez-It box on the ground (yes, I ate whatever was left).

To top it off, I'm having breakfast with some local Bloggy friends tomorrow, and I know I won't be able to resist a giant omelet or french toast of some kind........so I figure that I'll finish out my week with a F*&KED diet, and start fresh next week. With some exercise too!

I just popped my F*&K IT Friday cherry. And it was awesome. :-)

Sometimes

2011-07-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, at work, I get so frustrated with my team that I want to throw my hands in the air, scream "FIGURE IT OUT", and walk away. But that would be seen as unproductive and mean, so I don't. But I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to do that.

Sometimes I want to tell certain family members what I REALLY feel and think about them. It might make them better people in the end, but would completely rock the boat for years to come.

Sometimes, in an argument, I will intentionally say hurtful things to the other person to prevent my feelings from getting hurt first. I don't fight fair, and I'm trying to work on it.

Sometimes I think by BF is cheating on me, and go crazy-girlfriend on him - checking his phone and emails. But I know that he would never do something like that - it's all me and my past haunting me. I don't know how he deals with my nutty self.

Sometimes I want to be alone and not talk to anyone. Why can't others understand that?

Sometimes I'm too logical for my own good. Damn my factual mind. Like the new tampon commerical where a girl on her period is doing a backflip into a pool in a white bikini. What girl would dare wear a white bikini on her period? That's just asking for an accident. See, I can't just look beyond that to see that the tampon manufacturer was trying to prove a point. I see the reality of the commercial.

Sometimes I just want to leave California with the BF and start our own life somewhere else, outside of influence of family and friends. I almost think this would make our relationship stronger.

Sometimes, I want to blow my savings in order to have an amazing experience - a vacation, concert tickets, etc. But the logical me won't say yes to that, and I know savings is important.

Do you ever have a "sometimes" moment? What is yours? I might turn this into a "Sometimes Sunday" feature.......there might be a link-up soon. :-)

Our Vacation - Day 5

2011-07-07T18:15:00.001-07:00

Our vacation ended in Seattle, doing more touristy stuff.

We Google-mapped the walking distance between our hotel and the Space Needle, and found that it was only 1/2 mile (17 minutes walking) away. We decided to walk there to check out the area instead of driving and parking. Our $18 parking fee from the day before at the waterfront, and the $24 charge to park at our hotel sort of ruined the driving for us.

We hit up Starbucks on Lake Union for iced tea and a snack, then started our walk. What Google Maps didn't tell us that our route was not pedestrian-friendly. We ended up with a short detour so that we didn't have to walk through a tunnel that smelled of pee and beer.

The Space Needle is in a park right in the city. I think that some of the photos of Seattle are misleading - I always thought it was near the water. It's definitely not. Also in the same area are the Science Center, Children's Museum, Experience Music Project, and the Monorail.

We hit up the Space Needle first, as there was no line at the time. Good call on our part, as when we left, the line had grown to 40-ish people long!

The elevator ride to the top is a little freaky - the front of the elevator is glass so you can see out as you're flying up to the observation deck. Yeah, a little scary. But once at the deck, the views were incredible! You can pretty much see the entire city from up there. It wasn't windy or cold at all - quite pleasant, actually. And there's a Starbucks up there too. :-)

Views from the Space Needle, and us on the deck!

Afterward, we wandered around the gift shop and bought a souvenier magnet. (We collect magnets from places we visit. Cheap and useful). Then we headed to Experience Music Project.

Experience Music Project was AWESOME! I would not recommend it if you're not into music. But I totally am, so I was in heaven.

It's sort of like an interactive museum. You can rent IPods downloaded with information on the exhibits to listen to as you wander, sort of like a self-guided tour. There are areas to where you can play musical instruments or DJ (which we did, and did badly), record yourself on stage and take home a DVD of your kareoke performance, and so much more. The "guitar tornado" (as I call it) was pretty dang cool too.

Guitar tornado!! :-)

The BF DJ-ing, haha.

The current exhibits on display are Jimi Hendrix (whom I've loved since middle school, when I was finally introduced to him), and Nirvana (one of the greatest bands of all time). The Hendrix exhibit included - some of his guitars that he'd smashed or lit on fire, costumes/stage outfits, copies of his lyrics written on hotel stationary, and lots of photos with him and other musical artists of the 1960s.

The middle photo is one of his songs written on hotel stationary. The bottom is some of his smashed guitars.

The Nirvana exhibit was amazing. They had everything displayed - the band's instruments; concert posters from their early years; lots of old photos; set lists; quotes about the band and from the band members; videos; even a place where you could record yourself talking about your memories of the band. I almost did that, but thought that it would come out dumb. :-)

Top to bottom: Quote about Nirvana; Nirvana concert t-shirt that was torn off of a fan at a show (and Kurt actually gave that fan a free shirt because it was ripped off him); giant photo of the band in the early years; me with the exhibit sign; set list from the MTV Live show in the 90s.

There was also an exhibit on the evolution of the guitar. It was cool to see how the guitar evolved from a crude wooden instrument to the guitars we see today.

After we left EMP, we ate fish'n'chips at the food court and decided to take a monorail ride. Totally not worth it. We were thinking it was like the monorail at Disneyland, that took you around everywhere. Nope. It goes straight to a mall and back. Slightly disappointed. :-(

We had some time to kill, so we wandered around the park, checking out some of the sculptures. Then we headed back to the hotel, grabbed our car, and headed to the airport for our flight back home.

The BF and I had a great time on our vacation, although I wish we had more time in Seattle. I think that there was so much more to see and do that we didn't get to. I think we'll end up back there again someday!

Our Vacation - Day 4

2011-07-02T23:30:00.000-07:00

I'm back with another recap of our super fun vacation to the Pacific Northwest. If you missed the first three, you can find them below. Just scroll down, they're not far. Promise. :-)

On Day 4, we woke up in Portland, packed up our crappy rental car (this thing didn't have power windows or locks - I didn't think cars had manual things anymore), and headed up I-5 to Seattle.

We arrived around noon and were able to check into our hotel early - yay! After that, we headed to the waterfront, after figuring out there was quite a bit to do down there. The weather was gorgeous - high 60s and sunny - so it was great to be outside!

First off, we went to Pike's Place Market. It was SUPER crowded and sort of stuffy inside. We walked through it, but didn't really do a whole lot of shopping. I was mildly irritated by all the other tourists and crowds.

The first Starbucks. That line was nuts.

After that, we went back down to the piers and wandered around. We found the Gum Wall (pretty neat) and did some souvenier shopping. Then it was "oyster time"!

Gum wall in Post Alley.

My brother and sister-in-law were in Seattle last summer and found Elliott's Oyster House on the piers . They have a progressive oyster happy hour. The happy hour lasts for about 3 hours, and each half-hour, the oysters get more expensive. But if you catch it at the right time, you can get them super cheap. The BF has a recent obsession with oysters, so this happy hour was a must-do on our vacation.

And we did. Well, not me, but the BF. 10 oysters = $5. Not kidding. Best deal of our vacation. I ate blackened Rockfish tacos (best fish tacos I've ever had) instead. Our bill? 4 Rockfish tacos, 10 oysters, and 5 beers was $38. Amazing.

Cheap yet amazing meal at Elliott's!

Next, we went on a harbor cruise. A Facebook friend had done this on her recent vacation to Seattle, and it looked like fun. The cruise was about an hour long, and took us around the bay. We got to see the city from the water, which was pretty cool. The tour is narrated by a live person (not a pre-recorded thing), so that was neat. We both agreed that, while a little pricey, it was worth it.

Our boat!

Views of the city from the boat.

We ended our day with pizza, sliders, and beer at a sports bar, and a walk around Lake Union, which was right across from our hotel. There were boat docks and a totem pole display in the park on Lake Union - pretty neat.

Our walk on the lake.

Day 5 - Seattle - coming soon!

What they don't tell you about losing weight

2011-06-27T21:16:00.000-07:00

Right now I should be packing for my three-day business trip "getaway" (not really since this visit will likely suck), but since I have no desire to go, I have no desire to pack. Hence why I'm writing this.

I had a moment tonight. After Zumba, I headed to my tanning place since I was feeling a little pale (before tonight, I had not gone tanning in two weeks. I usually go once a week). As I was undressing and putting on my tanning lotion, I caught sight of myself in the mirror and wanted to cry or throw a hissy fit. Or both.

If you're new here, I've been on a quest for a healthier lifestyle, stemming from a kick in the ass by reality when I was weighed at the doctor for the first time in 18 months. I was nearly 20lbs heavier than I realized. So since that magical day in February, I've been eating better and doing Zumba 2-4 days a week. And I've dropped 15 pounds and several inches.

Anyway, here's what they don't tell you about losing weight - it comes with stretch marks.

Yes folks. I'm putting it all out there. I have about a bazillion new tiny white stretch marks around my hip/butt/love handle area. I've never noticed them before. They go very nicely with the existing stretch marks I've had on my hips since I was 12 (I had a massive growth spurt at that time - grew like 5" and got some hips and boobs practially overnight). These new ones almost look like cellulite, but if you touch them, they're raised. Ugh.

And they're right where almost all of my weight was lost (hips/butt/love handle area). I'm pretty sure that losing that weight caused them. Stupid weight loss.

I'm so bummed. Here I thought that this would be the summer I wasn't too embarrassed to put on a swim suit and wear it in front of others. Now I don't even want to think about it. Not happy at all. :-(

On another note............

My blogger friend Tracy of Tracy on the Cheap has recently joined me at Zumba! She's done two classes and is already learning the steps. It's been fun chatting with her before and after classes. She's snarky, sassy, and hysterical. :-)

Anyway, just throwing an open invitation to my other EG blogger friends - wanna join us at Zumba? It's great - no contracts, just pay as you go, work out, sweat, and have fun doing it! April? I know you mentioned wanting to try it. And P-Dawg, you would LOVE this. And with your dance background, you'd probably be really good at it on the first try. Might be a nice alternative to running? Just putting it out there.....

Anyway, I'm gonna go stuff my face with an ice cream sandwich and try to forget about my newfound stretch marks. Happy Monday folks.

Our Vacation - Day 3

2011-06-23T21:22:00.001-07:00

Thanks for joining me in the recap of my amazing vacation. If you missed the write-ups on Days 1 and 2, simply scroll down. They're below. :-)

Day 3 was awesome! We drove from Portland to the Columbia River Gorge, which is only about an hour or so from the city. There are a ton of hiking trails, gorgeous scenery, and things to do.

On our way out of Portland, we stopped at VooDoo Doughnuts. I was told by multiple people that this is a Portland must-do. Hell, if something involves doughnuts, I'm there.

After our 20 minute wait in line, we finally ordered - the "Rappers Delight" special, a grape-dusted doughnut, and a Butterfinger doughnut. They were completely and totally worth it. Best doughnuts EVER! If you are in Portland, you've got to go here.

The "Butterfingering" donut. Ah-mazing.

Part of the "Rapper's Delight" special - the Marshall Matters.

Doughnut #2 of the "Rappers Delight" - the Old Dirty Bastard. Yes, that's Oreos, chocolate frosting, and peanut butter. Best doughnut I've ever had.

Doughnut #3 of the "Rapper's Delight" - the Maple Blazer Blunt.

After grubbing our doughnuts in the car while sitting in the parking lot, we were on our way to the Gorge. Our first stop was at Multnomah Falls, right off of the freeway. We hiked the falls - 1.2 miles each way. Going up was at about a 40-degree incline - KILLER! But it was worth it. The views of the Gorge were beautiful, and the falls were pretty as well.

The start of the hike, before we got all sweaty.

Isn't that pretty? That's only the lower part of the falls.

At the top! We did it!

Mmmm-hmm, I'm a rockstar! Haha, j/k.

Top of the falls, looking down.

After our first hike, we continued down the senic highway to Bridalveil Falls, where we hiked to see it up close (about 2/3 mile round trip). So pretty!

Taking a rest. I was getting a little tired!

The falls themselves. So lush and pretty!

Right off the senic drive was another waterfall - Horsetail Falls. We watched some teenage kid try to swim out to the waterfall. He didn't make it far - that water was FREEZING!

That waterfall was probably 50 yards from where we were standing.

We also stopped at Bonneville Dam and Fish Hatchery. We could not believe the amount of water the dam was releasing - 500,000 cubic feet per SECOND. It was nuts! We also met Herman the Sturgeon, a 70-year-old, 900lb sturgeon that lives at the hatchery.

Bonneville Dam. Crazy water!

Trout at the hatchery.

Herman the Sturgeon!

Then we got back on the freeway and just drove till we found somewhere to stop - Hood River, OR. I regret two things about this - not getting there earlier and not staying longer! What a super cute town! We did happy hour at Full Sail Brewery and Pub, then went down to the Colombia River to watch the kite-boarders. There were some great shops that I would have loved to explore, but they were closed by the time we got there. I'd love to go back there someday.

Delicious beer at Full Sail. Thank goodness they sell it at BevMo!

Around 7pm, we finally headed back to Portland and were exhausted by the time we got back, around 8:30pm. It was a long day, but so much fun! Probably my favorite day of the trip thus far. :-)

If you're in the area, I suggest spending some time on the Senic Drive and hiking the waterfalls. It's a great way to spend an afternoon in Oregon!

Our Vacation - Day 2

2011-06-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

Day two of our vacation was spent on the Oregon coast. It's absolutely gorgeous out there! It's very much like the Northern California coast - very lush and green, with rocky shores and coarse sand. It's also a little more chilly and cloudy than inland, which I'm used to, having been to Northern California coastal areas many times.

Our first stop on the coast was Tillamook, OR to visit the Tillamook Cheese factory. It was a must-see for both of us, we have been nicknamed "cheese heads" by his family.

True story - one time my Mom got a 3lb block of sharp cheddar (sealed in red wax, so you know it was good) as a gift and gave it to us. She doesn't like cheese, poor thing. You know how long it took us to eat that entire block? Less than two weeks. Yes, we love cheese. :-)

Anycheesehead, we loved our visit there. We did the self-guided tour of the factory to see how cheese is made. We sampled cheese and discovered a new favorite - Garlic Chili Pepper Cheddar (which, if you find it at a store, will you let me know? I am craving it!). We ate lunch at the cafe - Grilled Cheese sandwiches, what else? :-) We also got Tillamook ice cream!

Tillamook Ice Cream - The BF's is Mountain Huckleberry, mine is Oregon Strawberry. We wanted to try the regional flavors.

The Tillamook Loaf Bus!

Grilled cheese with swiss and cheddar, with a side of tots!

Sampling the amazing cheese. I think we ate more than our fair share. :-)

The factory. It's a great place to stop on the coast! And best of all, the tour is free! I think we spent a total of $20 on ice cream and lunch, so pretty cheap too. :-)

Next we drove up Highway 101 with the goal of stopping in Astoria, OR. Yes, that's where the Goonies was filmed. We heard it was a cool town and near the highway we needed to get back to Portland. We stopped at Manhattan Beach on the way and crashed what looked to be a middle-school field trip. Whoops.

Manhattan Beach, OR.

Some Vista Point stop on Highway 101.

Isn't this gorgeous?

Once we got to Astoria, we walked along the waterfront and nearly got run over by a trolley; drove into the "downtown" area and ran multiple red lights; and finally landed at the Rogue Taphouse on the pier, where we sampled beer and munched on chips and salsa.

The beer menu and taps. They gave samples too, so you could try it before ordering a pint. Very personable bartenders too! I highly suggest eating at a Rogue brewery - the beer is amazing!

My $6 beer sampler. My favorites: Chocolate Stout (far left) and Captain Sig's (far right).

Astoria waterfront

After the two hour drive back to Portland, we went to a well-known Oregon restaurant chain, McMenamins, for dinner. Worst service ever, but the food was fab. The location of the one we went to in Hillsboro was gorgeous! They had a great outdoor seating area with fire pits and space heaters and trails to walk around the grounds. It was a great way to end our day!

Have you been to the Oregon coast? Is there anything we should have done or seen that we missed?

My Vacation - Day 1

2011-06-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

Hello friends! I've been back from my vacation for nearly a week now, and I have to admit that I really didn't want to come back to the real world. I wish I could be on vacation permanently. Unfortunately, vacations cost money, and work earns money, so I must work. Oh well.

Day one of vacation was spent in Portland, OR. We pretty much walked around the Pearl District and downtown area, ate an amazing lunch, then later, had a great dinner and watched the NBA Finals (the Heat lost, boo).

The weather was nice when we arrived - cloudy but not cold. Later that afternoon, however, the rain started and didn't let up until the next day. While I expected that, I really wished that it would have held off longer......we got pretty wet while exploring downtown! That's why you don't see any photos of me or the BF below. :-)

Some photos of our first day:

Taken downtown by the Colombia River. We found a Fleet Week festival and walked around, checking out local crafters and street food.

View of the Colombia River from the waterfront.

If you visit Portland, you HAVE to eat here - Hot Lips Pizza. The ingredients are locally sourced and they make and bottle their own fruit sodas. I got the Chicken, Artichoke, and Spinach pizza - delish! I also tried their Blackberry soda - fabulous!

Sign post in Pioneer Square in Downtown Portland.

Pioneer Square. Great place for Portland people-watching!

Henry's Tavern is an amazing place for watching sporting events or tasting new beers. They have an all-day happy hour on Sundays - we shared three appetizers and got 5 beers total, and our bill was only $38! The appetizer above is Waffle Fries with Gorgonzola cream dip - YUM!

My beer at Henry's - Moose Drool! Loved it!

I'll be sharing Day 2 later this week. All in all, we really liked the city of Portland - gorgeous, clean, and very friendly people. :-)

Peace Out, Yo.

2011-06-11T13:14:00.000-07:00

As of 9:00am tomorrow, I'm headed out of California on VACATION! Hell yeah! :-)

I'll be headed here:

And here:

images via google images

No bloggy-blog posts while I'm gone. I'm sure I'll have plenty to write about when I get back!

Have a fabulous week!

What a freaking day......

2011-06-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days.

You know what I mean, right? Yep, today was that day.

Here's the highlights:

-3:30am:
Wake up to two different sounds - my alarm clock (yes, I had to get up that early today) and my cat.
What was my cat doing, you ask? Well, he was sitting at the end of the bed coughing up the world's largest and grossest hairball. I didn't catch him in time, so I spent my first few minutes of the day cleaning up cat puke from my duvet and carpet. Fun times.

-5:10am:
A field rabbit committed suicide in front of my car.
Translation: The rabbit ran out in front of me on the frontage road as I was going 50mph. I had no time to stop and nowhere to swerve out of the way. I hit him. He died. I saw the carniage in my rearview mirror. I felt terrible. And still do. Poor rabbit. :-(

-6:00am:
Arrive at work to find that the outside contractor that was doing a project in my store today is one that I don't like, that works slowly, and doesn't know what he's doing.
I knew that today would be a VERY long day at this moment. And I turned out to be right.

-11:20am:
After having a moment of frustration with the contractor, I went to grab a donut from the dozen I brought to work for the staff to make me feel better. They were completely gone.

-12:15pm:
Nearly killed myself and the contractor when the brackets holding a row of heavy metal shelves gave out and came crashing down. We both got out of the way in time.

-12:57pm:
Got to sit down and eat my lunch for 10 minutes. That was actually the high point of my day.

-Between 3:00pm and 4:40pm:
Worked with slippery shoe boxes, dropping them on my head and feet. I also smashed my finger in between two pieces of metal hardware, ran into a doorknob with my right rib cage, and stubbed my toe three times on the same doorstop.

-5:13pm:
Clocked out and left for the day. 11 hours and 13 minutes was the time I put in today. Yep.

-5:30pm:
Stuck behind the slowest.driver.ever on a two-lane back road from Folsom to Elk Grove. Apparently she misread the "55" speed limit sign as "35". And I couldn't pass her - too much traffic on the other side of the road. I almost threw my water bottle at her.

-6:15pm:
Drowned my sorrows in a McD's Quarter Pounder with Cheese and fries. Comfort food. YUM.

Hope your day was better than mine. Tuesday, I'm over you. Peace out.

Monday Minute

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

Thanks to Hutch, I'm playing Monday Minute today. I have no idea how it started or where it came from, but after reading hers for a couple of weeks, I want to be one of the cool kids and participate too!

1 - What part of 'no' do you not understand?

All of it. I'm one of those people that doesn't like hearing "no". And if I'm told "no", I usually do/buy/eat whatever it is anyway. :-)

2 - Which current reality show do you think you could win?

I have two, and one is not really a reality show - more like a game show.

-Amazing Race. I think I'd be fabulous at this. I'm pretty good at traveling, thinking on my feet, etc. I would just need a great partner!

-Jeopardy! I LOVE this show and love trivia in general. I play it on Wii and MURDER (yes, that's in all caps for a reason) everyone that plays against me. I think I could win at least one episode.

3 - Would you amputate your right arm for ten million dollars?

Nope. I permanently injured by left hand in a car accident 14 years ago, and do not have full use of 2 fingers. So not having a right arm/hand would very much suck, since my left hand is only 80% useable.

4 - If I say, just bring it - what you got?

Dessert! If I ever go to a party of any kind, I'm always in charge of dessert. So that's what I brought, yo.

5 - You are opening a restaurant. What type or theme of food are you serving?

Cupcakes! I want to open a cupcake food truck, actually. Not a brick-and-mortar storefront.

Better than Chevy's........

2011-06-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

I'm not one to brag, but I made some BOMB chicken tortilla soup tonight. It's modified from a recipe I found in the Raley's Something Extra magazine. It was so good (and super easy, and super cheap!) that I want to share it with my blog friends!

I personally think it's better than any restaurant tortilla soup that I've ever had.....

Tex-Mex Chicken Tortilla Soup

serves 4

2 (10.5 oz.) cans cream of chicken soup

2 cups water

2 cups coarsely shredded rotisserie chicken

1 1/2 cups red salsa

1 cup canned corn kernels, drained

1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies

1 tsp Mexican oregano

1/2 tbsp taco seasoning

hot sauce to taste

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Garnishes (see below)

Stir together all ingredients except the cheese in a large pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

Slowly add cheese, stirring constantly until cheese is melted.

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish as desired. Serve with cheese quesadillas!

Garnish ideas: shredded cheese, crumbled tortilla chips, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, sour cream.

Notes:

-You could use leftover grilled or roasted chicken breasts for the chicken.

-I used medium heat salsa, which did give the soup a little kick.

-I used about 1 tsp Tapatio hot sauce. The soup did come out a little spicy, but not overwhelming.

Cost of ingredients:

I already had chicken breasts, hot sauce, and Mexican oregano, so the cost does not include these ingredients.

2 cans cream of chicken soup - $2

16oz jar salsa - $2

canned corn - $.79

canned green chiles - $.69

taco seasoning - $.80

shredded cheese - $2.50

TOTAL - $8.78

If you try it, please let me know what you think!!

Summertime Goals

2011-05-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

It's Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kick-off of SUMMER! But you wouldn't know that where I live. It's cloudy, cold, and rained for a good part of the day. BOOOOOOO. I have a closet full of summer dresses, tank tops, and sandals, yet I have had to reach for jeans and boots the last few days because Mother Nature is tempermental.

Hey Mother Nature, I know you're PMS-ing and all, but late May should mean warmer temperatures and sunshine. You've devastated 1/3 of the country with tornadoes and floods, now a winter storm and snow on the West Coast - maybe it's time you lighten up?

Anyrainyday, I thought I'd kick off "summer" (and yes, the quotations are intentional until Mother Nature stops being a bitch) by listing a few goals I have for the summer. The thought is I will accomplish all of these things by late-September, since our NorCal summers tend to last through September the last couple years. Hell, it was 90 degrees in October last year!

1. Maintain my current weight (150lbs) or lose another five to reach my goal weight.

Originally, I gave myself until December 31 to lose 20lbs, but the first 15 came off in four months! So technically, I have 7 months to lose five, but if they come off sooner, I won't complain. I just don't want to gain any of that weight back.

2. Visit the coast.

This is kept general for a reason. I just want to see an ocean, feel sand between my toes, and smell that salty, fresh air, and I don't care where. Something about summer screams ocean to me. I've been to the ocean every year for the last few years, and this year will be no exception.

3. Attend a minor-league baseball game AND major-league baseball game.

Another thing that screams summer to me - baseball. I LOVE baseball (Go A's!), and usually attend a game at some point during the summer. But this year, I'd like to see two. My city has a minor league team that just happens to be the AAA team for the A's, and it's been a year or two since I've gone to a game. And I would love to see a MLB game in a stadium that's not in Oakland - that's the only major stadium I've been to.

4. Find the perfect pair of wedges.

For the last few weeks, I've been on the hunt for a few things - the perfect fedora hat (found at Target and purchased in two colors), the perfect denim capri pants (found at Old Navy, purchased in two colors), and the perfect shorts (found at Tilly's and Forever21 - one pair denim, the other two white twill and black twill). And now my search is on for a pair of comfortable, but not too tall, wedges that I can wear with my capri pants and dresses. I'm VERY picky about my shoes, so this will prove to be difficult. I did find the perfect pair, but they're $150, and I will NOT pay that for any pair of shoes, let alone a style of shoe that I can only wear 5 months out of the year.

5. Perfect my cupcake icing.

The motto of my on-the-side cupcake business is "they're not gorgeous, but they're delicious" is for a reason. I cannot do the neat piping of icing that you see on bakery cupcakes. I have not quite figured out the right techinique for piping icing. I can make a mean buttercream, and have all the supplies needed for piping, I just can't make it look good. And I know if I want to have a cupcake business someday (I'm thinking a "food truck" type business), I need to work on presentation. So I am going to practice my ass off and hopefully figure out something that works!

6. Attempt a Crossfit workout.

The Crossfit gyms intrigue me - they're shorter workouts that hit nearly every muscle in your body, and the people that do Crossfit regularly have amazing figures. It combines aerobic conditioning with weights and resistance exercises. And it looks intense and VERY intimidating. But I want to try it and see if I like it. A friend of mine is a Level 1 trainer and runs a backyard Crossfit gym that takes donations of $20/month (a normal Crossfit gym is like $150/month), so I might try that for a couple weeks and invest in a Crossfit gym membership if I like it.

7. Attend a major concert.

This one might prove to be difficult. Dave Matthews Band isn't touring this year, and they're usually my one guaranteed big show. The acts that are on tour that I do want to see are on dates that I can't make (Britney Spears' show is the night I come back from Seattle, dang it), and everyone else touring are playing in cities that are too far to make. I'm really hoping that some good bands announce late summer tours and have some decent dates, otherwise this goal has no chance of happening.

8. Visit the graves of my deceased grandmother, BF's grandmother, and Great Aunt.

This isn't supposed to be morbid, but I haven't seen their graves since they passed away. My grandmother (buried in Concord) and BF's grandmother (buried nearby) both passed away in June of 2008, and my Great Aunt passed away in 2006 (buried in Walnut Creek). I'd like to go and make sure they are cleaned up, not overgrown, and to leave them some flowers. These are all amazing women that deserve respect, and I feel bad that I haven't visited.

I think I'll stop at 8 goals. No need to be an overachiever. :-)

What goals do you have for the summer, if any?

What I Wore

2011-05-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Inspired by P-Dawg @ Alis Grave Nil's post titled the same thing, I decided to create my own post based on memorable outfits or pieces.

Picture day, Sophomore year (1996). I was always a more "adventurous" dresser than my peers, and this outfit is no exception: Black polyester sleeveless shift dress with white contrast stitching, a silver chain belt, and white faux patent leather knee-high boots with a silver zipper going down the front. My long hair was down and slightly curled. I looked like I should have been in a 60's mod music video.

First date with Eli, my high school/early college boyfriend (1997). This was my "Abercrombie and Fitch" phase, yikes. My outfit consisted of a white long-sleeved collared, button up shirt, navy blue long sleeved sweater with a Fair Isle print stripe, wide-leg khaki pants, and brown Doc Martens. I thought I was THE SHIT in this crazy expensive outfit, all from Abercrombie.

Date night with the BF (2009). We had a night out in Midtown Sacramento, which is rare for us. I tried to doll myself up for the occasion. I wore a gray silk/rayon shift dress from Urban Outfitters, a black tank, black studded stretchy belt, and black sandals. I felt like I looked like your typical midtown-er. :-)

Remember when the movie Clueless was the big thing back in 1995? Well, Cher was my idol at the time, and I put together an outfit based on her looks in the movie: a white short-sleeved tee; yellow sleeveless sweater vest; yellow, pale blue, white, and black plaid miniskirt; and white wood-bottom heels. I wore this to school and remember everyone telling me that I looked justlike Cher, and I was happy that I could pull it off.

First date with Zach, my college boyfriend (2003). Black Dickies pants, Converse sneakers, a white studded belt with a giant rose belt buckle, and an "altered" black Famous Stars and Straps t-shirt that I had cut up myself. This was in my punk-rock phase, where I wore some version of this same type of outfit every day.

First college fashion show (2004). Buckle brand boot-cut jeans, houndstooth Steve Madden pumps, a white "altered" t-shirt, black-and-white studded belt, rubber bracelets, and a studded cuff. After the fashion show, one of my professors came up to me and said that I looked the part of a fashion designer.

First date with the BF (2006). Cream tube top, light colored bootcut jeans, wood bracelet, gold sandals, and a bronze sequined scarf. I had recently lost 15 pounds and was feeling great about myself, hence why I would wear a tight-fitting cream top on a first date. :-)

This last outfit was slightly out of the box for me. I love fedora hats. Like LOVE them, but could never figure out how to wear one. Finally, I just went for it and loved the results!! (2011). Free People cardigan (bought at Nordstrom Rack for 75% off retail), H&M organic cotton tee, white layering tank, William Rast jeans (thrifted), my favorite old beat-up brown boots, pearl and silver necklace (Forever21) and men's fedora from Kohl's (women's ones don't fit my head, I have too much hair). What do you think?

Do you have any memorable outfits? If so, please share! Or be inspired by my and P-Dawg's post and do your own!!

Break out your smallest violin..........

2011-05-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

I'm away from home. Again.

Since April 11, I have been home (as in HOME home) for exactly 16 days. That's a little over 2 weeks out of 5. I've been given the unofficial title of "trainer" for my position at work, hence the reason for all the travel.

I have eaten at nearly every chain restaurant and eaten almost every type of food. I've spent so much money out of pocket for food that I'm having to dig into my savings, as repayment isn't coming fast enough.

I am tired of living out of suitcases. I am tired of eating out. I am tired of spending upwards of $100 on food each week and waiting 4 weeks to be reimbursed. I just want to be HOME!!

And I haven't seen the BF for any length of time in the last 5 weeks. To be exact, I've seen him for 11 days in the last 5 weeks. The one week I was home, he was out of town. As bad as it sounds to say, we're used to it. We don't really like it, but we can deal. This has been our life since we got together - I've been traveling for work on a regular basis, and he's been traveling for his jobs for the last 2 1/2 years.

A lot of couples ask "How do you do it?". The truth is, the BF and I like our time away from each other. I'm not gonna lie - I like being able to control the remote and watch what I want to watch, or zone out in front of the computer without getting crap from him. And when we finally do see each other, it's amazing. We really get to cherish our time together, since we don't always know when one of us is leaving again.

Okay, I'm done telling my sob story. Have you pulled out your small violin yet? :-)

153 and 8 to go!

2011-04-25T20:55:00.000-07:00

I finally stepped on a scale. For the first time since February 4.

I have lost.................dum dum dum.....................12 pounds! Yay!!

I just realized I've never confessed my weight. Putting it out there keeps me honest............

On February 4, I weighed in at 165, my heaviest ever. As of yesterday, April 24, I weigh 153. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!

I've got 8 pounds to my goal of 145. That's the weight I'm comfortable at - that's what I was at when I met Mike, and I'd like to get back there. It was the thinnest I've been since high school. But if I can hit 140, I'm good with that too. :-)

For my height, my BMI says I should be 120 or 125. That's laughable. I personally think that the BMI scale is pure crap. It doesn't take into account build, bone structure, muscle mass, etc. I'm not what you'd call an "average" build. I'm stocky and have a lot of muscle. Hell, in college, I was approached and asked to be on the olympic weightlifting team based solely on how I was built. Apparently I have the perfect weightlifter's body. I don't know if that's a compliment.

And today I stepped out of my comfort zone. The dance studio I go to for Zumba has a booth at the Elk Grove Western Festival (my hometown's annual festival) this weekend, and I signed up to help for an hour. I don't normally do things like this (as I hate people for the most part), but I believe in Zumba so much that I wanted to share my experience with people that might be interested in trying it. If it worked for me, I think it'll work for anyone!

So anyway, if you're at the Western Festival on Sunday between 3 and 4, come by the Fusion Fitness booth and say hi! :-)

Vegas by the numbers

2011-04-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

Days spent in Las Vegas: 10

Amount of money spent on food: $243

Visits to the Strip: 1

Smashburgers eaten: 3

Bowls of pho eaten: 2

Visits with old friends: 2

Cars rented: 2 (both disgustingly dirty)

Times I couldn't find my car in the casino hotel parking lot: 3

Malls visited: 3

Times I laughed my ass off at tacky tourists: too many to count

Hours worked: 90+

Alcoholic beverages consumed: 1

Frozen Hot Chocolates from Serendipity 3 consumed: 1

Best thing ever, by the way. Try one. :-)

I'm so glad to be heading home tomorrow. I miss my bed, cooking meals, Zumba, my kitty, and most of all, the BF.

Bye bye Vegas, it's been real. But my heart is in Sacramento.

Shopping Woes

2011-04-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

I would like to preface this post by saying that I'm writing about it AFTER eating Pho and Rocky Road ice cream. Weight loss schmate loss.

I recently took my measurements again, and found that I've lost 1" in each my bust and hips, 1/2" in each my arms and waist, and gained 1" in my thighs. I'm fine with all of it except my bust - why is it that the ONLY place I didn't want to lose inches I'm losing it? Ugh. Thank goodness for VS Miraculous Bra - it gives me a 2-cup-size boost. It's a temporary solution for my new-found flat chested-ness until I can get that boob job I've always wanted. D-cups, you will be mine. Oh yes, you will be mine.

Since a bunch of my clothes don't fit any longer, I've been searching for new ones. And I'm finding that my body is no longer the same size. When I was at my heaviest, my body was about a size 12 all the way around. Now, it's complicated - my upper body is a Large in the shoulders and upper back, but a Medium at the waist and hips. My lower body is an 8 in the waist/hips, but a 10 in the thighs. And since I have to buy for the largest part of me, I'm having to belt all of my jeans/pants, and my shirts are baggy at the waist. Bleeech.

I'm getting happier with my body with each day (minus today, since I pigged the hell out. Vegas has amazing food choices). My arms don't jiggle as much, my thighs are toned and not flabby, my gut has gone down some, and I no longer have muffin top.

I still don't know how much I weigh. I'm terrified to weigh myself, as I know I've gained muscle mass, and there might not be a huge difference in pounds. And that would totally piss me off, hence why I have not gotten on the scale. The 3-month mark of healthy eating is on May 7, so I will probably weigh-in that day. I just don't want to get discouraged......and I do easily.

Unfortunately, I'm in Vegas till Friday and all of next week. And traveling (for me) is diet sabotage. As much as I've been trying to make good choices by buying 100-calorie bagels and low-fat cream cheese for breakfast, greek yogurt for a snack, and a low-calorie lunch, dinner kills me. By the end of the day, I want comfort food. And comfort food = Qdoba, ice cream, fried stuff.........all bad. Tonight I had pho, which was amazing and fairly low calorie, but eating a scoop of Rocky Road killed that low-calorie dinner. I can't resist.

Dirty 30 Recap

2011-04-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

Last week, I celebrated turning "Dirty Thirty". By the way, my pal Hutch celebrated hers this week. Heehee, I'm not the only one! Anyway, I wanted to recap the festivities!

On Thursday 3/31, my actual birthday, I slept in, and cheated on my diet by getting a chocolate croissant from LaBou Bakery Cafe. If you live in Sacramento, you know how amazing these are. :-) I tanned, then headed to my tattoo appointment and got the amazing leg piece you can find here. After that, I met up with my family at Fat City in Old Sacramento for my birthday dinner. Fried green beans, pulled pork sandwich, and a cold beer - mmmmmmmmmmmm. We then headed to my parent's house for presents and brownie sundaes (I didn't want a cake). My parents got me the Xbox 360 Kinect system and 2 games (Zumba and Dance Central), and my brother and sister-in-law got me a cute Geisha charm necklace and the Zumba box set! The BF got me some great new cowboy boots (tan with pink and turquoise stitching), an A's t-shirt and sweatshirt.

On Friday 4/1, I ran errands all day in preparation for Saturday. I also got my hair colored and cut by my amazing stylist Nikki, as well as get my first pedicure of Spring. Nothing too special.

On Saturday 4/2, I prepped for my dual birthday party that night. The BF's best friend's birthday in the day before mine, so every year we do a dual celebration. This year, since we both turned 30, we decided to celebrate in proper fashion - with a costume party. The theme? Decades - past, present, and future. There were some great costumes - our friends and family are so creative! Some photos are below: 80's aerobic girl, 60's hippie, 60's housewife, 50's pin up

How cute is she? I love her! Old school b-ball player, Wendy Mo circa 1991 (inside joke) The Birthday Buddies! 50's pin up and the Unabomber (90s)

The BF: 80's gangsta rapper, me

My fanily! L-R: Mad Men couple, me, the BF, Mom: She's supposed to be herself, pregnant with me in 1981, and Dad: WWII Pilot

60's Hippie, 80's Caddyshack - he's the Caddy.

Mad Men Couple, up close

And on Sunday 4/3, I celebrated with the BF's family. His mom made my favorite dish - homemade lasagna. YUM! We did gifts and played my favorite Wi game - Wheel of Fortune. His parents got me some yard decorations and a Kohl's gift card for stuff for the house. His brother and sister-in-law got me Season 1 of Glee on DVD!

Thanks to everyone that made my birthday so special this year! :-)

New Ink!

2011-04-03T11:01:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's the post on my new ink. Two weeks ago, I went in for my cupcake tattoo, and to have some existing tattoos on my wrists touched up - they were really old and faded. Here's the results of that:

On Thursday, I spent my 30th (eeek) birthday getting my largest tattoo on my thigh. I already had a small outline there that I was having my artist work around - the Dave Matthews Band Firedancer logo. I told him I wanted to incorporate peacock feathers and a song lyric - my artist designed this himself! I do have to go back and get the Firedancer filled in and re-outlined. I was in too much pain to continue. For the work done, I sat for 3.5 hours. They were painful 3.5 hours too. Ouchie. Parts of the tattoo still hurt, but I absolutely love the results!

All work done by Aaron O'Dell at Cartel Ink Works, Carmichael, CA. Contact me if you'd like his information. I highly recommend him - very personable and professional.

eff being a girl

2011-03-28T20:29:00.000-07:00

For the last 8 weeks, I've been doing amazing at my healthy eating. I've lost about 10 pounds already (just judging by how big my pants have gotten and how people have told me I look thinner), but I don't know the amount lost for sure. I've got 10 more to go (ish), and am feeling amazing.

But I recently discovered what will be my diet sabotage - PMS.

I'm on one of those BC pills where Aunt Flo comes four times a year. But I cheat the system - I skip the week of sugar pills every three months, so I don't ever get a real period. And I like it that way. And I'm pretty sure that the lack of a period has led to my 5 1/2 year relationship staying intact - I'm a miserable bitch on my period. It's probably worse than PMS for me.

AnyTMI, even though I don't get a period, I still PMS two weeks prior to the 3-month pill pack running out, so like 10 weeks into the pack. I get moody (although less moody than without being on BC, I swear hormones work wonders for me), I get a little bloating, but I get the WORST crappy food cravings ever.

It started on Friday at work. I wanted chocolate more than anything, but didn't have any around. So instead, I decided to take the BF out for a huge Mexican food dinner. Amazing. Saturday - Rubio's bean burrito and chips. Yesterday - Mimi's bacon and eggs breakfast with a buttermilk spice muffin, Jack-in-the-Box tacos for a snack, and a Rocky Road Rice Krispy treat for dessert. Today - Bluberry oat bar from Starbucks and another Rocky Road Rice Krispy treat. And nachos. I suck. Take in the amazingness that is Rocky Road Rice Krispy treats. Photo courtesy of TastyKitchen. Find the recipe here.

I've got another 4 days of this craving bullcrap. I'm trying to have the willpower to say no, but damn it's hard. It's like my brain has been taken over by a fat kid. I haven't had cravings this strong in the last 8 weeks of "dieting".......it's got to be the PMS. But worse now since I cut most of this crap food out entirely. What's worse is that I'm traveling for the next few days, so I'm having to eat out........this will be tough. I need to hit Zumba HARD when I get back and burn some of this bad stuff out.

On another note, I turn 3-0 on Thursday. The good - I'm handling it much better than turning 29. The bad - I'm still not handling it well. Turning 29 was probably the toughest year so far......I had a breakdown about a week before. No breakdown yet over 30. I will be celebrating my birthday by getting tattooed. :-) My leg piece will be started (maybe finished, that'd be amazing), FINALLY. It's been like 3 years in the making. Oh, and I got my cupcake tattoo.........I'll post photos of all the new ink in one post this weekend. You'll just have to wait!

Freebie One

2011-03-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

Awhile back, my girl Hutch at Be Awesome Instead wrote about her Freebie Five. I wanted to write one of my own, but I can't come up with five. But I for sure have one.

The definition of Freebie Five is "A concept inspired by Friends which I’ve called the Freebie Five - a list of 5 'unattainables' you’d have permission to tap without consequence from your significant other should the opportunity arise. The key to the Freebie Five is fantasy, whatever turns your crank." That's provided by laneygossip.

Anyway, here's my one:

Yummy. He's on one of the hottest TV shows right now - Glee. His name is Darren Criss, and he plays Blaine, a gay member of the Dalton Academy Warblers. I adore him. He's ridiculously cute, he plays a fantastic character that's full of heart. I imagine him as a thoughtful, introspective, sweet man. Not that I'm looking for those in a one-nighter, but still. He probably wouldn't be a total jerk afterward. :-)

images from Google

So there ya go. Oh, and if you're wondering if the BF knows about this, he does. And I know who his is - Jennifer Lopez. That's been his for a LONG time............before I even knew him.

Who is your "Freebie One", if you had to pick just one?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T21:28:00.000-08:00

Almost. :-)

I thought I'd show you some old photos of me today on Wordless Wednesday. I was inspired when a friend posted a few on Facebook recently. Let's take a journey back in time...........notice the different hairstyles I had back in the day. Wow.

By the way, the photos are not in chronological order. Enjoy.

Harlow's, summer of 2005. This is my best guy friend Ted. This was shortly after Z broke up with me, and Ted was helping me through it. He's a great guy, but sorry ladies, he's taken.

Sac State Student Fashion Association Show, Spring 2005. That's me in the green tank top in the middle.

Sac State Student Fashion Association Show, Spring 2004. This was when I was working out like crazy (weights and cardio). Notice the serious lack of a figure - I told you I'm built like a brick.

ICON Fashion Show, September 2005. I had lost like 10 pounds at this point of the summer, and was probably the thinnest I'd ever been since high school. My boobs shrank like crazy though - that's like all bra (I'm the one in the middle).

September 2007. My last day as a Store Manager at Anchor Blue. My team surprised me with flowers, a cake, balloons, a huge card, and some old co-workers came by to say good-bye. Check out that hair...........this is why I don't have long hair. It looks terrible.

Ted's wedding, October 2009. I don't know what's going on in this photo, but apparently I'm laughing and having a good time!

Mother's Day photo shoot, May 2010. This was such a fun evening spent with my family. We did the photo shoot for my Mom, who said that all she wanted for Mother's Day was a family photo. By the way, I'm in 2" boots, and I'm still way shorter than the rest of them. Not fair.

Mendocino, July 2008. Super tan/burnt and super blonde. This was a fun trip with the BF's family.

Disneyland, 2010. We met Chip and Dale! That's my momma on the right.

Date night with the BF, Summer of 2009. I liked my hair and outfit, so I asked the BF to snap a picture of me before we went out for drinks and a great Mexican food dinner.

Healthy Living - Month 1

2011-03-07T19:33:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've discussed this. So I feel the need to update you. :-)

On February 7, I started my new healthy lifestyle. In case you forgot, on February 4, I found out that I had gained nearly 20 pounds in 18 months. Eeeek. I vowed to do something about it immediately. My goal is to lose 20 pounds by the year's end - that's about 2 pounds per month, as well as tone up and just plain feel better about myself.

Since then, I have made better choices in my food. I have counted calories and fat grams. I snack on unsalted nuts and string cheese instead of Cheez-Its and potato chips. I cook more at home using more fresh ingredients. The BF and I have cut back on our fast food and take-out meals tremendously, and when we did have to eat out (like the weekend we moved), we made better choices from the menu. Who knew that Taco Bell's Fresca-style tacos were so tasty, and contain like 50 calories and several fat grams less than a regular taco?

One major change I've made to my diet is portions. I used to eat until I could explode, I was so full. I could eat anyone under the table - seriously. I used to eat my meal and then finish whatever the BF didn't finish of his plate. Yeah, bad, right? I'd feel so blah after a meal, probably because I couldn't move. :-) Now, I watch serving sizes and will only serve myself the recommended serving size. When I do this, I find that I'm full, but not crazy nasty full.

And yes, I cheat. I don't have a cheat day per se, but just try to create a balance. For example, if I eat a bad/unhealthy lunch, I make up for it by eating a good dinner. Or if I know I'm eating out for dinner, I'll eat healthy for breakfast and lunch. And since it's Girl Scout cookie time, I've found it difficult to resist those amazing Tagalongs (you know, the chocolate/peanut butter ones).....but I limit myself to 2 per day. I've made that damn box last over a week! Normally, I'd eat that box in two days. :-)

I've also discovered Zumba - it's amazing. I'm having FUN burning 600-800 calories in an hour! I usually go 2 times per week, but I'm trying to up that to at least 3 times/week. I do the high-intensity moves to burn more calories. It feels so good to leave there, knowing I just burned off my breakfast and lunch! I went to a class tonight that wasn't very crowded, and I was able to watch myself in the mirror - I have zero rhythm, and I can't "shake what my Momma gave me" to save my life. I look mildly ridiculous and very stiff, but hey, if it works, I'm gonna continue with it.

So, have I seen any results from all this? I haven't weighed myself yet because I don't own a scale. But here's what I can tell: my butt, thighs, and arms are less jiggly!! That's a feat in itself. :-) And here's the most exciting thing so far - I put on a pair of freshly washed and dried jeans (i.e. they haven't been through that "broken in" stage from the first wear. Yes, I wear jeans twice before I wash them. Doesn't everyone?) this morning, and they were loose. Not baggy, but looser in the thigh and waist!! I had to keep pulling them up all day. YAY!!

Tomorrow morning, I'm going to take measurements of my arms, waist, hip, and thigh. I will do this every month on the same day to keep track of my progress. I almost find this a better gauge of loss than weight. But I know that I need to weigh myself eventually, as that's my main goal - to lose weight....I'm just afraid of being discouraged if I don't see the number I want to see.

To keep me honest, I'm gonna post my measurements. Please don't judge me. I never said I was skinny. :-)
Bust: 37.5"
Waist: 32"
Hip: 40.5"
Arm: 12 1/4"
Thigh: 22 1/4"
If I could lose 2 inches from my waist and hips (each), and just tone up my arms and thighs, I'd be happy. I've got an athletic build and I'm built like a brick (broad shoulders and no waist), so trying to be an hourglass is impossible.

I'll update you again in a month!! Cheers, I'm off to snack on some broccoli. Seriously. :-)

That's What Friends Are For.....

2011-03-05T17:50:00.000-08:00

Friendship. We all need it, want it, crave it. But what makes a friend a good friend, one you'll have for life?

To me, that is a friend that sticks by you, no matter what. The one that understands your quirks and your weirdness, but loves you anyway. The one that has seen you at your absolute worst, but is still in your life. The one that shares in your joy, your pain, your happiness, and your sorrow.

My BF, Mike, (I'm going to refer to him by his name in this post since there's so many names) is incredibly lucky to have several good friends - Ryan S, Ryan N, Jason, and Jeff. Jeff is actually his brother, but they're bond is almost stronger than that - they're best friends.

These guys have known each other since elementary school. They've done everything together. Three of the five lived together in an apartment when they first moved out from their parent's house. Four of the five are in a weekly bowling league together. They've celebrated birthdays, graduations, marriages, vacationed together, random get-togethers, cases of Bud Light - you name it, they've probably done it. And because of their bond, all of us girlfriends/wives of the guys have formed our own bond and our own friendship.

The five guys are all so different, personality-wise AND sports-team wise. It's crazy to think that they get along so well, especially during football season.

Mike (the BF) is incredibly laid-back, mellow, and relatively quiet. He rolls with the punches, but will speak up when something's important to him. He's got a different sense of humor (which I totally get), and has the biggest heart. Mike is a die-hard Chicago Bears and Oakland A's fan.

Jeff is also pretty mellow and laid back, but has a fiery temper. He's likes to make his point known. He loves video games, is a wonderful cook, and is great with people. He's married to a wonderful girl, Erin, whom I adore. Jeff is a huge Atlanta Falcons and New York Yankees fan.

Ryan S. is one smart cookie. He's analytical, a jokester, and just one really funny guy. He's argumentative, but in a good way - he loves to banter. Ryan S has been dating Jessica for almost 7 years, and I love her. :-) Ryan S is a Denver Broncos and Oakland A's fan.

Jason is a character. He's a little firecracker - fiesty, a crap-talker, but with a heart of gold. Apparently he's also a master of the grill. Jason has been dating Michelle for going on five years, and she's the sweetest person I've ever met. Jason is an Indianapolis Colts fan, and doesn't care much for baseball.

Ryan N. is walking comedy. I know that sounds like an insult, but it's not. He's got a dark sense of humor, and loves to pick on the other guys (all out of fun, of course). He is probably outwardly the biggest sports fan of the group - he loves to heckle and talk crap. Ryan N. dates Nikki, and they've been together for nearly two years. Nikki is amazing - so much fun, and she's also my hairstylist. Ryan is a die-hard San Francisco Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan.

Back, L-R: Jeff, Mike, Ryan S. Front, L-R: Ryan N, Jason.

Yes, this photo is crazy, but it's SO them. I love it. :-)

Mike and I attended a memorial sevice today for Ryan N.'s father, who passed away last week after a 24-year battle with brain cancer. A terrible thing, but not sudden. I did not know him personally, but Mike worked with him at UPS many years ago. The service was very personal and very sweet, full of funny stories and great memories.

The pew we sat in consisted of all the guys and wives/girlfriends listed above - 8 of us (except Ryan and Nikki - they were sitting with the family). Once the service was over, we all walked outside, and the guys immediately found Ryan N, giving him handshakes and guy-hugs, making sure he was handling this horrible thing okay.

I don't know why this touched me so much. Maybe it's because guys don't tend to show emotion towards each other most of the time. It's not like the guys were crying or anything, but they were showing emotion in their own guy-way. I admired how they rallied around their friend, giving him their support and condolences. I could tell that they were really trying to help him, make him feel better by cracking jokes and discussing sports, like they normally do. Even though we were at a sad event, the guys tried to make life normal for Ryan N. It was so great to observe.

After the service, I told Mike that he was lucky to have such great friends in his life. These guys come out and show support when it really matters; will help out a friend when they need it (they've all helped each other move more than once, that says a lot); and really do care about each other in their own guy-way. I believe what I witnessed today shows that these guys have each other's back, no matter what. And Mike should cherish this - it's not often you find friends like this.

So what makes a good friend? I think these guys embody friendship. :-)

The Return of "Bad Date"!

2011-03-01T21:17:00.000-08:00

At the request/suggestion of my fellow hometown bloggers, I thought I'd write another edition for my Bad Date series. If you missed the first few stories, go back to the archives in June and July of 2010. There's quite a few of them, all doozies.

This one takes place in December of 2002. Remember that I had recently gotten out of a 5-year relationship and was starting my serial dating spree. :-) I wasn't very picky around this time, as you'll be able to tell.

Disclaimer: This post deals with bodily fluid (not the kind you're thinking of. Sheesh. I'm a lady, I'd never talk about that sort of thing). So if you're squeamish, don't read on.

Back then, I worked for a retail clothing chain called Anchor Blue as an assistant manager. My District Manager loved me and would send me to other stores in the area to help out when they were short on managers. My "home" store was in the Arden Fair Mall, but for one shift, I was sent to the Roseville Galleria.

While working in Roseville, I met Aaron, another assistant manager for Anchor Blue. He was short, thin, but covered in tattoos (which I thought was hot back then). He resembled Travis Barker, who I had a HUGE crush on at the time. We flirted throughout our shifts, and I left for the day with his number.

I called him a few nights later, and we talked for HOURS on the phone. I think I talked to him until 3am and fell asleep on the couch, holding my phone in my hand. During that conversation, we made plans to hang out later that week. He seemed like a cool dude - into music, tattoos, beer, and he just had a fun, carefree attitude about him that I found intriguing.

Aaron picked me up at Arden Fair after I got off work one day. During the day, he had gotten his ears gauged (you know, those giant holes that people get in their ears) to 1/2"*. Basically, to do this, they literally punched a hole in his ears, then put in the gauges. Ick. I do remember being impressed by his courage, as that procedure hurts like hell.
*This is an important detail that will come into play later. Promise.

We went back to my house for a minute so I could change, then we went to a bar not too far from my house. We started drinking - I was having beers, he ordered a drink called the "Tree Smacker". (Just FYI, the ingredients in a "Tree Smacker" are as follows: peach schnapps, apple schapps, rum, orange and pineapple juices, sweet and sour mix, grenadine, and a floater of 151).

At three beers deep, I was feeling pretty good. Not drunk, but buzzed. Aaron, on the other hand, was three Tree Smackers deep and hammered. Like loud, annoying, embarrassing hammered. Like everyone-in-the-bar-is-looking-at-us hammered. There's nothing more of a turn-off than a man that can't handle his alcohol.

All of a sudden, like someone turned on a faucet, his newly gauged ears started bleeding uncontrollably. The alcohol had thinned his blood, and since his ears hadn't healed or scabbed up yet, they bled like crazy. It was disgusting. He excused himself and stumbled to the bathroom to clean his ears up. By then, the shoulders of his shirt were all bloody. I was totally grossed out.

He came/stumbled back to his barstool and asked to leave. He was too drunk to drive, so I drove his car to my place. Probably not the best idea ever, but we were literally around the block from my apartment. He stumbled in and passed out on my bed. Lovely. I decided to sleep on the couch and leave him alone. I was so turned off by his behavior at the bar, and then the bleeding incident, that I was over him and just wanted him to go.

The next morning, he woke me up to say bye, as he had to work at 9am. He tried to kiss me, but I refused. After he left all angry, I got up to go to my bed to keep sleeping (I didn't have to work that day), and nearly puked at what I saw.

My pillows (yes, both of them) were spotted with blood. My sheets had blood on them. Apparently his ears had continued to bleed through the night and he was so drunk he didn't notice. GROSS.

I stripped the bed and tossed all of my sheets and pillowcases in a garbage bag. The blood had soaked through to my pillows and onto my mattress pad, so those were thrown out too. I had to go buy new pillows and sheets that day to replace the ones Aaron had ruined. That was one expensive date. Jerk.

Oh yeah, did I mention who picked up the bar tab? Yep, that'd be me. He failed to mention that he left his cash and cards at home when he picked up me. Jackass.

Fast forward to a week later. Aaron would not leave me alone. He thought our date went so well, that the blood incident didn't bother me that much. Riiiight.......I avoided his calls and text messages, but he was persistent and kept leaving me messages. Then he started to call me at work - that was taken care of quickly. Eventually, he got the hint and stopped. I never saw him again. He quit Anchor Blue a few months after our date.

Fast forward again to 7-ish years later. When I took over our Modesto store in March 2010, offered to help recruit for an open manager position. As I walked the mall, I popped into a Journeys shoe store to talk to the manager there. The associate working went to the back to get the manager, and who do you think walks out? Aaron. I about died.

We made awkward small talk for a minute, and I told him why I was in the mall. He seemed WAY too excited to see me and know that I would be in the mall regularly. I was a little freaked out by his eagerness. I ended the conversation and went to walk out of the store. As I stepped out, I could hear Aaron say to his associate, "I totally screwed up my chance with that girl. And damn she still looks good." Creeper.

For months, Aaron would stop by my store at least once a week to look for me. If he walked by and saw me, he'd yell my name or say something dumb to get my attention. Every time I was in the store, the team would tell me how many times he'd come in to look for me. It got really creepy. Finally, one day I was in the store, and I guess he had seen me earlier, since he came in and asked the male assistant manager to get me so he could say hi. My manager looked at him, square in the face, and said "Dude, leave her alone. She wants nothing to do with you".

Aaron walked out looking defeated (from what I was told). And he never bothered me again.

30 days to 30

2011-03-01T20:31:00.001-08:00

Today is March 1. My birthday is 30 days from today, and I'll be entering my "Dirty Thirties" on that fateful day.

I can't say I'm excited. Like at all. I can say that I'm having major issues about it.

I'm going to be 30. 30. I remember being a kid, thinking that 30 sounded so old, and such a long way away. Hell, I remember being a teenager and thinking that 30 was pretty old. And now I'm approaching that "old" age. I don't like it.

When my parents were 30, they had been married for 5 years, had two kids, and were about to buy a house. When the BF's parents were 30, they had been married for 12 years and had two kids. When I turn 30, I will not be married, with no kids, and am nowhere near buying a house.

Why can't it be possible to stay in my 20s forever? 30 just sounds so old, so responsible. And I'm not fully responsible yet. I want to do so many things before I have children (if ever). I'm not quite settled in my career yet. However, I could get married tomorrow if the BF were to ask me, I'm cool with that. :-)

Does anyone have any encouraging words about getting older? I could use some help here!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On another note, this weekend I attended a tea party thrown by the BF's cousins, Ashley and Amber (sisters).

They did such a great job! Every little detail was thought out - they had menus posted, placecards at the table, discussion questions in each teacup, and multiple courses of food. It was so much fun! We decided to do a girl's get-together a few times a year. I think it's my turn to host next time.

Anyway, here's a photo of some of the girls from the Tea Party!

Left to right: Erin (my future sister-in-law), Amber, Ashley, and me

INKED!

2011-02-26T18:43:00.000-08:00

I stepped inside at tattoo shop today for the first time in five years. The smell of sanitizer and the sound of the tattoo gun brought me back to my college days, where I spent any and all extra funds on tattoos (and beer, but that's another story). I realized right then how much I miss getting tattoos........yes, I know that sounds weird to say, but it's true.

I wouldn't say I'm addicted to tattoos as much as I'd say that I like them, what they represent, the pain of the tattoo gun, and the beautiful piece of artwork you're left with forever. Every tattoo I have has a story behind it, albiet some are dumb stories, but stories nonetheless. I might save that for another post.

In case you're wondering, I have several tattoos. If you count each individually, I have 16, but done in 9 different sessions.

For my 30th birthday (only 33 days away, yikes), I made the decision to get some work done that I'd wanted for a LONG time. It's like a present to myself, a reminder of this milestone birthday (and a way to spend my tax return).

There are three things that I've wanted done, tattoo wise:
-A cupcake tattoo somewhere on me
-My leg piece finished
-My ankle tattoos covered up by a new design

I've decided that I'm doing tattoos 1 and 2 for my birthday, and will see if the artist I chose will be able to do the third. The tattoos I want covered up are a little large and dark, so it might be difficult.

The cupcake will be about 1 inch tall and is going on my left wrist. My right wrist already has a heart tattoo on it, so when I put my wrists together, it'll read "HEART CUPCAKE". Cute, right? :-)

My leg piece right now is only an outline of the DMB Firedancer logo that I got back in 2003. I've wanted to turn this into a large statement piece for awhile, but never knew what I wanted to add. I've done some thinking, and have chosen a song lyric to add (well, I have two, and the artist will determine which one will fit better), and will also incorporate peacock feathers or cherry blossom branches. The artist will be drawing some ideas for me in the next couple of weeks.

My first appointment is on March 19 to get the cupcake done, as well as some touch up work on older, faded tattoos. I'm so excited! I'll be sure to post pictures when it's done! :-)

A few examples of the type of cupcake I want........these are the photos I sent him so he can sketch a few different ones for me. Photos via Google Images.

Do you have any tattoos? Are you wanting more? Or am I just crazy?

Things I Learned From Moving

2011-02-20T19:13:00.000-08:00

-Moving is expensive. It's amazing how much you "need" when you move into a new place. I've never spent so much money at Target in a weekend in my entire life. Thank goodness for tax returns!

New place purchases:
*Cube closet organizer with fabric drawers
*Decorative pillows
*3 sets of curtains and curtain rods
*11x17 frame
*Magnetic white board calendar
*Wall clock
*4 hand towels
*Bath rug
*More cleaning supplies than I can remember
*Kitchen rug
*Skull and crossbones welcome mat
*Computer desk
*Gallon of paint and painting supplies

I'm sure there's more, but this is all I can remember.

-I'm not as strong as I think I am. I nearly threw my back out trying to lift an (empty) solid oak dresser. The borrowed hand trucks we had quickly became my best friends.

-Moving clothing in the rain = not fun.

-Moving an entire carload of shoes (trunk, backseat, and passenger seat completely full) = not fun. And reminded me that I have way too many shoes.

-Having family help you move is the best thing ever. I don't know what I would have done without the help of the BF's parents and brother, and my parents. I would have needed another day for sure. I'm forever grateful for them taking time out of their holiday weekend to help us. Love you guys.

-Cats need time to get acclimated to their new environment. Bubbs was a freaked-out mess yesterday, his first real day in the new place. He had no idea what was going on or where anything was. He's still poking around and sniffing everything, but he's much better today.

-The BF and I can do something as stressful and exhausting as moving, and not fight, argue, or kill each other. It's definitely been a team process, and I'm grateful for him being such a hard worker. Not to mention strong. :-)

Off to make my first dinner in my new place - spaghetti. Nothing exciting. I'm too tired for exciting. :-)

PS - If you have tomorrow off, please know that I'm incredibly jealous of you. I have to work. Boo.

Moving - Day 1

2011-02-17T22:41:00.000-08:00

-3:45am. Woke up to make the BF lunch for his 14-hour workday. I should get awards for this type of thing. But I'll settle for Tiffany jewelry. :-)

-7am. Woke up for the day. Fought all urges to stay in bed.

-8:30am. Went to Target. Spent $156 on stuff for our new place: closet organizer, bath mats, shower curtain and rod, packing and painter's tape.

-9:45am. Went to Staples. Picked out a new desk for our new place. Most of our oak furniture is going bye-bye, FINALLY! I'm so not an oak girl - I like black, metal, and glass.

-10am. Went to Ross. Found a great deal on a kitchen rug, door mat (it's a skull and crossbones, love it), and a box of wall shelves.

-11am. Paint store with my Dad. Picked out black satin finish paint to cover some really, really, really ugly puke-green faux-finish in what will be "my" room in the new place. I say "my" room because I get to decorate it in the way I want - black, Asian themed, and super cute.
On a side note, did you know paint is super expensive? $45 for a gallon. Ugh. That's a new pair of boots in my world.

-Noon. Head over to the new place. Dad starts to paint, I start to move stuff. In the rain. And in the wind. It sucked.

-2:00pm. Gave up on the moving of items. Continued packing.

-3:00pm. Rain lets up. Dad needs to let caulking dry so he helps me move 4 truckloads of boxes and furniture.

-5:00pm. Start cleaning the kitchen cabinets and drawers that the previous tenants so nicely left disgusting for us. Played a game with myself - "What's That Stain?" as I scrubbed the shelves and drawers. I also played "What Was That Bug?", and "How Many Grains of Rice Can I Find In This Kitchen?" (PS - The answers were, in order of the game: vegetable oil, Kool-Aid, nutmeg, and coffee; earwig, ant, moth, spider; 22, yes, I counted them. I also found a dime, fake Easter grass and plastic eggs, and a phone book from 2008).

-7:00pm. Finish cleaning the kitchen. Ruin my diet by eating 2 slices of pepperoni pizza.

-8:00pm. List the old oak desk on Craigslist.com. Cross fingers that it sells by Sunday. I don't want to move that thing. It's heavy and awkward.

-9:00pm. Ruin my diet some more by indulging in a small bag of BBQ Lays and a handful of chocolate chips. I barely ate anything today and did a lot of walking, I need the calories (yes, I'm justifying it. Sue me).

-10:30pm. BF is asleep on the couch. I start writing this. My knees ache.

-10:55pm. Done. Tired. Ready for bed. My day begins at 7:30am - need to move my closet, my stuff from under the bed, the BF's closet, and the kitchen tomorrow. And clean the new place's bathrooms. The previous tenants must have cut their hair and left the clippings in the bathroom drawers - freaking gross.

Happy Friday, y'all. :-)

Healthy Lifestyle - One Week In

2011-02-13T12:36:00.000-08:00

I'm exactly one week in to my new healthy lifestyle. And in all honesty, I can already tell a difference. Not exactly in weight or size - way too early for that - but in my energy level.

For the last 7 days (including today), I've stuck to my healthier meals. I'm eating between 1700 and 2000 calories a day (that was on my cheat day, by the way); and between 50 and 65 grams of fat, mostly good fats (from nuts, olive oil, greek yogurt). I know that sounds high, but it's a huge difference from what I was consuming.

I also did a 30-minute rollerblade workout and 2 Zumba classes. Zumba is amazing - it's so much fun, and that hour flies by like nothing!! I figure that I'm doing more of the high-intensity moves, so I'm burning about 650-700 calories in a workout. I'll take it. :-) I'm planning on going to 3 Zumba classes a week (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays), and fitting in some rollerblading one or two days a week.

PS - If you're in the EG area and want to do Zumba, do it. $5 for a class and they have a ton of times and days to pick from. Go to www.zumbakim.com for details.

I found this great calculator online that you plug in your current height, weight, goal weight, goal weight date, and your activity level, and it'll tell you how many calories to eat daily to reach your goal weight. Mine is to lose 20 pounds by December 31 (yes, that's a long time, but like I said before, that weight crept on slowly, and I want it to come off slowly to be sure I don't gain it back), so I need to eat 1739 calories a day to reach that goal.

I love that the BF is doing this with me. We're cooking healthier meals at home, he's taking his lunch to work, and making better choices when he eats out. He's up for trying new things too, which is a HUGE step for him, a man of routine. :-) For example, we made homemade hamburgers last night (with lean ground beef), and instead of using regular buns, I had bought the whole wheat "thin buns". He was wary of them ("where's the regular big buns?" he said), but once he tried the thin buns, he really liked them.

I'm waiting to buy a scale until a month has passed. I feel like if I weigh myself weekly and don't see progress, I'll get discouraged and give up. So it'll be monthly weigh-ins and nothing more. And if I lose that 20 pounds before Dec. 31, I'll keep going. I wouldn't mind losing up to 25.....but more than that I feel like I'd be too thin. I like a little bit of chunk on me. :-)

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On a related, but separate topic, I've had so much fun bargain shopping for new workout clothes. My girl Tracy from TOTC would be so proud of me. :-)

I don't spend a lot on workout clothes. I refuse to spend a ton of money on stuff that I'm just going to sweat in and ruin eventually. Since all of my workout clothes were purchased 2+ years ago, many of them didn't fit (reality check). So I made it a point this weekend to get some new ones, as well as new running shoes. Mine shoes were 6 years old and broken down.

So this weekend, I was on the hunt for inexpensive workout items - shoes, pants, and sports bras. Here's my haul:

-Nike AirMax training shoes - $44.99 at Nike Outlet (retail price - $80)
-Nike DriFit tank top w/built-in sports bra - $10.49 at Nike Outlet (retail price - $30)
-Performance Yoga pants - $14.99 at Old Navy (retail price - $28)
-Black sports bra - $7.29 at Kohl's (retail price $28)

Total spent: $77.76 for a whole workout outfit. Not bad!

I'll recap you on the weight loss topic in a week. I'm working on a Top 5 post for Wednesday.....ta-ta for now!

It's already Thursday?

2011-02-10T20:18:00.000-08:00

where has the time gone?

sorry i haven't been writing much this week - it's been a rough one. and long. here's why:

-putting in a crap-ton of hours at work doing a big visual project in multiple stores.

-counting calories, fat grams, and carbs. measuring out serving sizes.

that stuff is exhausting. seriously.

-cooking healthy meals for me and the BF. except last night. we did the 'drive thru diet' at Taco Bell. 170/cal per taco, not too bad.

-rollerblading in the sunshine and trying not to kill myself doing so. thank goodness for wrist guards.

-doing Zumba for the first time and not a) passing out; b) not whacking the person next to me in the head; c) not tripping and falling over. and i actually liked it. burning 500+ calories in an hour = my kind of workout.

-packing for our move. who knew two people and a cat could accumulate so much stuff in four years?

-planning what to do with my tax refund. both federal and state came this week. i'm thinking brown cowboy boots, a couple tattoos, some stuff for the new place, and saving the rest for vacations!

i apologize for my uninteresting post. but i wanted you to know that i'm alive and kicking, just tired and busy.

happy thursday.

Reality, Day 1

2011-02-07T18:04:00.000-08:00

Today started my first day of my new diet and exercise regimen.

I used the weekend and Super Bowl excuse to pig out over the weekend, and pig out I did - a three-item combo at my favorite Mexican food place, McDonald's breakfast (I have a weakness for their hash browns), donuts, enchiladas, bean dip, queso and chips, taco salad, fajitas.......I ate so much food, I probably gained another pound from this weekend alone. Oh well.

I went grocery shopping this weekend for healthier foods and snacks. I'm committing to making my lunch daily and making dinner 6 nights per week. I'm counting calories, carbs, and fat grams, as well as watching portion sizes (my biggest issue).

However, there are a few things that I'm not willing to compromise on:
-My morning bagel from Panera
-Cheese. I love cheese and will not switch to vegan or low-fat. Ick.
-Chocolate in some form or another.
I figure that I'll make up elsewhere for those two things above.

So today, here's how I did:

-Breakfast: Bagel with 2 tsp butter
-Snack: Fat-free organic vanilla yogurt with 1/4 cup strawberries
-Lunch: 1 cup whole-wheat spaghetti with 1/2 cup meat sauce (made with lean ground beef)
-Snack: 1 Fudge Stick
-Dinner: Salad made with shredded chicken breast, black beans, corn, olives, cheese, and lettuce, and a black bean burrito on a corn tortilla with 1/4 cup cheese.

-Exercise: 1/2 hour skate around the neighborhood (about 1.5 miles total)

Totals:
-Calories: 1710
-Carbs: 175g
-Fat: 59g

I know that's not great, but for my first day really watching it, I feel it's not too bad. In comparison, my normal calorie intake, for the last 1.5 years, was probably 2700-3000 - think fast food for dinner 3-4 days/week, lunch out 2-3 days/week. My breakfast consisted of a bagel and TWO chocolate chip muffins. And I wonder how the hell I gained all that weight.......that breakfast alone was bad enough (I calculated it - nearly 1000 calories and 38g fat. OMG).

I'm still working on finding my balance. I haven't made dinner yet (but already calculated what I'm going to eat), and I'm STARVING. I need to get my body used to less calories. I also need to get used to exercise - my thighs were screaming on the last leg of my skate.

I promise not to blog every day about this process. But will you bear with me 1 day a week? Please? I promise it won't take the place of my Top 5 Lists, swearsies!

Denial is bitch-slapped by reality

2011-02-04T18:12:00.000-08:00

Doctor's appointments are rather anxiety-ridden, right? You are either going to the doctor for one of a few reasons:
-Because you suspect or know something is wrong with you
-Because it's your yearly "womanly exam" time, which should be a synonym for "anxious"
-Because you're pregnant and you have to ensure your little one is okay

But there's always some level of apprehension of going to the doctor - you never know what they're gonna find.

I had a doctor's appointment today. A routine yearly physical, nothing special. But I get apprehensive over one thing only about the doctor appointment process - getting weighed.

NOTHING is worse at the doctor than stepping on that scale (fully clothed too, so not fair) and having them write down your number.

Weight is such a personal thing.....no one likes to reveal their actual number. I'm one of those. I fudged my weight on my driver's license by about 10 pounds. One time a medical assistant had the nerve to blurt out my weight so the entire office heard - I about killed her. My boyfriend doesn't even know how much I weigh.

And until today, I had no idea how much I weighed.

I don't own a scale. I never have and never will. I go by how my clothes fit. If my jeans start to get a little tight, I know that I'm gaining some and should watch it. I tend to gain in my face, thighs, and stomach, so if any of those get a little more flabby, I should pay attention and take action.

What's funny is that all of this was happening for the last year-and-a-half, and I was in denial. Full-blown denial.
My jeans are tight because I shrunk them, not because I'm gaining weight. I can still button them, so they must still fit. My face isn't getting chubby, it's because I'm not tan. (Yes, being tan makes you look thinner. It's true). My stomach isn't flabby, I'm just bloated this week (and every week).

So when I got weighed today, I asked the medical assistant to not tell me the number. I didn't want to know. Denial rears it's ugly head - if I don't know it, it can't be that bad, right?

When my vitals were taken, my blood pressure was a little higher than it normally is. Not unhealthy high, but slightly high for me. I asked my doctor about it, and he said, "Well, you've gained a little weight since I last saw you, that could be a factor". While I knew that I had gained some weight, when he said "little", I figured it was like 5 pounds. No biggie.

It wasn't until after my appointment that I glanced at a sheet of paper my doctor had left me, and I saw my current weight written on there. I wanted to cry. In all honesty, I did cry. I had no idea that my weight had gotten that high. I am officially the heaviest I've ever been in my 29.9 years of life (yes Mom, heavier than when I was binge drinking and eating nothing but Top Ramen and Chipotle burritos in college).

The last time I was weighed was in early September of 2009 (and yes, I remember that number vividly). I have gained 18 pounds in the last 17 months. That's a little more than a pound a month. HOLY CRAP.

I am NOT happy with this. I'm mad at myself for not paying attention to my body. I'm mad at myself for denying everything. I'm mad at myself for not taking care of myself. Something needs to change. I feel like I let myself down. I hate that feeling.

So, inspired by April's new blog, I will chronicle my quest to get healthy, get in shape, and drop some weight. I will not let this get out of control. By no means am I trying to become a skinny little thing - I'm not built that way whatsoever. I've always had a muscular, athletic build (my Dad says I'm built like, in his words, "a brick shithouse"). I'm hoping that I can find that althetic build underneath my newfound layer of fat.

My goal is to drop that 18 pounds I've gained, tone up a bit (i.e. lose the jiggle), and just feel better about myself. I was the same weight (before those 18 pounds) for several years, and I was completely comfortable at that number. I'm not giving myself a timeframe for this, just sometime this year. It'd be nice if it happened before the end of summer, but the way I see it, it took 17 months to put those pounds on. They're probably gonna come off just as slowly.

I'm going to indulge this weekend - one last fling, so to speak - with crap food. It is SuperBowl weekend. I've got 7-Layer Dip, Queso, guacamole, chicken wings, and beer to take care of. :-) Starting Monday, I'm cutting back on my carb-loaded breakfast, eating a smaller and healthier lunch, and COOKING dinner instead of eating fast food. I'm also going to commit in working out 3 days a week, minimum for now. Gotta ease this old body back into it!

Happy weekend blogland. :-) And because it is SuperBowl weekend....GO STEELERS! It's not that I'm a Steelers fan by any means, it's that I loathe the Packers with all my heart.

Top 5 Wednesday!!

2011-02-02T07:57:00.000-08:00

TOP 5 WEDNESDAY!!

Today's Topic:

The Top 5 Blogs from my Hometown!

Criteria: The author of the blog must be from my Hometown (Elk Grove, CA). That's it. Period. I do not have to have personally known or met them, although if I have, I will include that bit of info.

Note: When I dig into the Top 5, they are not necessarily in ranking order. So #2 is not necessarily my favorite more than #4 is. In fact, they're in alphabetical order by author so that no offense will be taken by anyone. :-)

Honorable Mention

-la vie petite. This is a newer fashion blog where the author, Cori, showcases her outfits daily. She has great style and an amazing sense of accessorizing! Right now she's attempting 30 for 30, where she chose 30 pieces of clothing (tops, bottoms, shoes) to mix and match for 30 days. To me, that's gutsy - there's no way I could limit myself to that! Cori is absolutely adorable and a great writer as well. She has a regular blog as well, that you can find here.

How I Know Her: She went to my high school, but graduated two years after me. Her older sister was in my class.

-Shallow and Very, Very Single. I don't know her real name, but this blog is hysterical, and hits close to home. If I were to have written a blog between the ages of 20 and 23, my posts would sound very similar to hers. So I can relate to her drunken mistakes, boy issues, random hook-usp (sorry Mom and anyone that had some mistaken glowing impression of me), and just great stories. If you haven't read this, check it out.

How I Know Her: I don't. At all. I found her blog on someone's else's list and started following it. Oh, and she's not from my hometown but from San Francisco, which is close enough.

The Top 5

5. See April Work.

A blog about office adventures, babies, crafts, and rants. Well written, with a hint of sarcasm. April was on a posting hiatus during her maternity leave, but has recently started up again. Just an example of how crafty she is - I saw this in person, and it looked manufactured, that's how great she is. She just started another blog - See April Lose. I look forward to following her journey!!

How I Know Her: She was my childhood BFF. We met in preschool and were inseparable until junior year of high school. We lost touch for a number of years, but thanks to Facebook, our blogs, and living only 5 miles apart, we're reconnecting!

4. Tracy on the Cheap.

A style/fashion blog about outfits on the cheap! Tracy is a bargain hunter and has a great eye for style and putting things together. She's adorable too. Tracy was also on a blogging hiatus for a few months (see why here), but she's back as well! And her bridesmaid dress re-do idea is amazing - check it out!

How I Know Her: We lived 1 street apart growing up, but never knew it until high school. While I never really got to know Tracy in high school (she was very involved in FFA, I was that chick that hated everyone), I've gotten to know her though the blog and Facebook, and we have a lot more in common than I ever would have thought!

3. Then I Got to Thinking.....

A fantastic, cheerful blog written by another Tracy. :-) This blog chronicles nearly all aspects of her life - her fabulous wedding (breathtakingly gorgeous), daily adventures, weekend trips, her "groups", and much, much more. I love that she's as obsessed with Sex and the City as I am. :-) Tracy is one of the happiest, most positive bloggers I've encountered.

How I Know Her: Her family is probably the most well-known family in our hometown. Her sister and I graduated in the same high school class. While I've never met Tracy IRL, I look forward to doing it someday!

2. Be Awesome Instead.

One word - hysterical. Hutch is hilarious, both on the blog and in person. This blog covers a variety of topics, including sports, guys, bad dating stories, adventures, "Hamburger Alerts" (gotta read it to find out), and Jazz Hands! I am constantly cracking up when I read her posts....seriously, check it out.

How I Know Her: Again, she is someone I knew back in high school. We had a lot of mutual friends, but I didn't get to know her very well until after high school - one of her best friends was dating (and is now married to) one of my best friends.

1. Alis Grave Nil.

Written by an English teacher, this blog is very well written. I'm not gonna lie, sometimes it's too far over my head to understand it. :-) Her topics range from cooking for her allergic husband, relationship issues, running adventures, her kids, and anything else that might be on her mind. She posts regularly, and I always look forward to what she's going to say.

How I Know Her: She is married to April's (from See April Work) brother, who I've known as long as I've known April. She also graduated from the same high school, just two years ahead of me. And her sister is my age and graduated with me.

Related subject:

On Saturday night, Numbers 5, 4, 2, 1, and I got together for the first ever EG Hometown Blogger Meet-Up. It was the first time I'd ever met Heather, seen Tracy (since HS), and also the first time any of us had gotten together. SO MUCH FUN! Here's the proof:

Left to right: April (See April Work), Tracy (Tracy on the Cheap), Heather (Alis Grave Nil), me, Hutch (Be Awesome Instead)

It was great getting to know THEM in person after reading so much about them for so long. We laughed, we chatted - there was never a dull moment. We all agreed to make this a semi-regular thing.

Both Hutch and Heather wrote about the blogger meet-up, so check out those links. I would write more, but why since they did it so well? :-)

the one that screams NEW!

2011-01-29T23:20:00.000-08:00

Since all my bloggy friends were redesigning their blogs, I thought I'd give mine a quicky makeover. I don't like being left out of all the fun. Like it? It's definitely not as creative as their makeovers (check out Be Awesome Instead, Alis Grave Nil, and See April Work), but I don't know how to do all that fancy HTML stuff. I barely know how to use and edit things in Excel. Editing websites? Way beyond my mental capacity.

I also updated my profile photo and footer photo. They're more recent, reflecting my current hair color and makeup style. Isn't my BF a hottie? Isn't my kitty adorable? I think so. :-)

I just want to say thanks to P-Dawg for giving me the inspiration to change the title of my blog (yeah, it was you. Take the credit). I've been wanting to do it for awhile now, but thought that readers might get confused. But then I realized that I only have 22 followers and those that read my blog regularly would figure it out and still read it. My URL has not changed though. I'll always be suicideblonde at heart. :-)

The new blog name comes from my favorite Jackie Greene song, and I feel it fits me perfectly. I'm going somewhere in life, just not quite sure what or when that somewhere will be quite yet. But it will be good, it will be sweet, and it will be exactly where I want it to be.

So I'm now Sweet Somewhere Bound. Not Suicide Blonde. Get used to it. :-)

Freaky Friday

2011-01-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you'll notice that I like regular features. I did a "how we met" feature last year that lasted 5 weeks; "Top 5 Wednesday" where I pick a topic and write about that topic's Top 5; and a few other things that didn't last very long.

I figure that if I have a reason and/or topic to write about, I'll blog more often. So I was trying to think of features.....and I came up with this one - Freaky Friday.

Freaky Friday will chronicle weird things about me. Believe me, there's a lot of them, so I should not run out of things to write about. :-)

For this inagural post of Freaky Friday, I'll be discussing a strange habit of mine - merchandising my refrigerator.

Yep, you heard that right. I merchandise the contents of my refrigerator. I make them pretty. I make them organized. I consolidate and purge things. Yes, I'm a freak.

I have 4 major shelves in my fridge. The top shelf is for larger drink items - milk, bottles of iced tea, etc. This shelf is typically almost empty, as the BF and I don't really drink this kind of stuff regularly. But when there are things on it, they are organized - the taller bottles are in the back, the shorter are in the front. All labels on the bottle face forward.

The second shelf is only for bottled water - and yes, I line up the bottles in straight rows with an even number of bottles in each row. If we end up with two half-rows, I will combine the rows to make a full row. And I get mad at the BF if he grabs bottles haphazardly - I like to start from the left side and work towards the right, leaving the left side empty.

The third shelf is for soda cans and leftovers. Again, the cans are lined up in straight rows with an even number of cans in each row. The cans are always on the left side. The leftovers take up the right side of the shelf, stacked neatly in their containers. The largest/tallest container is in the back, shortest in the front.

The fourth shelf is for random other things that don't fit on the other shelves - cartons of eggs, cat food, etc. This is always organized and neatly lined up in some order, but it depends on what's on the shelf.

The refrigerator door is also merchandised. The top covered compartment is only for butter. The second compartment is for sour cream, cream cheese, and opened bags of chocolate chips (my go-to PMS food). The third compartment holds all condiments and dressings. The fourth compartment is for salsa and jelly.

I'm a freak. I know. But in my defense, I merchandise things for a living. So why wouldn't I merchandise my fridge? Or am I overthinking things and this is truly normal?

And please don't judge me by the contents of my fridge. The BF and I don't grocery shop regularly and keep food around - we're rarely home and have found that when we do buy things, they go bad before we can eat them. So we only buy what we need for the day or two days. These photos were taken after the BF had been gone for 3 days, so I hadn't gone to the grocery store since Monday. It's not like I don't eat......you've seen me, right?

Recipe and a Giveaway!!

2011-01-26T20:11:00.000-08:00

Oreo. Cheesecake. Cookies.

Yes, you heard that right. The goodness of cheesecake in cookie form. Yum.

I've been making these for a couple of months now, and everywhere I take them, they're a hit. I had one of my male co-workers eat six in one sitting (i.e. less than 3 minutes). They're very simple to make, require minimal ingredients, and are amazing. :-)

PS - The recipe is courtesy of Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen. Check it out.

Makes 20-ish cookies.

Ingredients:

1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs

1/2 cup butter (salted or unsalted)

3oz. cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer until they are well combined.

Add the sugar and vanilla, mix ingredients until they are well combined. Add the flour and mix on low speed until the flour is incorporated.

Stir in the mini chocolate chips by hand.

Scoop the dough into 1" balls (I use a tablespoon measuring spoon). Roll the balls in the cookie crumbs so the cookie is covered. Place the cookie balls onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden and the tops are slightly puffed out.

Cool on the pan for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Melt the white chocolate chips in the microwave. Using a small spoon, drizzle the cookies with the melted chocolate. Let the chocolate set before serving.

Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

I apologize for the crappy quality of this photo - my camera was dead. This was taken on my Blackberry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And yes, I mentioned a giveaway, right? It's totally not mine, but I wanted to share it with you!!

The giveaway is courtesy of Tracy from Then I Got To Thinking.....

If you don't read her blog, well, you should. She is a very sweet person and has a heart of gold. I love reading her blog - she always include photos t0 go along with her fun posts! Her husband and dogs are adorable, by the way!! I have somewhat of a personal connection to her too - her family is very well-known in my hometown (in a good way), and I graduated with one of her sisters.

Anywho, check out Tracy's giveaway - it's not just one thing that you can win, it's many things, and all are super cute!! I personally love the Stiletto Survival Kit and notecards! And while you're at it, check out her blog. :-) It'll make your day!!

Top 5 Wednesday

2011-01-25T19:04:00.000-08:00

Oh yes, it's back.......the return of Top 5 Wednesday!

You know the drill - I pick a topic and list my top 5 favorite (or most hated) things about it. Sometimes I challenge a fellow blogger to a topic and we list our Top 5 on the same day. But today's topic is all me.

Top 5 Songs that Give Me Goosebumps

This was inspired by a random song that showed up on my IPod (while on shuffle) that just gave me goosebumps. These songs either evoke a memory or emotion that causes goosebumps for some reason.

Honorable Mentions

-"Knights of Cydonia" by Muse.

This song should be played to sports teams as they enter the stadium. It sounds like a fight song - very inspirational and empowering.

"No one's gonna take me alive, the time has come to make things right, you and I must fight for our rights, you and I must fight to survive."

Mmm, yeah. Great song. Goosebumps, yes.

-"If You Don't, Don't" by Jimmy Eat World.

This band changed my life, single-handedly, back in 2001. This song was one of the ones that made me think about my life at the time, about how I wasn't happy with where I was at, didn't know where I was going.

"I left you waiting, at the least could we be friends? Should have never started, ain't that the way it always ends? On my life I'll try today, there's so much I've felt I should say, but, even if your heart would listen, doubt I could explain."

For a pop-punk band, the lyrics are fairly deep. The lyric above shows the type of relationship I was in at the time.....whenever I hear this, I get goosebumps knowing that I made the right decision at that point in my life.

The Top 5

5. "Ghost of a Good Thing" by Dashboard Confessional.

What do I say about this one? Man......this band in particular gives me goosebumps. It all started back in 2001 when I was questioning the relationship I was in, my major in college, and everything about life in general. When I bought the album that this song is on back in 2004, it evoked all the old memories of Dashboard's first album from '01. This song is discussing looking back at a failed relationship, trying to get it back, hence the title "Ghost of a Good Thing".

"I guess it’s luck, but it’s the same. Hard luck, you’ve been trying to tame. Maybe it’s love, but it’s like you said “Love is like a role that we play.”

I can't tell you how many times I wanted that comfortable (although horrendous) relationship back - all I remembered was the good things.....not the insults, verbal abuse, and alcoholism that drove me away. This song reminded me of why it ended, and how I should never go back. (And no Zach, this wasn't about you).

4. "Sweet Somewhere Bound" by Jackie Greene.

This man is a musical genius. This song is completly acoustic, just Jackie, his voice, and his guitar. The lyrics are beautiful, the melody is beautiful, and seeing this song performed live (twice) made me appreciate it that much more. You can tell that this song means something to him, and it comes through in his live performance. This song not only gives me goosebumps, but makes me teary-eyed too. Every damn time I hear it.

"Where will you go now, where will go you go now, where will you wander, where will you roam? Where you are going, the sun goes sinking, the morning brings a new day to be born."

3. "Faithfully" (and all other Journey songs) performed by the Glee Cast.

While I'm not a fan of cover songs, there's something about the way the Glee cast signs that gives new life to old songs. The Season 1 finale had them performing a medley of Journey songs at their regional competition, and I had goosebumps the entire time. I love Journey, I love Rise Against's cover of "Any Way You Want It", but Glee's take on the songs is by far the best. Especially "Faithfully".......google it. You'll get goosebumps too.

2. "Jesus of Suburbia" by Green Day.

This was the song that inspired today's topic. It popped up randomly on my IPod while on Shuffle, and I got goosebumps instantly. It's the only song I like from that album they released (a little too played out for me). It's epic - nearly 8 minutes long, changes melody, tempo, and theme throughout the song, and the lyrics are thought-provoking.

"There's nothing wrong with me, this is how I'm supposed to be, in the land of make-believe, that don't believe in me."

When I saw Green Day in 2009, they played this song during one encore, and invited a fan onstage to play guitar though it - the fan was from Israel and played the entire song flawlessly. It was such a great thing for Billy Joe to do - probably made that kid's life. :-)

1. "Everyday" by Dave Matthews Band.

I know I'm predictable. You knew that a DMB song had to be #1 right? :-)

This song was released as the single to the album Everyday back in 2001. The first time I heard it, it gave me goosebumps. Such a great, happy, upbeat song about love.

"All we need is, what you want is, all we need is love, love, love, everyday."

I became smitten with this song the first time I saw it live. When they play it, they play it tied together with "#36", and the crowd sings along to the opening and ending. It's such a happy, wonderful moment.

Do you have a song that always gives you goosebumps? Why does it? Leave me a comment with your answer - I might compile into a future post!!

Game Day!

2011-01-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

Cheese head!

Future Mom-in-Law and Brother-in-Law

Rivalry!! The BF and his Mom.

Rivalry!!

Me and the crazy kitty.

Sunday is Football Day at my future in-laws place. Today is the ultimate rivalry in the Moylen house - Green Bay vs. Chicago for the NFC Championship. The BF is a Bears fan, his mom is a Packers fan.

Right now we're in the 3rd Quarter and Green Bay is up 14-0. :-(

C'mon Chicago!!

Verbal Vomit

2011-01-20T18:44:00.000-08:00

Has it really been 10 days since my last post? God, I suck. It's been a killer week......you'd think my life would slow down since the holidays are over and January is typically a slow month in retail, but you thought wrong. Actually, I thought wrong. This month is nuts, and next month looks to be nuttier.

Anyways, I have a cacophony of random thoughts (ooh, you like that SAT word?) to share today. Enjoy it, folks.

-STOKED for a couple of fun meals next week. First, happy hour ($4 nachos and $2 beers) with my BFF Morgan on Tuesday. Then on Saturday, the first annual Blogger's Brunch (or dinner, based on the emails I've been getting)! P-Dawg from Alis Grave Nil, April from See April Work, and Tracy from Tracy on the Cheap will be there, and hopefully Hutch from Be Awesome Instead. So happy to finally see these ladies in person. :-)

-I'm gonna pull out the M-word. MOVING. :-( The BF and I are going to be moving in mid-February. It's not a bad thing, really. We live in a duplex, on the smaller side, and the tenants on the larger side are moving out. Our landlords offered us first dibs on the larger side, and we're jumping on it. We'll be gaining about 400 square feet, an extra bedroom, and a larger backyard. I just absolutely HATE moving, and it's going to be even more of a pain in the rear since we're moving, literally, around the corner. I'll post some pictures of the new pad when we're in and settled.

-The BF and I are working on a couple vacations for this year - road trip to Portland, OR in May; Austin, TX for a U of Texas (LONGHORNS baby!) in September. We'll see how things go with work and the increased rent, but I'm hoping they both work out.

-I kinda like the new American Idol judge panel. Steven Tyler was absolutely hilarious - he was insulting and a little mean to the people auditioning, but did it in such a subtle way that had me dying laughing. "What's with the jujubees on your oo-oo-bees?" - referencing that dumb girl who had stars on her boobies in a bikini top. Hilarity. J-Lo, meh. She was a less drunk Paula Abdul. Randy was same as always. I'm interested to see how they work together as the season goes on......

-Tosh.0 is the funniest crap on TV right now. That man is rude, crude, politically incorrect, and I LOVE it. The Web Redemption with that "hide your kids, hide your wife, hide your husband cuz they be rapin' everyone out here" dude from YouTube was awesome. The BF and I look forward to his show every week. Do you watch his show? He's fantastic. I only wish I knew if he was gay or not......

-Ah, NFL playoffs. My team didn't make it to the post-season (Oakland Raiders), even though they should have. Stupid NFL rules. Anyway, the BF's team is still in the playoffs, playing for the NFC Championship on Sunday - GO CHICAGO BEARS! Because I have a shopping problem, and because I'm a fan by association, I spent $80 on a Bears hoodie and t-shirt to wear for the game this weekend...........and also for the Superbowl if they win. :-)

So with that, I leave you with this final thought...............

DA BEARS!!!

Concerts

2011-01-10T21:01:00.000-08:00

Because I'm trying to see if I can beat the BF in the number of concerts attended in my lifetime, I'm going to list them here. I don't blame if you if you get bored after awhile. You don't have to read the whole list. I'm going to try and include the year I saw them too, just for shits and giggles.
PS - I'm only listing major touring acts/artists most people would know. I'm leaving out local bands, as that would add a lot to this list. And bore you some more. :-)

1. New Kids on the Block - 1991
2. Bush/Veruca Salt - 1997
3. Dave Matthews Band - 1997* (Cal Expo)
4. Dave Matthews Band - 1998* (Arco Arena)
5. Red Hot Chili Peppers/Stone Temple Pilots - 2000
6. Creed - 2000
7. Dave Matthews Band - 2000* (Sleep Train)
8. A Perfect Circle - 2001
9. Lenny Kravitz - 2001
10. Dave Matthews Band - 2001* (Sleep Train)
11. Dave Matthews Band - 2002* (Sleep Train)
12. Breaking Benjamin - 2002
13. HomeGrown/All-American Rejects - 2003
14. Breaking Benjamin - 2003
15. Warped Tour (Pennywise/Rancid) - 2003
16. Dave Matthews Band - 2003* (Sleep Train)
17. Something Corporate/RX Bandits - 2003
18. Dave and Tim (acoustic tour) - 2004
19. Bob Dylan - 2004
20. The Who - 2004
21. Dave Matthews Band - 2004* (Sleep Train)
22. John Mayer/Maroon 5 - 2004
23. Pennywise/Street Dogs - 2005
24. Dave Matthews Band - 2005* (Sleep Train)
25. Allister/Fenix TX - 2005
26. Eric Clapton - 2006
27. Taking Back Sunday/Angels and Airwaves - 2006
28. Dave Matthews Band - 2006* (Raley Field)
29. Dave Matthews Band - 2006* (Shoreline)
30. Plus 44 - 2006
31. Sammy Hagar - 2007
32. Kenny Chesney - 2007
33. Taylor Swift - 2007
34. Dave Matthews Band - 2007* (Shoreline)
35. Jimmy Eat World/Paramore - 2008
36. Dave Matthews Band - 2008* (Shoreline)
37. New Kids on the Block/Lady Gaga - 2008
38. Sugarland/Little Big Town - 2008
39. Far - 2009
40. No Doubt - 2009
41. Dave Matthews Band - 2009* (Greek Theater, Berkeley)
42. Green Day/Franz Ferdinand - 2009
43. Blink 182/Weezer - 2009
44. Jackie Greene - 2010 (Fairytale Town)
45. Deftones - 2010
46. Jackie Greene - 2010 (The Catalyst)
47. Dave Matthews Band - 2010 (Shoreline)
48. Muse/Passion Pit - 2010

Concerts for this year, in the works:
49. New Kids on the Block/Backstreet Boys (July 2)

* = 14 times seeing DMB since 1997

I'm pretty sure I beat him. But I'll let you guys know. :-)

Mini-Vacation

2011-01-03T19:37:00.001-08:00

I've been off work for the last five days - a mini-vacation of sorts. After the madness of the holidays, I felt the need for a break. No, I didn't go anywhere. My couch has sort of attached itself to my arse, I ate more than I should have, and did a whole lot of nothing. And you know what? It was wonderful and well-needed.

Because I feel like a lazy blob of goo, I decided to list what I actually did on my vacation, to make myself feel like I did something.

Thursday, December 30
-Slept in until 8am (hey, when you're getting up at 5am or earlier everyday, 8am is late)
-Grocery shopped for NYE appetizer and dessert ingredients
-Bought a new bra (aka the implants I've always wanted, without the surgery and cost)
-Scored a black crop tuxedo-style jacket at Target for $7.48
-Sold some clothes to Crossroads and got $83 cash for them
-Met an old friend for happy hour at one of my favorite Mexican restaurants - Garcia's
-Made salted caramel brownies for NYE dessert

Friday, December 31
-Had breakfast and went shopping with my future Sister-in-Law at Roseville Galleria. My haul -two animal print tops at H&M, a leopard cardigan and belt from Forever21, and a black cardigan from Express
-Made a crockpot queso dip for NYE appetizer
-Napped
-Went to NYE party with friends, stayed up till 4am (see previous post for photos), and learned that "Just Dance" for Wii is my hidden talent

Saturday, January 1
-Grocery shopped for dinner ingredients
-Cleaned the house top to bottom
-Laundry. Never ending laundry.
-Organized my closet
-Made some bomb chicken fajitas for dinner
-Watched "The Karate Kid" (new one) with the BF

Sunday, January 2
-Slept in, made breakfast for myself (bacon and eggs, yum)
-Did some online "window shopping" on the Kohl's website and was intrigued
-Went to Kohl's and found the perfect pair of ankle boots. They had my size and they were on sale for $32.99 (from $88). SCORE!
-Also found another amazing bra. I'm loving the "2 cup sizes" bigger bras.
-Got some chicken wings and fries at Wingstop
-Watched the Bears game with the BF, his brother, and brother's wife.
-Played Wheel of Fortune on Wii and grubbed on pizza

Monday, January 3
-Ran errands (needed cat food and litter, snacks for my trip tomorrow, and rent money)
-Made cupcakes to take to Colorado with me
-Snacked. Like all day.
-Uploaded CDs to my ITunes (got a new Nano for Christmas)
-Hand washed some clothes
-Spent way too much time on Facebook and online window shopping
-Packed for my trip tomorrow
-Took all the ornaments off the Christmas tree

And looking back, I really didn't do crap. But that's okay. I needed to be lazy for awhile.

So long, mini-vacation. See you again March 31-April 3 (my 30th birthday weekend. I'm so not working as I turn 30).

Happy 1/1/11!

2011-01-01T21:43:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating the start of a new year, whatever you did. :-)

I've been reading lots of blogs that are recapping their 2010 - the good, the bad, and everything in between. P-Dawg did a very thoughtful Reflection Questions post that I wanted to steal, but then realized I really had nothing to write about, in full sentence form, that is.

So to kick off the new year, I'll just bullet point the highlights of 2010:

-Vacations with the BF: Mendocino, Santa Cruz, and Texas.
-Disneyland with my Mom and Sister-in-Law
-Seeing a TON of concerts: Jackie Greene (twice), Dave Matthews Band, Adam Lambert, Muse, Deftones.
-Making new friends, and getting to know old friends better. I've spent a lot of time with six other couples, and it's amazing how well we all get along.
-Spending time with my Sister-in-Law, and getting to know her better.
-Buying a new car. She's amazing and great on gas!
-Pedicures. The best thing ever. I can't believe I waited until this year to get them. I've been missing out.
-Learning to cherish the time that the BF and I have together, because sometimes that time is very few and far between.
-Glee. Best show on TV.

The things I could have done without in 2010:

-Money stresses. Worse this year than it has been in years. But I did it to myself - buying that new car added almost $150 monthly to my bills. Adjusting to that has been difficult.
-My bouts of social awkwardness. Especially with my girlfriends. I have a hard time trusting girls - I can't open up to them without feeling incredibly vulnerable. So I act weird around them because sometimes I just don't know what to say or do.
-The 5lbs I gained. I really didn't need that. But it's here, in my thighs. :-(

What I'm looking forward to in 2011:

-Vacations! The BF and I are planning a road trip to the Pacific Northwest in Spring, and I'd like to do a cruise to a tropical, sunny location in Fall. Oh, and my Dad is possibly taking the entire family on a trip to Hawaii next Christmas - how awesome would that be?
-Upgrading my phone. I currently have the Blackberry Curve, and I'm dying for either a Blackberry Torch or IPhone. Have to wait a few more months till my contract is up though.
-Seeing where my brother's band goes - The New Humans. They've been doing quite well here in Sacramento, and I'd love to see them expand their popularity to the rest of the country. Maybe sign a record deal? Play at South By Southwest? We shall see!
-Doing more things with friends. I have a few friends that I don't see very often and that I miss dearly. These girls have seen me at my absolute worst, yet still talk to me. :-) I want to commit to making time to see them more than twice a year.
-Curbing my spending habits. This is something I've tried to do for the last few years, but I never can do it. It's not in my budget to spend like I used to, I need to learn to live with less.

How I rang in my New Year - with great friends, drinks, food, and Wii:

Just Dance for Wii - my new favorite game, and apparently my hidden talent. I kept kicking everyone's ass. I'm not pictured above - that's Erin (future sister-in-law) on the left, and Michelle on the right.

Some of the boys (L-R): Jeff (BF's brother), BF, Ryan

The girls! L-R: Me, Nikki, Kristen, Erin, Michelle, Kaitlin

These are the couples that I referred to above - we hang out together all the time. One of the girls is not pictured - she was in Tahoe, lucky duck.

What staying up till 4am on NYE will do to you on NY day. :-) This is the BF, passed out sleeping at 8:30pm, beer bottle in hand.

And finally, our Christmas picture. Probably one of the best pictures taken of us in 2010:

I hope 2011 is a great year for everyone!!

Wordless Wednesday (sort of)

2010-12-22T17:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays! Or should I say, Bah Humbug. It's been one of those months, if you couldn't tell from my previous posts. :-)

Here's my edition of Almost Wordless Wednesday! Some photos of a few events I've attended this month.

Trimming the Tree!

Yes, it's crooked. You can thank my bastard cat for that. And yes, there are no ornaments on the bottom of the tree - that's because of the cat as well.

Girl's Holiday Tea - Linde Lane Teahouse. December 5, 2010.

A lovely morning with my sister-in-law, her mom and sisters, and my mom.

Jessica's 30th Birthday Party!!

A night of Jello Shots, Wii, poker, and great company. The birthday girl is in the purple dress.

Unofficial Black and Gray Wednesday!

Today at work, four of us wound up wearing only black and gray - completely NOT planned! We had to document it. :-)

I'm sure I'll have more Hell Week photos soon. And in case I don't post again............

Merry Christmas!!

Keywords

2010-12-07T10:49:00.000-08:00

I finally, for the first time, checked my blog's stats.

Traffic - meh. It's been a steady decline since October, but that's when my blogging sort of went on hiatus. I'm sorry, but the holiday season for me starts at the end of October through December. I will be on a semi-permanent hiatus for those two months until I can get out of retail.

Keywords - now these are funny, but predictable. Here's how people found my blog:

adam lambert
rachel zoe halloween costume
adam lambert blonde
adam lambert concert review
chadd bloomstine (now this one's weird. who's googling my BF's cousin?)
linde lane tea room
mini cheesecake with brownie crust
oreo cheesecake cupcakes
suicide blonde
"seaweed fashion show"

Have you ever looked up your stats? What are YOUR keywords?

Bah Freaking Humbug

2010-12-04T10:35:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm one of them.

While there's a part of me that adores Christmas and gets me all warm and fuzzy, ther's a larger part of me that hates it and everything about it.

Why, you might ask? Working in retail for nearly 14 years will do it to you. And I swear it gets worse and worse every year.

At this point in the holiday season, I have some stories and gripes to tell:

Black Friday.
One of my stores was in a mall that opened at midnight - "Midnight Madness", so to speak. When the mall doors opened RIGHT at midnight (great planning, mall managers), nearly 10,000 people ran into the mall. About 1,000 of them headed straight for my store. Those people broke one of our Sensormatic (that thing that beeps if the security tag isn't removed) pedestals, ripped window banners out of the window, punched a pregnant woman in the stomach, and nearly trampled a middle-aged man. We were doing a gift-card giveaway where the first 75 people in line got a wristband, and they traded in those wristbands for a giftcard. Well, some kid got a wristband, and two teenagers held him down and tried to rip it off his wrist. It was so chaotic and caveman-like that they had to shut the gate to the store and escort people out. Many of these customers were drunk, and not even there to shop. They just wanted to be part of the chaos and hype. It was terrible.

Customer Rudeness.
I got bitched out in one of my stores because we didn't carry the particular type of jeans a customer wanted to buy for her daughter. My bad. I didn't know that was my fault. I also have gotten bitched out for lack of size selection, lack of brands people want, and lack of register people (I have zero control over those aspects of the business, by the way). People are more demanding this year than I've experienced in the past. It's insane.

Rudeness in General.
It's simply appalling how rude people are in the world, and the holiday season seems to bring out the worst of it. I know that everyone's stressed out over gift buying, money issues, time, etc., but that does NOT give anyone the right to run me over with a shopping cart and not apologize; for a child to throw a ball in the aisle of Target, hit me in the back, laugh, and the parents laugh along with them; to cut in line anywhere; to pound on the store doors and demand to be let in to purchase something before store hours because "I have to go to work" (that one got me laughing hysterically. Right. Like we make exceptions for that).

Holiday Music
Go ahead, call me a Scrooge. I am. But I can't stand holiday music. It's overplayed - it's in every mall, store, restaurant, radio station, and TV show/special. Right now I'm sitting in the waiting area of my car dealership while my oil is getting changed, and they have it playing. Ugh. I also have to listen to it for a minimum of 8 hours a day while I'm at work. I go out of my mind every holiday because the music drives me nuts - I can probably sing along to every version of every Christmas song ever recorded.
I am making an exception for the Glee Holiday Special on Tuesday, however. That I can put up with. :-)
Oh, and I LOVE Adam Sandler's "Haunnakah Song". That one never gets old.

The only redeeming thing about the season is it's a great time for old friends and family to get together. I get to see some relatives in a couple weeks that I only see at Christmas, and I will get to meet up with some old friends at some point this month as well. Oh, and I LOVE shopping for Christmas gifts. I just love shopping, period. :-)

And because I don't want to end this on a sour note, I'll leave you with a picture of kittens, all dressed up for Christmas. I tried this with my cat a few years ago - he was NOT having it.

Turkey Day Weekend

2010-11-28T18:56:00.000-08:00

*Had a relaxing Turkey Day. Morning/afternoon with my family, and night with the BF's family. Low-key and fantastic.

*Wearing leggings on Thanksgiving was the best idea ever. I will remember this next year. :-)

*Worked 11 hours on Black Friday with NO sleep the previous night (3am to 2pm). Like none. I was the walking dead when I left the store.

*Decorated the Christmas tree on Friday night after a 3-hour nap.

*Ate leftover chip-and-dip and a turkey quesadilla for dinner on Friday.

*Slept like a rock Friday night. I don't think I moved for 8 straight hours. NOTHING could have woken me up that night. It felt wonderful.

*Got nearly all of my holiday shopping done on Saturday morning. As of now, I have ONE gift left to purchase (that I will get on Wednesday), and I'm 100% done.

*Went shopping with the BF on Saturday afternoon. Bad idea. We went to Best Buy looking for gifts, and wound up taking advantage of the bargains by purchasing a 50" plasma flat-screen ($300 off list price and same-as-cash financing).

*That is the last time I ever go electronics shopping with him. Seriously.

*Fantastic Saturday night - college football, pizza, and gift-wrapping with the BF.

*Brunch with the family this morning. My mom experimented with a new version of french toast.....are you ready for this...........CROISSANT CAPTAIN CRUNCH FRENCH TOAST. Omg, delicious. It's now my new favorite breakfast food.

*Target shopping this afternoon (would up getting out of there under $50, a first), and cleaning up the house.

*Now I'm relaxing on the couch, watching the new Iron Chef, and getting ready to make dinner - tortellini soup and grilled cheese with rosemary.

I have to admit that this Turkey Day weekend was awesome - relaxing, productive, and fun. Thanks to the BF for hanging out with me!

Thankful Wednesday......And A Few Gripes

2010-11-24T11:16:00.000-08:00

Inspired by my pal Hutch's post, I thought I'd partake in the Thankful Thursday -one day early- post. But, in true Suicide Blonde fashion, I'll include a few gripes. Let's do those first, so we end on a happy note, yes?

Wednesday Gripes

-Rude and grumpy-ass people out and about this morning. I nearly got taken out at Bed Bath and Beyond by some old lady who probably thought today was Black Friday, and some b*%tch stole my parking spot at the grocery store. I had my blinker on and was turning into it, and she came out of nowhere and pulled into it. I almost hit her. Ugh.

-Black Friday. This is my 14th Black Friday in retail, and I dread it every year. I hate it. I hate the chaos, I hate the masses of people everywhere, I hate the rudeness and whining and complaining. And I hate getting up early (this year at 1am) and working before dawn (this year I have to be at work at 3:30am in a store 45 min away). I can't wait for Friday to be over.

Thankful Wednesday

-A boyfriend that understands my stress during the holidays and doesn't give me crap for it.

-A family that does the same thing. :-) Love you guys!

-Having 2 Thanksgivings. One with my family, one with the BF's family.

-Online shopping. I am 60% done with my holiday shopping as of today. My goal is to be 100% done by the end of next weekend. 50% of the gifts bought so far were online, 10% in a brick-and-mortar store.

-Glee. Last night's episode made me cry. It's the only TV show that has brought me to tears nearly every episode. I love it.

-Having Saturday and Sunday off this week. Usually, I have to work the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year, I don't. LOVE!

-Baking. In the last few weeks, I've made Salted Caramel Brownies and Oreo Cheesecake Cookies. YUM!

-Great friends. I'm lucky to have some fantastic people in my life. :-)

Happy Turkey Day everyone!!

I Heart Glee

2010-11-10T20:20:00.000-08:00

I love the story lines, the characters, the songs............I love everything about it. And no other show can bring me to tears nearly every damn episode.

And now I love it even more. Because of him.

Oh yes, the new character, Blaine. Yummy.

I'm gonna love this weekly piece of eye candy. Oh yeah.............. :-)

Halloweenie!

2010-10-31T15:33:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended a Halloween costume party put on by my future brother and sister-in-law. Their house was decorated so cute - Halloween themed items were everywhere, and they even had a shower curtain depicting a "slasher" type guy on it. So cool.

Everyone attending came in costume, and they were super creative. There was a costume contest..........after viewing the pictures below, can you guess the winner? :-)

Ellen DeGeneres!

Flapper!

The Biggest Loser Winner!

Rachel Zoe and Lindsay Lohan

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

Retro Couple!

Katy Perry and Ke$ha!

Doc Holliday, Duck Hunter, Waldo!

Taylor Swift!

The Celebrity Girls!

So, who do you think won the costume contest?

Hope everyone had a safe and happy Halloween weekend!

Sunday Tea

2010-10-24T18:13:00.000-07:00

This lovely, rainy Sunday, I joined some of the BF's cousins for an afternoon of tea and goodies.

For my NorCal readers, the tea room was called Linde Lane Tea Room, located in Dixon. It's a renovated firehouse, but is beautifully decorated like a Victorian Tea Room. There's a large dining area, separate themed Tea Rooms (such as the Teddy Bear Tea Room, decorated with stuffed teddy bears), and a cute little gift area.

We each ordered the Royal Tea, which consisted of several courses for each person: Sorbet with shortbread, scone with cream and jam, salad, soup, tea sandwiches (4 kinds), desserts (a muffin, cookie, and butter cookie), and a pot of tea. And not just any plain tea - they have 4o kinds to choose from.

Amber, who organized the event, made the reservation for a booth that looked like a teacup! So cute! Thanks to Amber and Ashley for putting this together - I had so much fun!!

Here are some photos of the Tea:

Tea Sandwiches (from left): Apple with Cinnamon Cream Cheese on Cinnamon Raisin Bread, Cranberry Turkey with Spinach, Dill Muffin with Cream Cheese and Cucumber, and Egg Salad on a cracker.

from left: Amber, Ashley, me, Shannon, Erin (she's my future sis-in-law). The hats were for sale in their gift area - we had a ton of fun with them.

This was our Teacup Booth!

Teas - Apple Cinnamon, Mango, Passion Berry, Mocha Rocha, and Caramel.

What a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon!!

Six Questions

2010-10-18T19:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Hutch and her lack of tagging, I decided to participate in her Six Questions post. She didn't call it that, but that's what I'm calling it.

Here's how it works. A blogger answers six questions that another blogger tagged her to participate in. The blogger answering the questions answers them, writes six of her own questions, and tags six other bloggers to answer her questions. Lost yet? I think I am, and I wrote all that.

Anyway, here are Hutch's questions:

1. If you could have any job, what would it be and why?

I'd be a business owner. More than anything, I want to work for myself - make my own hours, my own rules, choose the product I want, hire who I want, etc. I'd either own a cupcake bakery or clothing boutique. Or I could combine the two.......? Hmmm.......

If that doesn't work out, I'd love to be Rachel Zoe's personal assistant. RZ, there's my offer.....wanna take me up on it?

2. Did you have an imaginary friend when you were a kid?

Nope. I'm not one for pretending.

3. What is your biggest guilty pleasure?

Pedicures. I hate spending $25 on something I could totally do myself, but it's relaxing and the results are amazing!

4. If 80s style perms came back in style, would you get one?

Probably. I did have that 80s perm back in elementary school, and it made doing my hair SO EASY! And it gave it body and volume..............so yes, I would. Totally. :-)

5. If you could choose your last meal, what would it be?

Pasta carbonara, cheesy garlic bread, grilled asparagus. Topped off with a chocolate chip Pizookie from BJ's for dessert.

6. Would you rather have a personal assistant, chef, or housekeeper?

I like to cook, and I'm too much of a control freak to have an assistant. I'm not a huge fan of cleaning - I wouldn't mind someone doing that for me! So it would be Housekeeper.

My six questions:

1. What's your favorite song of all-time?

2. What was your favorite Halloween costume? How old were you when you dressed up in that costume?

3. If someone gave you $100 to spend as you please, what would you do with it?

4. What's your funniest drunk story? It could be you that was drunk, or someone else.

5. Are you addicted to a caffinated beverage? If yes, what's your poison?

6. Would you rather get drinks with Daniel Tosh (Tosh.0), Conan (you know, Conan O'Brian), or Joel McHale (The Soup/Community) and why?

People I'm tagging to answer the above questions:

Hutch - Be Awesome Instead

P-Dawg - Alis Grave Nil

Salt - Salt Says

Tracy - Then I Got To Thinking

Jess - Cape Cod Awesome

April - See April Work

And if I didn't tag you and you want to do these questions, knock yourself out. And let me know that you did - I'd love to read your responses!

Proof I was there

2010-10-09T22:24:00.000-07:00

As promised (like any of you care), here are some photos from my trip to Disneyland with Mom and my Sister-in-Law. They're in no particular order.

Yoda pumpkin! In Big Thunder Ranch, they had a huge display of carved pumpkins that were all Disney characters - Nemo and Dori, Queen of Hearts, Malificent, Jack and Sally. But I loved this Yoda one, so I had to share.

Cute Toy Story photo op in California Adventure.

Swings in California Adventure.

There's a place in Hollywoodland (CA Adventure) where you can take a quiz and see what Disney character best fits you.........

The results of my quiz - Malificent. Not sure what that says about me.

Jailbirds in Mickey's Toontown.

The Haunted Mansion is completely decorated as "Nightmare Before Christmas" - inside AND out. This little guy greeted us when we entered the line. It was AWESOME!

Dessert at the Wine Country Trattoria in California Adventure. I highly recommend making reservations here. If you do the "price fix" menu (which is about $30/person), you get three amazing courses AND a pass for priority viewing at the World of Color water show. Totally worth it. The courses include a salad, choice of entree (I think there were 6-7 to choose from), and this amazing dessert tray - panna cotta, cherry crostada, chocolate mousse with lemon cream filling, and tiramisu. YUM!

We met Chip and Dale!!

Significant because our last name starts with "C".

It's tough being a bug.

The most expensive meal in Disneyland - Blue Bayou (inside Pirates of the Caribbean). $25 for a Monte Cristo sandwich. They were delicious though!!

If you need a place to stay in Anaheim.......

2010-10-06T19:51:00.000-07:00

If you're planning an overnight trip to Disneyland anytime soon, I have a recommendation for you.

When we (my Mom, Sister-in-Law, me) went to Disneyland last weekend, we stayed at this amazing hotel in Anaheim caled Hotel Menage. Here's the link to the hotel website.

At first, I was skeptical, but it was a fantastic place to stay. I'm used to business-traveler oriented hotels such as Holiday Inn Express, so this "unique" hotel kinda made me uneasy. But my fears were soon whisked away when we arrived.

The lobby is gorgeous - very modern decor. Stone floors, comfortable lounge-type seating in lime green and gray, a granite bar area with two flat-screen TVs.......way cooler than any Holiday Inn Express.

The service was fantastic. From the Valets to the front desk people, the customer service was amazing - absolutely not what I expected from a "boutique" type hotel, especially in Southern California. Whatever we needed, any question we had, they were on it with a friendly smile and a "can do" attitude. Especially the Valets - those guys were awesome.

Although we didn't experience it ourselves, the hotel pool and outdoor bar (called the MIST Bar) were quite nice. The pool is pretty big, lots of lounge chairs and, I think, a couple cabanas. There's a spa too. The MIST Bar looks kind of like a tiki bar - lots of seating and a flat-screen TV, and just a cool place to hang out.

The only bummer about the hotel was the rooms. They were not that bad, but compared to the gorgeous lobby, they definitely were not as nice. We had a king bed and a queen pull-out couch bed. The tub/shower was older, with cracked tile and scratched porcelin; the vanity was small for three people to share. There was a good-sized desk and dresser that came in handy for all our shopping bags. The king bed was comfy, the sheets good quality for a hotel. It was a good thing we didn't spend a ton of time at the hotel - the room was on the small side too. In all, the room was a good value for the price paid.

Hotel Menage's location to Disneyland is also a plus - just over a freeway overpass. Disneyland is within walking distance, but why walk when the hotel is on the Anaheim Resort Transit line? For $4/day or $10/3 day pass, you get unlimited shuttle rides to Disneyland and back. The shuttles run about every 20 minutes, so you never have to wait long. It was much more convienent than renting a car.

The biggest plus about Hotel Menage was the restaurant in the lobby - K'ya Street Fare. Everything there for lunch and dinner is small plates (but not really, since the portions are decent size), and there's a TON of variety. (Click here for the menu). We ate there twice for dinner, and were not disappointed, and our bill was never above $40 - that's for three of us, including drinks. They also have a deli offering sandwiches, pizza, and a BYOB - Build Your Own Burger, all at reasonable prices. K'ya offers breakfast as well. We ate twice for breakfast - delicious!

I tried the following items at the restaurant:
American Breakfast Scramble - eggs, bacon, sausage, wheat toast, breakfast potatoes
Breakfast Burrito - eggs, bacon, potatoes, two cheeses, cilantro, green onions
Edamame
Wok Seared Vegetables
Margharita Panini
BYOB - 1/3 beef patty, cheddar, bacon
Sweet Potato Fries
Chicken Empanadas
Hummus Bowl

Anyway, in closing, I'd like to throw my recommendation of Hotel Menage at you. You will not be disappointed! The rates are reasonable too - we booked our trip through Soutwest Vacations and got a good package deal (hotel, flights, and Disneyland tickets). Check 'em out!

Here's a photo of me and my Sister-in-Law in the hotel lobby lounge. If you look in the background, you can get a feel for the hotel decor.

2010-10-03T20:11:00.000-07:00

I just realized I let almost two weeks lapse in between posts. My bad. I've been incredibly busy lately. But I don't feel as bad, since Jess @Cape Cod Awesome and Hutch @Be Awesome Instead haven't posted in, like, forever either.

Anyway, I just got home from spending 3 1/2 days at the Happiest Place On Earth. No, that's not Mall of America (although if I ever go there, I will most likely call it my Happiest Place on Earth). I was at Disneyland and Disneyland's California Adventure.

I have a lot to say about this trip - a hotel/restaurant review, comments on Disneyland itself, and the people watching. All will be saved for posts to come - this week, hopefully, unless life gets in the way again.

I'm gonna go eat an ice cream sandwich and unpack. For now, I'll leave you with a sneak peek at what Disneyland has to offer at "Halloween Time"!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Deliciousness

2010-09-20T21:23:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I posted a recipe. I just got this one from a sort-of relative (the BF's cousin), and made it this weekend. Twice. It's that damn good, and that damn easy to make. Swearsies. If you like chocolate and peanut butter, this is for you.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Balls

makes about 35 balls

3 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup chocolate chips

1 7oz. jar marshmallow creme

Mix the Rice Krispies, peanut butter, and chocolate chips together in a large bowl until well coated. Then mix in the marshmallow creme until combined.

Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the mixture and roll into balls with your hands. Place on the prepared baking sheet.

Refrigerate for 1 hour until firm. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. They taste amazing cold or at room temperature!

I took a batch of these to work today - they were a huge hit. Half of them were gone in an hour!

Here's the obligatory photo of them. It's from my Blackberry, so it's not the best quality.

Sunday Randomness

2010-09-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

I apologize for my lack of posts these last few weeks. I've been a busy girl. So today's post is a jumble of randomness - thoughts, ideas, and short stories that I've had in my head lately that do not constitute their own post. Enjoy. :-)

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Two weeks from today, I'll be on a plane coming back from Disneyland. I'm going with my mom and sister-in-law for a "girl's trip". I've experienced Disneyland during summertime, Christmas, and early spring, but never for Halloween Time, which is why I'm super excited. I'm a big fan of the Disney Villains (I'm so not a Princess girl), and they promote the Villains during Halloween Time. I already have my personalized Jack Skellington ears ready to go! :-)

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Speaking of Halloween, and inspired by Salt's post, I was giving my Halloween costume some thought this weekend. My future brother and sister-in-law are throwing a costume party this year, and I finally get the oppotunity to dress up! So, I want to dress up as a woman that inspires me, a woman I strive to be..........and something that I already have most of the pieces to....................so this is my inspiration:

I'll also be carrying my Blackberry and a Venti Starbucks cup, and speaking in her tongue. "That's so major", "That's ba-nanas", etc. I tried asking the BF to dress up like Brad, but that was a huge no-go.

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Also inspired by some of the blogs I read, I'd love to have a "Sacramento Girls" blogger dinner. There's quite a few of us that write out of the local area, and I think it'd be fun to get us all together some night to chat and meet in person. So, Heather @Alis Grave Nil, Hutch @Be Awesome Instead, Tracy @Tracy on the Cheap, and April @See April Work, are you interested? If so, comment or message me and we'll set something up!

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And I promised a few weeks back that I would share some of my pictures from Texas. We spent a day in San Antonio, checking out the Riverwalk and the Alamo. The other couple days were spent in Corpus Christi and the surrounding areas. Thanks to Jill and Chadd for hosting our stay - we had a blast with you guys!!

Happy Sunday everyone!!

Stolen from P-Dawg

2010-09-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

For lack of anything else to post, here ya go. I stole it from P-Dawg at Alis Grave Nil.

Copy and paste if you'd like to play too!

WHAT WAS YOUR:
1. last beverage ~ Bottled Dasani water.
2. last phone call ~ The BF, the daily post-work chat.
3. last text message ~ Does a BBM count? If yes, then to one of my boss-ladies about backpacks.
4. last song you listened to ~ "Gone Wanderin" by Jackie Greene.
5. last time you cried ~ Hmmm, it's been awhile. I can't remember.

HAVE YOU EVER:
6. dated someone ~ Yep. Lots of frogs, one prince. :-)
7. been cheated on ~ Yep. Hardcore cheating too.
8. kissed someone & regretted it ~ Yep. It's probably more like "someones".
9. lost someone special ~ Unfortunately, yes.
10. been depressed ~ Not really. I went through a funk when Z dumped me, but I wouldn't say I was depressed.
11. been drunk and threw up ~ Last time was in 2007. I drank three beers extremely fast and felt like crap. I ended up spewing in a bowling alley bathroom, but felt much better. I could have told you about the time I got really drunk at a DMB concert and threw up in a Porta-Potty.....

LIST THREE FAVORITE COLORS:
12. Black
13. Red
14. Magenta

THIS YEAR (2010) HAVE YOU:
15. Made a new friend ~ Yep. Amanda and Nikki. I like to think they're my friends. :-)
16. Fallen out of love ~ I can't say that I have. If anything, the love between the BF and I has gotten stronger.
17. Laughed until you cried ~ All the time at work.
18. Met someone who changed you ~ Eh, not really. I don't change much.
19. Found out who your true friends were ~I think I'm past this. I don't keep people close to me that I don't trust.
20. Missing. :-(
21. Kissed anyone on your FB friends list ~ This year? Nope. The BF isn't on FB.

GENERAL:
22. How many people on your FB friends list do you know in real life ~ All. If I haven't met a person IRL, or remember them from high school or something, they don't get added.
24. Do you have any pets ~ Yes, a tuxedo cat named Bubbs.
25. Do you want to change your name ~ I love my name. It fits me. My first name is somewhat common, and I have a very uncommon last name. I love my name so much that whenever I get married, I'm not opposed to keeping it or just hyphenating it.
26. What did you do for your last birthday ~ Dinner with the family, a party at work, and out with friends the weekend prior.
27. What time did you wake up today ~ 5:00am. Had to be at work at 7:30 at a store an hour away. Boo.
28. What were you doing at midnight last night ~ Sleeping. Did you see the answer to the last question? Geez.
29. Name something you CANNOT wait for ~ Disneyland in 3 weeks!
30. Last time you saw your Mother ~ Yesterday at the family get-together.
31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life ~ More $$, a bigger house, and getting married.
32. What are you listening to right now ~ The MNF game on TV. Kansas City is kicking San Diego's ass (sorry Surferwife).
33. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom ~ Yep. My high school track coach was named Tom, and a high school boyfriend's dad was a Tom.
34. What's getting on your nerves right now ~ Work stress. I have nothing to be stressed about right now, but I am. Ugh.
35. Most visited webpage ~ Facebook, Blogger, MS Outlook, Tillys.com
37. Nicknames ~ The Kid (Dad calls me that), Kate (Mom calls me that), Babe (BF calls me that), Boss-Lady (to my work peeps)
38. Relationship Status ~ Happily taken and living in sin.
39. Zodiac sign ~ Aries.
40. He or She ~ Um, she? <---yeah, I'll go with P-Dawg's answer.
41. Elementary ~ Pleasant Grove Elementary
42. High School ~ Elk Grove High School. Thundering Herd, what what!
43. College ~ CSU Sacramento. Took me 6 years, but I finished!
44. Hair color ~ Natural or the color it is now? Natural - no idea. Probably some mousy brown sprinkled with lots of gray. Color it is now - rich dark brown, no gray.
45. Long or short ~ My hair? Short, a-line.
46. Height ~ 5'2" (barely)
47. Do you have a crush on someone? ~ Hunter Hillenmeyer, Dave Matthews, Brandon Flowers, Joel McHale
48. What do you like about yourself? ~ I'm honest to others and myself. I'm brutally loyal and will stand up for anyone that I care about.
49. Piercings ~ Yes.
50. Tattoos ~ Oh geez....you ready? 6 stars on the inside of each wrist. Heart on the outside of my right wrist. 3 stars on the back of my neck. 2 angel wings on my upper back. 2 Chinese characters on my lower back. Dave Matthews Band Firedancer logo on my left upper thigh. 1 nautical star on the back each ankle. 1 horseshoe on my lower stomach.
51. Righty or lefty ~ Righty.

FIRSTS :
52. First surgery ~ Surgery to remove a begnin tumor from my right femur at age 15.
53. First piercing ~ Ears, age 10.
54. First best friend ~ April P.
55. First sport you joined ~ Nothing. I was in ballet at age 4 and was asked not to return. I ran track in junior high and high school, I guess that counts.
56. First vacation ~ The first one I remember is visiting my Grandma at her farm in Eureka, CA when I was really little.
58. First crush? ~ David B, 6th grade.

WHAT ARE YOU:
59. Eating ~ Mother's Frosted Animal Cookies, you know, the pink and white ones with sprinkles? Yum.
60. Drinking ~ Bottled water.
61. I'm about to ~ Go to bed. I'm pooped.
62. Listening to ~ I think I answered this somewhere above.
63. Waiting for ~ This week to be over so the weekend can begin. Yes, I know it's only Monday.

YOUR FUTURE :
64. Want kids? ~ Eh, not particularly. I think I would adopt if given the option. The idea of pregnancy scares the living hell out of me. Especially the part where the baby has to come out.....neither option appeals to me at all.
65. Get Married? ~ I hope so, damnit.
66. Career? ~ I'd love to pioneer a position for my current company, or if that doesn't work, open a cupcake bakery.

WHICH IS BETTER :
67. Lips or eyes ~ Eyes.
68. Hugs or kisses ~ Hugs.
69. Shorter or taller ~ In a guy, I assume? Taller.
70. Older or Younger ~ Huh?
71. Romantic or spontaneous ~ Neither.
72. Nice stomach or nice arms ~ Arms.
73. Sensitive or loud ~ Sensitive.
74. Hook-up or relationship ~ At this point in my life, relationship. Obviously.
75. Trouble maker or hesitant ~ Somewhere in the middle.

HAVE YOU EVER :
76. Kissed a stranger ~ Nope. I always knew his name. Haha, that was a joke Mom.
77. Drank hard liquor ~ Double Patron Silver on ice, squeeze of lime. Yum.
78. Lost glasses/contacts ~ Don't use either.
79. Sex on first date ~ Plead the 5th. Sorry Mom.
80. Broken someone's heart ~ Somewhere along the way, probably.
81. Had your own heart broken ~ More times than anyone should have to experience.
82. Been arrested ~ Nope.
83. Turned someone down ~ Sure.
84. Cried when someone died ~ Lots.
85. Fallen for a friend ~ Nope.

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:
86. Yourself ~ I sure do. If I don't believe in myself, who will?
87. Miracles ~ Nah. I think they're coincidences.
88. Love at first sight ~ No.
89. Heaven ~ No.
90. Santa Claus ~ My mom ruined this for me at age 7.
91. Kiss on the first date ~ Do I believe in it? Sure, why not, if the date went well and you're into each other.
92. Angels ~ Nope.

ANSWER TRUTHFULLY:
93. Had more than one gf/bf ~ Not at one time. I dated a couple guys at once, but nothing was serious.
95. Did you sing today ~ I spent three hours driving, so yes, I sang along with the radio.
96. Ever cheated on somebody ~Once, and I felt AWFUL about it. It was a LONG LONG time ago, when I was young and dumb.
98. If you could pick a day from last year and relive it, what would it be ~ The weddings of my brother/sister-in-law, and the BF's brother/sister-in-law (June 13 and December 31). Spending time with family, celebrating a wonderful occasion - what could be better?
100. Afraid of posting this as 100 truths ~No, I'm not afraid, but I didn't like the title so I changed my heading.

Vacation

2010-09-08T12:42:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

I've been on a blogging hiatus for a few days now. Why? Because I've been on vacation!

The BF and I went to Texas to visit his cousin and cousin-in-law. It was our first Texas experience and Iwas not disappointed. In fact, I want to stay here forever. :-)

I'll be blogging about our trip later on. I've got some travel stories, recommendations, and photos to share.

I'm typing this from the comforts of an airport chair in Houston while my flight is delayed. Although out of 8 flight segments round-trip (yep, you guessed that my airline was Southwest just from my tidbit of information, right?), this is the only delayed one. I guess I can't complain too much.

I hope everyone had a great 3-day weekend! TTYL, y'all!

Top 5 Throwdown!

2010-09-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today's challenger: Heather at Alis Grave Nil. Check out her list and let me know who's is more embarrassing. :-)

Today's topic:

Top 5 Things I Like But Am Embarrassed to Admit To

Well, I'm gonna admit them here. Make fun all you like.

Criteria:

"Things" are defined as anything, materialistic or not. This is a wide open topic, meaning it could be a ton of fun and/or embarrassment. Again, if you think I'm nuts, please tell me so.

Honorable Mentions

-The Twilight book series.

Yes, I'm an almost-30-year old that reads them. Yes, I chose a "team", but my decision was made after the 4th book. Yes, I am starting to re-read them. And no, I do not like the movies.....nothing like the book. I only saw Twilight and hated it.

-Shapewear.

I know that not many women will admit to wearing shapewear, but I'll raise my hand, slightly embarrassed, to say that I do. And it's amazing. I bought my first "girdle" (as I call it) about two months ago and love it. It holds in my mid-section, aka my "problem area" and just makes clothes fit better. I love it, and plan on purchasing more in the future - thigh slimming shorts, and a bust-to-thigh thingy.

The Top 5

5. The 90s Fashion Comeback.

I know that I've lived it before, but I'm loving the styles that are coming back in - crop tops, "pegged"/skinny jeans, mini-skirts with tights, floral dresses, Doc Martens, knee socks, flannel. I can't wear half of it now, since I'm chunky, but I wish I could. Like, I'd wear the entire outfit below. :-)

4.Rollerblading.

Another 90s thing, yes. But I adore rollerblading. I miss it. Granted, I haven't done it since high school, but it was fantastic exercise, lots of fun, and it was actually something I was good at. I've been toying around with the idea of buying a pair and blading around the neighborhood, but I'm a little self-conscious about how people will look at me - like an old freak who didn't get out of the 90s? And I don't know if I could do it anymore anyway.

3. Dancing With The Stars.

I hate reality shows. I really do. I only watch ones that require talent, like Hell's Kitchen, Project Runway, and American Idol. But I secretly love Dancing With The Stars. Even though they don't get A-List celebrities on there, and it's cheesy, and the music is terrible, it's so much fun to watch.....and in the back of my head, I'm hoping that someone gets dropped/falls on their ass. And I love it even more when there's a football player on......the season that Warren Sapp was on, I DVR'd every episode. He was fabulous.

2. Gaudy, obnoxious rings.

I know this is a strange one to be embarrassed about, but I love this type of cheap, crappy jewelry that's so gaudy, I don't always wear them. Like, here's a couple examples of rings I've purchased lately but have not worn because they're almost too embarrassing to wear
The owl goes from my hand to past my knuckle, it's so big. And the elephant is just obnoxious. Yes, I'm nearly 30 and wear cheap crappy sparkly jewelry. Sue me. :-)

1. The song "Alejandro" by Lady Gaga.

Typically, I hate the bitch, but for some reason, I love this song. Maybe it's because it sounds hauntingly like Ace of Base (seriously, listen to it), maybe because it's well written. I have not admitted this to anyone until now. Hutch, I know you're dying to say something about this. Please do. :-)

Concert Review #2 - Jackie Greene

2010-08-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I went to Santa Cruz with the BF for two concerts - Jackie Greene and Dave Matthews Band.

In case you haven't figured it out, the BF and I love live music. We've gone to a zillion shows in our nearly 5 years together. We've seen, in no particular order: Dave Matthews (5 times together), Kenny Chesney, Jimmy Eat World, Sammy Hagar, Eric Clapton, Deftones, Green Day/Weezer, Blink-182, Far, and a ton of others that I can't think of right now.

Anyway, I'm gonna review the two concerts from this weekend here. One today, and one hopefully Thursday. :-)

Jackie Greene @ Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA

I've only seen him once before, in June, and that show was really fun. But this show was even better. The set was longer (he played for 2 1/2 hours), better song choices, and a much cooler atmosphere.

He played all my favorites, including "Ball and Chain", "By the Side of the Road, Dressed to Kill", "Shaky Ground", "Gone Wanderin", and "I'm So Gone". Jackie also covered the Beatles' "Taxman" and Grateful Dead's "Scarlet Begonias" and "New Speedway Boogie" - always a crowd favorite. But my favorite performance was the last encore song - "Sweet Somewhere Bound", performed acousically. It blew me away.

All in all, one of the best shows I've ever seen. Probably in the Top 10. We had a blast that night, despite the drunk, smelly hippie couple slow dancing, prom-style, right in front of us, occasionally bumping into me. I wanted to punch them. But other than that, a fantastic night.

I give it 5 out of 5 stars.

I know that many of you have not heard of Jackie Greene, but I highly suggest you check him out. He's probably one of the most talented singer/songwriters of today. His music floats the line between rock, folk, country, and "jam band". He's toured with Phil Lesh, performed with Bob Wier and Ratdog, and has put out 5 (I think) full-length albums since 2001. His music is all on ITunes if you want to listen to him. I think you should. :-)

For your viewing pleasure, some photos of the show:

Have you been to any fantastic concerts this summer? Do tell, my friends!!

100 Loves - Post

2010-08-29T18:14:00.000-07:00

Post #4 in the 100 Loves series (created by Heather at Alis Grave Nil).

5 Places I Love In My State

in no particular order........

5. Orange County

Disneyland, my company's Headquarters, beaches, great shopping.....what more could I ask for? I can't say I've spent a lot of time here, but I absolutely loved everything about it when I did visit. Well, except the traffic. :-)me in Downtown Disney

4. Monterey

I first fell in love with Monterey when I went in my teens with my family. It's a gorgeous, picturesque place - beautiful trees, rocky beaches, and the ocean, of course. Fresh seafood is offered at every restaurant (it seems), and there's so much to do - I've rented rollerblades and skated around Cannery Row, rented a bike and biked half of the famous 17-Mile Drive, stayed in a hotel right on the beach (thanks to the BF), ate the best fish'n'chips on the wharf, and visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium.jellyfish at the Aquarium

Lone Cypress on the 17-Mile Drive

3. South Lake Tahoe

This place holds a special place in my heart - the BF and I went there on our first "overnight" trip together. Again, it's gorgeous - Lake Tahoe is beautiful, there are forests all around, great food and shopping, and tons to do there! It's only a 2 hour drive from my house, so it makes for great weekend getaways. The BF and I love going there - we've gone at least once a year since we've been together. I'd love to get married somewhere in SLT.....hint hint BF! view from one of our hotel rooms - gorgous minus the rooftop.
Edgewood beach, SLT

2. Santa Cruz/Capitola

The BF and I just got back from a trip here, and I swear I fall more in love with this area every time I go. I went for the first time when I was 14 with a friend and her family, and it was just amazing - the sandy beaches where you can watch surfers and sailboats; the Beach Boardwalk, with it's rides, carnival games and food, and fabulous people-watching; the amazing food everywhere; great shopping; and just a laid-back, chill atmosphere. I highly recommend this place if you're looking for a California vacation - and it's only an hour from Monterey!

The BF and I have been here three times since we've been together, and it never gets old. We always find something new to see or do when we come.

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk - view from the wharf

1. Elk Grove

I know this will be cliche, but I love my hometown. I really do. My family moved here when I was 2, so it's all I know. Although the town has grown from 5,000 people and 1 stoplight to 140,000+ and a gazillion stoplights, parts of this town still have the small-town feel that I love. I can't go anywhere in this place without running into someone I know, and everyone keeps up with the town gossip - we all know each other's business. It's home.

Top 5 Throwdown!

2010-08-25T22:00:00.001-07:00

Welcome to another edition of Top 5 Throwdown!

Today's challenger: Zach at Zach's Blog.

Check out his list and let me know what you think! His #1 is pretty darn good, but I think my list holds its own.

Today's topic:

Top 5 Songs That Changed Your Life

Criteria: The song had to change my life in some significant way, or remind me of a very important time of my life. This was a tough list, but fun to think about!

Honorable Mentions:

- "Alive" by Pearl Jam

I didn't get into rock music until 7th grade (I grew up listening to R&B, Motown, and Classic Rock), and this was the first rock album I ever owned. A boy in my English class let me borrow his at first, and I loved the album so much that I bought it. "Alive" played on my CD player non-stop - the passion in Eddie Vedder's voice captivated me, and the guitar was like nothing I'd ever heard. If I ever made a list of the Top 20 Favorite Songs of All Time (which I might just do), this would be on it.

-"All The Kids" by The New Humans

I bet many of you haven't heard of this band. And I'm not surprised. Why? Because it's my brother's band here in Sacramento. They've been recording an album for over a year, and this was the first single released from that album. My brother would not let me have a "sneak peek" at the album until after this was released, and I have to admit, it blew me away. I got goosebumps and a little teary-eyed - I knew my brother and his band were talented, but this was a whole new level. I'm an incredibly proud sister - I know this band will go places, and this song just might be the start. :-)

The Top 5:

5. "Best of You" by Foo Fighters

This song was on every radio station the summer of 2005, and it reminded me of my breakup with Z. I knew that there was more to the story than what he told me, and this song made me think that someone else had gotten the "best of him", that there was more to our breakup than he let on. But this song also got me over him - someone had gotten the best of him, and there was nothing I could do to change his mind.......I needed to get over it and move on with my life. So I did, he did, and now we're both mutually happy. (See Z, it wasn't that bad, right)?

4. "What Would You Say" by Dave Matthews Band

Any Top 5 list involving music has to have DMB metioned. It just does. Why? Because DMB has been a major part of my life since the age of 12. This was the first song I ever heard by them, setting off a 17-year love affair with the band. I can't imagine my life without them - their music helped me through rough times, gave me hope, made me happy, and their concerts have given me something to look forward to every year. And it all started with this song in 1993.

3. "Of All The Gin Joints In All The World " by Fall Out Boy

On the BF's and my "first date" in 2005, this song was playing on the stereo when he picked me up. I was impressed, because F.O.B. was just getting popular, and I remember that our conversation started by discussing the band and this CD in particular, comparing it to their previous albums (consensus - "From Under the Cork Tree" was and is still their best album). And that date was my last 'first date'. :-) Changed my life.....

2. "In This Diary" by The Ataris

This was the anthem of the summer of 2003 - the best summer I ever had (what I remember of it. There was a lot of alcohol involved). I remember this song on repeat in the car to bars, singing along to it with Randy, Jon Rog, Morgan.....anyone who happened to be in the car with me. I have some wonderful memories related to this song (and the band as well). Looking back on that amazing summer, the lyrics of "In This Diary" ring true..."Being grown up isn't half as fun as growing up, these are the best days of our lives, the only thing that matters if just following your heart, and eventually you'll finally get it right".

1. "A Praise Chorus" by Jimmy Eat World

This album came out in 2001, opening my eyes to one amazing band. And this song in particular changed my life - it inspired me to break up with my then-boyfriend E. He was not good for me - verbally abusive, drank a lot, put me down, and most of the time, ignored me. We had been together for 5 years, lived together for 2, and I didn't know life outside of him. I stayed with him a lot longer than I should have. Once I heard this song, I knew that our relationship was over, because this song made me think about what I really wanted in life, and the life I was currently living was not it. To this day, I still tear up when I hear it (I actually shed tears when I saw them perform this live in 2008), and I still wonder what my life would be like if I didn't leave him when I did.

So, my friends, how did I do? Did you check out Zach's list on the link at the top of this post? Let me know who wins. We're very competitive. :-)

Random Anniversary

2010-08-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

Five years ago today, I met up with an old high school friend for drinks at a local bar. We sat, drank beer, and talked for four hours like nothing had changed, even though it had been at least 8 years since we had last seen each other.

That "first date" changed my life. We've been inseparable since that "date" in 2005. He is the yin to my yang, the cheese to my macaroni, the jelly to my peanut butter.

I love you, BF. Happy "First Date" Anniversary!

When Bad Things Happen To Good Stores

2010-08-22T14:30:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the inaugural post of my new weekly (or whenever I have material) feature I'm calling..........

When Bad Things Happen To Good Stores

Basically, as I'm out shopping or browsing store's websites, if I come across a particularly hideous item, I'll snap a photo/copy and paste the photo and feature it on my blog. There are two rules:

1. The store/website has to be reputable and somewhat classy - along the lines of Forever 21, Nordstrom, Macy's, etc. Stores that already have the reputation for being cheap and crappy (i.e. anything named "Cutegirl.com", "Viva Girl", or along those lines) does not count.

2. The item has to be particularly disgusting, ugly, and hideous. If you look at it and seriously question the buyer's fashion sense, it counts.

I would love for any of my readers to play along. If you find something awful, take a photo and note the store name (and price too, if you can) and post to your blog, linking it with mine.

Oh, and if any of my creative friends want to create a button for this feature, I'll pay you in your own blog post, thanking you for your awesome work. :-)

Okay, so on with the Bad Thing of this week.

I seriously love the clothing store chain I work for. I really do. Our products are, 99% of the time, super cute, reasonably priced, and on-trend.

But I think our buyer missed the boat on this one:

photo from tillys.com

It is a crop top by Roxy, regular price $38.99. It was recently marked down to $31.99.

One, it reminds me too much of the 70s. This could be worn with high-waisted bell bottom pants and camel platform sandals, with long wavy hair and a peace sign necklace back in 1976.

Two, it's damn expensive for a little scrap of fabric.

Three, as a merchandiser, I had one hell of a time trying to make this thing look cute.

Four, there are only a handful of girls that can pull off the crop top (although many of us tried back in the 1990s), and I dare to say most of us are not part of that handful.

So what do you think? Is this as awful as I think it is? Or am I hating it more than I should because I had to work with it?

Top 5 Throwdown!

2010-08-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

Today's topic:

Top 5 Cover Songs

Today's Challenger: Hutch at Be Awesome Instead. Here's the link to her list. Leave us some comments - let us know what you think and who's list is better. I won't be offended, swearsies. But I think my list is pretty kick-ass.

My criteria for a "cover song" is that, obviously, the song is performed/recorded by someone other than the original artist. The song has to be AS good or BETTER than the original.

Honorable Mentions:

-"Anything Anything" by Lucky Boys Confusion. Original artist - Dramarama.

A friend/ex of mine turned me onto this song recently. When we dated, the original song would come on KWOD's "Throwback Lunch" program all the time, and we both loved it and would sing along to it. I didn't think anyone could perform the song as good as the original artist - the original was so passionate and angry, but the cover is fantastic.

-"Sweet Caroline" by Dave Matthews Band. Original artist - Neil Diamond.

I absolutely loathe Neil Diamond. I think he's creepy and his music sucks. The original version of "Sweet Caroline" is horrific and reminds me of elevators, but DMB's version is modern and fun. I heard it live at a concert couple years back, and hearing it live is fantastic - the entire crowd, young and old, knows this song, so everyone sings along and it's one big happy concert family. I highly recommend checking this out on ITunes.

-"Landslide" by Smashing Pumpkins. Original artist - Fleetwood Mac.

This was a tough one, as I feel like it could be in the Top 5, but I think my Top 5 is pretty solid. If I could do a Top 6, this would be #6. While I absolutely adore the original version (Stevie Nicks is amazing), I think Billy Corgan's version is just as good. To me, it's more passionate than Fleetwood Mac's. I don't know why I feel that, but I do.

The Top 5:

5. "Love Song" by 311. Original artist - The Cure.

While I love Robert Smith, there's something about a reggae-ish version of an 80s pop/goth song that makes it very interesting. And Nick Hexum's voice.....yummy.

4. "Boys of Summer" by The Ataris. Original artist - Don Henley.

I'll admit that I'm slightly biased because The Ataris version reminds of probably the best summer I've ever had - the summer of 2003. But The Ataris' punk adaptation, substituting "Black Flag sticker" when the original lyric is "Dead Head sticker", is fabulous. It's faster paced, more upbeat, and just generally a much cooler song.

3. "All Along The Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix. Original artist - Bob Dylan.

This one goes without saying anything. Jimi's version is hands down better than the original. Period. End of story.

2. "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell. Original artist - Gloria Jones.

Betcha didn't know it was a cover. :-) The original is a motown version done in 1964. Soft Cell's version is so iconic and represents the 80s so much that it had to be on my list. And the fact that no one knows its a cover makes it that much better. (Take that, Hutch!)

1. "With A Little Help From My Friends" by Joe Cocker. Original artist - The Beatles.

Yes, I dare to say a cover of a Beatles song is better than the original. Because it's true. Sorry to all my Beatles faithful, but Joe Cocker's version is one of my Top 20 favorite songs of all time - his raspy voice, the way he slowed down the song and made it almost soulful.......it just gets to me in a way the Beatles version never has. And the fact that its the theme song to one of my favorite shows ever (The Wonder Years) makes it my #1.

So, how'd I do? What are your favorite cover songs? Don't forget to check out Hutch's list and let us know what you think!!

100 Loves - 7 Things I Love About My Job

2010-08-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

Post #3 in Alis Grave Nil's 100 Loves series.

7 Things I Love About My Job

This topic is great since two posts ago, I was bitching about how much I envy office workers.

*Every day is different.

Every day, I'm in a different store, dealing with different issues and different people. Sure, there are a handful of things I have to do every day, but that stuff takes an hour to complete. The other 7 hours are always different. I can't say I'm bored much at work.

*The company.

I've been working in retail for 12 years. And in those 12 years, I've worked for 6 different retailers, and not one of them can compare to the company I work for now. Compared to our competition, my company is small (125 stores-ish and growing) which makes it feel personal. I've met our company's President several times in my 4 years here, and have had lunch with him twice. I'm constantly interacting with our Directors, and have visited the corporate office many times. My voice is heard in this company - my opinions and suggestions are taken into account and sometimes implemented. I acutally feel like I make a difference in this company, and I've never felt like that before.

*The people.

I know that's cliche, but I work with the greatest groups of people:

-My bosses. I report to 2 DMs, Director of Visual Merchandising, the entire Visual department, my RM, and the VP. They're all amazing and wonderful.

-My store managers. I give them a hard time, but they're great. They probably have the most difficult position in the company, and they all do it well. I heart you guys.

-My visual merchandiser team. While they range in age from 19 to 26, they all are amazingly talented and dedicated. They work their tails off, and it shows. You guys rock.

-The store teams. The support managers and associates are wonderful. We have a very picky hiring process, and I think it shows. These guys do anything asked and then some.

*Expense checks.

I'm not gonna lie - I like extra money. Since I drive my own car for work, I get paid $.50/mile for my commutes. I typically get a check every two weeks which supplements my regular salary, and pretty much pays for my car payment and gas every month. I probably get $500-$700 extra a month depending on my schedule and where I drive.

*The support.

If I need something, I can get it. If I need an answer to a question from any department, I usually have one in a couple hours. If I need a supply item, it can have it sent out the next day. If I need advice, to vent, to bounce ideas, there is always someone available to help. If I want to take vacation time, I've never been told no; in fact, my supervisors get mad at me when I don't take vacation. I've never worked in a job where I've been so supported.

*The position itself.

Not many retail companies have the position that I have. In fact, there's only 3 others that I can think of that do. A company that dedicates as much money, time, and attention to visual merchandising is unique. Knowing that I have a job that some people would kill for is pretty cool. :-)

*Seeing results.

A lot of my time is spent on training my merchandising team and management team in visual standards, tips/techniques, and best practices. And I love when I can see that training pay off, when I see an employee with that "ah-hah" look on their face when they fully understand something, when I walk into a "problem" store and they look fantastic. There's nothing like seeing your hard work pay off.

Regular Features

2010-08-13T21:16:00.000-07:00

This post is mostly for me to remember things, but read if you like.

I've started and stopped a couple of regular features on the blog:

*I wrote a 5 part series on how the BF and I met - "Construction Boy Meets Fashion Girl". The link is to the first one, and you can find them every so often after that one.

*I dabble in the "Thankful Thursday" feature that many bloggers seem to do, but I can't always come up with something to be thankful for week after week. I know that sounds crazy selfish, but I can't.

*"You Think You Know, But You Have No Idea" was a 3-part series, all random things about me. I was starting to feel a little self-centered, so I quit that one.

I've got a couple features I started that I will continue to do:

*Top 5 Wednesday. I've got two Top 5 Throwdowns in the works for the next couple weeks, and I'm still looking for challengers........let me know if you want in!

*100 Things I Love. Started by Heather at Alis Grave Nil. It's a Saturday feature where she gives a topic, and I respond to it. It's been fun so far.....can't wait to see what topics she has in store!

And I've got some ideas for more weekly (or bi-weekly, based on time) features:

*When Bad Things Happen To Good Stores. This will feature a bad item, whether it's a clothing item, houseware, accessory, etc. that's at a typically good store (not like a Goodwill). I was inspired as I perused websites in search of the perfect ivory cardigan tonight......wait till you see the inaugural post on Monday. Yikes.

*What's In Your Purse? This one will require some reader/follower help. I wanna know what's in your purse! I'm intrigued about what women carry around with them daily. I'll post my list, and I'll take guest bloggers on this feature every week, for those that want to participate. :-) And if you want to submit a photo of your purse, that's cool too!! This feature will begin in a week or so.

Office Envy

2010-08-12T20:58:00.001-07:00

Today as I was driving home from work, I got to thinking.........

that sounds like something Carrie Bradshaw would say, except she doesn't drive in NYC. anyway.......

How much I envy those of you that work in an office setting. Or work in the same place/building every single day. And get to sit down for more than 1 hour during their shift.

I don't know if I've ever explained what it is I do. I work for a clothing store chain as (and this is my official title) District Visual Merchandising Manager. Basically, I visit stores in my district and ensure they are meeting the company's visual merchandising standards. Or, in layman's terms, they display the clothing/accessories/shoes correctly.

I oversee 10 stores total. Five of them are in the greater Sacramento area, three are in the Central Valley, and two are in Colorado. My daily commute can be as short as 5 minutes, or as long as a 3 hours. Or a 2.5 hour flight.

I'm never in the same place every day. Because I have so many stores, I have to try and visit them all in a month. Soem stores I have to see more than others due to their sales and square footage/inventory levels. So far this week, I've been in Elk Grove, Vacaville, Roseville, and Modesto. Next week I'm in Roseville, Fresno, and Modesto. The week after that, who knows.

I spend my day doing office work in the morning for about 45 minutes, out on the sales floor checking on things, helping out where needed, attempting to not assist customers (it's not part of my job), doing physical work. I'm on my feet anywhere from 7-9 hours daily, climbing ladders, lifting shipment boxes, folding clothing, you name it. If you've been in retail, you know what I'm talking about.

My day typically starts around 9am, and I try to leave at 5:30pm, but it's nearly impossible to leave on time. There's always something that needs to be done, and if no one else can do it, I do. It's not unusual for me to work 1/2 hour to an hour of OT every day. Oh, and btw, I'm salaried. No real OT. There are days I don't get home until 7:30 or 8pm.

So why do I envy office jobs? Because your schedule is pretty much set - you go in at a certain time and leave at/near a certain time every day. Your commute is about the same every day. You work in the same place every day. You can actually plan things/activities in advance without worrying about leaving work on time or early to get somewhere. You can go to the gym after work and not already have aching feet and knees. You can go home and cook dinner at a reasonable hour.

I know that office peeps do get crazy busy at times, that you do work hard, work overtime when needed, and can have crazy commutes. But you can gauge your day more than I can. And you get to sit. :-)

Or am I way way off here? I know that I have a lot of readers that work in an office.....am I wrong about your day? Set me straight if I am!!

Things I'm Looking Forward To.......

2010-08-10T19:50:00.000-07:00

The cooler weather in NorCal the last couple days (highs in the 80s - normal for August is in the mid-to-high 90s) has me thinking about fall. I even broke out the knee high boots today because this morning was so chilly!

Looking ahead to fall has me excited for a few different things:

-Texas trip with the BF. We're going to Corpus Christi for Labor Day weekend to visit his cousin and cousin's wife. I've never been to Texas and have always wanted to, and since we had free Southwest flights, we decided to use 'em. I hope we go to San Antonio and the Riverwalk for a day.....maybe the beach and some shopping? I don't know what they have planned for us, but either way, I'm excited.

photo found here

-Disneyland!! My mom is taking me and my sister-in-law to Disneyland in early October. My mom has LOVED Halloween her entire life, and really wanted to see the Halloween decorations in Disneyland, so she planned this "girl's weekend" for us. I haven't been to Disneyland and California Adventures since I was 21, so this is gonna be FUN!

photo found here

-Football! If you've been reading my blog long enough, you know that I LOVE football. From September through December, the BF and I typically spend our Sundays watching football - the 10am games, the 1pm games, and the night game. Oh, and Monday nights are spent watching football too. :-) We sport our jerseys or team tees, drink beer, and eat munchies. It's fabulous. Oh, and in case you didn't know, I'm an Oakland Raiders fan.

photo found here

Yes, I am one of them. Not crazy like that, but I could be.......

-Boot weather. I adore wearing boots - cowboy, moto, dressy, etc. And fall is the perfect time to pull them out. My standard fall outfit is a dress, cardigan, tights, and boots, and this fall will be no different. I've got some great boots from last year and plan on buying one pair of calf-high black leather studded boots soon. Boots = comfort and happiness and cooler weather.

see, those are what I'm looking at.

photo from journeys.com.

As fall quickly approaches, what are you looking forward to?

100 Loves - 6 Quotes I Love

2010-08-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

If you didn't read Post #1, go there to find out what this is all about.

PS = Here's P-Dawg's list for today's topic.

6 Quotes I Love

You'll notice a theme among many of the quotes, by the way.

"But the most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you you love, well that's just fabulous" - Carrie, Sex and the City

"I don't understand where you got the idea so deeply ingraned in your head, that the world is something you must impress, cuz I couldn't care less" - Rise Against

"See you and me have a better time than most can dream, have it better than the best, so we can pull on through whatever tears at us, whatever holds us down, and if nothing can be done, we'll make the best of what's around" - Dave Matthews Band

"Who's to say what is 'proper'? What if it was agreed that 'proper' was wearing a codfish on your head? Would you wear it?" - Alice, Alice in Wonderland (2010)

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind" - Dr. Seuss

Top 5 Throwdown?

2010-08-02T20:12:00.000-07:00

Okay, anyone interested in doing a Top 5 Throwdown in the coming weeks?

You choose the topic and the date to post it on your blog. I'll write about anything.....you name it, I'm game.

*Note - I may have to change posting dates if someone tries to double-book me*

If you're interested, leave me a comment or email me -pnkrkprncss11 at aol dot com

Stupid email, I know. It's really old, hence the "aol". But it's the only one I have that's anonymous.....the rest of my email addresses have my last name involved and that doesn't need to be public info, ya know? :-)

Anyway, Top 5 Throwdown anyone? Please? I beg you.....humor me, people!!!

Bad Date Monday

2010-07-31T21:49:00.001-07:00

As promised last week, here's the Bad Date where I was the "bad date".

It was August 2005. I had been broken up with Z for about a month and was still having issues getting over him. (PS, if you haven't read the Z saga, you should. I'm just saying).

I was at a summer get-together at my friend Derek's house. Yes, this is the same Derek I've mentioned a few times before. We hung out a lot between 2002 and 2005. Just friends. I'm not his type. :-) I was single, lonely, and on the prowl for some attention.

This one guy caught my eye - tall, nice build, handsome. In the circle of people he was with, he was the one making everyone laugh. I quietly ask Derek for his story, and apparently said guy was single and headed to the Marines in two months, and didn't want to date before he left. Darn. Oh well.

Later on in the night, I made my way over to Said Guy and struck up a conversation. His name was Chris, he had just graduated Sac State, originally from Santa Rosa, and was going into the Marines as an officer. We talked for quite awhile, then Derek came up to us trying to play matchmaker.

I had mentioned to Derek earlier in the night that I had tickets to Dave Matthews Band the following week and didn't have anyone to go with. (I won these in the breakup with Z. He got the Tom Petty tickets, I got the DMB tickets). Chris looked at me and said, "if you can't find anyone else to go, I'll go with you." Was he serious? Um, yep! We exchanged phone numbers and I left the party.

I called two days later to ask if he still wanted to go to the concert (I still couldn't find anyone to go). Chris said yes, so we made plans. I was going to drive and supply beer for the tailgate. He would buy me a beer or two at the show in exchange for being my "date". I was super excited to see him again - even though I knew there was NO future with him due to his enlistment, I just wanted the company of a non-douchebag man for a night.

The day of the concert, even though we had broken up like 5 weeks before, Z decided to be a total jerk. He was text messaging me constantly, saying things like "I can't believe you've already moved on. You're such a hypocrite", "What does this guy have that I don't?" and all sorts of fun, jealous-type things like that. For those of you who read the Z saga, remember that HE DUMPED ME AND MOVED THE GIRL IN THAT HE CHEATED ON ME WITH. Yeah, and he's texting me with this crap why?

So I was in a foul mood when I picked up Chris. I tried my best to put on a happy face, but I think he could tell that I wasn't in a good mood. And it didn't help that my phone buzzed every 10 minutes on our 1.5 hour car ride to the venue with text messages from Z. (Backstory - Derek knew Z and probably told him about my "date", and that's why Z was pissy. I also think Derek told Chris about the horrendous breakup, and Chris sorta knew what what going on).

Eventually I turned my phone off and threw it in the backseat. I was over it, and determined to have fun that night.

We arrive at the concert venue and opened the hatch to tailgate. I had bought two six-packs of beer, and I think I drank 3 in the hour we were out there. On an empty stomach. Not good. I was pretty buzzed.....but Chris drank an entire 6-pack to himself, so I think he was sorta buzzed too. We were chatting and things seemed to be going better.

Once we stand up to walk to the ampitheater, I realized I was tipsy. I was having trouble walking straight. Yes, on 3 beers. I'm a lightweight, okay? Keep in mind that I also hadn't eaten all day. Chris was slightly amused and, like a nice guy, took my elbow to keep me walking straight.

But this is so out of character for me - I rarely get drunk in public as I never know how I'm going to act. Something about this night made me go nuts - was it the newly single-ness? The "date" with a guy that I had zero future with? Z acting like a jerk and pissing me off? I have no clue.

\We get in, get 2 more beers each, and find our seats. During the opening act, I downed both of my beers. Probably not the best idea I've had, but well, it seemed like the right thing to do. By the time DMB took the stage, I was drunk.

And acted like an idiot.

For the duration of DMB's set, I was dancing like a demonic hippie, I kept trying to hold Chris' hand, hug him, and I think I even tried to kiss him at some point. I was screaming the lyrics to all the songs, and pretty much acted like a total jackass. I'm surprised Chris didn't get up and leave. But he just stood there, watching the band and pretty much ignored me. I don't blame him. I was a total drunken embarrassment.

By the time the encore came around, I realized I needed to eat something before I drove home. I left him in the seats to get nachos and a water. I chowed them down and felt a little better (i.e. not as drunk). Thank goodness the band decided to do a long encore, so I had more time to sober up. Chris was barely looking at me by now, and I was totally ashamed. I NEVER act like that in public......I don't know what got into me this night.

We FINALLY find the car (the parking lot is NOT user friendly) and barely spoke. I was embarrassed for my behavior, and I'm pretty sure I embarrassed the hell out of him. I was sober enough to drive, so we get in and I immediately apologize. He was nice and accepted my apology, but the rest of the drive home was quiet.

When I dropped him off, he just said "Thanks" and got out. I don't think anything else needed to be said. And I never heard from him again. Probably a good thing.

Oh, and when I turned my phone back on, after dropping Chris off, I had at least 10 more text messages from Z. Damn it. I deleted them all and turned my phone back off.

So, there's my jackass Bad Date story. Do any of you have a date story where you were the jerk? Do tell, my friends!!

100 Things I Love - Post #1

2010-07-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

For the next couple Saturdays, I'll be participating in Alis Grave Nil's 100 Things I Love series. Click the link to find out how it works. Thanks to P-Dawg for creating a topic for me to write about every week!!

PS - In my sidebar, you'll see a button advertising the series. Yes, I'm going to be a diligent particpant. And you should be too.

This week's topic:

100Loves Post #1: Five Activities You Love

The day is yours to spend as you please. You can spend it alone or in the company of others. If the world was your oyster, what would you do? What five things would be on your must-do list?

-SHOPPING! If shopping were a sport, I'd win a gold medal. I don't even have to buy anything when I go out shopping - just being in a gorgeous mall or shopping center is enough. Or even wandering a farmer's market. I like looking at things, imagining how I'd use them, or if it's clothing, how I'd wear it. Most of my free time is spent shopping in some form or another. It sounds shallow, but I heart shopping.

No, I'm not Cher from Clueless. But thanks.

- Taking vacations with the BF. I love it when we pack our bags and get out of town. We've taken quite a few in our time together - Tahoe, Santa Cruz, Mendocino, Monterey, Las Vegas, LA, Reno.....in September we're headed to Texas. We travel quite well together and I greatly enjoy just being alone with him, since it doesn't happen too much anymore.

- Baking. I'm in love with baking. I love trying new recipes (I have a stack a 1/2" thick that I still need to try) and perfecting old favorites. I try to bake twice a week minimum, but it depends on my crazy work schedule. This week's recipes included Mini Donut Muffins (success!) and tonight I'm making a Lemon Raspberry bar.

- Hanging out at home, in my pajamas, watching movies, eating junk food. I never have time to do this, but if I ever were to get the time, man, would I enjoy it.

-Attending concerts. I adore live music, so long as its a good band. :-) I'm going to 6 total this summer, and hopefully more in fall, but if money were no object, I'd attend every concert that goes through the Sacramento area.

Come back for next Saturday's 100 Things I Love post!

Rant

2010-07-28T17:28:00.001-07:00

**warning, some of you might find this particular rant a little controversial. just letting you know. and before you judge, I'm not criticizing mothers in any way.**

I have something I need to get off my chest. Bear with me if you dare.

After a lot of consideration, the BF and I have decided that having kids is not in our immediate and/or near future, if at all. We're not married yet, we're both approaching 30, and I've placed a personal limit of 35 as the age to have a child. If I don't have one by then, it ain't happening. We've also decided that if we have kids, we're just going to have one.

But why is it when we tell people this, we get the strangest looks and comments? A sampling of the comments I've gotten about the "one or none controversy":

"Oh, you'll change your mind about kids. Every woman wants them, deep down."
Um, I can honestly say that I've never been the girl to really WANT kids. There's never been that maternal feeling. I've never really given it much thought until I met Mike, and over the course of the last few years, I've figured out that if I never have a kid, I won't have any regrets.

"One kid? That child will be a spoiled brat."
Um, I dare to disagree. One child can be a spoiled brat if the parents let them be. But if I do have a child, it will NOT be a brat. Believe me. I hate bratty kids now, so you think I'd let my own spawn be a brat? I don't think so.

"You guys have been together long enough. Why don't you just have a kid now?"
Yeah, see, I have morals and such, and I firmly believe you get married FIRST, then have a kid. I won't even buy a house with the BF until we're at least engaged and a date is set. So, when the ring and the ceremony happen, we'll talk about kids again. Until then, out of the question.

"No kids, ever? That's just selfish."
See, I disagree. At least I know that I don't want kids before I have them. I think it's selfish to have a child and then decide you don't want them and you're miserable. And so what if it is a little bit selfish? I happen to enjoy the freedom I have right now when it's just me and the BF - is that so wrong?

And why is it anyone's business if we do or don't want children? The decision is MINE and the BF's, and ours alone. Are we less of a couple if we don't have them? Are we bad people?

I just don't understand why people feel the need to offer their own opinion/judgement when they ask me about kids and I tell them the truth. It's OUR life, damnit, and we'll live it to please ourselves. If we both decide that kids are not for us, so be it. If we decide to have ONE kid, then that's our choice. I've never lived my life to please anyone, and I'm not going to start now, especially over a major life choice like a child.

I'm not knocking anyone that has kids, I'm really not. I love kids (except the super bratty ones), but I'm not entirely sure that having one is right for me. And if you want to have one child or twenty, then fantastic. I don't look down on Moms, it's actually the opposite - I have major respect for you. You're doing something that I'm not sure I'll ever be ready for.

Have you seen Sex and the City II? You know that scene where Carrie and Big are at the wedding and that woman is talking to Carrie about being a huge fan and how she "is" Carrie, and then the topic of children come up? And you know how Carrie is absolutely shunned by the fan when she says that her and Big won't be having kids? Yeah, that's what I feel like when I'm asked. I'm shunned, I'm looked upon as the selfish woman.

So, am I wrong in thinking that I should not be judged for my life choices? Am I wrong in being irritated by the comments I get when I have to explain my choices? Am I wrong for living the life that I want to live, and not the life everyone else wants me to live?