California, cont.

Saturday

Saturday of last weekend was devoted to my two loves: shopping and eating. After yanking Ma Soeur outta bed (she usually sleeps till 2 p.m. on weekends!) and a quick breakfast, we headed to Valley Fair Mall, a giant mall in San Jose that is always packed. I must confess, i'm not a huge mall person anymore and much prefer to do my shopping at individual boutiques or outdoor shopping centers. But while Ma Soeur and Bro were at Macy's, i headed over to the giant Forever21 to see if i could score any goodies. And i did! They had a big selection of F21's other lines, and i was especially a fan of Twelve by Twelve. Got this adorable skirt (which looks way better in person, i have to say) and a couple of fun necklaces, all for a great price! J'adore the good things F21 is doing these days!!

After the mall, we went to another outlet mall in Millpedes (sp??), and wow, it was GHETTO. After quickly perusing H&M and Neiman's Last Call, we hightailed it outta there! Made a quick stop at Ma Soeur's fave consignment store, and then headed home to get ready for our fun night out at Santana Row. My Pour La Victoire's made their first appearance!

{I'm wearing Anthro top, AA leggings, PLV shoes and Hayden Harnett bag. Ma Soeur's wearing Old Navy dress and Zara shoes.}

Santana Row is a GORGEOUS, upscale outdoor shopping mall in San Jose. If you're familiar with Austin, it's what The Domain should have been had it been done right (boo so disappointing). I love Santana Row and make it a point to go every time i visit the Bay Area. Beautiful shops, great restaurants, fun ambiance, and pretty people. :)

Our first stop was Kara's Cupcakes! We picked up a few to-go for our post-dinner treat.

(Note: the cupcakes weren't bad - i got chocolate with cream cheese-coconut frosting. The cake was good and moist, but the cream cheese frosting was way too sweet.)

Then i hit up H&M (again) for some more shopping, and after waiting in line for 25 minutes (my PLV-clad feet were not happy), i scored a Matthew Williamson for H&M belt (the hot pink studded one!), linen shorts, a rad printed tulip skirt, and a seafoam green top. Success! Last stop before dinner was Paper Source, my FAVE paper store ever that has finally opened a TX location in Dallas (but it's disappointingly small). The BEST Paper Source is in Georgetown - sooo jelly of you DC-ers!! You have Tranquil Space AND Paper Source! Anyway picked up couple of goodies, including a pink notepad with the words "Do Something Creative Everyday" written on the top. Love!

Finally we went to Pizza Antica for dinner for some of the best thin crust pizza i've had in awhile. I had this tall glass of goodness:



For an appetizer we got crispy hearts of artichoke with aioli and lemon and a delectable warm early asparagus salad with lemon, mt. tam triple cream cheese toast (INSANELY GOOD) and speck.




For pizzas, we ordered the three cheeses, shaved broccoli, caramelized onion and pancetta and the spicy calabrese sausage, onions, peppers and parsley. Both were good, but i preferred the spicy calabrese sausage one b/c i LOVE sausage (i know i know) and it had such a great KICK!


After that massive dinner, we decided to digest by walking to Borders where i picked up SARK's Make Your Creative Dreams Real for 40% off avec coupon :). Needless to say, after all that walking and standing, my feet were pooped. But didn't my yellow toes (Chanel's L.A. Sunrise) look fabulous w/ my PLV's??

I might be breakin' out these babies again for this weekend's festivities :)

My Perfect Day

{pic from Claudia at the beautiful blog: the paris apartment}

Nina posted a lovely question yesterday on her gorgeous blog - what does your perfect day look like? This was my response:

~wake up naturally to sunlight streaming into my room, Lola at my side

~breakfast in bed (grits + spicy sausage + fried egg for savory, french toast with berries for sweet, and oodles of coffee and cream)

~spend the day strolling and shopping the streets of Paris, grab lunch at a darling cafe, enjoy a macaron + tea at Laduree

~back home for an afternoon nap, Lola at my side

~post-nap, curl up with tea, scones + clotted cream, fresh fruit, journal, books, colored pens, stickers, etc.

~get dolled up for dinner at my favorite restaurant in Rome (clearly traveling time does not interfere w/ my perfect day)

~dessert (prob. can't get this in Rome) of warm chocolate molten cake + vanilla bean ice cream + decaf coffee

~post-dinner stroll with a lover, holding hands

~long, hot, fragrant, candle-lit bath in giant tub

~deep tissue massage

~blissful sleep, again with Lola at my side

(In retrospect, i'd probably also throw in a delicious yoga class as well. And maybe add a roaring fire and snow outside?? Mmmm)

What is your idea of a perfect day?

P.S. Nina - i'm dying to hear yours!!

"Dog Person" & Meat

2 Things:

1) First, do you consider yourself a "dog person"? I never have, especially since we never grew up with dogs, only a cat, and so i never really knew what it meant to have one. Since then, of course, i've gotten my darling Lola, love of my life, and Ma Soeur has gotten her (sometimes) sweet Sofie (haha i so funny!). The first few months after getting Lola, our conversations literally revolved around our dogs - no lie. It was ridiculous! Since then, we've toned it down a bit, but no conversation goes by without mentioning Lola-bear and/or Sofie-monster (other nicknames include Snuffalofogus, Wofie Wof, Rora, and Sof Sof), how they're doing, what they chewed today, how cute they are, etc. Yes, it's annoying.

Anyway, i've noticed lately that my love for Lola has, if possible, grown exponentially. Whereas once i thought of her as just a pet, i now consider her my baby and a valid member of my family. I also found myself getting ridiculously emotional over stories involving lost dogs, mistreated dogs, etc. I watched Bolt while Ma Soeur and Bro were at a wedding on Sunday night and seriously LOST. IT. I'm talking major tears. (Also cried when Mittens told her story about being left by her family, declawed and defenseless and swore to myself then and there to take really good care of Puffin forever no matter how annoying he can be!) Also? 99% of the all the pics on my blackberry are of, you guessed it, Lola.


So... am i now a dog person? Officially? Or am i just crazy? The reason i'm hesitant to call myself a true "dog person" is because, and i'm being perfectly honest here, i don't love all dogs. I love my dog and a few select others. I do not love every dog (particularly the slobbery, ill-mannered, bad-tempered, or yip-y variety). Know what i mean??

2) Second, a word about meat. This past weekend, as you saw, i indulged in a lot of carnivorous activity. That's right - i ate lamb, beef, pork, you name it! And it was all good, REALLY good, until Memorial Day when we decided to BBQ. You see, the day before, Ma Soeur and i were @ Whole Foods getting BBQ supplies when i told her, "i'm done eating meat!! get me a portabello and lots of veggies." So we picked up a fat portobello, corn on the cob, zucchini, and shrimp. But then as we neared the meat counter, and Ma Soeur decided the steaks were way too overpriced and "i guess we'll just grill hamburgers instead", the thought of a nice, juicy, grass-fed and natural beef hamburger overtook my mind and senses, and before i knew it, i blurted "OOH I WANT A BURGER!!!". Yeah. I know. I'm a BAD vegetarian.


Fast forward to Monday afternoon - i'm getting ready to dig into my delicious burger, adorned with a thick slice of cheddar cheese, fresh romaine, organic ketchup and mayo, all sandwiched between two sprouted grain buns (really tasty, actually). I take my first bite - DELISH. Yum. Love it. I take my second bite - um, a little less enthusiastic this time. After Ma Soeur decided hers wasn't cooked enough and threw it back on the grill, i started to think about what i was eating and examined my own meat. It was fully cooked. But the more i stared, the more i thought, the more i chewed, the more disgusted i became. To the point where i couldn't take it anymore and proceeded to hand my leftover burger to Bro and instead shoved the grilled portobellos in between the delicious aforementioned buns. Yum!

I don't know what came over me, but i'm kind of glad it did. Because last week when i wasn't eating much meat, i felt a lot better. More energy, less heavy-full, no more afternoon headaches, and better sleep. I don't know if i can attribute all that to the lack of meat in my diet, but i know that i liked how i felt. And since i'm not all that keen on eating meat as it is, i'm glad that the burger incident reminded me not to.

Btw, pics of the BBQ and the rest of my weekend coming SOON. Just super busy with getting ready for this weekend's festivities (big bday bash for friend's 30th Friday night a bachelorette party on Saturday).

xoxo!!


P.S. A Note About Work: I cannot tell you how much i appreciated your kind and helpful comments re: my work situation. Although this week doesn't look particularly promising, i've decided to just let. go. I can't control how much work is available, that's not my job as a first-year associate, and the only thing i can really do is do what i can to get work, and when there just isn't any to be done, relax. I can fully defend my numbers if it came to it (which i doubt it would at my firm, it's just not that kind of place), and i know the partners in this office know i'm doing the best i can. No need to fret, n'est ce pas?

Note 2 Self

REMEMBER that it takes 15-20 minutes for your brain to register that your tummy is full so that next time you don't rush out to get lunch part deux and then spend the rest of your afternoon feeling totally ill and FAT.

Straits

One of my favorite restaurants in the Bay Area is Straits - a delicious Singaporian hotspot that i've enjoyed twice before this trip. Because the Straits at Santana Row was closed for renovation, Ma Soeur, Bro-in-law and i hit up its Palo Alto location on my first night in California. And oh man, was it good!! Here's a little peek at what we devoured...

We started out with some specialty cocktails of the martini variety. Bro had a mango concoction with a fun mermaid dangling on its rim, and i had a very strong lychee martini (which i sipped very. very. slowly).





For an appetizer we ordered not one, but TWO orders of Roti Prata, crisp griddled Indian flabread with a delicious yellow curry dipping sauce. YUM.



Entrees were shared family-style! For noodles, we had Mee Goreng, spicy Indian style egg noodles wok-tossed with tofu, prawns, and potatoes. This dish was my favorite! For meat (yes i had a lot of meat this weekend... see, i'm a bad vegetarian), we had Lamb Shank Korma, braised lamb in a mild white curry with potatoes and onions. The meat fell off the bone it was sooooooo good (albeit guilt-y good). For seafood, we went all out and got the Origami Seabass baked in parchment with ginger, shitake mushrooms and white wine.




All topped with the insanely fragrant coconut rice. Needless to say, we were stuffed! I plan on making a visit to Straits a must-have event for each and every one of my future visits. :)

Leavin' On A Jet Plane

{pic from creativeeveryday.com}

Au revoir, mes amies!! I am packed and *almost* on my way to beautiful northern California to spend 3 glorious nights avec Ma Soeur, bro-in-law, and my darling niece Sofie (aka, the other maltipoo in our family). I plan on taking lots of pics and blogging regularly so stay tuned for our fun sisterly adventures (aka lots of eating & shopping!). I hope you all have a fabulous Memorial Day Weekend!!

P.S. this is my niece Sofie monster, anxiously awaiting my arrival (i come bearing treats of the expensive organic variety!). ain't she the cutest thing??

Fun Things!

After the depressing nature of my last few posts, i decided a lighthearted, pretty one full of fun things was definitely in order. Enjoy!

GO GREEN: First, if you're not already drinking your H2O out of a reusable bottle (sans BHP), then you need to jump on that bandwagon pronto! I have several varieties, but squealed with delight when City Girl blogged about Cafe Press's AWESOME customized SIGG bottles! Go here to design your own - you can even preview your SIGG in action ;) Check out City Girl's below!

PLANNER PAD FUN: Have you jumped on the Planner Pad bandwagon yet? I'll be the first to admit they're not much to look at, but they are AMAZING as far as planners are concerned. Not convinced? Check out Kimberly's fabulous planner pad podcast (featuring the lovely Julia!). Scroll down to podcast #143 - these ladies are planner pad fanatics!! I received a question from a dear reader about how to make these suckers more aesthetically pleasing. For moi, the easiest thing to use is scrapbook paper (if you can find the adhesive kind, even better!), glue, ribbons, and stickers. Below see (crappy) pics of my current PP covered in Amy Butler scrapbook paper and embellished with fun monogram stickers. I tie pink ribbons to the top of the spiral to use as bookmarks (you can see them peeking out the bottom of the 2nd pic). Sooooo easy!

Oooh bop, FASHION! No FUN post would be complete with some fashionable eye candy, n'est ce pas? Well since it's already been brutally hot in Austin (upper 90's a couple weeks ago - ick), i've decided summer is officially here to stay, despite the fact that it's still May. So, i've rounded up some of my fave swimwear for your viewing pleasure :)

One of these days i'm determined to get myself into a flattering bandeau top. In the meantime, i'll just dream about sporting this adorable one from J. Crew in this fabulous minty seafoam green. (P.S. Comes in TONS of colors!)




I LOVE striped suits (altho they're prob not v. flattering, huh?), and the retro chic style of this sweet two-piece from Anthropologie is calling my name... (of course i'd never respond until i looked like the model - ha!)



I'm beyond thrilled that one pieces have made such a fierce comeback! They're not just for old momma's anymore, girls. There are some adorable options out there that cover all manner of sins (and i'm not talking about the crazy sh*t Paris Hilton wears, ok?). I was immediately drawn to the sugary sweet pastels and ruffle mania of this Anthropologie number. If it weren't so darn expensive, i'd buy it in a heartbeat!



For more affordable options, always check out your local Tajay or Old Navy - they have great selection of bikinis for next to nothing. Also, Victoria's Secret is having a big sale on their swimwear as well, and if i remember correctly, they tend to get heavily marked down towards the end of the summer.

That's all for now... have a wonderful Thursday!!

P.S.

She makes me smile, even on my worst days.

A Petit Rant

If you're not in the mood to hear someone whining/complaining a little, please feel free to ignore this post. ;) There are just some things on my mind that i'd normally write in my journal, but knowing my readers, i feel that i could get some valuable feedback by blogging about it. So here i go!

Yesterday was a bad day (as it was for many of you, apparently). Aside from the bad drivers, pet mishaps, etc., i was really frustrated at work, which guarantees a bad day, n'est ce pas? As if i don't question enough what the heck i'm doing here, my attitude towards work worsens exponentially when i don't have enough work to do. In theory, not having much to do sounds great. I can roll in around 9 and leave as early as 5:30. I don't have to work weekends or evenings, and i'm pretty certain i won't get a frantic email at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning. The problem with being an attorney and having no work is that your productivity/success is measured on the number of hours you bill.

Ladies and gentlemen, allow moi to introduce you to the billable hour. We. Hate. It. (at least the the lawyers i know do) Evaluating your day in terms of billable hours can wreak havoc on the mind and soul, esp. when that number is low, or oftentimes, zero. Your value to the firm is how much you can bill the client - money, no matter where you are, is the bottom line. And unfortunately in this economy and in the particular practice area I'm in, business is slow. Being a new associate makes things way more stressful, especially when you read abovethelaw.com and hear about new layoffs almost daily (thankfully, that seems to have slowed down as well). I'm done (for the most part) worrying about being laid off. There was a period i was literally sick with fear every day i came into the office. I emailed City Girl almost daily with new fears/concerns, and she was WONDERFUL about addressing them and getting me to see the big picture (merci beaucoup, City Girl!!). What will i accomplish by making myself sick with worry? If i get laid off, so be it. I can't control the future, and i can only focus on doing the best i can do right now. Right?

This brings me to my current "problem". I'm trying to do the best i can do right now, but it's not enough. And furthermore, i can't bring in my own work which means i'm completely dependent on those senior to me to give me work to do, the hours to bill. It's a difficult balance - being diligent about finding work while also not be the nagging/annoying associate. Everyone is worried about hours, and since there aren't many to go around, being last on the totem pole is a disadvantage. Well yesterday i was faced with Day #3 of absolutely no billable work to do and starting to get really resentful of not being given anything to do despite my constant requests.

Because here's the deal guys, i know i have to PROVE myself. But how can i do that when it's impossible for me to work hard?? I know this may be hard for many to believe, but I ACTUALLY WANT TO WORK HARD. Because THIS is the time to do it! But i can't! And it's not my fault (for the first time in my life). And the thing is, i DO go above and beyond to try and work hard. I answer every email requesting an associate to do a project, i respond to partners who email on Friday afternoons for someone to work on something over the weekend, i try to do everything i can so that i can bill bill bill. It's not enough though. And i'm frustrated. Because not only do i feel worthless, but i feel like people don't see me for what i am - someone who's actually making a serious effort to work hard.

So, of course, that leads me into a downward spiral of "what the hell am i doing here" and "this is so not the right career for me" and "god could this day go by any slower" and "someone put me out of my misery". Now, don't get me wrong, i'm still me. I don't want to be put on projects that'll keep me in the office until 3 a.m.. What i do want is an opportunity to show my employers that i am capable of being a great associate* (and ok, maybe that will eventually involve some late nights, and that's fine). And more than that, i guess i want to feel like i am actually a valuable player in this whole game and that i'm not wasting my days on the internet FREAKING OUT about the number of hours i'm not billing. (Oh billable hour, how i loathe you.)

Ok, i'm done.


*Well, not quite. I have to say that I have been lucky enough to have been given a great deal of responsibility for a first-year associate, and i have been given great praise. I have been appreciated for the times i stepped up to the plate to do unpleasant tasks. And i know my own partner is happy with me. So okay, not all is awful, but if things keep up the way they do, they could quickly turn that way.

Cranky

I've had a rough start today. You know those days when it seems like the world is fighting you, and you're like, UM HELLO, STOP FIGHTING ME, WORLD!! Especially since i *finally* woke up and got my bum into the gym for some cardio. (It's been weeks... ok maybe months...) What a great start to my Tuesday, i foolishly thought. Since then it's been destructive pets, spills, breaks, lame Austin drivers, Central Market NOT having sushi ready this morning (got a salmon salad instead - boo), and another day at work filled with... oh, that's right, NOTHING. Also? I'm exhausted and want nothing more than to crawl back into bed. I thought exercise was supposed to give you energy?

Luckily one of the first blogs i read once i got to work was Yogadiva's Divine Life, and her post entitled "Beyond Happy." I wish i were a more positive person because i know i'd be happier. Unfortunately i tend to sway towards the negative/bitchy side, and that's something i'd really like to change. My intentional/goal for the week (written in my Planner Pad in hot pink!) was to remember that i have power over my thoughts and can work to change them. I can't control whether someone cuts me off, or if the cleaning company i hired did a completely half-assed job, but i can control how i react to such situations. So yes, it's a neverending process, but i'm working on it. Thanks for reminding me, Yogadiva! I hope to be as positive and happy as you one day. :)

And in the spirit of this post, here are 5 things for which i'm grateful right now:

1. My health
2. My awesome sister whom i'm fortunate enough to be visiting this Memorial Day Weekend
3. My awesome blogging/twitter friends!!
4. Iced blueberry green tea (elixir of the GODDESSES, i've decided)
5. Yoga

Have a GREAT Tuesday, y'all!

Happy Monday!

A few things catching my eye lately...

1. This sweet wedding. i love the vintage touches, and i am REALLY loving her short flouncy dress with those shoes!! {All picstures from www.stylemepretty.com}



2. The Dalai Lama and Karl Lagerfeld on Twitter!

3. This interesting New York Times article on yoga for bigger bodies.



I haven't decided how i feel about it... but i think it's a great idea in theory to create a safe space for those who are uncomfortable practicing with a bunch of tiny peeps. I'm always the fattest girl in the studio, and lemme tell ya, it does not do good things for my self-esteem. But i've learned to turn inward and ignore everyone else, and i'm usually feeling pretty good by the end of class. (P.S. I've made it to FOUR yoga classes in the past week and a half!)

4. PINK moleskin notebooks!! i thought they were a myth, but finally spotted them at my local Borders (and apparently you can get them from Barnes & Noble online). HOLLA!! You'll never find me scribbling in boring black again ;)



5. The idea of creating a 30-Before-30 List. i first read about it on Lauren's fabulous blog and have since skipped to Suz's blog to get more info. As i approach my 26th birthday (August 11!) i'm thinking this is a WONDERFUL idea. I love goals and making lists so why not?

What's catching your eye lately?

i can see the light

Bonjour, mes amies! TGIF, n'est ce pas? This week has dragged by for moi...

Last night i had one too many glasses of vin and biere (is this the French word for beer?) and may have spiraled into a mini depression/panicfest about my life. You know, the is this really what i'm doing with my life/i'm wasting my youth/will i ever be happy/i want to be fulfilled kind of crisis that all 20-somethings go through at least once. (i seem to go through it much more often than that...) Woke up this morning feeling pretty low, but my day has quickly improved. Had lunch with a dear colleague (one whom i decidedly could not work here without), caught up on some tweets/blogs, and am basking in the knowledge that today is finally FRIDAY!!

Even more exciting is that i have nothing scheduled for tonight. Absolutely NADA. This week has been filled with evening engagements (fun! but exhausting) and next week is even busier! So tonight i am happy to go home and do whatever the heck i want.

Well... actually i have a lot to do. The cleaning crew is coming over tomorrow to deep clean my apartment (with GREEN products), and i want to go through every cabinet/pantry/box/etc. before then. My fruit/dry fly situation is still under debate (maintenance did something yesterday that seemed to help, but i'm not convinced it's a permanent fix), so i'm also going through the apt in order to eliminate any other possibilities. Still i plan on making tonight as fun as possible - breaking open a bottle of bubbly, dancing to Britney Spears, playing visually stimulating movies like Marie Antoinette, noshing on healthy eats, and of course, spending quality time with my darling Lola.

Saturday night i've plans with a friend to (finally) watch Slumdog Millionaire. It's been sitting on my console for weeks! Our menu for the evening includes: fresh guacamole, tex-mex queso (aka velveeta + rotel, gross i know but it tastes goooood), white wine sangria with oodles of fresh citrus and berries, roasted veggies (b/c we need some sort of healthy item in here), and something tasty for dessert (haven't figured out what. any suggestions??).

Oh - i also hope to crack open Jen Lancaster's latest - Pretty In Plaid.

What're your fabulous plans for le weekend?

P.S. Want to learn how to say "pink" in French? Head on over to a la Parisienne for today's French lesson!

My Hump (Day)

Today was a good day, i think. Well... it had its ups and downs.

The UP's:

- making it to 6:30 vinyasa class! yay moi!!


(photo via Hip Tranquil Chick)

- wearing these sweet nude Colin Stuart wedges to work (elongated my legs like crazy!)



- dining on a delicious bento box and (ridiculously overpriced) green tea @ lunch


(this was not my bento box, but it was tasty/pretty, too!)

- admiring my pretty purple tulips



- carving out some quiet time for afternoon tea + biscuits



- late night trip 2 Tarjay :)



- getting a shoutout from my #1 girl crush Kimberly Wilson (i'm giddy!)




The DOWN's (no pics for these b/c duh, they are the downs!):

- VERY slow @ work, which makes the time drag by... not fun.

- the rapidly multiplying fruit/drain/whatever flies that have infested my apartment (yes it's that disgusting and yes i kind of want to die b/c i'm so grossed out). If my apartment doesn't fix this problem soon, i'm checking into a hotel.


- getting duped into paying $3.50 for the aforementioned cup of green tea, which consisted of hot water + tea bag

- gross flies

- not adhering to my 10 p.m. bedtime (as it's currently 11:38 p.m.)

- did i mention the nasty flies?? ok ok, i'll shut about them... for now


Clearly the UP'S outweight the DOWN'S so i can't complain! Soooo glad we are moving towards the weekend :-) Tomorrow we have a special Associates happy hour starting at 4:30, and then afterwards i think i'm going to hit up a delish tex-mex place downtown with some colleagues.

How was your HUMP DAY?

Going Veggie

One of my goals is to cook more, as doing so will help me eat healthier and save money. I recently made the decision to reduce/eliminate my meat consumption (chicken, beef, pork aka bacon... tear). As such, i've been cruising the web for some delicious vegetarian and seafood (i'm still eating it!) recipes to try. Voila a list of my future conquests:

1. Melissa Clark's Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp



2. Braised Winter Greens with Chickpeas, Onions, and Garlic from Orangette



3. Angel Hair with Asparagus, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts from fresh365



4. Chickpea Salad with Lemon and Parmesan from Orangette



5. Spicy Two-Cheese Penne with Garlic Thyme Breadcrumbs from fresh365

P.S. i HATE plugging Starbucks, but i recently purchased this awesome cup from the Starbucks in my building and well... i love it!! It's double-walled so no sweating, the straw can't fall out, and i foresee using it a LOT as Sbux's iced passion fruit tea is one of my summertime faves...

Sleep Don't Weep

I apologize for my lack of blogging this week. I'd like to say that i've been swamped at work or finally decided to sit down and write that book or, ya know, found a cure for cancer, but... no. Mostly, i've just been sleeping. And oh - it's been heavenly.



I woke up at something like 3 a.m. on Wednesday morning completely drenched in sweat and sitting in the middle of sweat-drenched sheets (gross, right?). What was the deal? My entire body was burning up like mad. Note: I. hate. fevers. After ripping the sheets off my bed, changing my shirt, and downing some advil, i attempted (with little success) to go back to sleep. My alarm went off around 7, and i felt like i might die if i had to get out of bed and function. So i called in sick, shut off my phone, and went back to bed.

And i slept.

And slept.

And finally woke up around noon to get some water, more meds, and figure out what the heck was wrong with me. (Note: self-diagnosing is a BAD idea all around. Especially when the only thing on anyone's minds these days is SWINE FLU.) Fast forward to Thursday, another day off work, another day spent sleeping a lot. Honestly today i felt 85%, which was a vast improvement. I had an appetite, i could walk around without immediately wanting to go back to bed, and i even took Lola for a little walk. Whatever bug got me down was on its way out - hooray! But, um, my employers apparently don't want me to risk spreading any kind of SWINE FLU around the office, so I was told to "stay home and get some rest tomorrow." Well, i wasn't going to argue with that.

Soooo... i have tomorrow off! Which is why i'm up so late. (Can't sleep b/c i've been doing so much of it the past 48 hours). I'm hoping i'll feel 100% tomorrow as i have to drive to Dallas to see some friends and play with Momma for Mother's Day. Plans include: fun dinner, lots of girl talk, Saturday morning yoga and Northpark shopping with my dear friend A, afternoon tea @ the Ritz with darling L, and of course more eating and talking with my parents. I'll probably snooze in my mom's ultra luxe king-sized bed on Saturday night, attend Korean church service, eat more of my Mother's delicious food, and then head back to Austin late on Sunday. Since getting home late the night before a full week of work is never a good idea, i'm hoping to get my apartment ready for Monday morning tomorrow. I mean, what else am i going to do? Try not to sleep until noon - that's what!

I borrowed my friend Lauren's genius Mother's Day gift idea and filled up a jar of notes for my Mom. The notes include remember when's, things i love about her, and a lot of thank you for _____'s. It was really fun to make, and i think she'll love it. Plus, it was almost free! Which is good b/c her REAL present is about $500 bucks worth of Pottery Barn bedding. Uh huh. Ridic. But what're you gonna do? The woman birthed me. Sans drugs.

Anyway, here's my pretty jar for Mommy Park! Cute, huh?


As a final touch, i tied a cute ribbon around the jar. Can't wait to see her face when i give it to her!!

I hope y'all have a lovely Mother's Day and a relaxing weekend :-)

May Goals

In the spirit of Melita, i've finally gotten around to making some May Goals. I've never done goals by the month, but i really like it, as it's not as overwhelming as yearly goals. Much more doable, n'est ce pas? Anyway, in case you can't read the above, my May Goals are:

1. get my yoga back on!

2. rediscover artist dates (a Julia Cameron term)

3. make morning smoothies (made one this morning for the first time in months.... holllaaa!)

4. start BAR trip scrapbook

5. document life more with cameras (aka take more pictures, esp. with my new Holga which i have not yet received :-( )

6. drink more tea, less coffee (even bought some green tea this past weekend, not the biggest fan of green tea but working on it as its health benefits are vast)

7. PRAY

What are your goals for May?

Seeing Double

BLOG CRUSH ALERT!

Only this time, it's even better, because today's blog crush features not 1, not 2, not even 3... but 4 bloggers!!! OK i take that back - it's actually 2 blogs of 2 adorable married couples, but 4 sounded better than 2, no?

ANYWAY, i'm featuring these two blogs together b/c: (1) i majorly *heart* both of them, (2) the similarities between them are uncanny, and (3) 2 is better than 1.

With that being said, allow me to introduce...

Chris and Stacey Sargent of Love and Photographs; and




Josh and Naomi Davis of The Rockstar Diaries!



Now, although these are couples blogs, it's mostly the chicas doing the posting, and as adorable as these hubbies are, it's mostly the ladies with whom i've fallen in love. I first found Stacey's blog a few months ago when she won a contest over at Cupcakes and Cashmere. I instantly fell in love with her adorably perky outlook on life, her Anthro-inspired vintage style, and her killer bangs. (I think i even told her that her bangs reminded me of Erin's from The City on MTV.)



One of the things i love best about her? How much she loves her family. Stacey is married to Chris, and it's so obvious these two are head-over-heels in love with each other. And instead of being overly sappy and annoying, it's endearing and sweet. :-) Aren't they cute?



I stumbled upon Naomi's blog just last week (i think was so overwhelmed with work that i took a mandatory 20-minute blog break). Oh *SWOON* wow, is this girl stunning or what? Like Stacey, Naomi's got a vintage style to-die-for and yes, killer bangs!



Naomi is a Juliard graduate (where she was a dancer - how cool is that??), has an insatiable lust for all things Pinkberry and McDonald's (another thing i LOVE about her), and like Stacey, is completely smitten with her hubby.



A few more similarities... (and reasons you should love them, too!)

1. S & N both have great style. The best thing about it, though, is that they manage to come off as beautiful, sweet, sexy thangs without being half-naked. That's a rarity in this day and age, and i fully respect them for that.

2. They're both obsessed with Polaroids.

3. They're both obsessed with FOOD! (me too - can you tell??)

4. They both have doting, adorable hubbies who are fine examples of what hubbies should be.

5. They've both Mormon.

6. They both love taking pictures, and their blogs are full of eye candy.

7. They both have big families and sisters galore (my fave!).

8. They both make you want to be a better person.

9. They both have Etsy shops featuring some fabulous headbands (i would've bought some, but my freakishly large head won't have it).

10. They are both quality BFF material. :-)

And last, but not least... I commented on Stacey's blog after i discovered Naomi's and told her that i found this chick whose life seemed so oddly similar to hers that she had to check it out. Well, guess what?



They already know each other!! Ha, of course they do. They used to dance together way back in the day and have reconnected via the blogosphere. Adorable. Perfect. My two blog crushes are friends! Doesn't get any better than that. Aren't they gorgeous?

P.S. I can't say THANK YOU enough for all the wonderfully supportive, sweet, kind and compassionate comments on the last post. It's people like you that make it easier to be honest and open on my blog, and i'm so SO grateful. Don't you wish we could all have a big bloggerific party and build a giant fort and eat cupcakes and sip champagne??