Tis the Season!

{via}

The lighting ceremony for the Christmas tree in New York City's Rockerfeller Center was tonight!  There was an entire TV special dedicated for the holiday excitement.  This year's Norway spruce towers over 74 feet and weighs 12 tons, is covered in 30,000 multi colored LED lights wrapped on 5 miles of wire, drinks up to 90 gallons of water (on the onset), and will be visited by approximately 2.5 million people!

PS. Happy Birthday to Mother! 

Happy Birthday to you...

Happy Birthday to the Mister! 

*i love you*

Black Friday!

{via}

I'm sure my feet would disagree, but I fondly remember Mother and I waking up obscenely early every morning the day after Thanksgiving to start our Holiday shopping.   This year, unfortunately, I had to work;  it was a total bummer since the office was super empty and most people took the day off -and one person had the audacity to call in *cough* sick!

{via}

After work (and a nappie nap) the Mister and I hit the mall - just to see the craziness in action.  Surprisingly, the mall wasn't too crowded and we found some great presents at some amazing prices!  Everyone knows how much I love a great deal but you gotta check this out: we got 2 full sets of fluffy Martha Stewart towels, a set of pjs, 3 Roxy tops, Quicksilver boardshorts for ONLY$97!!! Crazy!
We finished the evening with approximately 60% of our shopping done, lots of motivation to finish the rest of our shopping, and all of our holiday spirit is still in tact! Whoo Hoo!

A Thankful Thanksgiving

On this Thanksgiving I am reminded of how truly blessed I am and how much I have to be thankful for:  
Preparing for Thanksgiving is altogether rather daunting especially when you are preparing for 4 parties but luckily, last night I was baking til almost midnight, and despite the fact that he had to be up at 4AM the Mister was in the kitchen with me measuring dry ingredients, washing dishes, and just keeping me company.  -I am incredibly thankful to be engaged to a wonderful, thoughtful, and loving guy who always makes me feel loved and appreciated.
Four Thanksgivings on one day is a bit excessive to some people, but I am thankful I had a chance to spend quality time with my parents as well as my (large) extended family and catch up with everyone.  
And although my stomach is stuffed after eating my way through four Thanksgivings, I am so very thankful that today, and all other days of the year I always have (more than enough) food to fill me.  I am also so incredibly thankful for a great bunch of friends who I can depend on and who support me in all that I do, my health which lets me get through each day worry and pain free, and a great education that has given me so many great opportunities.
And, as I am typing this blog, I am sitting on a nice comfy couch and I am reminded that I am very thankful that I have a warm and secure place to call home (and that my computer has spell check).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pre-Thanksgiving!

Tomorrow the Mister and I have a busy day ahead of us: we have a Thanksgiving brunch, lunch, late lunch/early dinner, and dinner!  A busy day tomorrow means a lot of food and A LOT of cooking and baking tonight!
For our Thanksgiving meals I will be making (and we will be taking):

Mother's Super Buttery Cornbread

{via}

 

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie, courtesy of Paula Deen (times 2)

Stovetop Turkey Stuffing (the Mister and I love Stovetop!)

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting





and... Aunty Linda's Mushroom Cups! 

Wedding Flowers

I am absolutely thrilled that the Mister is very involved in our wedding planning! -From the get-go the Mister decided that he would like all white flowers for the ceremony and reception: simple and elegant.  Over the past few weeks we decided to turn our wedding focus to finding inspiration for our wedding flowers and looked at (literally looked at  hundreds upon hundreds of) flower arrangements and bouquets in various magazines and websites.  After all of our copious research we came up with some great ideas and inspiration: 

We want simple flowers for the ceremony so focus is on us and the beautiful ceremony location. 

We want our reception to have a cocktail vibe with lots of candles... 

and we would like to have tall centerpieces on the tables to add height to the room and not interfere with conversations.

And finally we want a mix of simple flower arrangements and candles for our lounge.  

...361 days to go...

My Favorite Things

Today, Oprah had her final "Favorite Things" show!  It was Part 2 of the two part Favorite Things give-away.  Audience members received things including a Sony 3D TV(pictured above), a camera, ipad, panini maker, watches, Uggs (also one of my niece's and my favorite things), handbags, food, a cruise, a car, and tons of other things!!! I just watched in awe as Oprah showered her audience with some amazing things and gave me some great gift-giving ideas (- sorry fam and friends you are NOT getting a VW Bug...)

I know I'm not Oprah but here is a list of some of My Favorite Things:

1.  Tempur-Pedic Mattress: Yes, it is that comfy.
2.  Chanel Stylo Yeux Eyeliner, in Black Shimmer: It is really waterproof AND smudgeproof; it is perfect for touch-ups.
3.  iHome: it is the perfect desk accessory in Pink City
4.  Nikon Coolpix S6000 Camera: I don't totally know how to use it yet but I really like it :)
5.  My Mac Notebook (with the red cover): I am a proud Mac (PC convert), and I LOVE my computer for it's ease to use, speed, and sleek appearance.
6.  Pilot G2 Pens:  These pens write so well and the ink dries quickly.
7.  Blackberry Pearl:  I know most people have an iPhone or some sort of touch screen phone, but I love my blackberry, it makes texting and emailing quick and easy.
8.  Papered Chef Ice Cream Scoop: I don't know how this scoop works, but it can scoop any ice cream (no matter how hard) and makes the most perfect round scoops.
9.  Matchsticks Double Stick tape: These stickies are perfect to make sure that shirts don't pucker and straps stay put; almost a necessity!
10.  Sparke!:  Like most brides I LOVE my engagement ring (and the great guy who gave it to me).

The Countdown Begins!

{taken @ a photo booth in Tokyo}

Today marks ONE YEAR til our BIG DAY! 

One year from today the Mister and I will be exchanging vows in front of our families and closest friends and I couldn't be more excited! I am so in love with him.  The Mister is such a great and loving guy, a wonderful friend, and I cannot wait to marry him!
PS. thank you Mother, Daddy, and Sister for the emails and phone calls acknowledging the countdown and sharing your excitement for us!

Dad and Daughter Lunch

As a proud Daddy's Girl I have lunch with my dad at least once a month.  Our usual lunch spot is Kaka'ako Kitchen.  I am not very creative when I order: once I find a dish I really like, I tend to stick with it and don't  tend to try much else. And so, on most Dad and Daughter lunch days I order the Furikake Crusted Catfish with Ponzu Sauce (w/ brown rice and tossed greens).  Sometimes, like today, Daddy orders the catfish too :)  - I really like how moist the fish is and how light and complementary the batter is.

As delicious as lunch is, the company is even better! -I cannot wait til our next D&D lunch! 

OMG! The BEST Pot Roast!

{via}

Last year the Mister and I made an amazing purchase: a Cuisinart Pressure Cooker!  We have tried a few different pressure cooker recipes, but my favorite is this Pot Roast recipe.    

I love this recipe, for so many different reasons: it's easy to make, smells amazing, tastes delicious, and we go from groceries to the table in less than an hour and a half. 

Ingredients: Chuck Roast (3-5 lb), a couple of large onions, a couple potatoes, a small bag baby carrots, a package of dry Italian salad dressing mix, a package of (Hidden Valley Ranch) Ranch dressing mix, a package of brown gravy mix, and a can of beef broth. 

First, we season the meat with rock salt and pepper and brown it quickly. 

Then we mix the contents of the seasoning packets, sprinkle the mix over the meat and vegetables, and add the beef broth.

It is really as delicious as it looks! YUM!!!

A Royal Wedding!

A lot of little girls dream of being a princess, but sometime next year Kate Middleton will be a princess! All day there were pictures and news reports of Prince William and Kate Middleton's engagement, and like most people out there I was tuned in to see the happy couple!

{via}

{Kate and Prince William}

Prince William gave his fiance his mother's 18-carat sapphire and diamond ring engagement ring saying it was his way of, "making sure [his] mother didn't miss out on today's excitement and the life [he and Kate] would spend together."
As I am planning my own wedding to the Mister, I am super excited to see and hear about the details of the British Royal wedding: the dress, the ceremony, and all the other details! How exciting!

Painting the Town Beautiful

On Saturday, Mother and I went to "Paint the Town Beautiful," Nordstrom's Cosmetics Fall Trend Show. We arrived to a Nordstrom worthy spread of fruit, pastry, and coffee.  Soon after we were escorted through the doors and immediately given a black bag handbag filled with all sorts of freebies other goodies.

{Anastasia, the eyebrow queen} 

The main event was fashion show style on the second floor (we had seats in the second row!!!).  Representatives from many of the main cosmetics brands were there to present new products and do demonstrations.  I was so excited to find out that one of the presenters was Anastasia Soare, the eyebrow queen!!! I was hoping to get a quick consultation with Anastasia but unfortunately, all of her appointments had booked way in advance of the event.
After the show, Mother and I had oxygen facials from Philosophy, a makeover from Chanel (Mother sampled and later purchased their Sublimage cream), and I had a smokey eye done at Smashbox, and Orgasm blush from Nars.

{a sampling of my loot}

I had such as wonderful time with Mother as we Painted the Town Beautiful and later as we sat in my living room to inventory all of our loot! Whoo hoo!

Teddy Bears!

{of course teddy bears in Hawaii surf!}

While taking an evening stroll through Waikiki the the Mister and I spotted Teddy Bear World (in the former Planet Hollywood location) and (I) got suckered in.  There were literally hundreds of teddy bears and accessories on the ground floor.


There is a museum dedicated to teddy bears on the second floor of the store.  We thought the $15 per person admission fee was a little spendy so we didn't make it up the escalator to the museum.

{the Mister & Me Bears}

Although we didn't make it to the actual museum we (me more than the Mister) had a lot of fun looking at all of different bears, silly outfits, and celebrity bears like the Elvis teddy!

Happy Veterans Day!

Veterans Day is an annual US holiday celebrated on November 11, and honors all those service men and women who have served our country.  To celebrate Veterans Day I went up to The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, better known as "Punchbowl," a national cemetery that honors the men and women of the United States Armed Forces.  

The bottom of this memorial reads"The solemn pride that must be your, to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the alter of Freedom"-quotation from the letter from President Lincoln to Mrs. Bixby.  Also near this memorial is a small chapel, tribute to battles in the Pacific, and walls etched with the names of individuals who were never recovered from battle.  

Punchbowl is a very special place for me; both of my grandfathers, a grandmother, a few uncles, and an aunt are buried there.  As I was growing up my parents always stressed the importance of "family," respect for my elders, and those family members who have passed.  To reinforce these values my mother would take me to Punchbowl on holidays such as Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Christmas, as well as other days in between to take flowers, pay our respect, and sometimes just to reminisce about good times.
PS. A Happy Veterans Day to my Dad.  :)

Stuck Like Glue

{via}

Tonight the Mister dropped off one my favorite pizzas: Da Big Kahunas Sumo Pizza -pepperoni, ham, Italian sausage, kalua pork (like pulled pork), Portuguese sausage, bacon, onions, green onions, mushrooms, chopped tomato, and black olives.
So tonight I am sitting at home enjoying my Sumo Pizza, watching the Country Music Awards, and patiently waiting for Sugarland to sing "Stuck Like Glue."  -Watch the video: it totally makes me wanna tap my foot and sing along, all while making me crack up :)

Pretty in Pink

Meet Pearl!  Donne did a great job finding a beautiful Lula Kate dress that will be flattering on each of her 6 bridesmaids!

Today I faxed in my bridesmaid dress order for Donne's wedding to Bella Bridesmaid, LA! -The Ladies at Bella Bridesmaid were super friendly and very quick to respond.

I got a Chocolate Glazed Donut in my Coffee!

I have tried to decrease my caffeine consumption, but some days, like today, require a cup of joe.  Thanks to one of the residents of Purple City our office has a Keurig coffee maker and thankfully I am spared from drinking our regular office coffee.

The Keurig brews each cup of coffee fresh from little pods called K-cups. There are so many different flavored pods to choose from but currently my favorite is the Donut House's Chocolate Glazed Doughnut!! YUM!

More Stamps! (kinda)

Donne, one of my bridesmaids and fellow bride-to-be, and I are always sharing wedding ideas.  Recently we have been discussing sending out our save the date cards.  

We both have our "save the date" card ready to go, but are concerned about the stamp that will go on them.  We both don't want a plain "forever" stamp on our cards so we were more than excited when we came across these custom stamps!

I *heart* the Mister

Our Save the Date cards have been ready for months, but since our wedding is still more than a year away, it will be a while more before we mail them out.  As I wait patiently (or not so patiently) to mail them out I happened to stumble upon Primele and got the idea to get a cute return address stamp!  - I'm thinking the Mister will think the design and font are too feminine... but I think it will be perfect & super cute for all future (pre & post-wedding) correspondence.  

Crab in Black Bean Sauce

Tonight the Mister surprised me by taking off a little early so that he could cook dinner for me!  I love when the Mister cooks for me, and I really love it when he cooks yummy things like Crab in Black Bean Sauce!!!


The Mister isn't the best at following recipes so the best I way I can explain how he prepared the crab is that he kinda, sorta, loosely followed a recipe I found online.  Basically he looked at the recipe, added extra garlic, and just added the listed ingredients (without measuring) until things looked and smelled good.

PS. Thank you to "Penguin"for giving us the dungeness crabs!

Welcome to Pink City!

Today was the second day in our new office.  Day One was a little frustrating for most people: the computers weren't working properly, online files were missing, not all the supplies were in, etc. but we survived.

The Bad: For most of Day One I was locked out of my computer and the tech guys weren't able to do much to help me.

The Good: I got to spend some quality time decorating and organizing my desk!

Our desks and work area are very grey.  I like grey, don't me wrong, but it can feel rather dreary when you are stacked between people and surrounded my metal "build-a-desks."  To make my work area more cheery, I decided to infuse the space with a pop of pink.

Quickly my area has become dubbed "Pink City!" A few friends have even contributed to the decor of Pink City by giving me pink white out, folders, fancy magnets, and a key holder!!! (Thanks Ladies!!)

I would like to give a shout out to the residents of Purple City! 

Here are a couple other pictures from around the office:

{Near Purple City}

We are still waiting on the plants and artwork to get delivered so please excuse the the bare walls!

{Near Pink City}