Playdate at the Park

This little lady makes me happy and brings me joy.  I love that she is observant, inquisitive, and a quick learner.  I love that she is loving, gentle, and friendly.  Basically, I love everything about her!  And although I'm not able to visit her as often as I'd like, I love and appreciate each moment I can spend with her (and her mommy).    

Wedding Wednesday - Congrats Donne!

On Saturday, July 30, 2011 Donne married her Mister in an amazing wedding at the Riviera Country Club surrounded by family and friends.  It was a beautifully sunny day and picture perfect for a wedding.  The ballroom was stunningly decorated with hundreds upon hundreds of flowers, the food was delicious, and of course, Donne was absolutely radiant!  Along with most of the other guests, and the bride and groom, the Mister and I had a great evening and danced the night away...  

:: the rehearsal dinner @ Napa Valley Grille, Westwood :: 

:: before ::

:: after ::

:: college friends ::

:: a bridesmaid and her Mister ::

Congratulations to Donne and her husband! Thank you for letting us be a part of your special day.  We love you and wish you both lots of love, laughter, and happiness (and good food too!) XO!

Tea Time

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The Tea Party was a success! 

I was so happy that after all of my planning, everyone enjoyed had a lovely Mothers' Day with their moms (and daughters)!  Getting together over tea was a great way to catch up with everyone, laugh, and enjoy delicious spread! I am very hopeful that Mothers' Day Tea will become a tradition and that even more people will be be able to attend next year!  

We had tea here, at the Veranda of the Kahala Hotel

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I had the Wedding Imperial Tea: a golden Assam with hints of chocolate and caramel

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On fine, Bernardaud china we enjoyed freshly baked scones, clotted cream, pineapple and coconut preserves, savory tea sandwiches, pastries, confections and cookies.

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The savory items included a California Club, Curry and Radish Cupcake, Salmon Open Face Sandwich, and a Cauliflower and Truffle Quiche.

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Mother and Me enjoying tea! 

Not only was tea a beautiful way to spend Mothers' Day it also crossed another item off of my Thirty Before 30!!!

I love you, Lorelai!

Does anyone remember the show Gilmore Girls? 

Lorelai and her daughter, Lorelai.  Stars Hollow.  Emily, Richard, and Trix.  Luke and his diner.  Suki and Michel at the Dragonfly Inn. Dean, Jess, and Logan. Chilton and Yale. Lane and Paris.  And of course... the theme song, "Where you Lead." - Good times!

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The Gilmore Girls has got to be one of my all time favorite TV shows ever!!! The quick wit and banter of the dynamic mother daughter duo always kept me laughing and thoroughly entertained, and the special bond that Lorelai and Rori shared reminded me a lot of my mom and me.  For one hour a week, the show gave me enough mother daughter moments and sass to keep me from falling prey to homesickness in college.  Oh, how I wish they had come out with a Gilmore movie... but I guess DVD reruns will do.

Today was Mothers' Day, a day that is very special for me!  I love that there is a day that my mom and I can celebrate each other and the bond that we share every day of the year!

I also want to wish Sister a Happy Mothers' Day! 

Happy Chinese New Year!

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To celebrate the Year of the Rabbit (and also because I love any occasion to celebrate) I organized a little lunch for some of my co-workers.  Our lunch consisted of rice, orange chicken, beef chow fun with black been sauce, steamed fish fillets, crispy gau gee, baby bock choy, and an assortment of dim sum! 

Our celebration was not fancy or over the top, but the food was delicious and it was such a treat to spend some quality time with some great work friends.  It looks like the Year of the Rabbit has gotten off to a wonderful start!

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Day 3 of the Shred: DONE!  27 more days to go!

23). Fly a Kite

Knowing that flying a kite was on my Thirty Before 30 list, the Mister bought me a "cow" kite for my 29th birthday!  

When we woke up on Sunday morning the sky was clear and there was a nice breeze so we decided it was the perfect day to fly my cow kite, aka MonaMoo.  I was so excited when we arrived at Sandy Beach, a place popular with kite flyers, because it was perfect kite-flying weather: the wind was blowing and the sun was shining!

{kite flying at Sandy Beach}

Unfortunately kite-flying wasn't quite as easy as expected.  Despite all of the wind, I couldn't get my kite off of the ground.  I tried running with the kite and I tried tossing it up when a strong breeze blew, but each time the kite would fall harder and more deliberately than the time before, all while the Mister and I laughed harder and harder!  We were even laughing when one of the poles snapped, even before the kite made it off the ground.  But thanks, to a new friend, Sam, MonaMoo found new life!

{sick MonaMoo and the broken pole}

Sam, a regular kite-flyer, said he had been watching us as I tried to fly the kite, and admitted laughing "with" us.  He took a look at MonaMoo, and began to help us make repairs: the string had to be re-tied (it was tied incorrectly), then Sam used some plastic tape to repair the broken pole and then proceeded to help balance the kite.  

{Sam was laughing as MonaMoo crashed}

After the repairs, a little advice from Sam, and a little persistence MonaMoo took off!!! 

And she flew higher and higher and higher yet!  

After a rough start I was more than excited to see my kite up in the air!  

I had a wonderful day flying my kite...

 and I hope to fly MonaMoo again sometime soon!

Balloons Make it Better

I came across these Luis Monteiro photos while working on my "Thirty Before 30" post and loved each of them! -There is something so special about balloons that make me happy and bring a smile to my face.   Here are more photos from the same shoot:

Thirty Before 30!

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I love making lists and I love birthdays, so naturally, I thought it would be exciting to make (and complete) a list of thirty things I would like to do before the big 3-0.  I started by googling and looking at other "Thirty Before 30" lists; I was surprised to see just how many people are in the process of completing and how many have completed their own list.  As I began to construct my list (months ago) I was surprised to discover just how difficult it is to create a list of fun and meaningful things that I could do, and would still find interesting and relevant months from now.  I also found that it was very important to me that I be able to challenge myself both mentally and physically, and that each item on the list be tangible and able to be accomplished.

Now that my list is complete I am excited and optimistic that my journey to thirty will be filled with fun, adventure, laughter, and love...

And so without further adieu, here is my "Thirty Before 30"

1. Go Hiking 3/6/2011
2. Be able to solve a Rubix Cube 
3. Fold 1000 Cranes before the wedding (and teach the Mister to fold #1001)
4. Get Married 11/19/2011
5. Find my Perfect Red Lipstick 
6. Have a Picnic
7. Take and Pass the Series 66
8. Have a Mothers' Day Tea/ Get-Together for the Family 5/7/2011
9. Make 'Smores 
10. Make Boeuf Bourguignon 5/14/2011
11. Save for, and Buy Myself Something Fabulous and Timeless
12. Go to Fukubukuro 1/1/2011
13. Go to a Farmers' Market and Cook a Meal with my Findings 5/14/2011
14. Go Wine Tasting 
15. Drink Freshly Squeezed Fruit Juice 
16. Buy a Lottery Ticket
17. Do (and Complete) the 30 day Shred Challenge 
18. Go Horseback Riding 
19. Plant a Vegetable Garden 
20. Go to a Carnival with the Mister 
21. Go to the Beach  
22. Make Jewelry 
23. Fly a Kite 1/30/2011
24. Shoot my Shotgun
25. Go Bowling 
26. Bake a Pie from Scratch 
27. See the Sunrise and Sunset (on the same day)
28. Make a Photo Book from my Trips with the Mister 
29. Schedule a Happy Hour / Reunion for Work Friends
30. Learn to Change a Flat Tire

It's my Birthday!

Some people don't like birthdays because they just think about getting older, but I love birthdays, and think they are much less about age and more about celebrating a person and their life.    

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I owe my love for celebrating birthdays to my parents who always made a HUGE deal about my birthday!  Some of my favorite birthday memories include waking up, on my birthday, to a bedroom filled with streamers and posters, balloons on the ceiling and some on the floor, and birthday cards and presents everywhere (all over the house, in my backpack, my lunch...).

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Today was just as special as all the birthdays I remember growing up.  Even before my birthday, I had already received a bunch of presents and cards (I love cards!!) from my sister and niece, one of my BFF's, the Mister, and the Mister's grandma!  And even though I had to be at work, today was a fabulous day!  When I woke up my blackberry was flashing and already filled with tons of birthday messages: one from Italy, a couple from Tokyo, and many from friends and family whom I haven't spoken with in months!  I even had my favorite Starbucks breakfast sandwich waiting for me at my desk when I got to work, presents from a bunch of co-workers, lunch with with the Mister and a bunch of the girls, phone calls from all of my favorite people, dinner with a good friend, and even a homemade chocolate cake!

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I just finished writing my Thank You cards to my friends, family, and co-workers, and as I look at the stack of envelopes I can't help but think of just how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life who love me and celebrate me.

Today is also very special to be for another reason: this post is my 100th post!  YEAH!  

Thank you for reading and for your comments I appreciate it all.    

Arithmetic for Fashionable Foodies

pretty shoes + desserts = happiness.

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chocolate - napkin = delicious mess

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cupcakes x cupcakes = edible fashion

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dessert spread / a bunch of friends = perfect party

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