The Amazing Race 9

..starts tonight! I love this show!

Inspiration for Today: Vintage Hawaiian Textiles

After Hula class today, I dreamt of vintage Hawaiian prints, similar to those found on pa'u skirts we wear for class...

Tea Cup Search Part 2

It was a nice evening tonight with a slight cold crisp in the air. Josh and I decided to walk around Irvine Spectrum, an outdoor mall here in Orange County with endless strings of cool shops like Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters and your run of the mill chains as well as independent boutiques. I was also in search for the perfect tea cup and saucer for Beth's Tea Cup Swap Round Two. I stopped inside Anthropologie and stayed there for awhile in a daze. Not only was I drooling over the clothes, but I was also swooning over their home décor products. Here is just a glimpse of what I was surrounded with. And oh yes, I did find the perfect tea cup and saucer for my swap partner!

One More Week Til Oscars Time!

While I was out of commission for a few days after an emergency dental procedure (as you can imagine I was really thrilled about this), and so I could stop thinking about my tooth ache, Josh and I went to a matinee yesterday and saw Brokeback Mountain. I've been wanting to see this movie for awhile now. I couldn't stop crying at the end of the movie. It was a bit slow for me in the beginning, but nonetheless a very touching story; simply done, yet very poignant.

Time is ticking and there's only one more week until the Oscars. Must hurry to see the following just so I can recognize all the celebrities when we go to the Red Carpet arrivals:

Capote
Munich
Good Night, And Good Luck
Syriana
Transamerica
The Constant Gardener
North Country
Pride and Prejudice

Patrick says...

Happy Presidents' Day weekend, everyone!

Blog Law?

At work, we get materials daily announcing upcoming classes and seminars for attorneys and paralegals. These classes are usually related to topics such as continuing education, new laws, updates, risk management and trends in the legal field. Today, we got something interesting in the mail...

It's Official - Oscars Red Carpet, Here We Come!

We got our bleacher seat numbers today for the Oscars Red Carpet arrivals along with final admittance instructions and directions to the Kodak Theatre where the Academy Awards will be held on March 5. We also received an invitation to the Oscar viewing party hosted by ABC at the El Capital Theatre just across the street. Will take lots of pictures. How exciting!!

Adorable Stamps

I forgot that I had ordered some stamps last week through the online Postal Store and what a surprise to get them today in the mail. Look at the cute stamps I ordered called "Picture Book Animals." My favorite is the one with Curious George holding a bunny friend.

Feeling A Little Green Today

All from J. Crew

Inspirations for Today: Weddings

This past weekend my friend, Cheryl, and I scoped out the South Orange County area for all things weddings. I'm honored to be her matron of honor (oooh, that makes me sound so old) and to help her with wedding planning. Just a few inspirations for today:

My Valentine

Still my Valentine after all these years. Here's a picture of Josh and me last Christmas at our house.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wishing you a day filled with sweetness, surprise and joy! Last week, I signed up to be a part of Vanessa's Valentine's card swap. While I was at it, I thought I'd send some Valentines to my special friends too. Here's a sampling...

Geishas Rule!

Since I'll be attending the Academy Awards Red Carpet arrivals, I'm on a countdown and have 3 weeks to catch up on the nominated movies that I haven't seen yet. Tonight, my friend, Chandra, and I watched Memoirs of a Geisha. I can't believe I waited so long to watch this movie. Brilliantly done. I was capitvated by the story, and loved the beautiful setting and especially loved the costumes. Those geishas knew how to dress sharply. Check out the platform shoes (above) that they had to walk on (and sometimes dance on), all the while moving gracefully!

Style by Kate Spade

Today I bought this little book by Kate Spade in a very chic green cover. It's about finding style in all places - art, literature, movies, life in general, and of course, your wardrobe. I love this quote from the book: "You can learn how to tie a shoe. You can learn how to rebuild an engine. You can learn how to speak Swahili with a French accent. But style is innate" (Andy Spade). Style is available in all bookstores, including Amazon.com.

I Left My Heart In San Francisco

I feel a little nostalgic today and miss San Francisco. I grew up there and know the city like the back of my hand. People say it's a city equivalent to a mini-New York with very distinct neighborhoods, all different from one another. I miss the Victorian homes, hilly and narrow streets, shopping at Union Square, cable cars, MUNI, BART, the fog, Ghirardelli Square, summer concerts at Golden Gate Park, international cuisine, international faces, bohemian culture, design culture, tech culture, Castro Street, working downtown, the Giants, the many bridges. It's a city where anything goes. Josh and I left the San Francisco Bay Area in 2001 to buy a home in Southern California. Good move because of the investment (and the warm weather!), but we hope that maybe someday we'll be able to go back home to the city we miss so much.

You can find awesome San Francisco images at San Francisco Daily Photo.

40 Questions

My friend, Darlene, forwarded me an email today that contains these 40 questions. I thought it would be good to post them here. We can always learn a bit about each other and also ourselves. What are your answers to the following questions?

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:00 a.m
2. Diamonds or pearl? Diamonds AND Pearls
3. What was the last film you saw? Walk The Line
4. What's your favorite TV shows? Amazing Race; 24; reDesign; Everyday Italian
5. What did you have for breakfast this morning? Madelines and Soy Hot Chocolate from Starbucks
6. What's your favorite cuisine? So many – Italian, Hawaiian, Mexican, Thai, Indian, Japanese…I can go on.
7. What's your favorite CD at the moment? For Me, It's You by Train
8. What kind of car do you drive? Mini Cooper
9. Favorite sandwich? Veggie panini
10. What characteristics do you despise? Rudeness, Brown-Nosing, Selfishness
11. What is your favorite type of clothing? Shoes
12. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Africa
13. What color is your bathroom? Yellow
14. Favorite brand of clothing? Gap; Anthropologie, Ann Taylor, J. Crew, Roxy
15. Where would you retire to? Hawaii or San Francisco
16. Favorite time of the day? Afternoon
17. Were you named after anyone? My name is a combination of my parents' names – Romeo and Lydia
18. Do you wish on stars? Yes
19. Are you a daredevil? No
20. How do you release anger? Talk, talk, talk
21. Where is your second home? The mall - Pottery Barn and Restoration Hardware (I wish!)
22. What were your favorite toys as a child? My stuffed pink piggy and my Barbies
23. What are your nicknames? Rom
24. Do you think that you are strong? Yes and No
25. What's your favorite ice cream flavor? Pralines and cream
26. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? My Height (5 feet)
27. Who do you miss the most? My mom (she passed away 6 yrs. ago)
28. What color pants are you wearing? Chocolate Brown
29. What are you listening to right now? Attorneys discussing a deal (I'm at work)
30. If you were a crayon what color would you be? Cinnabar
31. Last person you talked to on the phone? A high-maintenance client
32. Favorite Drinks? Jasmine Green Tea; Margaritas; Mai Tais; Chocolate-Macadamia Nut Coffee with lots of cream
33. Favorite Day of the Year? New Year's Day
34. Scary Movies or Happy Endings? Happy Endings
35. Summer or winter? Summer
36. What is Your Favorite Dessert? Crème Brule
37. What Book Are You Reading? The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business
38. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? American Idol
39. Favorite Smells? Plumeria, Vanilla, Jasmine
40. What's the furthest you've been away from home? Philippines

Tea Cup Swap Part 1

I think Alice and her guests in Wonderland would be proud! I received a lovely package from my tea cup swap partner, Jude. The tea cup and saucer came delicately packaged in a matching box. Jude sent the most delicious tea - Ginger Peach White Tea from Bentley's. Also included were a little jar of honey, a demi spoon, sugar tongs and a linen napkin. Thanks so much, Jude! I love everything you sent! I hope you're enjoying your package as much as I am mine.
Thanks again to Beth for a great job on organizing the Swap!

Adopt A Rabbit Month!

I recently got an email from the House Rabbit Society announcing that February is "Adopt A Rabbit" month. When we used to live in San Francisco, Josh and I volunteered at the House Rabbit Society headquarters and volunteered regularly at Rabbit Row at the Alameda Animal Shelter. As a result, our family grew from two in a household to 10. Here are our furry kids (8 total) adopted from various animal shelters (some of which are also featured on the Rabbit Row website). They've given us so much joy over the years. Sadly, Chester, Max, Walnut and Pepper have gone on to Rainbow Bridge. We miss them very much.







From top: Oreo, Patrick and Pepper, Walnut, Sydney, Max, Simon, Chester

Happy Birthday, Nanay

Today is my mother's birthday. She passed away very suddenly from cancer 6 years ago. I miss her very much. I'm having a very tough day today.

Inspirations for Today: Card Designs

All from vigocards.com

CodePink

CODEPINK is a women-initiated peace and social justice movement working to end the war in Iraq. I have put the following items on my wish list:

Chili Cook-off

We had our annual Chili Cook-off today at work. Employees sign up to enter their chili and give it a unique name. My favorite this year was "Dog Breath Chili" which won 2nd place! This yearly chili contest is serious - people come prepared with their own sauces, spins and gimics. I have to say, our firm knows how to throw a party - side dishes, condiments, dessert, pitchers of margarita, buckets filled with beer, and even a live band. What a way to welcome the weekend!