Happy Friday!

It's finally Friday! Wishing you a wonderful weekend whether you'll be running around everywhere or doing absolutely nothing. As for me, I hope to catch up on some sleep. There's nothing like a good afternoon nap in a patch of sunshine with a light breeze after a good read. And speaking of good reads, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is this weekend. Over 300 famous authors will be there with hundreds of exhibitors. More info here.

Sprinkles of Yummy Goodness

At Sprinkles, decadent cupcakes are made daily in their tiny bakery off of Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. They serve 20 flavors from vanilla milk chocolate to banana to chai latte. It's no wonder that this bakery, considered to have the "Marc Jacobs of all cupcakes," is a favorite among celebs such as Oprah, Jake Gyllenhaal and Katie Holmes. They even offer doggie cupcakes for our little four legged friends made with carob and yogurt! Must pay a visit to Sprinkles soon!

Go BJ & Tyler!

On Amazing Race 9.

More Audrey

Available here.

The Newest Member of Our Family

We adopted Tank last week after a week-long trial run. Since we have 4 house rabbits, we were very cautious and careful to choose a dog with a great disposition and one that fits well in our household.

Tank is a 1 and 1/2 year old Mastiff/Pit Bull mix who was abandoned. He was hit by a car and was left there until a kind person found him. Unfortunately, he only has three working legs after the accident, but amazingly, he’s able to get around as if nothing bothers him. Given his breed and disability, a dog like Tank has a very low chance of being adopted. Lucky for him, he was rescued and fostered in a good home before we adopted him. Everyone who has met Tank has fallen in love with him, including us!

Aloha Saturday

I spend my Saturdays at the halau (hula studio) for hula class and today we learned a dance for one of our perfomanes this summer. For those who have lived in or visited Hawaii, you can understand what it means to feel the aloha. And for me, each and every Saturday, the minute I step into the halau, I feel the aloha spirit and am closer to Hawaii even though I'm in California.













Today is the last day of the week-long Merrie Monarch Hula Festival in Hilo. The purpose of the annual festival is to preserve and promote the art of hula and Hawaiian culture. Hundreds of wahine (women) and kane (men) dancers participate from all over Hawaii and the mainland.

A livestream is on tonight starting at 9 p.m. through 3 a.m. (Pacific). More info on the webcast here.

Image above from Merrie Monarch website, Miss Aloha Hula 2004.

Happy Friday!

Wishing you a weekend filled with warm spring sunshine and much relaxation!










Image from MarthaStewart.com

Top Spring Looks

Top Row: Peter Som; Calvin Klein
Bottom Row: Burberry Prorsum; Narcisco Rodriguez

More of Style.com's Top 10 Spring Looks here.

How To Be Lovely

While at Anthropologie the other day, it was a nice surprise to see that they carry this must-have book since my favorite celebrity style icon is Audrey Hepburn. Not only do I admire her for the elegance and grace she carried, but also for the compassion she had for humanitarian efforts with UNICEF. Indeed, everyone can learn how to be lovely - inside and out - from Audrey!

This book can also be found at Amazon.
More on Audrey here.

My Mother – A Style Icon Herself

Everything I learned about style, I learned from my mother, Lydia. She grew up in the 1940s-1950s in the Philippines and was a trend setter among her group. Her handbags and shoes had to be coordinated. Her hair always perfectly coifed. Her coats were exactly the same length as her dresses. She attended parties with big bands and was active in her community and her church. And all the while, she was so humble and extremely giving and kind. She was a great listener with a loud, contagious laugh. She loved Saturday morning flea market finds, as well as frequent ventures to Union Square in downtown San Francisco. A hard worker, a teacher and chemist, a talented sewer. A wonderful mother.

It's a very hard day for me since she passed away 6 years ago today from cancer. Since she taught me to be strong and always look ahead, I can only do that today by looking back and remembering all that she's given me. I miss her terribly.

Happy Easter

...from my very own Easter Bunnies - Simon, Oreo, Sydney and Patrick. May you have plenty of Easter eggs in your basket today!

Devine Accents: Decor by Anthropologie

All can be found here .

Tea Cup Swap Part 3

Today, I received my tea cup package from Jasmine. She emailed me awhile back to let me know that she found the perfect tea cup, so I couldn't wait to see what she got me. She was right! Jasmine sent a very sweet Peter Rabbit tea cup and a bag of Green Tea with Cherry made by Eastern Shore Tea Co. She knew I have house rabbits and that I'm a fan of green tea - how very thoughtful. Thanks so much, Jasmine for a very lovely package! Looking forward to Part 4 of Beth's Tea Cup Swap.

Bunny Swap

Since I have 4 house rabbits, April is a fun month in my household simply because it's Bunny Season. And how perfect it is for Beth (also a bunny mom) to organize a fun Bunny-themed Swap. Last night, I found a cute box by my front door, and what a surprise to get the swap package from Beth herself! Beth, thank you so much for all the adorable bunny items! I just love everything, especially the "Grow An Easter Bunny" toy. Oreo, Patrick, Simon and Sydney also approve!

Just look at the cute bunny stickers Beth put all over the package:


...and all the adorable bunny items inside:


Here's Oreo checking out the goods:



I also had fun shopping and making cards for my swap partner, Karla. Here's what I sent her:

Ribbons Galore

Great ribbons and trims for crafty goodness and sweet little packages: Renaissance Ribbons

What To Do Before Starting New Job?

I'm Going to Disneyland!

I have one week off before starting my new job and to begin the week, Josh and I took advantage of our southern California resident passes to Disneyland and California Adventure. My favorite ride today - California Screamin:

Dave Matthews Band Summer Tour

Info/Tickets available here.

My Last Week

This week has been extremely hectic since it's my last week at my current workplace. But what a way to spend the last few days:

- I received a $250 American Express Card for winning our office intranet search contest

- Entered an impromptu office cartwheel contest (yes, an actual cartwheel contest initiated by one of the attorneys, and an event complete with beer and snacks!) - I got 2nd place, but some say I should have won because I did it in heels

- Got treated to lunches by my coworkers

- A breakfast potluck for my last day

- Received a surprise package in the mail from my friend, Sandra. The package included a trinket box (something for my new desk) and an encouraging card. Thank you, Sandra for your thoughtfulness! It made my last week all the more special.

Bracelets Benefiting No-Kill Animal Shelters

Bracelets available for both humans and pets!
$25 for 25 bracelets. Get them here.

Doggles: A Genius Invention

Upon visiting my ophthalmologist the other day, I learned that I have slight UV damage to my eyes. So now I have to remember to wear sunglasses whenever outdoors, regardless of foggy, cloudy or sunny days. And then I got to thinking about our furry friends who also have the potential of getting UV damage to their eyes. Those daily walks and playtime at the park or beach can do enough damage. The solution: Doggles. For small dogs, large dogs, finicky dogs. Available in prescription and various colors and designs too!