Oatmeal Cookies

The chilly weather has made me crave some good old fashioned oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

I was searching for a recipe online and I found out that January is National Oatmeal Month! What a perfect way to start off the new year.

It's not my birthday, but...

Every morning when I get ready I think to myself how much I love my new sparkly eyeshadow from Benefit. Not only does it come in this gorgeous glass package and have the nicest feel when you twist the top, it lasts all day and doesn't crease one bit. It comes in a glorious array of colors but my favorite one for everyday is called, Birthday Suit.

This n That

I've been busy. Really. I have. I've been travelling, hanging out with friends, reading good books and trashy magazines, hiking, playing and enjoying life. It's a foggy chilly day here in SF and it's perfect weather to curl up with a good book and cup of hot chocolate. Mmmmm.... I'm also dog sitting right now. A little 4 lb Yorkie/Maltese mix named Shayla and boy is she cute. My kitty isn't sure what to make of her but at least she's come out of hiding in the depths of our dust-bunny filled closet. Poor girl.

Food and Fitness

Last night we ventured down to the Mission to try out the new restaurant Spork. Located in an old KFC, the only thing that's reminiscent of the "dirty bird" is the original KFC sign over the kitchen door. It's chic, yet casual. Elegant, yet homey. If you haven't tried it, it's a "must". If you decide to go, let me know and I'll tag along. The hubby had the "inside out burger" and "smashed fries" and I went for a ligher dish of pasta, zucchini and pesto called "Between the Sheets". Yum.

Because all I've been doing for the past 4 weeks or so is stuffing myself with food and wine, I've decided to enroll in another session of Boot Camp. 3 days a week. 5:30am.

Vintage Chanel

My hubby and I spent a relaxing 4th of July going for a hike over in Marin and enjoyed the 95+ degree weather! On the way up there, we passed a horse farm that was having a 4th of July parade and flea market. We slowly moved our way through the tables of junk and finally came across a treasure. A vintage Chanel purse complete with gold chain strap.





The leather inside the gold chain is a bit frayed and needs to be replaced but the nice man gave me a special deal and I got him down from $150 (which was still a steal!) to $45!!!!!

Paris Je T'aime

The first Thursday of every month, the lovely Nancy has organized a fabulous girls night for some of her fabulous friends (including moi!). Sometimes we go to museums, other times we just eat and sometimes we go see films. This past Thursday Nancy had the great idea of going to see Paris Je T'aime at the Clay theater. Unfortunately Nancy got called away at the last minute for work but Camilla, Meghan and I still enjoyed a little piece of France. A collection of 18 short vignettes that take place across various neighborhoods in Paris transport you into the lives of these interesting and unusual people. Some ordinary, some extraordinary, all searching for love. My favorite was the one written by Gus Van Sant and featuring Natalie Portman as a struggling actress and her blind boyfriend.

It was sort of like a music video with urban beats pulsing in the background and images sped up to illustrate passing time. Maybe it's because I love Natalie Portman, but her deranged but sweet story left me wanting more from this particular couple.
If you need to transport yourself to another world for an evening, check out Paris Je T'aime.

Relaxed in Canada

My darling friend Nancy just posted this on her site and so I thought I would give it a whirl. I've been terrible at posting, emailing and generally keeping in touch with people lately so maybe some silly info about me will keep you updated on all things me. Here goes:

48 Things You Could Care Less About
1. FIRST NAME? Nancy

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? There was a teenager in my tiny town that my parents liked and I think I'm named after her.

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? On the plane flying up to Canada. I watched that Jennifer Garner movie where her fiance dies and she falls in love with his best friend. Skip it. So depressing!

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Yes. I often get compliments on it and even won a few penmanship awards in 1st grade!

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCHMEAT? "favorite" and "lunchmeat" don't belong in the same sentence. If I must, turkey isn't half bad. I also like ham when it's baked in a Croque Monsieur. Mmmmm....

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? I think so.

7. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? No. I've tried several times but never stick with it.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yup.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Absolutely not. I'm pretty chicken.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Definitely Mini Wheats with the white frosting.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? No, I usually fling them off before falling back on my bed after Boot Camp!

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? I could definitely be stronger. Both physically and emotionally.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Haagen Daas Cookie Dough and I like plain chocolate too.

14. SHOE SIZE? My favorite number, 9!

5. RED OR PINK? Do you even have to ask? PINK!

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? You can see some veins on my chest and I get tired really easily.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? At the moment, my hubby (I'm in Canada and he's home) but usually my family and my best friends.

18. WHAT COLOR PANTS, SHIRT AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Jeans, a purple t-shirt and a black cardigan.

19. LAST THING YOU ATE? Ketchup chips and a Tim Horton's coffee. Hey, I'm in Canada!

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The clicking of the keys on the keyboard - it's quiet in Iroquois!

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Magenta.

23. FAVORITE SMELL? My hubby, lilacs and jasmine.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Ryan

25. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE YOU ARE ATTRACTED TO? They like to act silly and not take themselves too seriously and have lots of hobbies (probably 'cause I don't have many and I'm always interested to hear what other people are up to).

26. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON you stole THIS from? She's one of my faves!

27. FAVORITE DRINK? Coffee. Anything fruity.

28. FAVORITE SPORT? I love horseback riding.

29. EYE COLOR? Hazel-y brown.

30. HAT SIZE? 7? Is that a size? Medium.

31. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? No. I once bought cheap colored contacts in both blue and green and I could hardly see through them. I looked terrible. What was I thinking? Must have been all the Sun-In....

32. FAVORITE FOOD? Dr. Praegers Veggie Burgers from Trader Joe's, the ravioli at Chez Maman, the filet mignon at Joe DiMaggios (seriously!) and toast with peanut butter, of course!

33. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Definitely happy.

35. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer. But winter at Lake Tahoe is pretty magical too.

36. HUGS OR KISSES? Both.

37. FAVORITE DESSERT? Chocolate Souffle.

38. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Ummmmm....

39. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Ummmmm....

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Little Children by Tom Perrotta. Just finished The Glass Castle by Jeannette Wells which was amazing!

41. WHAT’S ON YOUR MOUSE? My hand?

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH LAST NIGHT ON TV? Nothing. Just read.

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? The ocean.

44. ROLLING STONE OR BEATLES? Beatles.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU’VE BEEN FROM HOME? Paris. I'm going to Spain and Greece this fall, that'll be pretty far.

46. WHAT’S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? If I rub my hands together quickly they make a "farting" noise. I wouldn't really call it "special" or a "talent" but it's unique nonetheless.

47. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Winchester, Ontario. Very small little town.

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? No one. I stole it from Nancy!

I'm heading to NYC tomorrow so hopefully I'll have things to share.

Save the World

Funny. When I was in highschool all the hippie chicks had their lockers in one hallway and they would sit there in their long flowing floral skirts french braiding eachothers hair. They all looked the same and they all wore Birkenstock's, or "Save the World" shoes as my BF and I liked to call them. So, it surprises me to no end that I just spent the past half hour scouring the internet for a pair of Birkenstock Gizeh sandals in black patent leather. I guess I always was one to get caught up in trends and all things environmental are indeed "trendy" right now so I guess I'll just have to strap these on and start to "Save the World" one step at a time.



I first spotted this style when I was in Vancouver last week (natch) and I was tempted but decided to wait until I got back home. My google search brought up the black patent ones and I was hooked. I had to have them. It made it worse when every website seemed to be sold out of this color and then I really had to have them. Were they suddenly going to appear on the pages of every fashion magazine? Was I going to be left in the dust while everyone was walking past me with these cute and stylish Birks? I'm really not digging this patent leather craze (too 80's) but there is something about the combination of hippie & chic that is so unexpected, it works. Hooray for Birkenstocks!

5;30am

I really don't know what possessed me but I just signed myself up for Boot Camp. At 5:30am. 3 days a week. For a month. I sure as heck hope I look like GI Jane when I'm done or I'm not going to be a happy camper.

Pink Me Up at Nine

I've been fighting a nasty cold for the past week so I haven't felt much like blogging - or chatting to anyone really. I've been busy at work but not that busy at home which is kind of nice for a change (the not busy at home part, I'm always busy at work!). I'm still getting used to my new commute which varies each day but is taking up to an hour at times. I kind of like my new route where I get to take the Muni along the Embarcadero. It's not a bad way to start the day, looking out over the bay and watching the boats drift by.

This weekend was fairly uneventful. We met some friends for breakfast and a small hike on Saturday and then my hubby and I explored some lofts in my new work neighborhood. I'm absolutely in LOVE with the old Oriental Trading Co. loft building and I'll be watching it like a hawk for the next available unit.



We took a VERY luxurious nap Saturday afternoon which is a treat for me - for some reason I get really excited on the weekends and I can't lay down for fear that I'll miss out on something. Odd. I know.

Anway, I topped off my weekend with a delightful mani-pedi at my local fave, Hand Touch Nail Salon on Chestnut. It's only $20 for both a mani AND a pedi and the adorable shop owners daughter (she's 4) helps to pick out your colors if you can't decide. This one is her favorite. Hot Pink.

Beads

Last night I headed over to Oakland with my friend to check out the Bead Expo. She was invited as a member of the press and I tagged along for the ride and to pick up some beads at wholesale prices. I've been wanting to learn to create beautfiful baubles for quite some time but after taking a bracelet making class and spending over $80 on the supplies alone, I figured that buying would be better than making. Alas, I am itching to be crafty (given that I'm surrounded by crafting divas) and am determined to find something I can really get into. I've attempted a pillow (which I think turned out quite nicely), crochet (with a little help, I made a flower and now am stuck on my clutch) and now I'm turning to beads. Here are some shots of the pretty beads I picked up nestled in the darling little Nigella Lawson measuring cups given to me by my friend last month.

Birthday (Month)

A few years ago it suddenly dawned on me that I since I love birthdays so much, I should start celebrating them all month long. It took a while for those around me (like my hubby) to catch on, but now it seems that everyone is playing along with me. When you stop to think about it, there really isn't anything wrong with (a) spoiling yourself, (b) going out with friends and (c) celebrating all things that make you happy. Is there? So, I wanted to share a few things that have been making my birthday month one of the happiest yet.

One of the best moments actually happened yesterday. I had been out and about enjoying myself at the Appel & Frank "shopping party" and when I had returned, my adorable hubby had baked me a chocolate cake, covered it in chocolate icing and pink heart-shaped sprinkles! I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging but isn't that amazing? When we first started dating he had baked me a cake and put these slimy canned mangos on top to represent my love for cake and mangos. Little did he realize that they were kinda yucky and slug-like but thoughtful nonetheless. So, here he was on the 9th anniversary of the first cake, making me another. Can you believe it? Definite brownie points!

My actual birthday was spent celebrating at Sociale in Presidio Heights which is a darling little bistro tucked away off the main street down a little alley. The food was just Ok, not spectacular, but it was a place I had been wanting to check out for some time. I think it would be fun to go on a warm evening (of which there are few in the city) so we could enjoy the outdoor terrace and the homemade doughnuts and espresso milk shake definitely made up for the somewhat boring main course.


I also received a gift certificate to Dylan, a cute little boutique on Chestnut Street in the Marina. With it, I bought this adorable little A-line mini-dress, designed by Steven Alan.



And last, but not least, I bought myself this funky little charm necklace yesterday which I helped to design at the Appel & Frank show with the talented ladies of Where's Romeo?! designs. Check them out at their MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/wheresromeo



Since I've already swooned over my homemade cake, I should just admit that the charm necklace represents a little story about me and my guy. The large coin says AMOUR, which is french for LOVE, the little silver coin carries my hubby's initials and has a little heart on the back, the charms are a horse and horseshoe (signifying my love for horses and the luck that we always seem to have), a miniature cable car to represent San Francisco and a little sparkly bead to add some shine.