sensibly sassy

Tell Me a Story

2012-02-08T20:03:00.000-08:00

I have a weird track record of people coming up to me and in a very short amount of time, spilling their guts to me. Part of me thinks it is a good quality to have, like, " wow, I must give off some vibe that makes people feel comfortable-cool" the other part of me finds it a little odd.

Take for instance what happened on this past Monday.
Scene: I am walking down the street with Frank, no big deal.
A woman, about 60 years old, walks up to me and starts to ask me about Frank's breed.
This happens quite a bit so it didnt strike me as odd until she said:

Woman: Are English Bulldogs only male? Like do they only come as male dogs?

Me: Well, no. Because um, they need someone to mate with.

Woman: Does his face change?

Me: uh. no. I. uh. it stays the same.

(At this point I take a large look around me to see if there are cameras)

Woman: how come you can take him for a walk at this time? (it was about 1:30pm) Don't you work?

Me: Well, yes. But I have a very flexible schedule-I don't work Mondays so.

Woman: Oh you don't work every day?! How do you afford to live in San Francisco?!

Me: Well my fiance manage just fine thank you.

Woman: Oh you have a fiance, that is how you do it!

At this point I try to lose her but she follows me and Frank for 2 BLOCKS for 15 Minutes! She tells me about her friends and how much they work and when she likes to take walks and so on and so on.
This is odd right?

Sassy Sidenote: Let's Say It Together: AWwwwww

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

Jon, Frank and I went for a really lovely walk in Golden Gate Park this past weekend. While doing so we stumbled upon a horse stable and Frank made some horsey friends. And it was one of the sweetest things I have ever seen in the history of the world.

Issues Of The Magazine Type

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000-08:00

There is something that feels so indulgent about reading a magazine. Maybe it is because unlike a book, you can flip through a magazine willy nilly; skipping around to different sections as you please. I guess I think it is less of a time investment. When I was a boy crazy youngster I devoured BOP magazine because it had stories that promised to let you in on the thought processes of your favorite swoon worthy stars.

And there were always pull out posters inside each issue. Check out this gem!

I mean check out those flowers, that vest!

As I got older I paroused the occasional Cosmo magazine and the like but never really felt like they were talking to me ya know? And in a way I felt like every issue was the same thing just re-arranged in different parts of the magazine every month. A quiz about "what your perfume says about you" here, an article on "what he's really thinking" there, I was just meh about it. Right now I am really loving Real Simple and In Style magazines. I feel like Real Simple speaks to my home maker side but it doesn't scare me with super fancy crafts like Martha Stewart Living does. I mean some of those crafts are intimidate me!
I really like In Style magazine because I can ogle the latest fashion and see some realistic options for myself. I once subscribed to Elle Magazine and for one reason or another I had trouble digging in to it-it seemed too high fashion for me.

And as of last week a friend at work had the idea of doing a magazine swap. So at the end of each month I will give her my In Style and she will trade me her O Magazine.
Do you subscribe to any magazines? Which ones?

Oh Don't Worry I'm Just Having A Panic Attack

2012-01-30T00:00:00.000-08:00

So far this whole wedding planning thing has been fairly "easy". I know what I like and what I don't. But now that the wedding is only 74 (!) days away I am kinda starting to feel the weight of the whole shebang. I mean there are a lot of little details that seem to be floating around my brain these days. But nothing really got to me, I had/have faith that everything would be just fine. But lately I have been having a hard time getting a hold of our planner. There are a lot of excuses from her, a lot "I'll call you back" and she never does and so forth and so on. As you can imagine, with 74 days left until the wedding. It became really stressful. But I kept trudging through trying not to let anything get to me.

BUT, I guess there was more going on in the inside than I had thought. I say this because after a totally relaxing day on Saturday I found myself feeling chest pains, shortness of breath, clammy hands and my face felt like it was on fire! I called the advice nurse and she said that I should go in to the emergency room to be safe.

So Jon drove me down to the emergency room and my symptoms continued. Keep in mind that this whole time I was feeling pretty calm, just weirded out by the symptoms. The words "panic attack" and "anxiety" kept popping out of the doctor's mouths. Sadly, I am not a stranger to panic attacks but none of these symptoms were ones I was familiar with and lets not forget that I was completely calm. So they checked me out, xrays, blood pressure, temperature, the whole nine and everything looked fine. They said I was probably just stressed. Oof.

Obligatory, emo, look at my hospital bracelet shot.
If you could just cross your fingers real hard that our planner somehow gets her ass in gear real soon, I would appreciate it. In the meantime I will be taking deep breaths and trying to not let myself freak out about stuff-whether I know it or not.

Sassy Sidenote: Let's Blend Our Wine-Hyperdecanting!

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

I enjoy wine.
A nice, chilled, white on a summer day or a yummy red with an equally yummy meal-yes, please. And thank you.

That being said I don't really know what to look for when choosing a wine as far as quality is concerned. I do know that the older, the better- but those wines are expensive...so I mainly just choose wine by the label which has proved successful thus far. Jon and I bought a moderately (meaning $10.99) priced wine the other night and as he cracked it open he suggested that we throw it in the blender first.

I was confused, did he want to make wine smoothies? If so, that's weird-but I'm game.
No, a wine smoothie was not what he was after.
Jon reads "The Blog Of Tim Ferriss" and he said that Mr. Ferris mentioned how to "hyper decant" (essentially, aging your wine five years in 20 seconds).

Basically, when people do that swishing around the glass with their red they are letting air get into the wine, thus enhancing the flavor. So if that little swish, swish in the wine glass works imagine what a blender would do?! Well, we followed Tim's advice and blended half of our wine (for roughly 20-30 seconds) and saved the other half for a taste test.

At this point I left the room so that Jon could poor the two specimens of wine so that my taste test would be blind. He brought me two wine glasses, I tasted both and immediately had a clear winner and sure enough, it was the blended wine! Like I said, I don't really know what makes wine "good" so I can't really tell you if the " bouquet was pungent" or it had a "nice oakey flavor", but I did know that the wine that had been blended tasted A LOT better.

So go ahead and try it, and come back here and let me know your results!

(Ed note: We used red wine for this experiment. I'm not sure if white would work, but someone try it and let me know!)

Music Monday: Bruno Mars

2012-01-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

I may a little late to this party but are you guys fans of Bruno Mars?
I had heard his Grenade song on the radio but that was about it. But then one morning I saw him perform on the TODAY show and I was transfixed by his energy! There was something about his stage presence that made me not able to stop watching! His performance was old school about his energy-very James Brown.
(fast forward to the 2 minute mark)

Soon after seeing his performance I checked his CD out of the library and found that I really loved a lot of his music. And, what made me like him even more is that Glee covered some of his songs.

Are you a fan of Bruno Mars? Do you have a favorite song of his?

Beach Walk

2012-01-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

My commute takes me right along side of the beach, while commuting is not on my list of favorite things I feel lucky to have such a pretty drive ("When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I'm feeling sad, I simply remember commuting and then I don't feel soooo bad"-it does have a nice ring to it though).

When I leave the house nice and early it is such a beautiful sight to see the moon bouncing off the ocean. Its really quite lovely. On my way home from work one day I saw a person walking down the beach with their dog-now this is not a rare occurrence but it was the first time I actually noticed it, like really tuned in ya know?

So I decide that when I had time off of work I would be that person walking aimlessly down the beach with their furry best friend. I took two weeks off for the holiday season and penciled in my beach walking then.

Jon thought that my idea was a good one so he came along too.

In a pleasant change of events the weather was really something spectacular. It was still slightly chilly but the sun was burning bright!

It was truly a day that re-charged me. I love those days.

It's A Sign! Or Not

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

I'm trying something new this year, I am trying not to see something when nothing is there. This is not a clever way of telling you that I see dead people...although... that's a post for a whole other day.
I digress.

I have a habit of taking meaning from seemingly mundane, average, non-meaning filled things and turning them into very important omens. For instance, when I used to perform I would base the success of the impending performance by how easily my eyelashes were applied. If they would attach seamlessly to my eyelid I was in luck-it would be a great performance. If the glue smeared on my eyelid and necessitated re-application I would get nervous. Now, I realize that one does not have a thing to do with the other-but in my mind they somehow did.

Unfortunately I did not leave this weird superstitious behavior behind when I stopped dancing. But I am trying to change it up a bit this year. I mean how much pressure am I putting on myself by reading so deeply in to everything-so much! So when I woke up on January 1st with a really bad cold and lovely anxiety attack I tried my darndest to convince myself that it wasn't a sign of the new year to come. Sometimes stuff just happens and it just, happens. No, relation to the past or future.

But let me tell you, even though I am trying to change my superstitious ways I still can't help but be slightly worried that this year might be challenging because I woke up feeling immense anxiety and a horrible cold. But I figure many a person wake up feeling way worse from hangovers-so they aren't all doomed. Right?

Do you read into things? Do you take mundane things to be signs of something greater?

Christmas Has Come and Gone

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

Even though it was little over a week ago I feel like Christmas was such a long time ago. What is it about the holidays that have such a whirlwind effect on me? Each year I try to brace myself for the holidays but each year they just whip past me as though they were Willow Smith's hair. The holidays weren't anything out of the ordinary,
there were pups playing with their new toys:

(By the way how creepy is this picture of Frank? I didn't do anything to his eyes in the picture)

There was cheesing it up with the cousins

And of course lots and lots of eating.

And overall merriment all around. So I guess if I have to be in a whirl wind of any kind I suppose one of Christmas cheer and family is the best one to be in.
Somehow I have a feeling that the Christmas whirlwind is nothing compared to the wedding whirlwind awaiting us in the next three months. Here we go!

Let's Talk Hair

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-08:00

I don't know if we have discussed this before, but I have a lot of hair. Like tons. Like if we could turn my hair into food hunger would not exist(I was reaching on that one-take home message-me=LOTS OF HAIR). There is a very delicate tipping point between finally getting the hang of styling my hair and having so much of it that it is downright out of control (and therefore in a bun/pony tail most of the time). When I can no longer handle it I go to Serina. Admittedly, I should go a lot more to get my hair done and it probably wouldn't be that big of a hassle. Maybe I'll learn my lesson one of these days. Maybe.

As I was saying, when I need to get my hair tamed I go to Serina. Not only is she the only one that can tame my tresses, but she is also my best friend! I know I have talked about her on here before but we have been friends since middle school and she is also going to be my maid of honor.

This time I not only wanted a cut but also a color-nothing drastic but just some color to even out the overall shade of my hair. The ends of my hair were drastically different colors than the roots-it was baaaad.
I really loved the final result and going to do my very best to keep my hair up instead of letting it get out of control again. Isn't it funny how having your hair done can help you feel so much better about life?
And yes, I am in my bathrobe. Do you get your hair done? What have you done lately to your hair? Does getting your hair done make you as happy as it makes me?

What I Wore: New Year's Eve

2012-01-01T18:08:00.000-08:00

First off, Happy New Year friends!! A new year, a new start, here we go! Once again some friends reserved a bar for all of our friends to ring in the new year. When thinking of what I should wear I knew I wanted sparkles. I headed down to Forever 21 and picked up this baby for only $30!
It was surprisingly comfy and made me smile when it caught the light. I mean, who doesn't love sparkles! Speaking of sparkles, I painted my nails "Glitzerland" by OPI and I must say I am in love with this color! Depending on the light you look at it can look either silver, gold, or bronze.New Year's Eve is always such a fun time to catch up with all of our friends and share memories of the previous year and hopes for the upcoming one.

This picture is pretty funny because all of my friends seem to agree that Serina's boyfriend (John), my Jon, and Tiffany's fiance Rich all sorta look alike. Do you see a resemblance?
Jon asked me mid party if I had any resolutions for 2012. I thought about it for a bit but overall I have to say that I just aim to be present this year. Enjoy things as they happen, being thankful for everyone and everything that is in my life. Here's to more gratitude and awareness in 2012.

What did you do for NYE? Do you have resolutions?

A Year In Review: 2011

2011-12-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

I always feel less enthusiastic about years that are odd numbers, even numbers are just more my style. Odd I know. So I was kinda anxious about what 2011 would hold for me.

January: This month I stared Accutane and began to chronicle my trials and tribulation for you all. It was such a great outlet to have the blog and all of you guys to vent my frustrations with. I could see this acne thing being a very slippery slope to depression if I didn't have this community to give their two cents and support when I was going in for blood test after blood test and having my skin flake off of my face.

Febrary: This year Jon and I celebrated our 12th Valentine's Day together so Jon was very creative and bought me a bouquet for each Valentine's day we have had together.

March: I was lucky enough to meet up with some very lovely ladies (and some super cool non-blogging guys: George and Brett) to have some brunch and chat it up IRL. I really want to have more meet ups this coming year-do you hear that friends?!

April: This month I flew off to Oregon with Nani and Papa to visit my brother Richard. I really loved Oregon and am just waiting for an excuse to go back and visit.

May: Wow, this month Jon asked me to be his wife on a rocky bluff-I said yes, thus kicking off a wedding planning frenzy!

June: This month I was supposed to be done with accutane but since it hadn't started working my doctor suggested I stay on accutane AND give up dairy.
July: This month we made a big move to San Francisco. It was scary but we were tough about it and it really paid off.

August: We took our yearly trip to Tahoe to recharge for a bit and I also celebrated 4 years of blogging!!!
September: Some dear friends of ours tied the knot and Jon and I realized that we were next in line!! (I later wrote a post about dancing at weddings in which their wedding was featured)
October: Wedding planning continues and we finally got to go cake tasting-it was all I ever hoped it would be.

November: I ran in my first race! It was a big moment for me because I never thought I could run any distance after I found out about having torn discs.
December: I took some time off for the holidays and really soaked in the time off. Ahh it was so good for my soul!
I just really want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone that visits this site and reads what I have to say. Your comments make me feel so very special and keep me going on this little blog. Here's to another year of life, love and blogging-I hope you join me!

Please have a safe and happy New Year!

Candy Cane Nail Polish Tutorial!

2011-12-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

Up until recently I have just stuck to painting my nails one color only. But since I am on winter break I decided to get crafty and mix it up a bit for the holidays. Are you ready for a candy cane nail tutorial?

Ok so first step is to paint your nails with a base color like normal. If you are unsure how this is done you might want to visit this earlier tutorial I did. For this manicure I chose the color "So Many Clowns...So Little Time" by OPI. I really love this color, I am even considering wearing this on my wedding day. (Did you wear nail polish on your wedding day?)

So let this coat dry completely. No if's ands or buts about it-it needs to be totally dry. Because next we are going to put scotch tape on our nails. So take two small pieces of tape and line them up so that they make a diagonal. Press them down so you don't have any ripples.
Now you are going to take your second color-I chose "Big Apple Red" by OPI. I like to do two coats-but remember let each coat dry before you apply the next one. That is key to the success of any manicure!
So once the second color is dry *gently* remove the strips of tape. Resist the urge to do this before the second color is dry or else the second color will bleed and you won't have a crisp line.
Once you remove the tape you have a really sweet surprise awaiting you! (I added a thin coat of clear polish to seal the deal).

Time Off

2011-12-21T07:59:00.001-08:00

I work in a school which means that I get two whole, glorious, weeks off during the holidays. What have I been doing so far?

-Going on morning runs

-Baking

-Yoga classes

-Hanging out with family

-Staying up a little later than normal

-Spending time with friends

-Cooking up a storm

-Hanging with my little man

-Reading

-Cleaning the apartment (I love a clean apartment)

-Having friends over to eat and catch up

-Sleeping in-which means 7:30 or 8 for me

All that and its only Wednesday! I still have the coming week off as well and I can't wait to see what is in store!

What type of things do you like to do when you have time off?

John Mayer on Sincerity

2011-12-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

I know John Mayer has gotten a lot of heat in the media in the past. But he wrote something on his blog that really struck a cord with me about sincerity and I thought I would share it with you all. What can I say, the man has a way with words.

Here it is:

f you want to be truly intimidating,

If you want to make an impact,

If you want to have strong connections with others

just be sincere.

Sarcasm is not an attitude, and it’s not a personality trait. It’s a style of rhetoric meant to be used occasionally to highlight a larger point. Saying you’re a sarcastic person is like saying your favorite cuisine is salt. Sarcasm is easy because you never have to take a stance. And that’s just the problem; It’s so noncommittal.

When you see someone you’d like to have a conversation with, here’s how you really make your impression felt. I promise you’ll be remembered for it: “hello.” I don’t know when the lines got crossed and it was deemed attractive to be ambiguous and critical. Girls don’t like it when guys do it and guys don’t like it when girls do it. I live in a city of cool people with the absolute worst PR representatives: themselves.

Be yourself, even if that means being unsure or uneasy. Let someone else put you at ease. Meet them in the middle. Be sincere.

Happy 3rd Birthday Franklin!

2011-12-15T06:32:00.000-08:00

My distinguished,

goofy,

sleepy little man...

is three today.

Oh Naked Tree

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-08:00

If I had it my way, Black Friday shopping would consist of going to a tree lot and picking out a tree. But you see, Jon likes to wait a little bit-so this year we compromised and waited until December 6th.

We walked a couple of blocks to the nearest tree lot and all three of us picked out a tree. And just like that we took it home.
We set the tree up with every intention of decorating it. But then we ordered a pizza (half of it without cheese for me), watched tv and then we were just too plum tuckered to decorate it. So there our naked tree sat for a whole week.
We even considered just keeping it au natural because it looked so nice just as it is. Then Jon suggested just putting lights on it-but then I said no we couldn't do that because it would make our apartment look like a Hollister-sans the awful blaring music and nose assaulting cologne.

So we busted out our decorations which consisted of both sentimental ornaments, random store bought ornaments and both white and color lights. Its a mish mash of traditions and tastes but somehow it works.

A Party That Left Me Cold

2011-12-13T00:00:00.000-08:00

One of the best things about living in San Francisco is that we are much closer to many of our friends. So that means that this year we are invited to quite a few holiday parties. Well Saturday night we went to a friend's party a little before the masses arrived and settled in, took off our jackets and began socializing. Before long the house was packed with holiday merriment and drunken silliness.

I myself imbibed in very little but others did not fare so well. Earlier in the day there was a gathering called Santa Con-basically you dress up as Santa and bar hop all day long. Well some of the guests had participated in Santa Con and decided to end their night at the holiday party we were at. You realize what this probably resulted in, right? HOT MESS-APALOOZA 2011.

One of the Santa clad ladies was hurtin bad-or at least you could tell she was going to hurt bad the next day. Thankfully, someone realized she would be better off at home so she left, with her black jacket and her Santa red dress, up under her arm pits. Classy.

The night wore on and Jon and I decided to go home. We go to grab our jackets, Jon's is there, but mine is nowhere to be found! AND(!) my car keys that were in Jon's zippered jacket pocket were gone! So we try not to jump to conclusions and we do our best search effort while in the midst of at least 50 guests. It was for sure, my keys were taken from Jon's pocket and my black pea coat was gone. I instantly assumed that the tipsy Mrs.Clause was the culprit but I couldn't be sure.

Cue freak out.

My mind started to rifle through the things that having my keys stolen would result in. First of all, we couldn't drive our car home, we couldn't get into our apartment (Frank was home alone too), I couldn't get into my office at work, and least of all, but still annoying, my library card and gym card were on there too! UGH times ten! So our friends drove us home, we had to wake up our landlord (who thankfully lives in the complex!) he let us in our place, we got our spare keys and our friends then drove Jon back to the party to get our car.

This morning I woke up with a start of anxiety about having to replace all of the keys but realized that in the grand scheme of things in life it wasn't the end of the world. So I let it go. I also told Jon that part of me was still holding out hope that the keys and my jacket would show up. He said not to hold my breath and deep down I agreed. But then Jon gets a call from his friend saying that he tracked down the tipsy gal and she had indeed grabbed my jacket (and for some reason taken my keys from Jon's pocket). SO long story short I will be reunited with my belongings. Moral of the story, never trust a girl with her dress under her armpits and sometimes things really do work out even when you think they probably won't.

Have you ever had something taken from you at a party?

Music Monday: Christmas Music

2011-12-12T00:00:00.001-08:00

Does anyone have this cd? I just love the sound of Zooey Deschanel's voice so I am sure I will love it. Remember when she was in Elf? Ever since that movie I had hoped she would put out a Christmas album.

Speaking of new Christmas music, Michael Buble has a pretty amazing cd out. I just LOVE the way he re-does old standards, his voice is like buttah I tell you!

Even though I am pretty excited about these new cd's I still have a huge soft spot in my heart for my old Christmas go to's. Jon bought me the 98degrees Christmas cd for our first Christmas together (he also bought me an Old Navy tech vest). I would listen to this song on repeat and day dream about being engaged to Jon at Christmas time. Well here we are, funny how things work out.
For some reason a lot of people think my love for Celine is funny but I don't care, the woman has pipes! I love hearing all the Christmas standards (and some originals) belted out by her. (She looks like she is sniffing the box huh?)
Now this cd is perfect for cuddling around the Christmas tree with a Hot Buttered Rum and enjoying a classy evening in.

Well this, this is quite possibly one of my most sentimental favorites. Say what you must but those guys could harmonize! They have the classic songs down but there is also those catchy original songs such as Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays. Jon worked at the GAP when this cd came out and he heard it about 500 times per shift, which means that he knows all the words, a fact that embarrasses him but pleases me greatly.

What are some of your favorite Christmas albums?

Hair Inspiration

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-08:00

I have a ridiculous amount of hair. I compare it to a horse's tail, its long, thick and heavy! Not that I am complaining-believe me I feel lucky to have so much hair, when it cooperates that is. When it cooperates I enjoy wearing my hair down. BUT when it doesn't play nice it is a dang nightmare-complete with tangles and split ends. Oof

On those days I daydream about good hair.

On those days I picture the following hair on my head.

Anne Hathaway

The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton

Kyle Richards

Kim Kardashian. She may be slightly cray cray...but damn, she has some great hair

Who is your hair inspiration?

I Did It

2011-11-30T20:33:00.000-08:00

Well today marked my final day of NaBloPoMo...I did it.

Surprisingly, it wasn't all that hard and I really enjoyed it. Yes, somedays I felt a little pressure to write something on here when in reality I had no ideas of what to write. But overall it reminded me of blogging days of yore, ala 2008. I am glad that I participated and ya know, I think I will do it next year too. I am hoping that I can keep up the posting, maybe not every day but definitely more for sure.

Its funny how if you do something enough it becomes second nature, kinda like making your bed. Kinda like doing dishes (we don't have a dishwasher), lately I have forced myself to do dishes as I dirty them instead of letting them pile up. And sure enough I have made cleaning the dishes right away a habit. Humans are funny that way.

So mark my words, I am going to try and blog much more often!

Did you do NaBloPoMo?

How often do you post?

Let There Be Shoes!

2011-11-29T20:18:00.000-08:00

I have realized that in wedding planning there are MANY choices to be made: choices about flowers, cake, colors, invitations, seating charts-you get the idea. One of the choices that I have been most excited about was the choosing of the shoes. Even though the idea of searching the internet for shoes thrilled me it also intimidated me. So I sent out an email out to my bridesmaids asking for some help finding bridesmaids shoes.

One of my bridesmaids, Carrie, is seriously the living, breathing version of Carrie Bradshaw (fashion wise)-except in San Francisco. If anyone could find shoes Carrie could. Carrie found these beauts!

So there ya go, bridesmaids shoes taken care of. But now I need to figure out what shoes I am wearing on the big day. Carrie has come to the rescue again and has given me many options. Here are the top three so far!

Ivanka Trump, Alluvia

RSVP, Michaela

Nina, Electra

Which ones do you like? Do you have any suggestions for navy blue dress shoes?

You May Now Kiss The Bride

2011-11-28T20:49:00.001-08:00

I know this might not count as a whole post....but....I think this clip is best without words.

Well Isn't That Pinteresting?

2011-11-27T15:55:00.000-08:00

It's official.

I am the last person on the internet to talk about the wonder that is Pinterest. Pinterest is like the google reader for all my other online bookmarks. I remember before Google Reader I had a loooong list of bookmarks on my computer of blogs I read-but then GR consolidated that and wow I loved it! Now, Pinterest has done the same for all the other book marks I have. Is there a recipe I want to remember? Done, I put it on my recipe board. How about a craft I just might do one day? Bam, its on my "well isn't that neato" board.

Plus I love the fact that I can actually look through pins of other peeps. So awesome. But nothing is perfect and sadly that applies to Pinterest as well. My bone to pick with them? Oh nothing, just the fact that their website crashes more than a bumper car. I mean really, I cannot tell you how many times I have fallen down the Pinterest wormhole only to be road blocked by a busy server. I get it that maybe their site grew faster than they had anticipated but it still gives me a case of the angeries when it happens. Oh and don't get me started on their iphone ap. I just. No, I can't get started on it. Seriously though.

Are you on Pinterest? If so look for me I'm SensiblySassy

Do you have trouble with their website/iphone ap too?

Acne Update: The Clarisonic Mia and Dudu Osun

2011-11-26T00:00:00.000-08:00

When I last updated the Acne Update saga I had just purchased a Clarisonic Mia. I have been using it twice a day for two weeks along with the Dudu Osun black soap I also purchased. Well let me take a moment to break it down.

Dudu Osun:

I have been using this soap for about two months and I can honestly say that I have not had a hard cystic break out since roughly a month after I started using it. It makes my skin feel clean and healthy. Also, my skin doesn't burn or get painfully dry like it did with other acne washes. Score! However, even though I wasn't breaking out any longer my skin looked weathered from the acne I once had; meaning I had scars and my skin did not look smooth or shiny.

Enter the Clarisonic Mia:

I have been using the Mia twice a week for the last two weeks (with the Dudu Osun soap). My initial reaction was that I LOVED the way it felt on my skin. Even after the first use my skin felt like there was more circulation going to it (I realize that this may have been all in my head but hey, I'll take it). Two weeks later the little mounds of very old breakouts are still there (see the thing about my breakouts is that they are painful skin mounds, not pop-able zits so there is no way to get rid of them quickly so they take forever for the skin mounds to go away). So anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, the skin mounds and some of the scarring are still present but the redness has reduced and the over all tone of my skin seems to look better.

Here are some before and after shots of my face. I'll make sure to keep updating the blog with before and after shots as I use the Mia.

Turkey Trot

2011-11-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned here, I signed up for a 5k that I would do on Thanksgiving day. I was excited to see how my back would fare but I was also very nervous for the same reason. Well I am so very glad to report that I finished my first 5k yesterday-and I ran the whole way!

After dealing with a chronic back injury I had sworn off the idea of being so active again. So as I trotted along the course on Thursday I was overwhelmed by the fact that I was running after not being able to for so long. Life can surprise you sometimes. I had a great time running and truly could not have done it without Jon's support and encouragement.

Here are some shots that Jon snapped during the race.

Who knows, this could be the beginning of a lovely relationship between me and running....we shall see!

Thankful Leftovers

2011-11-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

I have scheduled this post for today so that I don't sully my NABLOPOMO streak.

I hope you all are having a lovely Thanksgiving with lots of laughs, good company and of course great food. But most of all I hope that you are able to get a clear vision of what it is that you have to be thankful for.

I find it so easy for myself to focus so hard on what I am thankful for during this one day a year but sometimes it is not so easy to keep all those things in mind as the days go by. But to be fair I am thankful for so much everyday not just today. So I will keep in mind today as I fill my heart with thankfulness to save myself some thankful leftovers for the average day.

Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

What are you thankful for?

Friendsgiving

2011-11-23T00:00:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday Jon and I joined some friends for some turkey and lots of laughs, that's right we had a Friendsgiving. Are you familiar? Yes, we all know about Thanksgiving in which we share special time and scrumptious food with our families. But Friendsgiving is something I have been hearing more and more about lately, and it just so happens I celebrated my first one this year.

They say that friends are the family you choose and I totally agree. Even though I wasn't born knowing or loving my friends, doing so feels just as natural as it does with my own family. SO it only makes sense that I share a Friendsgiving with them. Tiff and Lisa hosted and they went above and beyond by making a turkey and most of the sides. Jon and I brought apple crisp (I was struggling to find a fall appropriate dessert).

While the food was delicious there was something so special about sharing the time with my friends. It was neat to share family traditions and recipes with one another-its funny how one holiday can generate so many variations. I definitely want to make Friendsgiving a tradition from here on out...maybe next year we will host.

Do you celebrate a Friendsiving?

Baby, You Can Drive My Car

2011-11-22T00:00:00.000-08:00

When I was younger I wanted a Volkswagen Beetle SO bad! I wanted it for years and when I was 18 my dream came true. Enter, Nadia-my red Volkswagen Beetle! I have had her ever since.

While I still love my darling Nadia I do have some other dream cars in mind. You know, for the future. The first car (they get progressively more pricey) is a BMW 328i. Understated elegance amIright?! It is sensible...yet, sassy! Yeah, I said it.

Now I know this next choice is a bit much considering I don't have kids or a job that requires such a big car. But. I can't help it. I just love the Range Rover.

Now this one is the ultimate dream car...it is the Maserati Quattroporte. I mean.

I just. yeah, she is flipping beautiful. But if I got her I would need some better clothes. So I'll work on the wardrobe first and then work my way up to the Maserati.

What is your dream car? cars?

Images courtesy of google images

The Wedding Dancer

2011-11-21T20:15:00.000-08:00

Now I am not exaggerating when I say this: Dancing at weddings is quite possibly one of my favorite things to do! Really though, there is something about the combination of the happy vibes for the bride and groom and being in a room full of friends and family and oh of course the music!

The night will start out proper enough:

We'll have dinner, mingle and then all of a sudden the lights dim and BAM!

I AM A DANCING MACHINE!!!!

Thankfully I have a willing partner that does his best to keep up with me.

But should Jon need to take a break I am not above finding other partners if need be.

And it doesn't matter if they aren't even old enough to drive or vote or go to Kindergarten.

And should my substitute partner need to take a break to swig a juice box I will be more than willing to dance on my own.

Are you a wedding dancer?

*Photos are courtesy of GoodEye Photography and one of our dear friend's weddings.

Bored...I'm Doing It Wrong

2011-11-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

You know what baffles me? When people say they are bored. I really don't get it. In fact, I can't remember the last time I was honest to goodness bored. I'm not sure what this says about me but I feel like any time I get to sit down I instantly come up with a substantial list of things to do.

Reading is the mainstay of said list. At any given time I have at least two books going and a small stack of magazines. Basically, when I'm unsure of what to do I read, bam (!) boredom be gone!

Right now I am reading Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire by Amanda Foreman. This book is the biography that the Kiera Knightley movie was based on. Unlike most biographies this one goes reads much like a novel. So far so good!

The second book I am reading is Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert. I was a huge fan of Eat, Pray, Love so I eagerly anticipated this book. I am about a third of the way in and so far I find it really interesting. I am loving the way she weaves her story in with tons of great research on marriage.

Do you get bored?

What are you reading?

My Little Bestie

2011-11-19T00:00:00.000-08:00

I had wanted a bulldog for what seemed like the longest time. When in reality it was probably a solid year of bulldog insanity. (Poor Jon). And now nearly three years of welcoming Frank into our home, I sometimes can't believe I have a bulldog-or it would probably be more appropriate to say that I can't believe Frank has me.

I knew that having a dog was something that would suit me well. But I had no idea it would be so much fun. Without a doubt I am guaranteed to have some outdoor time every day because Frank needs to get out and exercise. By taking care of him he somehow takes care of me.

My friends and family have all accepted the fact that I am head over heels for my little guy. And as much as Jon thinks that he is one of the "others" that understand my love for Franker...he's nearly as crazy for this little guy as I am.

My little sidekick brings me daily happiness for which I am so thankful for and wouldn't be the same without.
If you are waiting for a point to this post I'll save you some time and let you know that there isn't one. Other than the pure fact that I am really loving being thankful for the good things in life as they happen instead of after the fact.

What is good in your life RIGHT NOW? Ready share!

Very Superstitious. Writing's On The Blog

2011-11-18T00:00:00.000-08:00

I know some people that do not have a superstitious bone in their body. These peeps baffle me. Now I'm not exactly hopping over cracks in effort to spare my mom a broke back. BUT there are some things that strike me as necessary in order to avoid calamity.

-Not putting shoes on the bed: Nani always told me that if you should put your shoes on the bed you will be doomed to bad luck. (Plus it is just gross to think of the germs that are on your shoes being on your bed)

-Keeping your purse off of the floor: I was told that putting your purse on the floor means that the money will soon leave your purse-or something like that. Either way, I'm not going to chance it.

-Knocking on Wood: Whenever I think I am jinxing myself I will without fail f ind the nearest piece of wood and knock it, it's like a reflex. If wood is not available I will knock on my head...because that is the same? I dunno.

-An itchy palm means you will be getting a windfall of money. I haven't had a windfall to speak of but I have noticed that when my palms itch I will find a dollar or two or get paid a little extra than I expected to.

-Oh and of course there is the ole don't walk under a ladder or open an umbrella inside.

Are you superstitious?

Back In The Game (?)

2011-11-17T00:00:00.000-08:00

So here's the thing, I have had chronic back pain for years-I have torn discs and arthritis in my spine. Sounds like a good time right? Well I sadly turned down the dial on my activity. I'll be real with you, it depressed me quite a bit. But eventually I discovered a real love for yoga and I became satisfied with my new level of activity (or lack thereof).

But as I became more enthused on yoga I realized that my back muscles were actually getting stronger. My back would still ache from time to time but not nearly as frequently as it used to. It seemed as though the muscles around my spine were making up for the arthritis and the torn discs. Well I got confident the other weekend and I ran for a few feet. Normally, even this little jaunt would send me to the couch with my legs elevated for the rest of the week. But I was fine this time.

And then I tested it again by running for half a mile. And I was fine. And then I threw caution to the wind and ran a mile and a half two nights ago. And I'm not in pain. I'm dumbfounded, a little cautious, and kinda excited. So what does one do in said situation? I signed up for a 5k.

I may be putting the cart before the horse here but I don't expect to run the entire thing but it will be nice to dip my toe back in the proverbial water.

Rumor Has It

2011-11-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

Do we all watch Glee?

I didn't watch the first season because I thought it was kinda lame. Imagine me, too cool for something. That's hilarious! After much convincing I rented the first season and ever since then I was hooked! I love the tongue and cheek humor and of course, the songs.

Well imagine my dismay when this season just did not tickle my fancy. I had actually feared that my beloved show had jumped the shark as they say. That was of course until this week. This mash up totally rejuvenated my oomph for the show.

Do you watch Glee?

Wedding Update

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday marked five months until our wedding!

Oh my goodness, five months.

Wow.

While I feel like we have so much more to do (which we do), I must admit we have some pretty big stuff taken care of.

Like the venue:

My "vision" for the wedding was to have a Great Gatsby-esque vibe to the whole night. So we needed a venue that had some impressive architecture as well as some gorgeous gardens. And we found it! We're getting married in an honest to goodness mansion!

We have also decided on colors: Navy blue and blush pink are the colors! I am really excited about the colors because it is very feminine and masculine at the same time. Plus pink is one of my favorite colors!

Oh and we also have booked a kick ass photographer, miss Emily of Emily Dawn Photography will be capturing our special day! I couldn't be happier about her shooting our wedding because not only do I adore her work, I pretty much think she is an awesome gal too!

We have a bunch of other little details decided on too but those are the main ones for now. Oh and I got my dress...and I wish I got to wear it more than once.

Some Holiday Reminders

2011-11-14T16:05:00.000-08:00

I woke this morning to two holiday related emails that spoke of plans being made in the upcoming weeks.

It was official.

The holiday season is officially underway!

Now, I'm not sure how this can be possible but Thanksgiving is next week. Is it just me or does it feel like we all were blogging about our New Year's Resolutions?! I felt a slight twinge of anxiety when I realized that holy goodness its the holiday season already so I jotted down a couple of reminders to see me through this time of year.

1. Stressing over THINGS (shopping list, time constraints etc.) will monopolize your time with PEOPLE. This is not a good thing. Put it in perspective-this time of year is about people.

2. Let yourself feel the holiday spirit when you feel it. I often sit inside myself waiting for the Christmas spirit to hit me like its some sort of shooting star-and then I get dissappointed when it doesn't come soon enough. Lower your expectations self, it will come and it will be awesome.

3. Remember: it is the little things that make the holiday special, twinkling lights, hot cocoa and cider, ice skating and of course being with friends and family. Black Friday has nothing on those things.

4. The holiday season will leave as quick as it came so enjoy it!

What are some reminders you want to give yourself as the holidays fast approach?

I"m Torn

2011-11-13T19:56:00.000-08:00

So remember when I read Twilight and was so excited to because oh my gosh, everyone else loved it? And then I didn't love it? I was really bummed about this because I really wanted to like it-I wanted the excitement that everyone else had for the book-but I didn't. Well I read Hunger Games this past week and I didn't totally love it. I mean it kept my interest and the story was really unique but at the same time I didn't feel the pull that everyone else reports having.

So now my conundrum is since I didn't hate the book but I didn't love it either...do I finish the series? I am totally on the fence on this one. I just don't know. So I need to hear from you all. If you read the series would you recommend I push through and continue?

If you haven't read Hunger Games was there every a book you had high hopes for and it didn't live up to your expectations?

Cyster, Cyster

2011-11-12T00:00:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I noticed that I was having a pretty intense pain in the right side of my lower abdomen (think ovary height) (you are desperately wondering what the picture has to do with this post aren't you? Hang tight). This spot was so tender that when I wasn't able to do "happy baby" (see below) in yoga anymore, the pressure was just too much. And the other night I laughed so hard that it made my ovary issue clench in pain.

So I knew I should consult a professional. No, I'm not talking about Dr.Google. I'm talking about a real, honest to goodness doctor. She listened to my symptoms and checked me out and said that she thought it would be best if I had an ultra sound. I asked her why and she explained that she wanted to see if it was a cyst or heaven forbid, a tumor.

Well yesterday was my ultra sound and I drank a crap ton of water (which actually made the pain worse) and waited to see what was going on. So I laid back on the table and looked at my insides on the tv screen. It is such a head trip to see your uterus on tv. It looks like everyone else's sonograms except it is missing a baby. Very rarely do you see an empty uterus on the sonogram tv, well at least I don't see it often. So I reminded myself we are NOT looking for a baby we are just looking to see the source of the pain.

My technician saw the source of the pain nearly right away. There were two cysts nestled smugly in my right ovary. Little jerks. I confirmed with the tech that we were indeed looking at were cysts and not tumors. She giggled when I very firmly asked her, "So we aren't looking at cancer, right?!", she then told me cysts were pretty common. Now if only the fact that they are common removed the pain aspect of it. No luck. While I am relieved that they are cysts and not something more serious I still am waiting to hear about what I should do about this pain. I'll keep you posted.

*Sorry to anyone that is disturbed by ovaries or to any men that may be reading my blog.

**I named my cysts Tia and Tamara

My Oh Migraine

2011-11-11T00:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday morning started out like any other. I woke up nice and early, washed my face, started too put on my make up and then all of a sudden I couldn't see out of my left eye. Splendid. This is usually the first sign of a migraine for me. But I hadn't had a migraine in MONTHS. So I tried to ignore the fact that I couldn't see out of one of my eyes. I tried to continue with my normal routine but as I bumped into walls and and missed drawer pulls with my left hand I quickly realized I wasn't going anywhere.

I started to pout all around the apartment as Jon got ready for work. I hate not going to work because I feel crummy. I felt like a little kid again, I always hated missing school when I was little because I was anxious about all of the work I was missing. Nerd alert.

And the worst part of it? I was all dressed with make up on and everything. The ole' all dressed up and nowhere to go. Harumph. It almost seems like it would be better if I realized that I couldn't go to work as soon as I woke up. So instead of working hard I was forced to stay couch bound with Frank.

Do you get migraines?

Early Bird

2011-11-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

Can you have a growth spurt in your late twenties?

I swear if I didn't know better I would think I am finally gaining some much wished for height.

I was talking to my mom and my brother, Richard, the other day about how I fell asleep at 9:30 the night previous. I just couldn't keep my eyes open so I gave in and had some sweet, sweet, sleep. And it was glorious. So glorious in fact I did it the next night (and the night after that).

What can I say I like to sleep and I like to sleep early. After explaining this to Richard he asked me how old I was again. To which I explained I am either 90 years old or 9 months old. Whatever, make fun all you want but sleep is awesome and I can't deny myself something that feels so good. On average I am of the early to bed/early to rise variety. Late nights are my kryptonite-I watch Saturday Night Live re-runs on hulu so that I can actually watch them instead of trying to keep my burning eyelids open during them.

The one and only time I went to Las Vegas the latest I stayed out until was 1:30am which is considered weak sauce in Vegas but it was an all time personal record for me. Years alter there was one time when I stayed up until 3am and at the end of the night (morning?) I proudly said to Jon , "well I haven't been up this late in a while!" And he replied, "You mean ever?" So yes, it may be true, I may be a pitiful night owl but at least I am a well rested early bird!

Are you a night owl or an early bird?

My Favorite Home Remedy

2011-11-09T00:00:00.000-08:00

About a year ago I had THE WORST sore throat. It was so bad that I was up late and crying and posting my misery on facebook. I know, I know, I went there. I'm not proud to say it. Usually I take my weak moments to twitter, I found the crowd there more supportive and not as judgy-like friends. Even though I have never met most of them. And my facebook is compiled of people I actually know. Ok this is getting weird.

I hope you can relate to what I am saying here: basically I try not to get emo on facebook because I feel like there are usually people ready to pounce. Which is weird because it is peeps I know. You know what I am saying? Ok.

SO ANYWAY.

I got the sads because I was feeling so crummy and posted something to the tune of, "ugh I'm up at 2am because my throat hurts so bad I can't sleep :("

And to my surprise one of my friends from high school replied with, "try one cup of hot water and one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar"

And so I did and it actually worked! It made my throat less hurty and I swear it made my sore throat clear up quickly! So now every time I get a little tickle in my throat or start feeling less like myself I use this remedy and it works! AND my girl Kallie told me you can use Apple Cider Vinegar as a toner for your face! WOW.

Ok so now it is your turn-share your favorite home remedy with me!

Aloha

2011-11-08T00:00:00.000-08:00

Jon and I have narrowed down our honeymoon destination to the Hawaiian Islands. We think.

Last night we were trying to decide which island we want to go to and it went a little something like this:

Me: The islands all have their own little flavor-I'm having trouble picking which one I like best.

Jon: Well I think my vote is for Kauai.

Me: Really? Tell me more.

Jon: Beautiful secluded beaches. Very romantic. It seems peaceful.

....and the opening scene of Jurassic Park was filmed there. So there's that.

What Do You Have To Say For Yourself?

2011-11-07T00:00:00.000-08:00

I know it is kind of a big "no duh" to say that words have a lot of power. Anyone that has been on the receiving end of a heartfelt "I love you" or a vengeful "I hate you" could attest to the power of words. Listening to a speech from a talented orator really can change things or at least make you feel like you can.

But have you ever thought about how you talk to yourself? I have been doing a lot of thinking about self talk these days. Some time ago I noticed that I had a really bad habit of saying things that didn't really help me out at all.

One that I noticed I said a lot was, "I'm SO stressed". To a degree that was true, life can be stressful at times but it wasn't as bad as I was making myself believe. So little by little I tried to kick this habit by stopping myself every time I reacted to some inconvenience with a stressful reaction. I would do this by forcing myself to really look at what was happening and see it for what it was. In fact, over time I replaced "I'm so stressed" with "it is what it is". When I could see things for what they were I could actually deal with them in a straightforward way instead of trying to fight through an unnecessary layer of self induced stressed.

And you know what? It helps a lot. Instead of giving so much weight and importance to little inconveniences, I am just seeing them for what they are. Believe it or not, I am a lot less stressed due to the fact I am not constantly reinforcing myself with this belief.

Right now I am trying to help myself find the true difference between "have to" and "get to" and the ole' difference between "need" and "want". It is true, words have power, especially the ones that you tell yourself.

What self talk habits do you want to kick?

NaBloPoMo

2011-11-06T00:00:00.000-07:00

You might notice that posting around here is on steroids these days.

Well after five years having this blog I decided to participate in NaBloPoMo for the first time ever. Well, technically I didn't actually sign up for it but the long and short of it is that I am going to be posting everyday for the month of November.

Its only day six but this is actually pretty fun. It feels nice to stretch my fingers on the keyboard and stretch my brain and think of new topics to post about. It kinda reminds me of blogging circa 2008 when there was an excitement for sharing ideas and experiences. But like most things, life happens and there becomes less time to do things that really excite us. Funny how that happens huh?

While I can't bring back every one's fervor for blogging I can re-create it to an extent this month. I am inspired to see what posting everyday will bring to this blog. Are there any requests for topics you would like to see me write or vlog about?

Home Sweet Home Page

2011-11-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

I know this is random but I need a new homepage.

For about a year or so I have had it set to Learn Something Everyday. I don't even remember how I found that site but I loved the fact that it changed every day and I was learning something everyday as well. Well I guess the people that started it are done giving random facts because I guess the whole site was for some sort of project to see if they could do it. Or something.

Long story short I need a new homepage.

You may be thinking I should just do yahoo or some news site. I say "Meh" to that. I want something that is kinda fun and changes daily. I know this is the weirdest thing to be talking about but I am kind of curious what your home pages are? Do you have any recommendations?

Let's Hear It For The Girl

2011-11-04T00:00:00.000-07:00

Are you familiar with Mindy Kaling? She is best known as Kelly Kapoor from The Office but this past Tuesday her book, "Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And other concerns)" came out. I for one can't wait to get a copy in my hot little hands (I've already an excerpt and LOVED what I read). Did you know that Mindy is a writer on The Office as well?

Had you not noticed it by now let me get you up to speed-I think I might have a gal crush on little miss Mindy. I saw her on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and it solidified it for me. She's smart and funny! And then I kinda got a little twitchy because some women are famous for being famous and making poor choices and you don't hear enough about the sweet, funny, smart gal.

So I just thought I would take a second to acknowledge Mindy on my corner of the internet. Are there any women that you would like to acknowledge? Tell me about them in the comments.

A Clarisonic Mia for Me-uh

2011-11-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

I did it.

I bought myself a Clarisonic Mia.

I have been so resistant to getting one because it makes me sick to think of how much money I have spent on my skin. Let's do a quick little list of the things I have purchased in the name of clear skin.

-2 Years of Proactiv, and then it just stopped working.

-Dermalogica

-Numerous Facials

-Dudu Osun Soap

-Tea Tree Oil

-Sunscreens

-Lotions

I mean the list could go on and on. So needless to say, I was gun shy about spending any more money on my skin. I mean, its almost embarrassing. But recently I would look in the mirror and even though the zits are at bay my skin looks like aftermath of a New Year's party. Meaning, there once was a lot of action going but now my face just looks a little tired and dingy (I'm pretty sure I even saw those 2011 glasses sticking out of one of my pours the other day). So anyway the Clarisonic was the only skin product left for me to try.

BUT it was expensive!

So when I got a 20% off coupon for Sephora I decided it was time to invest in the elusive Clarisonic Mia. So little miss Mia is on her way to me-and don't you worry I will keep you posted on the results!

It's HOT!

2011-11-02T00:00:00.000-07:00

When Jon and I moved to San Francisco we joined a cool gym that has a climbing wall (which as you may remember, is not my thing) as well as a full gym and many yoga classes. My ears, perked at the last part about the yoga classes. Before we moved I went one day a week to the yoga studio near our house because once a week was all I could afford. The rest of the time I would do yoga classes at home or online. But at our new gym I can attend a class every day if I so choose. I'm really thrilled about it. You see, I'm not a huge fan of "throwing steel" as they say. Lifting weights and ellipticals are a little too obvious to my brain. My brain needs something that disguises the fact that it is good for me. If I am standing there with weights the jig is up, it is obvious that I am working out. And then I start to pout.

During the summer when I wasn't working as much I was able to fit in 4-5 yoga classes a week. Since I am working more now (no complaints here universe) I am able to fit in about 3 classes a week which still isn't too bad. My class is an hour and a half long and the heat is turned up pretty high-but I don't really think it is considered Bikram because I am pretty sure it isn't that hot in my class. One of the things I love most about my class is that my instructor plays really motivating music so the time flies and she is pretty fun and upbeat herself.

But the odd thing is, I think I am becoming addicted. Can you become addicted to yoga? I am not sure if it is the feeling of having my muscles stretched and utilized or if it is the feeling of getting in a good sweat but I am so hooked on it and I kinda get into a funk when I can't make it to class. Yoga is really easy for me to love because I am getting a great workout but I don't realize it because it is fun. It is like when you toss a little spinach in your smoothie and you can't even taste it.

What do you do to stay fit? Is your work out like spinach in your smoothie or is it like pulling teeth?

Exploring Our Surroundings

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

I don't know what got in to me this weekend but I woke up for my normal hour and a half long yoga class and when I got home I suggested to Jon that we take Frank for a hike. In between yoga and our hike I managed to eat four pieces of french toast. Its like I was training for a professional sport or something.

Once I scarfed down my french toast the three of us hopped in the car and headed to Marin which meant we had to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge (or the GGB as I like to call her). It was Frank's first time going across the GGB and Jon and I were very excited for him. Yes, really.

It was a gorgeous day for a hike. I was so inspired that I even tried to jog and climb a tree for a quick second-seriously who was I?

The trail ended at a beach which pleased Frank to no end.

It was a beautiful day, but it was also quite windy. I chill easily so about ten minutes into our beach visit I was wrapped up in Jon's vest and fashioned his t-shirt into a head scarf.

Meanwhile, Jon was shirtless and completely warm.ha!

It isn't runway worthy BUT it is warm.

Once we got home we parked it in front of the tv for our fourth annual Clue watching. I know most of our cohorts were out and about drinking copious amounts of Halloween inspired cocktails but I can honestly say that I was happy as a jack-o-lantern eating thai food with Jon and Frank. Hey to each their own right?

We also added Sleepy Hollow to the mix this year which was really entertaining. Halloween is on of my very favorite holidays and I was so very content continuing our tradition.

What did you do for Halloween? Did you dress up?

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my external hard drive last night in search of my favorite Halloween costume of all time, a Rainbow Bright costume that my mom made me (I didn't find it), but I did find all of these.

The Time I Was An Angel

A Bride

(Oh my gosh check out my parent's hair!)

A 1950's teeny bopper

With my brothers as supermen and my best friend Jenny as a bunny

A Punk Rocker.

With two annoyed pumpkins.

What was your favorite Halloween costume?

San Francisco Days. San Francisco Nights

2011-10-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

We have been living in San Francisco for nearly 4 months and it has truly been a whirlwind of activity. In fact this coming weekend will be the first weekend in a while where we don't have any wedding planning activity, birthdays or get togethers to be at. Now don't get me wrong, I love all of these things to do. It seems to be the norm around these parts.

Here is a little peak at how we are spending our days and nights in the city.

Celebrating very Happy Birthdays (Jon's above-this past weekend-his actual bday was yesterday) Erin's below which was 9 days before Jon's

I made lasagna last night for Jon's actual day of birth.

Let's take an extreme close up on that lasagna. I am pretty sure my status as a card carrying Italian has been solidified with this dish.

Frank has been busy too. We take long walks up and down the neighborhood hills.

And spend days at the beach.

And who could forget afternoons at the park playing ball.

There have been rooftop gatherings to watch the Blue Angels fly overhead.

Dinners at the local beerhall.

And checking out museums. This is from the Academy of Sciences, which was pretty amazing.

I personally have taken no less than a hundred pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. I see it nearly every single day and yet I am still gobsmacked by how pretty it is. I have also taken quite a few pictures for tourists which I really enjoy. It reminds me just how cool of a place San Francisco is, I mean people are visiting here from around the world.

There have even been glorious sunsets that stops this busy little city in its tracks. (This picture does not do it justice. at all.)

Its only been four months and yet we have done so much. And there is still so much more to be done.

Music Monday: Music I'm Digging

2011-10-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

I love finding a good song on the radio. A good song on the radio is akin to finding money in your pocket or remembering that there is still one more cupcake left. A good song on the radio is such a pleasant surprise, especially when you tune in at the beginning of the song.

Here are three songs that I just can't get enough of these days.

I've said it here before, I love Coldplay so hard! They have a new cd coming out tomorrow and I am pretty excited. Is anyone else looking forward to their new cd?

I might be a bit too "seasoned" for this next song. Meaning, my teeny bopper years might be a little too far in my rear view mirror for me to be a fan of this song. But you know what? I don't care. It is catchy and when it is on the radio I crank it up.

I've also been curious about Kelly Clarkson's new cd. Has anyone bought it yet?

What song are you digging these days?

For-ev-errrrr

2011-10-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

Help friends! I have fallen down the Forever 21 rabbit hole. I don't know why I bother even browsing when I shouldn't be shopping. It is the times when I shouldn't be shopping when I see roughly eleventy billion things I want right this second!

I have had a hankering for a bunch of white dresses for all of the "bridal things" that I will be attending before the wedding.

Like the Bridal Shower:

Or even the bachlorette party:

Oh and this gem for the honeymoon (btw we still don't know where we are going):

And then I found a whole bunch of random tops that I could see myself being very happy in:

Does anyone else find themselves lusting over things when they shouldn't be shopping-but when you have the funds you can never find anything?

The Good News

2011-10-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

You know what I have long thought would be a good idea? A channel that features the "good news". I understand there is need for the hard-hitting, not always uplifting news in the day to day. That being said I don't think we place enough importance on how good it feels to hear about positivity.

I know for me it makes me so jazzed to hear about someone that made a better life for themselves, animals that have been rescued and given a good home-the list goes on and on and on. So just imagine clicking on a show that for one hour you hear about a whole bunch of positive stories. I mean, I know things can look pretty bleak after watching one hour of the news. So imagine how you would feel after watching an hour of goodness?!

So there's my contribution, I'm putting that out into the universe in hopes that Oprah will see this idea and run with it for OWN. That's not too much to ask is it?

So please, share some good news with me won't you?

Sleepless In San Francisco

2011-10-17T00:55:00.000-07:00

I can't sleep.

It is 1 o'clock in the morning on my coast and I am wide awake. This would make sense if I were a night owl. But that's just it, I'm not. I love to sleep. In fact I would venture to say I am a great sleeper under normal circumstances. Sleep and I go way back, when I was a wee sass I am told I would not fight sleep like most little ones. I would embrace it because it just felt soooo good. And yet here I type in the wee hours of the morning.

This whole insomnia thing happens once and a while. In fact I think I may have written about it on the good ole blog before. I never know why it happens but I do know that I just want to sleep-duh. People ask, are you stressed? My answer is usually no but I am beginning to think otherwise, maybe I am and I just don't realize it? I have had an eye twitch for 2 weeks, which ask you can imagine is irritating to say the least and the cuts on the inside of my cheek lead me to believe I am chewing on my cheek when I actually do fall asleep. oh and I have a stye in my eye-so not only am I looking very sleep deprived I am also rocking the female Quasimodo (Quasimoda?) look as well. Swell.

Maybe its the wedding? Or work? Or the fact that the more I want to sleep the less I seem to be able to, which is stressful in itself. It also does not help that our apartment is pretty near to the street and I can hear the electric buses literally zooming up and down our block at all hours of the night and early morning.

What do you do when you can't sleep?

OPI Nail Polish Swap! (The Results)

2011-10-14T07:40:00.000-07:00

The emails and contact info have been swapped and as of today the nail polishes should be on their way to your partner...right? Well my partner, Kallie, and I were little eager manicurists and she should be getting hers sometime today and I received mine yesterday! Look what I got!

It's Totally Fort Worth It, Do You Think I'm Tex-y?, Skull and Glossbones

Yes, she indulged me a bit and got me three, but she said she couldn't help herself....and I can't say I mind all that much haha. Oh and look what else she included....

A sweet bulldog card!! The way to my heart is by way of bulldog! Kallie is such a sweetheart and I am so glad we "met" by way of the swap-thats the power of the internet right there! New friends being made :)

If you participated in the swap please send me links to your posts showing what you received from your partner. I hope you all enjoyed participating, Happy Friday!!

Acne Update: A New Development

2011-10-11T00:00:00.000-07:00

I should know better. I received a bachelor of sciences in psychology. We were always taught that when conducting experiments test as few variables as you can at one time. Meaning don't test too many things at once because you will never know which variables are correlated to the outcome.

Well when we last left my adventures in acne I was beyond frustrated. BEYOND. So I made it my mission to get rid of this acne come hell or high water. The first thing I did was buy all new makeup. This might sound exciting, fun even. But when you have big ole lumps all over your face the last thing you want to do is draw attention to it, let alone spend money on more stuff for your face. But I did and my face started to feel less agitated. You see at this point my face was constantly irritated and the actual zits were taught with agitation, burning almost! So after I threw out liquid foundation and replaced it with mineral makeup the zits were still there but not nearly as painful.

Ok so there was that. And then after some internet research I found a soap that made some pretty hefty claims. So I bought it and after two weeks of rubbing Dudu (Osun Black Soap) on my face my breakouts actually went away! One more time for you in the back, MY BREAKOUTS WENT AWAY! And get this, I didn't get any new breakouts. Its been that way for about a month! I also combined this with applying tea tree oil to my individual breakouts which seemed to dry them up with a quickness.

So stay with me, so far I have switched to mineral makeup, tried a new soap and added tea tree oil to my regimen. AND on top of that I now clean my makeup brushes every day. Sounds extreme but hey, I was desperate. On top of that I am still not eating any dairy and I now make sure to drink around 96 oz of water a day. Because hey, you always hear about how hydrated skin is happy skin right? And so far my skin is starting to cheer up. But I have no idea what is resulting in my happy skin because I changed so many things at once. But ya know what? I don't care, as long as something is working!

So now my skin isn't breaking out but the overall quality of my skin is not smooth or even. So that leads me to my next endeavor-the skin brush. I am very curious about the Clarisonic, but sweet sassy molassy-they are expensive. There is also the olay pro-x which is MUUUUCH cheaper but I don't know if it works as well....and so it continues....

Does anyone else have any experience with either of those products?

Registration Fun!

2011-10-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Jon and I finally registered for our wedding gifts. How come no one told me how fun this was?! Because it was really fun! We were invited to a great registry event at Crate and Barrel where they close down the store for a couple of hours so that engaged couples can register in peace. And eat waffles and omelets. And drink cider and champagne. Like I said, quite a bit of fun.

Being the competitive couple that we are, we actually went to the store a couple of weekends ago and made a game plan of things we really wanted to register for. I mean, its not like it was a race or anything and we didn't get points but we liked having an idea of what we wanted going in.

Jon and I had different ideas of how to register for things. He liked to scan the items with the exactness of a surgeon.

Whereas I liked to sneak up on the items and scan them when they least expected it!

But that can get a little tiring so I had to get myself to the second floor and recharge.

We covered the bases with cutlery, glasses and plates but the things that really make me excited are the little things like cookbooks, fancy bake ware and cookware. You know the stuff that you need to make really fancy things?! That stuff. I always read through really neat recipes and then put on my sad face when I see that you need a double boiler or something like that. Well after our wedding I can cook and bake without my tools holding me back!

weeee!!!

I realized today that we have 6 months to go until this shindig gets underway-187 days to be exact. Time is really ticking by, we will be Mr. and Mrs. before we know it!

Weekend Restoration

2011-10-03T00:00:00.000-07:00

Jon was out of town this weekend which left me with some time to myself. And it was really nice. While I love my time with Jon on the weekend it was nice to hang on my own for a while.

I woke up early Saturday for a fantastic hot yoga class. Ever since I injured my back and had to say adios to dancing I very rarely, if at all, had a chance to get a good sweat going. Thankfully, hot yoga helps me get my sweat and stretch on. If feels so darn good!

Afterwards I took my best little guy to the park and I tossed the ball around for him from the blanket I had brought. I alternated between playing with Frank and reading in the sunshine.

I read quite a bit, took bubble baths, caught up on trashy tv and made banana bread. On Sunday I joined Erin and Carrie for pedicures and lunch and then walked home in the sunshine. It really was a lovely weekend.

What do you do to restore?

P.S. Today is the LAST day to enter my OPI Nail Polish Swap!! Don't delay, if you want in make sure to email me at

SensiblySassy@gmail.com

(Make sure to email me even if you told me you wanted to participate on twitter or in the comments)

OPI Nail Polish Swap!

2011-09-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

So we can all pretty much agree that I am very enthusiastic about painting my nails. I mean, I just am, this fact isn't debatable. It seems as though I have spread my insanity, Lacey has now jumped on the polish bandwagon too! In fact it was Lacey commented that it would be really fun to get fellow polish enthusiasts together and do a swap!!

I couldn't agree more with her, who wants to do an OPI Polish Swap?!?!

My thought is that we all buy 2 polishes for our swap mate.

One color that is "Sensible" enough for everyday use (Something like a dark neutral color for the fall season ) and the second polish can be a "Sassy" color (maybe a yellow, hot pink or a saucy red). Do you see what I did there? Sensible color and a Sassy color...clever I know.

Why an OPI specific swap? Well a couple reasons:

1. They make a great polish that covers well, lasts a while and the brush works the best that I have found.

2. They have SO MANY fun colors!! (With equally fun names)

3. This way we are all buying and receiving the same quality/price of polish.

So who's with me?

If you are interested in participating please send me an email at:

sensiblysassy@gmail.com

by Monday, October 3!

On Tuesday I will post a list with your partner and a date to have your polishes in the mail. From there you and your partner can chat about which colors you already have and your addresses etc.

Accent Vlog!

2011-09-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Music Monday: Theme Songs

2011-09-26T00:00:00.000-07:00

I was listening to the radio the other day and they were talking about some survey that named the best theme songs of all time. I don't remember which theme songs were included on the list (real helpful, I know) but I thought I would compile some of my favorite. (Isn't it a crying shame that shows nowadays don't have theme songs?!)

Full House

I mean you can't have a list of awesome theme songs without including this one. Every Friday the TGIF lineup would start off with Full House and this song would get the party started (well you know, a party for an 8 year old that is). Now that we live in San Francisco I often find this theme song finding its way into my head when I see San Francisco landmarks. After all they are, "everywhere you look"

Mary Tyler Moore

I know this show is a little before my time but I was a big fan of Nick At Night when I was little and I used to watch re-runs of this show. This theme song is so mellow and 70's-esque that I can't help but sing along.

Growing Pains

This is one of those theme songs that I always forget I liked. But once I hear it again I instantly know all the words and sing as loud as I can. oh the power of a good theme song.

Baywatch

Well I included this one for Jon. I didn't really watch Baywatch but a young Jon loved the show (I am guessing he had a love more for the tiny swimsuits rather than the plot line but whatevs) and he can still sing the whole thing. (Actually, he just did as I write this)

Friends

Oh such a great theme song. You know you did "the claps" when you listened to it.

Fresh Prince Of Bel Air

A list of great theme songs cannot be considered complete without mention of The Fresh Prince!

Honorable Mentions: Three's Company, Brady Bunch, Step By Step, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley and Who's The Boss....and The Golden Girls...and and and and....Ok ok I'll stop!

Ok, so tell me, what are your favorite TV theme songs?!

Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding

2011-09-20T21:48:00.000-07:00

Wedding planning sucks you into a weird sense of time and space. Its like all of a sudden there are things to do, places to be, cake to be tasted (!!!) and then large lapses in time where there is just nothing to do. And then it speeds up again and you have to pick flowers, pink flowers, and you look at so many flowers that flowers stop making sense. I think I like these and those. But then you look at them ten minutes later and then....I'm not so sure.

You know when you say a word so many times that it stops making sense?

Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding,Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding, Wedding

See what I mean?

You guys I think my wedding is getting me high.

Oh and also, I apparently am not the first person to ever get married...fascinating.

What is it with weddings that makes your brain (or at least my brain) kinda wacky?

In other news Jon and I attended a wedding of one of our friends this past weekend. It was a really

great assurance that weddings do indeed come together in the end and you may actually walk away with

your mind intact and a husband too!

Congratulations Joe and Christine!

Photos As Of Late

2011-09-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

I uploaded my pictures from my iphone to my computer the other day and I thought I would share some of my favorite shots.

I call this one his headshot-he's going to be a star baby!

This van is covered in chalkboard paint. I'm a little surprised I haven't seen this attempted on Pinterest ;)

Succulents, can't get enough of 'em

awww

I loved how the crisp blue sky made the tree look.

Our little family

I saw this Halloween display at the car wash and it made me super excited to decorate at home.

This is the view from the front of our gym. Not too bad eh?

Sometimes a favorite pair of shoes can make all the difference.

What I Wore: Errand Running Time

2011-09-14T08:17:00.000-07:00

I had recently fallen into a rut when it comes o running out to take care of errands. I would just slap on some leggings and a sweat shirt-oof. I told myself to spice it up a bit-make an effort lady! Now I know this outfit isn't anything special but I do feel better about running in to people while grocery shopping.

Acne Update: I Spoke Too Soon

2011-09-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

So remember how I gave up dairy and my skin cleared up? yeah well, they acne is back. After a brief one month stint with clear skin I am starting to break out again. And boy am I discouraged. I mean not for nothing my skin did seem to react in a positive way when I cut out dairy all together. My breakouts are not as frequent or as "angry" but they are still there.

So what now?

I just don't know!

I don't think I will be going back to eating dairy because my body feels a lot better when I don't eat dairy. Well that and today a barista put regular milk in my chai latte instead of soy milk. And, well, let's just say that it resulted in a problem. So no more dairy for me.

Jon and I were brainstorming today about what else I could try to help my acne. New makeup? fresh pillow case every night? something else in my diet? I mean what else could I give up!?

So yes, I am feeling pretty desperate. I'm getting really nervous that I am going to be broken out for my wedding and that is really scaring me big time. I just don't know what else to do friends.

I just ordered Dudu-Osun soap. Yup, I'm going to put Dudu on my face in effort to have clear skin. The saga, sadly, continues.

Sassy Sidenote: Who Knew?!

2011-09-07T00:00:00.000-07:00

While I waited in line at the local grocery store I was looking around at the check stand. You know, just filling time. I then spotted something a little cooky. Why don't you take a look:

Do you see that? At the very bottom? It is a VHS tape. Think about that. A VHS tape.

A couple things about this:

1. People still buy those?

2. How long has that been sitting there?

3. Do they really think they are going to sell a VHS tape?

Hmmm. Weird.

Sassy Sidenote: If You Need Me I'll Be On The Floor

2011-09-06T19:44:00.001-07:00

Because I just passed out from cuteness!!!

Go Panthers!!

2011-09-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

I hate to call myself "trendy" but usually I am pretty "with it" when it comes to things that other people are enjoying. But one widely enjoyed thing that had passed me by was this show:

I had heard many a good thing about Friday Night Lights but for one reason or another I never gave it a shot. Until now. In an effort to save money we downgraded our cable to basic (since you know we have a wedding coming up and I'm not sure if anyone told you but those things are expensive). One indulgence we still have is Netflix. Based on all the great buzz I have heard about Friday Night Lights I decided to toss it on the instant queue.

And then our tv watching life was never the same.

I feel the eye rolls through your screen. But oh my gosh this show is so good! Right now we just started season two but so far the writing and acting has got Jon and I staying up late to watch the next episode. One thing we did notice about the seasons one and two is that season two is MUCH darker than one. Anyone else notice that?

If you are a fellow netflixer and are looking for something good to become infatuated with I strongly recommend Friday Night Lights. But I warn you, you may fall in love with this fellah here:

His name is Matt Saracen and he is the reluctant Quarter Back for the Dillon Panthers. He is just the sweetest little puppy dog teen you ever did see. His Dad's in Iraq, he cares after his ailing grandma and has a job after school. I mean, I think I have a crush.

I'm warning you this show is so good that you could become obsessed with it. You might also have the urge to play and or watch football-which is odd because I don't even like "real" football.

Do you watch Friday Night Lights? Do you have a show that has you obsessed?

Sassy Sidenote: I'm Big In Mexico!

2011-08-31T00:00:00.000-07:00

When Jon, Frank and I were in Tahoe a few weeks ago we went to a taqueria and I noticed this ad for calling cards. Does she look familiar to you?

Apparently Sensibly Sassy is big in Mexico!

Oh Boy!

2011-08-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

In high school there was a girl, Jenny, that was a year older than me. When I was a little freshman she was a sophomore and she took me and my little group of friends under her wing. She invited us over to her house on Friday nights to spend the night (sometimes her mom was home, often times she wasn't-which I thought was SO COOL), she introduced me to Mark Wahlberg in The Big Chill, told me the "back story" to the most popular upper class men and giggled with me over homemade nachos. When I think back to the best moments of high school she is right there with her bright smile and sweet laugh.

Fast forward nearly ten years and sweet Jenny is having a baby boy! I am thrilled for her and I have zero doubt that she is going to be a wonderful mom. A couple weeks ago Jon, my friend Erin, her boyfriend Kevin and myself went to a park for a co-ed, bbq, sports themed baby shower for Jenny.

Me, Jenny and Erin posing it up.

I thought I would show some of my favorite details from the baby shower since I know so many of us are always looking for new ways make baby showers unique.

Look at how cute! A Wheaties box with a picture of Mommy and Daddy to be!

And of course, a scoreboard!

And hello, a diaper cake to end all diaper cakes-well technically it is a onesie cake But wow!

I don't have a picture of it but there was a whole bunch of sports equipment placed all over so that guests could feel free to play some games. We actually ended up playing basketball for a bit. What a fun idea huh?

It s That Time Of Year Again

2011-08-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

Today marks 4 years of blogging for me. Four years. Wow. I never imagined I would be blogging for this long. I wasn't quite sure what I was getting into and for what reason when I started blogging but I just started and I haven't stopped since. I know a lot of people stop blogging when there is too much of a lull in their writing, and I have those lulls too. But I can't imagine not coming back to this little slice of the Internet when I have something to say.

So here I am four years later and thankfully you are here too. I always say that I don't blog for the comments, which is very true. But I can't tell you how much it means to me that there are people out there reading what I write and occasionally commenting on what I have to say. I so appreciate that. I love it. Thank you.

In four years I have moved from home, made Franklin part of our family, graduated from graduate school, said goodbye to my dear Rosie , got engaged, and moved to San Francisco! I can only imagine what I will blog about here in the future.

We will have to wait and see!

Back To School

2011-08-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

My work schedule is closely tied to the school schedule so that means this week is back to school, er, work for me. This time of year always gives me the same "feeling". The "feeling" I speak of is that urge to go out and buy some clothes, shoes and pens-back to school preparation. I am now no longer in school myself, but that feeling still makes me want to buy a 10 pack of ball point pens even though if you were to look in my desk you would see I have enough ink to last me until 2015.

Summer coming to an end also gives me this urge to go do something super exciting! and fun! and preferably outside! WEE!! As I realize that summer is coming to an end I have visions of block parties, sunset baseball games, and swimming in the sunshine-that all must be done tomorrow, in five minutes, yesterday. But sadly, I realize that those visions might have to take a bit of a back seat until next year. Until then I am back to school, erm, work.

Does this time of the year have a "back to school" feel to you?

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted

2011-08-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Last week was pretty silent around these parts eh? Well that is because Me, Jon and Frank took the entire week off and spent it in Tahoe at Jon's family cabin. I don't like to post on the blog ahead of time that we are going out of town because I worry that robbers are casing the joint via blog and are waiting for us to leave so they can steal our stuff and watch our tv and possibly take a big drooly nap on our bed. Blegh.

Anyway.

We have been doing these late summer trips to the cabin for years. Jon's family has been going to the cabin since his mom was a little girl. Jon's would spend a week or two there with his family and now we go there too. It makes me smile to think of a sun kissed Jon running around the property around the cabin, letting his imagination run wild.

During the week we play many a card game, read voraciously, and have long conversations that prove once again that after 12 years we still haven't run out of things to talk about.

We took a hike. Frank couldn't be bothered to walk the whole way so his daddy carried him home.

We spent time in the sunshine and swam around a bit.

We dug holes. Well, WE didn't, but Frank sure did.

We did so much and so little at the same time. Somehow a whole week slipped by in no time flat. Even though it went by way too fast it seems as though all three of us have our batteries recharged.

How do you recharge?

What is Considered Unique? And What Is Just Weird?

2011-08-15T00:00:00.000-07:00

I saw the above picture on Style Me Pretty a while ago and really fell in love with the whole idea of having succulents in my wedding bouquet-how cool right?! Well I shared this idea with my mom (I swear I am talking her ear off with ideas) and my brother Richard happened to be listening too. Well weeks later I was talking to my mom about, what else, wedding stuffs when Richard piped up and said: "uhh I think you should talk with the wedding planner about what is normal to do in a wedding"

me: why do you say that?

Richard: Well mainly because the other day you told mom you wanted to have avocados in your bouquet-I don't think that is done.

-Avocados, so not the same as succulents. Well I guess for a 21 year old guy they might as well be.

Friday Night

2011-08-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

Its Friday everyone, how did we do?

I have realized that there are really two ways to make it to Friday.

1. A strong sprint to the finish:

Bam! You took Monday on like a champ. You started the week with a cute outfit and ended it with a spring in your step and a job well done. You are ready for the weekend, what a perfect ending to a pretty darn good week.

2. Dragging your body across the finish line with with two bloody stumps for feet:

Monday wasn't kind and you could have sworn that Wednesday happened like, three times in a row. You had a caffeine IV and tooth pics holding your wittle (not a typo-I'm talking babytalk) eyelids open. This week was rough and a two day weekend does not seem like it will be enough, but you'll take it anyway.

This week? This week has been a #2 for sure. I'm so tired, Jon's sick, and our apartment is disheveled. Oh well. How was your week?

I'm Still Just An Awkward Little Gal

2011-08-09T19:34:00.001-07:00

As I took Frank for a walk yesterday this girl, couldn't have been more than 13. She slumped by me. I'm not totally sure "slumped" is a real way to describe someone walking*. She had her feet shoved in her low top converse all stars (stepping on the heels), head down, her glasses perched precariously on the end of her nose, a lap top bag slung over her shoulder and slammed defiantly on her hip-she slumped.

I wanted to hug her. That might seem like an odd thing for me to want to do to a perfect stranger but I could tell that she could use it. I knew she did because it wasn't so long ago that I was her. My long brown hair tangled in my back pack that easily weighed a third of my weight, head down, I slumped. What a hard time adolescence is even on a good day. You want to grow up so badly but at the pace you are at isn't nearly fast enough. And even if you wanted to stay a kid for a little while longer you can't because your body is telling you that is not an option. You are expected to grow up. But not too much. Hurry up. And then wait some more. Ahh the conflicting messages!

So if you are at the age I speak of and feel like you are doomed to adolescence forever just hear me out. One day you will drive a car and graduate from high school and heck, even college. You will make it through all of the pre-requisites and entrance exams. You will one day be able to dress however you skanky you want (although, I would advise against this-turns out mom is right about some things). If you want to have breakfast for dinner you can do that too!

But the best part? Is that if you are lucky, you will still hang onto that person you are today. Yes, the awkward person that only laughs at the dirty jokes just so people don't see that you didn't totally get it, or the girl that that really enjoys time with her family-only now you won't be embarrassed to admit it. One day these things you try so hard to hide and change will be part of your strengths. So hang tight, the time will pass faster than you realize-and as you get older it will go faster than you are comfortable with-but it is all part of the process. I speak form experience. I'm still that silly, awkward girl inside-but I love it!

What were you like as an adolescent? Do you still have part of your adolescent self inside of you an adult?

*This just in, slumped is a totally real and appropriate way to describe what I saw, look!

Wedding Traditions

2011-08-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, another wedding post wee!! I am truly trying not to inundate you all with WEDDING THIS, WEDDING THAT! Yes, really I am trying. That being said, LET'S TALK WEDDING! Ok so we are all familiar with the "games" that are played, garter and bouquet toss and even the money dance

So the thing is I 'm not totally jazzed on the bouquet/garter toss. Jon and I have enjoyed playing those games at weddings we have been to but if I really think about it it seems kinda weird to have all the single ladies vie for a chance to catch the bouquet and thus get married next. It seems a little bit mean to do to all those single ladies, no?

And for the garter toss? I just feel all weird about Jon reaching up my dress to get my garter in front of my family...I know it makes me sound juvenile I know. But hey that's how I feel.

Did you do the garter/bouquet toss? What are your thoughts?

Home Tour Part Two

2011-08-01T16:02:00.000-07:00

Last time I showed you our office and living room. Next up is the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen!

I think I mentioned that the apartment was built in 1929 but this point has become more and more prominent as we settle in-in 1929 they didn't have a lot of electronics (there are hardly any outlets) or "stuff" (there are hardly any storage areas). We have plenty of both of those things so we have had to make a few adjustments.

We had our own closets at our old apartment so learning to share a closet has become quite a puzzle to put together. We have purged our clothes three times since moving in and it is finally not too cramped in there.

I may sound like a little complainer but it is actually pretty nice to finally make a decision about stuff I have been hanging onto for ages. It feels really cleansing to break free of the clutter!

Our bathroom doesn't have any counters so I had to move my makeup application/jewelry area-the prep station if you will-to the bedroom

Speaking of the bathroom, here she is in all her glory.

Ok onto the kitchen! As you walk into the kitchen there is a place where the paint is pealing (which is getting fixed this week) and you can see the original wall paper. I totally geeked out on that!

Here is the view when you walk into the kitchen. I plan to get some type of large painting/print to hang on that wall.

When you turn to the right you see this cute little built in storage shelves for our glasses and dishes. In this picture my apron is hanging on a little door and when you open the little door an ironing board folds down.

Here is the view from the other side of the kitchen.

Check out this cute bulldog bottle opener. It was one of the first things that we put up in the apartment. Priorities right?

Our stove is what I believe to be the original or somewhere close to it. It is so petite, I just wonder how a Thanksgiving dinner could be cooked in this little baby.

Look at the cooking instructions that are on the oven door. I love these little touches.

Well that's all for now, I will keep you posted as we decorate.

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For...Or Have I?

2011-07-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

This whole wedding planning thing is coming right along. We have a venue that I am absolutely thrilled about, I have a dress that I cannot wait to wear (and think it is a shame that I only get to wear it once), and a date that I think is pretty- 4/14/12-what?! a date can be pretty! My bridesmaids are getting coordinated so we can officially pick a dress for them (although I am pretty sure I know what I would like them to wear already). Things are coming together!

I don't know what it is but everything else I am pretty relaxed about. Which is a good thing, but so unexpected. I always pictured myself being so picky and making any decisions in a painstaking manner. But I'm not. It's yes or no. I guess part of me is worried that I am being too relaxed, like I will look back years from now and be mad at myself for not being more selective. Is this a weird worry? Am I just looking for something to worry about?

Starting To Look Like Home

2011-07-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

Whenever I move I am so eager to be out of boxes as soon as I can-well I am sure we all are but I get a little looney if I have to wiggle around cardboard for too long. Thanks to Jon's sister and mom we had the whole place un-packed the day we moved in! What have we been doing since then you ask? Well sure our boxes were unpacked but it took a minute to make it look like home. We're getting closer to the "home" look so I thought I would give you a sneak peak.

First up we have the entry way. You'll notice this painting on the left. Straight ahead you are looking at our "office" and the living room. To the right of the living room door is the bedroom and to the left of the office door is the kitchen-and that door you spy on the left is the bathroom. Gosh I hope that made sense.

One thing Jon was adamant on having in our new place was hardwood floors. I admit they do look nice, but holy goodness they are hard to keep clean. I mean I sweep EVERY day and I still cannot keep Frank's hair off the floor! But luckily I kinda enjoy sweeping so its all good.

The apartment was built in 1929 so it has a whole bunch of cute little touches, like this built in shelf that holds the buzzer to open the downstairs door up to our apartment.

One of the things I love most about our living room is how bright it is. I love those bay windows too. Although I do think that Frank would appreciate it if it wasn't so bright so he could get his nap on.

We don't have a garden/outdoor area which makes me really sad. I really enjoyed that part of our old apartment. But I did try to bring some of the outdoors in with this little plant stand and

some succulents.

We have french doors that lead into our bedroom from the living room. I am standing in the doorway taking this picture of the tv. Oh and look, it is Al Roker. Hi Al!

This next picture was taken standing in front of the windows.

You are looking at the entry way to the closet/office on the right. On the left is a doorway that leads to the kitchen and another entry way to the closet/office. The closet has two entry/exits-ala sex and the city.

Here is a little look see into the office. I cannot tell you how happy I am to have an office. Paperwork, blogging, paying bills and all those sorts of things are made so much easier when I have a designated space to do so. In the bottom right of the corner you can see Frank's bed or tuffet as we like to call it. The tuffet doesn't usually sit there but he likes to sleep on the floor next to me while I work. Gosh, he is the cutest.

This pic is of the bookshelf/storage area of the closet/office. It looks far messier than it is in real life. Really I swear, there is a method to the madness. Just check out the color coded nail polishes above!

Stay tuned and I will give you the tour of the rest of the apartment soon!

Reading, Post HP

2011-07-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

You know what has been hard? I'll tell ya. Transitioning back to non-Harry Potter books after reading only Harry Potter books for 6 months straight. I love reading before bed but it was made so much more enjoyable when I was settling down with a book series that I had so much time invested in.

The first book I started reading after HP was Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff. This book is really well written but I must admit it is a little dense for before bed reading. So now I am looking for some light reads or as some might say, "chick lit" (not really a fan of that term but I think it helps describe what I am looking for). So now I look you to all for some great recommendations of books that would be perfect beach reads since Jon and I are heading to Tahoe for a week next month.

And just in case you all are looking or some "beachy" book recommendations, here are some books that I really enjoyed.

P.S. Are we friends on GoodReads.com ? Well we should be, I'm Sensibly Sassy

Acne Update: Now I Don't Want To Jinx Myself....

2011-07-20T21:01:00.001-07:00

Let's talk about acne shall we?

Ok well when we last left off the doctor suggested that I stay on accutane for one more month and I had decided to take things into my own hands and give up dairy for good. Well it has been quite a month.

Most importantly, I have been dairy free for little over a month now and to be completely honest-it hasn't been that hard. Every time I was faced with a delicious looking dairy filled treat I just remembered how badly I wanted clear skin and how badly those darn zits hurt! Had you asked me a year ago if I could have given up cheese I would have laughed right in your face. But now that I have got the hang of it, it isn't so bad.

The difficult part was that I was desperate for results. After about a week I started to get really nervous that maybe giving up dairy wasn't going to work, especially after a new pimple had sprouted up two weeks into my dairy protest. After having acne for this long you begin to wonder if anything can help or if you are destined to have bad skin for-eh-verrrr. Let me tell you it is a sickening thought. BUT slowly but surely I begin to see an improvement in my skin tone, texture and (hark!) less break outs.

Like I said I am now over a month into my dairy strike and I can't tell you how happy I am with how my skin is responding. For instance, Jon came home today and asked me if I was wearing makeup (I wasn't) and once I told him that I wasn't he said I should go look in the mirror because my skin looked great! I was kind of delaying this post because I was nervous about jinxing myself, and to be honest i am still a little nervous I might do just that. But I have a hunch that this giving up dairy thing is the real deal. However, only time will tell but either way I will keep you all posted.

Oh and P.S. this is officially my last month on accutane-hurray! I am so ready to be off this hardcore pimple pill!

What I Wore: Birthday Celebration

2011-07-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

I am a firm believer that birthday celebrations should last at least a week. Well, my birthday was last Tuesday and this past Saturday Jon planned a fun birthday party for me. There was a great turn out and I really enjoyed spending so much time with so many people I love. But you are here for the clothes, after all this is a WIW. So let's get to it:

Jon bought me these earrings from Jewelmint.com (email me: sensiblysassy@gmail.com if you want an invite to jewelmint-its a lot of fun!)

I wore this dress from J.Crew. I bought this dress on the weekend that Jon and I got engaged because he tricked me and told me we were going camping so naturally I didn't have anything worthy of celebrating an engagement. Enter this hot pink dress. The best part about this dress is that it was on the sales rack marked at 50% off. Jon thought it was marked down because it was so bright-in which case I think that is the reason NOT to mark it down.
The finished product! I need to find another mirror to do the WIW. This is a pretty old mirror that makes everything look a little grimy as you can see.

Then and Now

2011-07-18T19:48:00.000-07:00

While packing and unpacking for what feels like an eternity I stumbled upon my high school yearbook from my senior year (next year is my 10 year reunion-oh my). I flipped through it, specifically the little "current events" section in the back. Here are some neat things that I noticed.

I thought it was pretty neat to realize how back then the first Harry Potter movie had just been released and already had already broken box office records.

And this last Friday the final movie in the Harry Potter series was released...and broke records again.

Another neat observation was that Prince William made news by heading off to college. (Oye what a cutie!)

This was the same college that he met his college sweetheart and eventual wife/future Queen of England, Kate Middleton.

And lastly, one especially funny little note from my year book-look what Jon and I were voted most likely to be...

well were sure weren't the first to get married from our high school class but all these years later we are making it official. Pretty exciting.

What was going on when you were in high school? Were you voted "most likely"?

27, You Look Good Baby!

2011-07-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

I said last year that 26 felt like an old comfy sweater from the word go. I actually felt my age when I turned 26. Well when I woke up Tuesday, on my birthday 27 felt good but not as at ease. I felt like fist pumping instead. BAM, 27 what now?! Let's do this baybeee! I'm getting married this year, just moved to San Francisco and I'm ready to take on the world. It's like the soundtrack to my 27th year is a club mix of old songs that you really like. (I say "old songs you really like" because that way you can sing along but the beat also allows you to dance along). I digress.

My 27th year started out with a yummy french toast breakfast with my mama and Frank.

After breakfast we dropped Franker off at my mom's house and she and I headed to the spa to get massages and manicures and pedicures. HEAVEN.

While I was getting my nails painted my mom walked in with a special delivery from Frank.

yes, my english bulldog "bought" me two dozen orange roses. What a sweetie that guy.

Later on that night, after Jon got off work, he took me to a lovely dinner at a fancy schmancy place called Foreign Cinema. Downright delicious friends. Downright delicious.

Since I am avoiding dairy I made sure to ask if I could get one of the dishes made to be vegan friendly. The waiter didn't even bat an eyelash. You know you are in San Francisco when...

Overall it was a fantastic day.

Let's do this 27!

What I Wore: The Maxi Dress!

2011-07-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Now I don't know why but there is some intense dislike for the maxi dress around these parts. I must say I don't understand it. The maxi dress is essentially daytime pajamas....WHO DISLIKES DAYTIME PAJAMAS?! Sure, sure, I find it unfortunate that the dress shares the name of a feminine napkin...I mean yuck. That being said we all felt the same way about the iPad and we got over that didn't we?

So here I am in the last WIW photo from our old apartment wearing a maxi dress from Target.

"Maxi dress lovers unite!"

I know Raven is with me, who else?

And here I am in maxi dress number two with my friendita Erin. Wow that smile is so not flattering. Just look at the dress.

So do you like/love the maxi dress?

My Last Day as a 26 Year Old

2011-07-11T18:24:00.000-07:00

When I woke up on the morning of my 26th birthday it just felt right. Most years i wake up on my birthday and nothing really feels all that different. But last year it did and it kicked off a year in which I feel like I learned a lot about myself. I feel as though I am stepping into my own. Most days it is pretty exciting, some days it is a little overwhelming but nonetheless it is steps in a direction that I am really excited to be going in.

So how did I spend the last day of my 26th birthday? Well my car had to be dropped off at the shop for the week so I had to pick up a rental car. Well I decided to upgrade and get a Prius so I could zoom around in it. I am really enjoying it so far, now if only I didn't have to give it back at the end of the week. Who wants to buy me a Prius..anyone?

I also took Mr. Frank to the beach for a little bit. You know to ponder on this last day of my 26th year.

(Pondering picture)

Oh and there was some fetch involved as well.

So when I wake up tomorrow I wonder if 27 will feel like an old friend or a new acquaintance waiting to be introduced. We'll just have to see now won't we.

Settling In

2011-07-07T19:22:00.000-07:00

Hi all, I just wanted to sit down real quick like and write a little note to ya all. And the cable guy finally got his keester here so I wanted to confirm that I still knew how to use the internet after a six day hiatus. But yes, the long and short of it=we packed up some boxes and a bulldog and made the big move to San Francisco!

We woke up nice and early, ready to conquer the moving process!

Some verrrry generous friends and family helped us empty our apartment in no time flat! OH and did I mention it was roughly 90 degrees before noon? Yes, it was. Oye

But the time finally came to say goodbye to the little apartment that we lived in for nearly three years. We had our first Christmas in that apartment, we brought Frank home to that apartment and had neighbors that we actually liked. This was going to a big transition from comfortable to new (and exciting) but VERY new.

But it was time to move on so I buckled up my little co-pilot and found my spot in our moving caravan. It was time to go.

We hit the ground running and were practically unpacked Sunday nigh but we took a little break on Sunday afternoon to take in some sun.

Oooh ooh as we are sitting on the beach this lady walked into the water...with a motorcycle helmet on. I kid you not, see:

She stood there for about 15 minutes and then walked away like it was no big deal. Welcome to San Francisco!

That evening Erin invited us over to her place, which is conveniently located a few blocks away from us!

This week Frank and I have been exploring the neighborhood and happened upon a beautiful park.

I think we are going to like it here....

AHA Moment

2011-07-05T00:00:00.000-07:00

I try to set an intention for myself when I do yoga. Ex: My intention with this yoga practice is to...clear my mind, get out of a funk...you get the idea. Lately I have been repeating the intention of "to be good to myself". I haven't really understood what this meant, until today. I was on my yoga mat and I was looking around for my intention and "my intention is to be good to myself" floated up again. So I stuck with it. But then as I got my downward dog on I wondered what exactly "be good to myself" meant. Well I will spare you the navel gazing (literally) but I went down this rabbit hole of (and I am terribly embarrassed to admit this) "gosh, I need to be good to myself because I work so hard and I am waiting for the results". In a sense, I try to put good out "there", I wonder when it will come back...

I'm not sure if I was expecting to win the lottery but there was a weird feeling of "I'm Due". But then all of a sudden it hit me...my good karma is not on the horizon somewhere-its here. I got confused somewhere along the way. I thought karma would come back to me in a check I could cash, or something more tangible. But its been here all along in my loving family and friends and husband to be, sweet little Frank, dream job, good health. It was already here. Yes, I am a bit ashamed that I "expected" something else, something more when it was already in front of my face. But boy oh boy am I glad I realized that karma has already been so very, very good to me.

How has karma come back around to you lately?

Day 30: A Photo Of Whatever I Want

2011-06-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

Somebody got a new life jacket for this summer's swim season

Day 29: A Photo WIth Clouds

2011-06-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

Day 28: A Photo That Shows Motion

2011-06-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Day 27: A Photo Using Sun as Your Lighting

2011-06-27T00:00:00.000-07:00

Frank Sunbathing

Day 26: A Photo Playing With Shadows

2011-06-26T00:00:00.001-07:00

Frank and I playing frisbee

Day 25: A Photo Of Whatever I Please

2011-06-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Summertime is here which means that Sangria time is here!

Its official!

2011-06-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

Remember how I was flipping out because we had to move in a couple days and we still hadn't found a place to live? Well two days ago Jon saw an ad on craigslist for a really cute place and he told me he was going to check it out after work. Which meant I didn't get to see it. I was fine with it, I trust him. Well it turns out that Jon thought the place was just perfect. So he put in an application because we didn't have the luxury to hem and haw.

Well last night we found out that we got the apartment...and I hadn't even seen it yet. Gulp. The manager told us we had to meet him today to sign the lease. So Jon went to work and I decided to drive up to the city and meet him at the apartment. No prob right? I thought so too.

But as my departure time approached I felt anxiety looming. And then BAM, just like that I was sobbing and my throat started to close up and I felt like barf was imminent. Did I mention that I was at Jiffy Lube? Because I was. If ever you want to make a room full of men feel horribly awkward have a panic attack while they are changing your oil, it will work like a charm.

I don't know what came over me but it was as though everything was happening so fast. I called Jon, my mom and got some much needed moral support from twitter (seriously, you guys are the best) and eventually I calmed down (with a headache and exhaustion as a nice little souvenir) and made it to meet Jon in San Francisco.

It turns out I was right to trust Jon-the new place is amazing. It has hardwood floors, great light, cute little accents-I can't wait to share it all with you guys. He really did a fabulous job picking out our new little apartment.

Sigh, I am so exhausted but feeling much better than I did at the beginning of the day.

Day 24: A Photo With A Color Scheme

2011-06-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Day 23: A Photo That Reminds You Of Childhood

2011-06-23T00:00:00.000-07:00

When I was a wee sass I loved laying in the grass and finding pictures in the clouds and then making up stories about them.