The Reality of The Hills.

Having a huge snack attack after shopping at the Grove, we thought it would be a fantastic idea to get some hot wings at none other than, Hot Wings Cafe. On our way to the cafe, the hubs says, " Hey, look.... People's Revolution!" {It's right next door to the Hot Wings Cafe} " See, I told you the show is fake." It sure didn't look like it was hustling and bustling like the picture to the right shows. It was abandoned with paper covering the windows and all tagged up with gang writings. Boo.


The hubs despises this show for that exact reason: it's fake. Me? I'm indifferent. I don't really give a rats ass if it is fake or not. I just enjoy watching the cattiness and ofcourse the fashion they sport and think to myself if I can recreate that look at Forever 21.

Since Christmas Day, I have just been on the go, go, go! Didn't get a chance to breathe or rest much.

Christmas Day was spent at my parents house. No traffic which was sooo sweet! It was lots of fun and lots of drinking. Heh. Brought Maddie over to meet her doggie cousins, but sadly, they didn't take a liking to her. Boo. {FYI: they were all boy dogs, and I was scared that she was going to be gang banged.}

How can any doggie not like this cutie pie?

Plus, my family was trying to rename her, especially my lovely brother who has two dogs that are named after rappers, Snoop and Biggie. He cleverly thought of the name Missy, short for Missy Elliot. Whatevs.

The day after Christmas, it was off to LA to spend time with the in laws. Had to quickly pack the morning of and hoped that all of my outfits that I packed went well or at all together. All the while, the hubby with his two duffel bags on each side hit the ironing board in which my jamba juice was sitting on top of and you guessed right.... spilled all over the spanking new carpet and all over the walls. Ick. Tried so hard to hold down my anger and say to myself, over and over, and over, that it was just an accident.

LA was fun but extremely full. We ate, drank, ate, and drank. Oh, and got to see Marley and Me. I was extremely excited to watch this movie just because I enjoyed reading the book. But, the theatre we went to cranked up the heater so high coupled with strong perfume roaming the air and I got nauseated to the point of me having to leave the theatre about 15 minutes prior to the movie ending.

Now, we are back at home trying to get back to the daily grind. Gonna spend NYE in SF at Jillian's. It's been a couple of years since I had NYE off so I'm quite excited! Hope everyone has a safe and great New Year's!

Woof.

I can't believe Christmas is just 4 days away and I have yet to finish my Christmas shopping. I blame it on my severe laziness. Usually, I'm all about fighting the crowds at the mall and going shopping, but for some reason, this year, I just didn't have the urge to go shopping. Ugh. 

We got a new addition to our house. Her name is Madison. We call her Maddie most of the time and I have to admit that alot of times, I get all tongue tide. There are times where I'll be calling her a completely different name. Screw me. 

She's been quite the handful, more like a little shiz, but we love her to death. I am a bit fearful of how BIG she's going to get though. She's already 12 pounds and only 2 months old. WTF? Look at the size of her paws!!! My gawd!!!! 

Trying to Cook.

We've been trying to make a conscious effort to save money and cook dinner at home. I emphasize the word, " trying." It's kinda hard to do when you know that a large bowl of Vietnamese Pho costs a measly $6.95 and doesn't come with cleaning. 

So, tomorrow. I'm going to take action. Yes, ma'am. I am. I am going to cook Pasta Carbonara, compliments of The Pioneer Woman. I saw this recipe on her blog awhile back and made a  mental note to make this someday. Well, tomorrow is the day.

I Want, I Need Continued.

Before I begin my list of things that I want and need, I want to say, " Go Pacquiao!" It was my first boxing match to ever watch and I must admit that at first, I wasn't too quick to notice what was going on. That guy was too quick!!! Awesome match and I'm so happy that the Filipino's have THE bragging rights. Woohooo!!!

Onto the I Want, I Need list.
I just can't get enough of Pottery Barn's gifts. I think they are all so cute. I've listed many of my favorites.


Catch All. Who doesn't have a little area that we dump some of our stuff onto? Coins? Pens? Marbles? Jacks? I saw these at Pottery Barn and wanted on. Loved the vibrant colors it comes in, too! Oh, and for your man who especially have those designated areas to which they dump all of their pants pockets into, this is the perfect stocking stuffer! $19.00



Luggage Tags. I nearly purchased this for one of my good friends that loves to travel. This is a cute gift for perhaps a couple or a friend that loves to travel or even frequently travels just for business. Plus, it allows them to easily find their bags in that sea of baggages. Right? Only $12.00.

Jewelry Box. I've been drooling over this Andover Jewelry Box for about a couple of years now. My personal favorite: the white colored one. I don't know about you, but my jewelry ranging from cheap {Forever 21} to expensive is all over the place. It sucks and I want some type of organization in this department. You can even get it sketched with your initials! Cute. $89.00

There are many more to come...... to be continued again.

I Want! I Need!

Been oohing and aahing over many yummy things. I just wish just for one day, or maybe two, I can go on an unlimited budget shopping spree. But for now, I'm being budget conscious and looking for items that I would love to have that is under $100.

Boots. Love the Ugg version, but these will suffice. Kenneth Cole, Knit for You boots. Cool price of $70.

Calendar. I'm usually not one for wanting a calendar. I used to when I worked in an office and had my own desk and what not. But, this time around, I want one, especially the one from Paper Source. Why? Well, when 2009 is over and done with, you can turn it over and find templates that you can cut + fold into pillow boxes, gift and/or hang tags, and file folers. Genius! Just pure genius!!! $26.95





Not a Paper Cup. I have a huge addiction to mugs. I must admit though, I have tapered down a bit. After moving and putting up all my mugs in the cabinet, I realized that, " shiz, I have way too many mugs!."

I have been heavily eyeing this mug, however for quite some time. I love the design of the " to go" mugs and gives yourself that illusion that you did spend $4 on that cappucino. But, wait, you didn't because you made it at home! Weeee!!! $22.50.


Okay, more items under $100 will soon to follow.

Mac-Daddy!

I've been wanting a Mac {daddy}  for, like, ever! I'll have to admit, it's mostly because of the coolness factor. Yes, I said it! The coolness factor. 

Well, recently, my, " dude, you got a Dell" computer pooped out on me and I was in dire need of a computer this weekend as I'm preparing for the 2nd part of my advanced board 

exam. F. That's a topic I have yet to touch soon. 

Anyways, the hubs with his own apprehensions and great arguments {by the way} as to why we should NOT purchase a mac-daddy for me gave in to my wants. I heart you, hubby! *muah* Luckily, for him, I'm not a big techie. My only requirements was that it was cute and has internet capability. 

So, over the weekend, we marched right into the store and came out with the most adorable Mac-daddy. Err, should I be calling her, Mac-mamma? 

Random Thoughts.

Well, I went with the majority as well as my gut and purchased the parenthesis style'd return address stamp. Thanks for helping me make this tough decision. Hah. I'm very pleased with the outcome of the stamp. I can't wait to start using it on our holiday cards.

Sweet Papery was easy peasy to work with and I highly recommend their products.

In other news, I received the Paper Source holiday catalogue and couldn't resist but to purchase these adorable sticker labels. Lately, I've noticed that I've become quite the sticker whore. What I love most about these labels is that there is a template on Microsoft Word, allowing you to print on them. Weeee!

Ooogled over so many of their new products, but my cart tab was getting up there, so I had to back down. Dam. Sucks that I have to be on a budget.

Kicking myself in the bootay and wondering how the heck did I not think of this project when I had a gazillion of cardboard boxes. At the time, all I could think of was how the heck am I going to get rid of all of these boxes with only two garbage

How About Orange posted insructions on how to make this adorable fabric fridge photo magnet. Click here if you want to know how.

Received our pillows from West Elm. Loooooooooooooooooove them! The yellow makes me smile each time I pass our loft by. If there was a camera in that room, you'll just seem me passerby with a glint in my eye and a smile on my face.

I'll get this room down slowly, but surley sometime.

Expressions.

Found a website called, This Poster List, through How About Orange that sells uber cool prints. They are having a special right now. Buy 2 posters for $20. In this hard economic times, I'd say that's a steal of a deal.

I like this one that's called, Bird on a Wire. It comes in a shade of blue and brown. Lovin' the brown one, but that's a big surprise, right?

Another one I am diggin' is one that is called, Tree Birds. It comes in a 18 x. 24 size, which I'm seriously debating of purchasing this for that exact reason. It sells for $15.99

Ooh, and I can't help but show you their take on the nostalgic retro English poster of, Keep Calm and Carry on. Love their version.

Weekend Update

Had a semi-productive weekend. Feels as though this entire month is going to go by in a flash. I know it, especially with the Christmas commercials already beginning their air time. What's up with that?

Been thinking about Thanksgiving this year. We are hosting it at our home and I'm slightly freaked out by it. To have the entire meal rest on our shoulders, scares me. I've never before baked a turkey. I've roasted a chicken before, but shoot, not a big ass frozen turkey. Ugh. Thank goodness for the cookbook, Bride and Groom. It's quite helpful. Tells us what one should do weeks to days before the big event.

Made some big purchases, too! We purchased our headboard at West Elm. Yay! Chose to go with a pattern as oppose to a simple big hunk of wood for aesthetic purposes.

Unfortunately, our porter desk is still on back order with Pottery Barn. F. I was really looking forward to receiving it. Thought about switching our order to the color white, but the hubs helped me stay on track and to sit tight to get the color we really want. Go hubs!

We also purchased the Klippan 4 seater sofa along with two Tullsta chairs for our upstairs loft that I'm pretty sure are made for very, very, small people. Went with the color, natural for both items.

I'm having the hardest time decorating this room for some reason. I think I just have so many ideas running through my mind that I can't seem to narrow it down. What I know for sure is that I didn't want to go with traditional in this room, but a contemporary look. This room certainly needs alot of work to be done... with alot of color! But, for now, we just wanted some furniture for our Thanksgiving affair so that people can sit down and relax.

Young + Asian

One of the biggest stereotypes within the Asian community is that you love Hello Kitty. I have to say that it just may be true. Heh. But, I think it more stems from my lovely mother depriving me from it.

Was perusing through a magazine and came across an advertisement for Zales Jewelry. It was downright smart advertising because it sure lured me into their store online. All they posted was this cute little necklace pendant and I was hypnotized.

They have an assortment of Hello Kitty bling that will make a girl giddy. At least, my Asian self is all giddy with glee.

Weekly Update

What a week this has been. Lots of memories running through my mind that I know I will be remembering my entire lifetime. Such an awesome and riveting experience to be able to witness a historical moment. I am ready for change.

Bummer that I was at work on election day. Had to celebrate alone. Kinda felt how Elizabeth Hasselback feels when she's constantly defending her political party's on The View. It's quite frustrating especially when the other people make the conversation and not yourself.

Passed the first half of my registry exam. So freaking excited. I couldn't contain myself! One more exam and I'm done! I'm free!

Saw this adorable cowl neck warmer on Creature Comforts. Oh, how I wish I can knit such a fabulous find. It's a shame for me that it's $90. Dam. Here's to hoping that I'll get my raise soon.

Still find that I'm attracted to our wedding colors. I thought, for sure, that I'd be sick of the colors post wedding reception. Guess not! I am itching to paint one of our bedrooms a chartreuse green. It just screams alive! Are some of you still attracted to your wedding colors?

Election Day

It's an exciting day today. All of us have been waiting so long for this historical day. So far, in my lifetime, I've seen 2 women running as a VP candidate, 1 women running for Presidency and an African American running for Presidency. It is quite exciting, this election that is. Each time the candidate of my choice is talking, I just want to burst into tears because I am just so proud of him. So very proud.

So folks, stop reading your blogs and go vote! At least, for a little while.

The Office.

Next project is our office. Our uber cool Porter desk in green that we ordered-- what seemed like ages ago,-- is supposedly in stock this coming Tuesday, which means, it's going to be shipped to our happy home. Hip, Hip, Hooray! I'm so excited for its homecoming as I've been drooling over this desk for months since it first came out.

Been thinking alot on how I want to decorate our office. I saw these cute little vinyl decals on Etsy that I think would add a bit of "Anthropologie" flare. The only problem is that it sells for $80. That's too much moola for this chica.

BFF introduced me to these cool closet doors at Ikea that I think are sooooooooooooooooo awesome. Eventually, I'd like to add these to our office and be rid of the fugly mirrored closet doors. Eventually. Sadly, they are $500. F.

Happy Halloween!

The last time the hubs and I dressed up was about 3 years ago. One of our good friends threw his annual Halloween party. Unfortunately, we waited until the last minute to purchase our costumes and we ended up with the most unpolitically correct costume one can purchase. Its pretty funny and ironic that the hubs wore it especially because he's such a die hard Asian version of Malcom X.

It's a good thing that at the time of our costume wearing, a proposition regarding Indian casino gaming was on the ballot. So, we took advantage of that and basically wrote, " Vote YES on on that proposition. "

This year, I didn't dress up. But, the hubs was so cool enough to dress up for Halloween at his work. I nearly jumped out of my pants when I saw him coming down the stairs for the first time in his costume. Who the hell is that?

A Bright Sunburst

It's been a whirlwind of a week, hence the lack in blogging. Still trying to unpack all of our stuff. The hardest and most frustrating part of the unpacking are my clothes. I just have too many clothes. I tried to go through them a gazillion times to see what I can donate, but I only got a bagful. F. This is a big wake up call to STOP shopping. More like an emergency call.

We finally purchased a rug for our family room. Was quite surprised that we were able to purchase it so soon. Thank goodness for connections at Pottery Barn. The store in Roseville is moving locations to a bigger location and so they are having a 50-75% off sale on alot of their items. One of them being their area rugs. All of them are 75%. Drool. I wanted to adopt all of them when I arrived at the store.

We decided on the sunburst rug in orange. The hubs was a hesitant about it and I still think he still is. But, I really think it adds a punch of color and warmth to our house as it was getting a bit too brown. What do you guys think?

We also purchased a neutral synthetic tan colored rug. I couldn't help but buy two as this one was only $74!!!!! Who sells a rug for $74? Exactly. So, I just had to get it. Don't know where I'll be putting it yet, but shiz, it's freakin' $74!

Lovin' the before + after on Design Sponge on the Ikea step stool. Hatin' how I can never think of creative things like this and have to wait until someone does it first. Makes me want to go and buy an Ikea step stool and have my hand at it even though I don't need a step stool.

Picketed at work. It was truly an experience for me. Never done such a thing. Got kind of emotional and a bit nauseated while in going in a circle like a pony tied to a post. Bargaining meeting in a couple of weeks. We shall see if we are going to go on strike. Ugh. As much as I don't want to, I know that we need to. Wish us luck!

Attention, Everyone. The Dubyah's are in town!

This past weekend kicked start me and the hubs " new chapter" in our married lives. We moved into our new home in booty freakin' Egypt. Hello there Bucca di Peppo, Carino's, Chevy's, Il Fornaios. It's quite lovely to see you and hopefully {not} we won't see you as often. Thank goodness for living quite close to midtown where there isn't as much chain restaurants.

We don't have cable yet and I'm starting to die here watching Seinfeld episodes on dvd's, but at least we have the internet. Phew. That was one of the first things we knew we had to hook up. Addicts, I swear.

Most of our house, the first floor that is, is put together. Lovin' my knock off of a floor lamp that I purchased at Walmart.com. Geeyah, baby! I saved $100! Been poppin' my collar because I'm pretty proud of myself.

We purchased some barstools that I'm pretty sure are made for people with Marfans syndrome. They are so ridiculously high. And to think, we thought we were getting a pretty good deal and thought it was THEE perfect height for our countertops. Oh well, they look cute though.

We also made our first dinner in our new home. Cloth napkins, fancy water goblets and everything sans the serving dish for our meat sauce. Been trying to save on trash and use cloth napkins. But the hubs brought up a good point. So, you'd rather waste and use water then? oooooooooooooooh yeah. forgot about that.