Life is hectic this week. Well, technically, it's been hectic for several weeks and it's going to continue to be nutty until November 21st, but this week is particularly bad. Rehearsals and baby shower prep and mother-in-law's birthday all falling right at the same time. I'm pretty surprised that I've been able to keep it all together so far, but my head is just a jumbled mess of thoughts and to-do lists. For example:
* I'm like the queen of flat tires recently. I'll take full responsibility for one of them, but I've had like 5 or 6 this past year and the rest were so not my fault. Another one this week in the middle of everything else that's going on about set me over the edge. Thankfully, the lovely techs at the dealership got everything fixed quickly and free of charge, right before I lost my mind.
* Love that the holidays are upon us, but don't have much brain space to enjoy the season just yet. Soon though. I'm already planning what goodies I want to bake/assemble later this month. The list is long. Like that's a shock to anyone.
* Starbucks red cups are back!!! YAYAYAYAY!!!!!
* I'm knee-deep in rehearsals (more on that later this month) and while it's a lot of extra time and stress on the body, I'm loving it. I love the people that are on the team, I love the work that we're doing and I love being reminded of my high school days where practices and rehearsals were a common occurence. Even the small act of pulling out my old beater dance bag has put a smile on my face. I think we're all feeling a bit worn out at this point, but I'm making sure that I sit back and really soak it all in and enjoy the process right now. I know that once it's over and it's back to "normal" life, I'm going to miss it so very much.
* Since I don't have time to go to a spa right now, but could really use a little extra zen in my life, I picked up some lavendar bath gel and lotion. Wish I had bought it weeks ago. Perfect way to unwind after a long, long day. Hot shower, lavendar bath stuff, comfy clothes - yup, perfection.
* Putting the finishing touches on the gifts for Blondie's baby shower and I've absolutely fallen head over heels in love with one of the dresses I made for her. Like, if we ever have kids, I'm totally asking her to borrow it. How sad is that?! It's just a perfect marriage of pattern, fabric and finishing techniques that add up to one kickass dress. Pictures soon. Once the shower is done though, I'm taking a couple of weeks to just sew for me. Me me me me me. ME. And the projects that I'm wanting to tackle first are somewhat boring, but that's okay. At least they'll be for me. ;)
* I really need more hours in the day. Even just one or two would be fabulous. I'm guessing that I'm not the only one that feels this way.
* Haven't had a real conversation with Jim since sometime last week. Why, you ask? He's away at his first real trial and has been just as stressed and over-run with work as me. At least I've been getting 5ish hours of sleep a night compared to his 2-3 hours. Eeek! He's home this afternoon just in time for his mom's birthday dinner. I miss him, but at the same time, it's probably good that both of our hectic weeks happened at the same time. At least I know I'll see him tonight and at Thanksgiving. Heh.
Okay, well after that brain dump I feel better. And now, back to the never-ending to-do list. Wheeee!
Showing posts with label ramblings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ramblings. Show all posts
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
August Madness
I don't know about you, but I'm not sure where the first half of August went! It's been non-stop action around my house with hosting two summer parties, my birthday, my father-in-law's birthday and a last minute trip to Disneyland. Whew! So many fun things, but no time to blog it all. Things are starting to calm down a bit, but man oh man, things were crazy there for awhile. So, in my typical recap style, how 'bout some bullets:
* We celebrated my father-in-law's birthday at the Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles. My inlaws have recently become enamored with ballroom dancing - they take lessons and love to practice every chance they get. The Cicada Club opens every Sunday night for dinner and dancing with most patrons dressing in vintage 20s and 40s dresses and suits, which fits the very Art Deco vibe of the place. It was a much cooler club than any of us realized and we had a great time just hanging out, having classic cocktails and soaking up the atmosphere. If you're into vintage stuff and you're ever in LA on Sunday night, it's worth a visit.
* Jim surprised me with a mini in-town vacation the night of my birthday. We stayed at the relatively new Ritz-Carlton in downtown LA and ate at Wolfgang Puck's new restaurant WP24. Neither of us had ever stayed at a Ritz before and it definitely lived up to its reputation. And dinner? Oh man, dinner was AMAZING! We started off with glasses of prosecco and because it was my birthday, mine was served with a shot of St. Germaine on the side. Can we say LOVE?! Fabulous service (formal, but not stuffy) and the food was really delicious. When we go out for fancy dinners, we don't typically do Asian food, so this was a nice change of pace for us. The package he reserved came with the tasting menu and it was so. much. food. Good grief, they practically had to roll me out of the dining room. Highly recommend the place. In fact, we are already planning a time to go back.
* And because my husband is amazing and treats me like a princess, I also got a Nook! I've been very skeptical of e-readers since they were first released a few years ago, but he seems to think that I need one seeing at how much I read and all. I still feel like it's cheating on real books, but I'm also pretty excited about my new toy. And it will make packing for Hawaii so much easier. (On our last Hawaii trip I read 6 books - heh.)
* Since Jim's co-coordinator wound up at home on bedrest for the last bit of the summer program, I was invited along as her proxy for their lunch at Club 33. Guys, it was so much fun! Jim's partner buddy treated us to dinner there during his summer at the firm, but we hadn't been back since. The food is really quite good (much better than anywhere else in the park) and the appetizer and dessert buffet are pretty awesome. Someone had tipped off one of the female summer associates that they should order a "tinkerbell" with their drinks so we all did just that. There we sat with our adult cocktails and cutesy light up toys perched on the rim. So cute, right?
The rest of the day we spent bumming around the parks and riding all of the big ticket attractions. One of the summers had never been to the park and we had fun showing him the ropes. I also really enjoyed getting to know the summers on a more one and one basis. I'm bummed that his co-coordiator couldn't make it, but really happy that I was able to take her place.
* As a last hurrah for the summer associates, we hosted a backyard bbq and pool party before they left to go back to school. I've said it before, but it's worth mentioning again - Jim had the best group of summer associates ever. They were such a sweet bunch of kids and it was really fun having them all over for one last casual party. They all managed to crowd together in the same tiny little space around one side of our pool, which was pretty darn adorable to view from the house. Jim misses them quite a bit and I know we're both looking forward to seeing the ones that accept offers again next fall.
* We had a ton of booze and soda left over after the work party, so we thought it was an excellent excuse to host a repeat bbq/pool party for all of our friends and family. And oh boy, when I say all, I mean ALL. We wound up with around 70 or so folks and while it was crowded, it was also pretty mellow. We went through 3 dozen burgers, 5 dozen hot dogs/bratwursts and a silly amount of potato salad, chips, salsa, fruit, brownies and ice cream. Even though there were folks everywhere, it was such a fun day. This party is kind of becoming a yearly tradition and it has grown every year since we bought the house. I hope that we're able to host it for many years to come.
******************
In other news, I've finally worked out a sewing plan for the goodies that I want to give Vino and Blondie for their babies. I don't do simple very well, so needless to say, the plan is ambitious. I've already completed one outfit and have several cut out, but there is still a lot to do. Unfortunately, you don't get many details because they read this blog, too and I don't want to ruin the surprise. The showers are tentatively scheduled for mid-October and early November respectively, so more details later this fall.
And I'm even working on some sewing for me, too! We have our trip to Hawaii at the beginning of September, so I'm trying to squeeze in a few more garments before then. Since our summer weather just got here, the summer sewing still makes sense and the garments will at least get used for more than just our vacation. However, I'm afraid that I'll be itching to make fall dresses next month and it'll still be in the 90s here. Hmph.
* We celebrated my father-in-law's birthday at the Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles. My inlaws have recently become enamored with ballroom dancing - they take lessons and love to practice every chance they get. The Cicada Club opens every Sunday night for dinner and dancing with most patrons dressing in vintage 20s and 40s dresses and suits, which fits the very Art Deco vibe of the place. It was a much cooler club than any of us realized and we had a great time just hanging out, having classic cocktails and soaking up the atmosphere. If you're into vintage stuff and you're ever in LA on Sunday night, it's worth a visit.
* Jim surprised me with a mini in-town vacation the night of my birthday. We stayed at the relatively new Ritz-Carlton in downtown LA and ate at Wolfgang Puck's new restaurant WP24. Neither of us had ever stayed at a Ritz before and it definitely lived up to its reputation. And dinner? Oh man, dinner was AMAZING! We started off with glasses of prosecco and because it was my birthday, mine was served with a shot of St. Germaine on the side. Can we say LOVE?! Fabulous service (formal, but not stuffy) and the food was really delicious. When we go out for fancy dinners, we don't typically do Asian food, so this was a nice change of pace for us. The package he reserved came with the tasting menu and it was so. much. food. Good grief, they practically had to roll me out of the dining room. Highly recommend the place. In fact, we are already planning a time to go back.
* And because my husband is amazing and treats me like a princess, I also got a Nook! I've been very skeptical of e-readers since they were first released a few years ago, but he seems to think that I need one seeing at how much I read and all. I still feel like it's cheating on real books, but I'm also pretty excited about my new toy. And it will make packing for Hawaii so much easier. (On our last Hawaii trip I read 6 books - heh.)
* Since Jim's co-coordinator wound up at home on bedrest for the last bit of the summer program, I was invited along as her proxy for their lunch at Club 33. Guys, it was so much fun! Jim's partner buddy treated us to dinner there during his summer at the firm, but we hadn't been back since. The food is really quite good (much better than anywhere else in the park) and the appetizer and dessert buffet are pretty awesome. Someone had tipped off one of the female summer associates that they should order a "tinkerbell" with their drinks so we all did just that. There we sat with our adult cocktails and cutesy light up toys perched on the rim. So cute, right?
The rest of the day we spent bumming around the parks and riding all of the big ticket attractions. One of the summers had never been to the park and we had fun showing him the ropes. I also really enjoyed getting to know the summers on a more one and one basis. I'm bummed that his co-coordiator couldn't make it, but really happy that I was able to take her place.
* As a last hurrah for the summer associates, we hosted a backyard bbq and pool party before they left to go back to school. I've said it before, but it's worth mentioning again - Jim had the best group of summer associates ever. They were such a sweet bunch of kids and it was really fun having them all over for one last casual party. They all managed to crowd together in the same tiny little space around one side of our pool, which was pretty darn adorable to view from the house. Jim misses them quite a bit and I know we're both looking forward to seeing the ones that accept offers again next fall.
* We had a ton of booze and soda left over after the work party, so we thought it was an excellent excuse to host a repeat bbq/pool party for all of our friends and family. And oh boy, when I say all, I mean ALL. We wound up with around 70 or so folks and while it was crowded, it was also pretty mellow. We went through 3 dozen burgers, 5 dozen hot dogs/bratwursts and a silly amount of potato salad, chips, salsa, fruit, brownies and ice cream. Even though there were folks everywhere, it was such a fun day. This party is kind of becoming a yearly tradition and it has grown every year since we bought the house. I hope that we're able to host it for many years to come.
******************
In other news, I've finally worked out a sewing plan for the goodies that I want to give Vino and Blondie for their babies. I don't do simple very well, so needless to say, the plan is ambitious. I've already completed one outfit and have several cut out, but there is still a lot to do. Unfortunately, you don't get many details because they read this blog, too and I don't want to ruin the surprise. The showers are tentatively scheduled for mid-October and early November respectively, so more details later this fall.
And I'm even working on some sewing for me, too! We have our trip to Hawaii at the beginning of September, so I'm trying to squeeze in a few more garments before then. Since our summer weather just got here, the summer sewing still makes sense and the garments will at least get used for more than just our vacation. However, I'm afraid that I'll be itching to make fall dresses next month and it'll still be in the 90s here. Hmph.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Thoughts on Sewing
It's been just over a year since I was gifted my first sewing machine by my mom for my 30th birthday. My request to her for a machine elicited both excitement and a bit of confusion - she didn't think I would get the sewing bug for at least another decade or so. Ha! I started out with a basic tote bag class at a local sewing studio and the rest, they say, is history.
To say that I've fallen in love with this new hobby of mine is a wee bit of an understatement. I can't figure out why in the world I didn't jump into the sewing world after college, when I first toyed with the idea. Something about the investment of a sewing machine was too much for me to handle fresh out of college and heading to grad school, so instead I took up cooking - a hobby that has not only served me well, but makes my husband very happy, too. Even though I don't regret the decision, I'm still bummed that it took me 30 years to really learn how to sew.
My mom has a different take. She thinks that I wouldn't have had the same experience that I'm having now because my resources of both time and money are greater than they were 10 years ago, which I have to admit, is a valid point. Not to mention the amazing resource that I have found in the online sewing community. None of my close friends sew, which means that you sewing bloggers have been the people that I have looked to for inspiration, support and a general sense of community. I've learned as much from you folks as I have in my local brick and mortar sewing classes. I've also been inspired to try things that I would have shied away from had I been going at this sewing journey alone.
The thing that has shocked me the most is how much I have learned in the past year. Sure, I still haven't tackled pants or tried to make a jacket, but I've grown so much as a sewist in the past 12 months. Things that seemed daunting last July are now done without a second thought. I've also gotten to a point where I really, really like the clothes I'm making for myself. A few things I've made recently are in heavy rotation in my closet and I'm just as pleased with them as my favorite RTW garments.
While I know that success at hobbies isn't really genetic, it kind of feels like sewing is in my blood. My grandmother was a fabulous sewist and quilter and my mom continued that tradition for many years. I just seem to "get it" when it comes to sewing in general, making difficult or fiddly tasks a bit easier to tackle. I know that my mom is quite happy with my sewing progress and I would like to think that my grandmother would be proud as well.
I'm even more excited about sewing now than I was when I started my first beginner class. There are still so many garments I want to make and techniques I want to try. I'm looking forward to continuing to push outside of my comfort zone and expand my sewing skills even more. I think I'm really just getting started....
To say that I've fallen in love with this new hobby of mine is a wee bit of an understatement. I can't figure out why in the world I didn't jump into the sewing world after college, when I first toyed with the idea. Something about the investment of a sewing machine was too much for me to handle fresh out of college and heading to grad school, so instead I took up cooking - a hobby that has not only served me well, but makes my husband very happy, too. Even though I don't regret the decision, I'm still bummed that it took me 30 years to really learn how to sew.
My mom has a different take. She thinks that I wouldn't have had the same experience that I'm having now because my resources of both time and money are greater than they were 10 years ago, which I have to admit, is a valid point. Not to mention the amazing resource that I have found in the online sewing community. None of my close friends sew, which means that you sewing bloggers have been the people that I have looked to for inspiration, support and a general sense of community. I've learned as much from you folks as I have in my local brick and mortar sewing classes. I've also been inspired to try things that I would have shied away from had I been going at this sewing journey alone.
The thing that has shocked me the most is how much I have learned in the past year. Sure, I still haven't tackled pants or tried to make a jacket, but I've grown so much as a sewist in the past 12 months. Things that seemed daunting last July are now done without a second thought. I've also gotten to a point where I really, really like the clothes I'm making for myself. A few things I've made recently are in heavy rotation in my closet and I'm just as pleased with them as my favorite RTW garments.
While I know that success at hobbies isn't really genetic, it kind of feels like sewing is in my blood. My grandmother was a fabulous sewist and quilter and my mom continued that tradition for many years. I just seem to "get it" when it comes to sewing in general, making difficult or fiddly tasks a bit easier to tackle. I know that my mom is quite happy with my sewing progress and I would like to think that my grandmother would be proud as well.
I'm even more excited about sewing now than I was when I started my first beginner class. There are still so many garments I want to make and techniques I want to try. I'm looking forward to continuing to push outside of my comfort zone and expand my sewing skills even more. I think I'm really just getting started....
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Long, luxurious weekend
Somehow I lucked out with not just having a 3 day weekend, but a 4 day weekend! We had no plans and I pretty much took full advantage of 4 full days that were wide open. It really felt like a mini-vacation, which was so nice.
We found time for trips out to Costco to restock on paper products and pantry supplies and Ikea, where we think we found a much-needed new diningroom table that will seat up to 12 people. No more having to use folding tables when we host dinner parties! Yay!
We also swung down to Williams-Sonoma to test the Nespresso Citiz espresso machine. It has received great reviews online and then when an Italian friend of mine gave it a rave review, I was pretty much sold. It was super easy to use and I found a great price on Amazon, so we should have it by the end of the week. Seeing as how I've become completely and utterly obsessed with americanos at Starbucks this year, it will be really nice to be able to make them at home.
This weekend we finally got some warm and sunny weather and we took full advantage of it by getting in some pool time. Well, I should say Jim got some pool time. The water was still waaay too chilly for me (I think we need another week of hot days before our pool temp is warm enough for swimming), so I hung out in the hot tub instead. I finally got to try out one of the new bikinis I bought for this summer. Let's just say that Peak 10 is making for a very happy bikini season for me. ;)
I had a really good weigh-in on Sunday so I treated myself to some ridiculous eating on Sunday and Monday. I'd like to say that I feel guilty, but I really don't. It was nice to be able to indulge in some treats and I feel like I got rid of a lot of cravings that I'd been having for a few weeks. Oh, and in case you're curious, Reese's peanut butter cup cookies are ah-maz-ing! I did offset the crazy food though with some great workouts. Saturday morning step class was filled with all of my favorite people and we had such a fun class - lots of hoots and hollers and general silliness.
Lastly, I actually got into the sewing room and made a dress and a skirt - both of which are for me!! :D Not only that, I also cut out a second skirt and traced off the pattern for a third one. I was so productive I shocked myself! Pictures and posts this week after I get Jim to take some pictures for me. Both were successes though with only minor issues.
I hope everyone had a nice long weekend and that this week is a good one for you. :)
We found time for trips out to Costco to restock on paper products and pantry supplies and Ikea, where we think we found a much-needed new diningroom table that will seat up to 12 people. No more having to use folding tables when we host dinner parties! Yay!
We also swung down to Williams-Sonoma to test the Nespresso Citiz espresso machine. It has received great reviews online and then when an Italian friend of mine gave it a rave review, I was pretty much sold. It was super easy to use and I found a great price on Amazon, so we should have it by the end of the week. Seeing as how I've become completely and utterly obsessed with americanos at Starbucks this year, it will be really nice to be able to make them at home.
This weekend we finally got some warm and sunny weather and we took full advantage of it by getting in some pool time. Well, I should say Jim got some pool time. The water was still waaay too chilly for me (I think we need another week of hot days before our pool temp is warm enough for swimming), so I hung out in the hot tub instead. I finally got to try out one of the new bikinis I bought for this summer. Let's just say that Peak 10 is making for a very happy bikini season for me. ;)
I had a really good weigh-in on Sunday so I treated myself to some ridiculous eating on Sunday and Monday. I'd like to say that I feel guilty, but I really don't. It was nice to be able to indulge in some treats and I feel like I got rid of a lot of cravings that I'd been having for a few weeks. Oh, and in case you're curious, Reese's peanut butter cup cookies are ah-maz-ing! I did offset the crazy food though with some great workouts. Saturday morning step class was filled with all of my favorite people and we had such a fun class - lots of hoots and hollers and general silliness.
Lastly, I actually got into the sewing room and made a dress and a skirt - both of which are for me!! :D Not only that, I also cut out a second skirt and traced off the pattern for a third one. I was so productive I shocked myself! Pictures and posts this week after I get Jim to take some pictures for me. Both were successes though with only minor issues.
I hope everyone had a nice long weekend and that this week is a good one for you. :)
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Motivation
I'm starting to think that the few blog posts I've put up are becoming a bit routine. Something fun and then a lot of bitching and moaning. Sigh.
I'm still alive and kicking, but I think my brain and body have taken a vacation and forgot to put in a time-off request. I feel like I've been running full steam ahead since early 2008 and then with the zinger that closed out the year, the one that is still sending out aftershocks, well, I'm just freaking tired. Tired deep down in my bones and in the deepest recesses of my brain. It's making me moody and has started to interfere with my patience level, which already left a lot to be desired.
I knew going into the year that January would be slow in comparison to the past few months. While I enjoyed the holidays, there was a shadow over the whole thing and I couldn't wait for them to be over and to move on to the beginning of 2009. There have still been some bumps this month, but for the most part, it's been okay. But, I have been so incredibly lazy. It's hard for me to find the motivation to return phone calls. It's been hell finding any motivation to go to the gym. Cooking and cleaning? Meh. It happens, but it feels like I'm dragging myself to get it done. I'm happiest just nestling in on the couch reading a book. It's nice when Jim is there, too, although he's been working long hours, so he's in and out most of the time.
This isn't to say that I haven't done some fun stuff this month. I have. One night, after a particularly nasty week for both of us, I rallied and made a kick ass steak dinner with all the fixin's. We took one day to walk around Descanso Gardens, when we were having 80 degree weather earlier this month. We've been to a couple Lakers games, saw Phantom and I've hung out with some cool chicks. I even have pictures of some of these things. Have I had the motivation to actually blog about them though? Not so much.
Starting in February, life gets busy again. We're going on a mini-vacation (maybe I need that more than I realize...), his cousin is getting married in the spring, lots of baby showers, one of which I'm hosting, etc, etc. I'm excited for all these things, but I'm still tired. I still feel really out of sorts and I'm not quite sure how to, in the words of Matchbox 20 "get it back to good."
I'm still alive and kicking, but I think my brain and body have taken a vacation and forgot to put in a time-off request. I feel like I've been running full steam ahead since early 2008 and then with the zinger that closed out the year, the one that is still sending out aftershocks, well, I'm just freaking tired. Tired deep down in my bones and in the deepest recesses of my brain. It's making me moody and has started to interfere with my patience level, which already left a lot to be desired.
I knew going into the year that January would be slow in comparison to the past few months. While I enjoyed the holidays, there was a shadow over the whole thing and I couldn't wait for them to be over and to move on to the beginning of 2009. There have still been some bumps this month, but for the most part, it's been okay. But, I have been so incredibly lazy. It's hard for me to find the motivation to return phone calls. It's been hell finding any motivation to go to the gym. Cooking and cleaning? Meh. It happens, but it feels like I'm dragging myself to get it done. I'm happiest just nestling in on the couch reading a book. It's nice when Jim is there, too, although he's been working long hours, so he's in and out most of the time.
This isn't to say that I haven't done some fun stuff this month. I have. One night, after a particularly nasty week for both of us, I rallied and made a kick ass steak dinner with all the fixin's. We took one day to walk around Descanso Gardens, when we were having 80 degree weather earlier this month. We've been to a couple Lakers games, saw Phantom and I've hung out with some cool chicks. I even have pictures of some of these things. Have I had the motivation to actually blog about them though? Not so much.
Starting in February, life gets busy again. We're going on a mini-vacation (maybe I need that more than I realize...), his cousin is getting married in the spring, lots of baby showers, one of which I'm hosting, etc, etc. I'm excited for all these things, but I'm still tired. I still feel really out of sorts and I'm not quite sure how to, in the words of Matchbox 20 "get it back to good."
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