SATC anyone?

Like every other gal I know, I am in L O V E with Sex and the City...so the release of the movie to dvd has made my week! After a crazy search to find the extended cut, I went home, put on a fab pair of stilettos and enjoyed seeing the ladies again! This movie always gives me the shopping bug and it refuses to go away until I itch it! Lucky me, I quickly popped into Sway on Telegraph Ave. 10 minutes before it closed and found a cute blue and white wing tee and a simple plum dress with hidden pockets. Itch cured.

The Luxe List

Nina Garcia, one of the most fabulous women ever, has come out with The Luxe List, which captures the top 10 most essential pieces to any woman's wardrobe. Her list includes: animal print, cashmere, evening gown, investment bag, jeans, knee boots, little black dress, stilettos, trench coat and wide leg trousers.

Much more financially practical than The One Hundred she discusses in her newest book, this list is my newest fashion adventure: The Luxe List Scavenger Hunt. I have been in a style depression lately (you know, when you go in your closet and realize that although it's full, you have absolutely nothing to wear?) and am very excited to start my new quest! Wish me luck!

raise?

Let me first start off by saying that I love my job. I really do. I actually enjoy coming to work and being there is never something that puts me in a bad mood.
Until today.
We've recently hired a new girl and she's totally fab. But I've learned that in addition to pretty much giving her my job and my hours, she is also being paid more. The bosses have said that they're trying to "be fair" in having us "share" the hours (which isn't fair at all in reality because she gets 3 times more hours than I do), but I'm really curious as to what the reasoning could be to pay her so much more? I have worked really hard for this store... coming in last minute when they've been in a jam, taken on as big of a load as I could (and getting it all done!) and pretty much have been an incredibly fab employee. So its no wonder that I'm really not happy about this...I feel I deserve some "fair" treatment here but I'm not sure how to go about asking for it....
Help!

exercise with a purpose

As part of my new 6-month workout plan I've decided to invest in a few key pieces to make exercising a little easier, not to mention a little cuter! I went to lululemon on College Ave., I had never been there but always wanted to and found some really great things. I found myself a fabulous pair of short shorts that allow me more freedom and range of motion thanks to the stretchy material and thin band around the thigh, plus they have a soft band at the top to decrease any potential lovehandle evidence! Best of all it was on sale from $42 to $34! Then I grabbed a much needed sportsbra thanks to the helpful gals that work there. I explained exactly what I was looking for (black, simple, not too much support--which is surprisingly hard to find anywhere) and she showed me just the thing. While these items are normally out of my price range, I believe it was a necessary investment in furthering my health goals! (It's so easy to lie to yourself when surrounded with cute things!)
Much love to lululemon!

Glass Like You've Never Seen It Before

Sunday I joined the mass crowds at the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park for the second to last weekend of the Dale Chihuly exhibit. There was a particular buzz going around the park, excitement and anxiousness surrounded the entire vicinity. The popularity of the exhibit called for the museum to issue timed tickets in an effort to decrease the congestion of the area, so although I got there at 12:30pm, I wasn't admitted into the show until 4pm. Not complaining, I enjoyed a stroll around the rest of the museum and hopped out of the park over to 9th St. where I grubbed at Park Chow Restaurant (I highly recommend this place!).
Entering the exhibit was much like being as Disneyland, the anticipation growing faster and faster. The entire show was under a dim lighting that allowed the brilliant color of the glass pieces to shine even stronger. Every set was divided off and truly enabled me to fully appreciate one piece at a time without being distracted or overwhelmed by the other amazing works.
This was incredibly impressive show and I highly recommend checking this out before the shows closing next weekend. I'm sure going during the week would be even better as it is far less crowded. Seriously, check it out. I may even see you there!

hummingbird

Okay, please tell me if I'm being some sort of insensitive bitch but currently there is a woman in my work crying (yes, truly crying) because there is a hummingbird flying around our skylight and can't figure out how to fly out. While I feel bad for the bird, I mean it is pretty helpless, I'm not sobbing over it. I figure that eventually it will figure it out, right? This woman has been in the shop for over almost an hour asking me if she can climb on things to get it out (remember I said skylight ie: up high, unreachable. What good is it climbing on our antique couch?) and leave out flowers for it to eat. She also began telling me how the bird reminded her of her father who's death anniversary is today, rather reminiscent of a prior post explaining people's love of telling me their life stories.

I really can't handle people like this. Grab a tissue and get out of the store. Ahh.

search for the boot

I am in the search of a perfect cowboy-brown, flat boot and I can't seem to find one anywhere. Yes, there are lots of boots out now, and yes there are lots in that color but for some reason I can't seem to find one that's just...well, perfect. I've dedicated far too much time online for this search and each time I make my way out to the shops I only find disappointement. This is a rather irritating adventure, but I'm not prepared to give up just yet! Maybe when I stop looking, they'll come?

3.1 Phillip Lim

Okay, I am offically in love. Yesterday was 3.1 Phillip Lim Spring 2009 Ready-to-Wear show and let me tell you, from what I've seen so far, I am really excited by these fabulous pieces! Above are three of my favorites that I believe fully express the flirty and feminine motif that captures this collection. They each maintain a level of sophisocation while simultaneously staying true to Lim's edge that I'm so fond of. Plus, paired with wild Louboutin's (see second picture), I really can't see how this could go wrong!

cookie failure

I have the best recipe for oatmeal raisin cookies. Ever. But there is one slight problem...they never come out right. To tell this story I must start from the very beginning:
I was working as a nanny for two very awesome girls who loved to bake. It worked out great for me, as I also enjoy being in the kitchen, so we baked all the time! They loved oatmeal raisin cookies so we continuously baked the previously mentioned fabulous recipe and always enjoyed the perfectly textured (thin and chewy with crispy edges...mmm!) treats. However, whenever I have attempted to make these cookies elsewhere, they have been dramatic failures. First I blamed my seriously crappy oven, then I used my someone else's oven but accidentally used wax paper instead of parchment (a nasty smell I will never forget) and finally, now that I've moved into the perfect place, I decided to test it out once more.
Failure.
Prepared to chow down on the best cookies ever, I was rudely met with cookies unlike those I had dreamed of. While the cookies were still enjoyable, they were not those aforementioned perfect, perfect cookies. I cannot figure out what has gone so terribly wrong, but my latest conclusion has lead me to believe that nannying those girls is my only hope to oatmeal raisin cookie perfection. Sigh.

ps: to pull myself out of the great depression of these failed cookies, I angrily enjoyed eating the ENTIRE batch by my lonesome.

art exposure

While I virtually know nothing about art, I do know that I always gravitate towards it. I have always been interested in various art forms and have always wanted to educate myself further in it.

Today I went to the Legion of Honor Museum in sunny (and surprisingly hot) San Francisco to see the Female Impressionist exhibit which featured many works by Mary Cassatt. I have never been a big fan of Impressionism as I've always found the colors to be too mundane and the "blurriness" of the paintings bewildering, but today I exposed myself to a whole new world of this art form. There were many pieces filled with the same deep, rich hues that surround the classic Italian paintings I love so much and many were removed of the "blurry" brushstrokes but replaced with more defined, solid images. Accompanying the paintings were often inspirational quotes from the artists themselves that fed the feminine emotions expressed through the paintings.

Today was truly an eye-opening experience for the art-impaired, yet I'm sure for those who know may know a thing or two this would still be a fascinating experience. I am looking forward to my next artistic journey to the De Young Museum to see the fabulous glass work of Chihuly! Here I come!

Yesterday

Labor Day weekend has always been a favorite of mine...a last chance celebration before the hectic school year starts. I always love to just hang around with family and friends, barbecuing and enjoying the day! Yesterday, luckily enough, followed the tradition. I spent a fabulously warm day outside, by the grill, with my fabulous friends and neighbors. We ate yummy food (prepared by my awesome boyfriend, as usual), drank yummy wine (enough to make me forget the dreaded school day following!) and chatted into the night! Thanks all for that fabulous event!