[insert clever title here]

is this thing on?

2011-07-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

um, hi.

forgive me, for i have been a terrible blogger.

tumblr has been holding my attention lately. won't you come visit me there instead?

LAS!

2011-02-27T10:03:00.000-08:00

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SJC to...

2011-02-27T08:27:00.001-08:00

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currently

2011-01-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

current book:
"Everything Is Going to Be Great: An Underfunded and Overexposed European Grand Tour" by Rachel Shukert

current music:
Mayer Hawthorne; Harmony House, verse two (reggae compilation)

current shame-inducing guilty pleasure:
laziness. hey, I'm on vacation! oh, and handbag shopping

current colors:
green, coral, black. but not at the same time!

current fetish:
playing games non-stop on the iTouch. I'm partial to Paper Toss, Doodle Fit and the Pogo suite of games

current drink:
POG and lots of water

current songs:
"I'm Not Amazed" by Natural Black and "Say It" by Unico

current movie:
saw "It's Kind of a Funny Story" and "Jack Goes Boating" yesterday at Firstlight

current wish-list:
Range Rover

current needs:
a better a diet!

current triumph(s):
packing only ONE SMALL and ONE SMALL carry-on for this vacation.

current bane(s) of my existence:
nothing, really

current indulgence:
TV! specifically, "Pawn Stars"

current blessing:
becoming an auntie in May

current slang or saying:
"That is ridiculous" -- lifted from my BIL, who says it CONSTANTLY

current outfit:
yoga pants and a t-shirt

current celebrity crush:
tough one... Daniel Craig come to mind first, so I'll go with that.

current excitement:
going to Vegas in March

current mood:
peaceful

...To OGG!

2010-12-30T17:08:00.000-08:00

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SJC to...

2010-12-30T11:36:00.000-08:00

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monster (s)mash

2010-12-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

yes, this is a preview, but this is the sorriest excuse for a video i've seen. kanye has really outdone himself this time. really? dead women hanging? i suppose that he thrives on controversy and any publicity at all, and even that of the negative variety.

such a shame, cause i dug the song.

(via bust blog)

VICTORIOUS!

2010-11-01T20:28:00.000-07:00

WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!

don't stop believing

2010-10-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

i have been living at work the last three weeks. many 19-hour days, mostly 16-hour days, for that period of time.

but i was still able to take off after just 8 hours of work on thursday afternoon to see the giants play in game 5 of the NLCS. it's old news now that they didn't win that day, but it doesn't really matter now that they WON LAST NIGHT and are now GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES for the third time in my lifetime.

my ticket for thursday's game was directly in front of steve perry's, and when they started playing "don't stop believing," he went crazy and encouraged all of us to sing along. i sang at the stop of my lungs and managed only a blurry photo or two of the journey singer. the excitement in the air was unlike anything else i've experienced, likewise the silence when that homely sonofabitch jayson werth hit a homer to provide a solid lead for the phillies to win the game.

not sure if i'll be able to go to a game in this final series, but i'm still believing.

six word sunday: the NLCS champion san francisco giants!

2010-10-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

(when they were still one game away, that is. I was fortunate to see them play game 5 at home, hoping they'd win. Torture!)

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get down boogie

2010-10-19T05:44:00.000-07:00

oh, yes. SF Giants baseball is one of my true loves.

dig this video of freddy sanchez gettin' down:

Six Word Sunday: The culmination of sweat and tears

2010-10-17T06:25:00.001-07:00

We're open!!

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six word sunday: how the west was mightily won!

2010-10-03T20:55:00.000-07:00

i wasn't at the game today, but i watched it all! GO GIANTS!

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six word sunday: more exciting than they ever dreamed

2010-09-19T13:58:00.000-07:00

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six word sunday: who says your luck can't change?

2010-08-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

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(sorry for the 2-month absence, but I just haven't been taking any photos lately!)

ono-ono dressing

2010-08-10T18:36:00.000-07:00

i've been trying to be a bit more creative in the kitchen these days. over the last month i've attempted at least one new recipe each week, with varying degrees of success. i find that salad dressing recipes are super easy to make, and usually i'm quite pleased with the result.

tonight, i made the ono-ono salad dressing.

before you accuse me of being pretentious by naming a salad dressing "onolicious," (meaning "good to eat" in hawaiian) i assure you that it really is the name. ~~i don't recall where on the vast internet i discovered this recipe,~~ it's from the royal hawaiian restaurant in laguna beach, california, but i do know it's been languishing in the coffers of my recipe box for at least two years.

recipe:
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Coleman's Dry Mustard
1/2 cup Best Foods mayonnaise
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup gorgonzola or blue cheese, crumbled, plus additional for garnish
Chilled lettuce, such as Bibb lettuce or Hawaii Manoa lettuce

1. Mix all ingredients except cheese and lettuce in food processor.
Blend thoroughly.
2. Place mixture in bowl and gently add the crumbled cheese. Cover and
chill well.
3. Serve on Bibb lettuce with an extra sprinkle of cheese on top.

i used butter lettuce and tossed in some chicken. i feel that the amount of sugar can easily be reduced without a noticeable difference in flavor, and i added more salt, pepper and garlic to suit my tastes. it makes quite a bit, and i will definitely be making this again.

so it is with little fanfare that i present a crappy cameraphone photo of something that is really quite delicious.

one candle wish

2010-08-06T10:33:00.001-07:00

my birthday is next week, and anthropologie got me to celebratin' a little early with this great gift in the mail.

a birthday candle necklace -- very creative, and super adorable

the candle appears to be made of a lightweight resin, and i'm pleased to report it arrived intact, unlike those received by other recipients.

i signed up for their store's loyalty card early in the year, thus putting myself on their mailing list to receive such goodies.

additionally, the card on which the necklace arrived is good for 15% off in-store, certainly a dangerous thought.

(the image above is from another blogger, i couldn't be bothered to photograph it before ripping it open and putting it on.)

sterling cooper draper pryce

2010-07-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

i think i'm in love.

muzak

2010-07-07T08:53:00.000-07:00

i get on these music buying and listening jags. here's what's new:

i got the latest release from the new pornographers. at first listen, it sounds a lot like their last album. but i like it nonetheless!

my guilty music pleasure for a few weeks was cranking up katy perry's "california gurls" when it came on the radio. but now that it's been overplayed, i'm sick of it.

i got the first few songs from drake's latest album when they were leaked. now that i have the whole album, it's...okay. i think i like him best as a guest on other people's work. but he is nice to look at!

i got two new releases from arcade fire. sweet stuff! i like the sounds of "the suburbs."

it's trendy to hate on vampire weekend, but (without sounding like a snob) i've been digging them for a few years. "cape cod kwassa kwassa" has been my ringtone for ages now. the first few bars are so mellow, i don't jump when it rings. and i like that. but i did have a laugh when lookatthisfuckinghipster.com made fun of liking it.

six word sunday: tiny hands make playthings from everything

2010-06-27T12:21:00.000-07:00

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the fast lane

2010-06-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

now this would be rad.

six word sunday: watching the professionals hard at work

2010-06-20T20:11:00.000-07:00

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pebble beach

2010-06-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

I am kind-of an idiot sometimes. I went to the practice round of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach yesterday, and I wore shoes that I'd only worn once before. So of course they weren't broken in, but they sure looked super cute! By about an hour in, I wanted to cry, the blisters on my heels were so painful. I tried to put on a brave face, but of course my dad saw through that and insisted on going to the first-aid station for Band-Aids. That helped, and so did the beer at 10:30a.

On the plus side, photography is only allowed at the practice rounds, so I got to really put one of my new lenses to the test.

media update: may

2010-05-31T20:15:00.000-07:00

this, of course, is more for my own remembrance than anything else. asterisks denote something i particularly enjoyed. follow this advice at your own risk.

MOVIES:
Radio Bikini
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Gigantic
Old Joy
Fletch (r)
Three Days of the Condor
The Last Word
Phoebe in Wonderland
Zodiac
Diminished Capacity
Bugsy
Moon
Sex and the City 2
Religulous
Frozen River

BOOKS:
Anita Shreve, "Testimony"
Amy Bloom, "Where the God of Love Hangs Out"
Lisa Kogan, "Someone Will Be With You Shortly"

MUSIC:
The New Pornographers, "Together" *
Drake, "Thank Me Later" (selected leaked tracks)
Arcade Fire (selected leaked tracks)

digital nation

2010-05-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

i'm just coming down off of a bit of a freak-out where tears were involved. what's got me all anxious? work, for one. and, well, me. i haven't felt like myself lately. maybe it's because i haven't been taking care of myself, the cold i'm trying to get over being a prime example of this. i'm working long hours, and still have lots of work to do even when i go home at a reasonable hour. i've always been a worrier, and when things are out of my control, my worrying escalates. i'm feeling better now.

other things:
i bought myself flowers today, a huge orchid stem with 10 or so blossoms. it looks so tropical in the tall clear cylindrical vase, and almost artificial. i gasped when i went to pay for the stupid thing. apparently orchids are not in season.

i have a crush on dr. house.

sometimes i worry that i leave unintentionally trite comments for other bloggers.

might be going to new orleans for business next month. told the ol' boss-dad that it's not cool to dangle travel of any kind in front of me, then quickly take it away after realizing dates conflict or whatever. i likened it to telling my sister's dog that he's going for a walk, then not taking him.

going to see the giants play in oakland this weekend. maybe they can stop their away-game skid.

gotta take the boss-dad to the airport early early tomorrow morning, he's off to maui. it's like a rotation, i was there, then my sister + hovito got back yesterday, then my dad goes tomorrow. mom's not going this round, and it's a shame we rarely vacation as a family.

my new couch, the one that was delivered, like, 2 months ago? the cushions are sagging. yes, i have a fat ass, but really. i keep meaning to call macy's and have them do something about it.

saturday as i was leaving my house to go babysit for sophie, i smelled something burning. turns out it was a nightlight in the hallway entering my bedroom (you enter my bedroom, the bathroom is immediately to the right, then you go down a short hallway before actually getting to the bedroom part). yes, i'm 30 and still have a hallway/nightlight. anyway, it came with the place and isn't too gaudy, so i left it. so it looked like it had burned out, but it was extremely hot to the touch and the plastic was a bit melted. i just figured its useful life had been exhausted. so i plugged another nightlight into it, only to have the same result two days later. erm. i'm glad i haven't burned down the whole building, and i must get that looked at asap. in the meantime, i hope the monsters don't come out at night, because my room is tomb-dark without a light there.

Six Word Sunday: Lovely Mother's Day at the Olympic

2010-05-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

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things i love: John Frieda Wind Down Relaxing Creme

2010-05-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

the latest in an occasional series about things i love. some are products, some are people, some are places.

behold, the wonder, the glory:

the product pictured above is nothing short of a miracle.

i bought the relaxing creme at big lots on a whim several months ago for a mere $2. i thought, for $2, it's worth giving it a shot. turns out, it's worth more than what i paid for it. it is literally the only styling product that i have used that really does do what it says, which is straighten and relax hair. after using this product for a few days, i knew i had a winner on my hands and returned to big lots to buy s'more. no dice. i checked a second big lots store and came up empty-handed before checking online: my newly discovered miracle product has been discontinued! i raced to target to see if by chance they still had some in stock, which they didn't. i purchased the recommended replacement product by john frieda, the straight fixation creme, and i'm sad to report that it doesn't work as well.

by the end of the weekend, i will have used up the supply of my favorite product. good bye, friend. we hardly knew ye.

six word sunday: in a word, it was paradise.

2010-05-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

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dreamboat time capsule

2010-04-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

i had to go to the ABC today and pick up our posting for one of the 2 new locations. what a joyous crowd there. i stopped into a market afterward, where to my surprise, green seedless grapes rung up as $7.14 for a pound-and a-half. um, no thanks. then i hit up target and browsed for too long, meaning i spent too much. i tried on a dress that was pretty flattering, but the lining was visible at the seams. what do you want for $24.99, i guess. i got a couple of "boyfriend tees" instead.

i've had a stiff neck since monday. i went to this cheap little asian massage place (not THAT kind) yesterday afternoon where i was kneaded and prodded within and inch of my life. it's better, but still not 100%.

the last few days i spent on maui were peaceful and relaxing. i was able to make my rounds, as it were, of the things i like to see when i'm there for the most part, and i really feel like i was able to decompress. not something i do easily, and my brain is still on vacation. seriously, if you've seen my brain around, ask it to get down to business.

this is the view of lana'i as seen from the pali, stuck in traffic

stopped in for a cocktail before dinner

opah for dinner at kimo's

until recently, there was pineapple grown here

i'm trying to focus on eating well. i was doing so well for a year or so, and now it feels like some old habits are slowly taking over. i'm trying to shut these down, with some success. little victories every day.

SJC!

2010-04-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

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OGG to...

2010-04-25T13:21:00.001-07:00

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six word sunday: suddenly, traffic doesn't seem so bad.

2010-04-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

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exciting new concept

2010-04-21T10:01:00.000-07:00

here's a funny story: when i got back from the gym yesterday, i took off my shirt in the living room on the way to the bathroom. of course i still had my sports bra on, but that didn't stop the dude on his lanai in the next building over staring, hardcore. i got a laugh out of it, after being mortified, because i didn't realize just how far one can see in here.

still haven't busted out anything other than my cameraphone. it's the lazy person's best friend.

sugar beach, where i've been walking in the mornings:

kealia pond

i went out sunday night to a tiki bar and drank tiki cocktails like so:

the beautiful holy rosary church in pa'ia on the way to makawao:

it's hard to gauge just how immense this, this, compound is from this photo, mostly because i took it while driving around wailea and cut off a great portion of it on the right. frankly, it is downright disgusting how excessive it is.

the abc store is offering a variety of obama "dashboard dolls":

one reason i love maui:

there are only 2 grades of gas currently available at this station. they're out of the other two, and offer no apologies because of it. also of note, $3.93 for regular. i'm fascinated by the variance in gas prices across the country. what are gas prices in your area?

adventures in retail therapy

2010-04-20T12:29:00.001-07:00

i wanted this jacket

and have hemmed and hawed for literally months about buying it. it wasn't an issue of price, it's just that i'm not sure if it makes me look like linda cardellini circa "freaks and geeks."

witness:

and now it appears to be sold out. which is probably a good thing, because the last thing i want to look like is a freak.

or a geek.

six word sunday: as heart-stopping as it looks

2010-04-18T18:07:00.000-07:00

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Maui!

2010-04-15T20:34:00.000-07:00

SJC to...

2010-04-15T07:11:00.000-07:00

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that's what friends are for

2010-04-13T08:46:00.001-07:00

Jewels: You're not *that* much of a train wreck.

Me: I prefer to think of myself as a fender-bender.

Jewels: Maybe like a scratch on the car?

six word sunday: you know what? sometimes i do.

2010-04-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

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happy april, fools.

2010-04-01T04:26:00.000-07:00

happy april, fools. baseball season is here!

ten things that make me happy.

2010-03-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

gotta focus on the happy, folks. here's the list, in no particular order.

cupcakes (with LOTS of frosting)

thrifting

HBO

travel

Giants baseball

Polaroid film

Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

the color blue

photobooths

friends and family

six word sunday: I foresee lots of naps here

2010-03-21T19:17:00.000-07:00

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six word sunday: almost time to open for summer

2010-03-07T20:40:00.000-08:00

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media update: february

2010-03-01T11:36:00.000-08:00

this, of course, is more for my own remembrance than anything else. asterisks denote something i particularly enjoyed. follow this advice at your own risk.

MOVIES:
The Snake
Used Cars
How to Marry a Millionaire
Amreeka
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
New York, I Love You *
King of Kong (r)
Thirteen Days (r)
Stranger Than Paradise
Private Parts
The Brown Bunny
The Princess and the Frog

BOOKS:
Alice Munro, "Too Much Happiness" 2/17

MUSIC:
various artists, "music mondays"

six word sunday: much less traumatizing than it looks

2010-02-28T10:46:00.000-08:00

(click to enlarge)

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finding peace

2010-02-11T20:18:00.000-08:00

my aunt died last night, one of my dad's older sisters. she suffered a massive heart attack while on vacation.

we weren't close, and in fact, i can't remember the last time i saw her. probably christmas several years ago. she was a sweet, kind woman who got the short end of the stick much of her life. when my father's mother died before he hit double-digits, she helped raise him and the rest of the then-5 siblings.

i am sorry for my father's suffering, and the suffering for his siblings, and the suffering of my cousins. the elder of my aunt's daughters lost her own daughter not quite 2 years ago. i can't imagine what she is going through right now.

my aunt's first husband died some 24+ years ago. i had almost completely forgotten about him, until my mom casually mentioned that he, too, died while on vacation in mexico.

i suddenly remembered when luis died, being at my grandfather's house, them watching me while my parents were out-of-town or otherwise occupied. luis' younger daughter and i were very close for many years, and for a long time i considered her my best friend. she and her family lived around the corner from my grandparents, and she'd always come over when i was in the area. we never went to her house, because her father might be home. and if we did happen to stop by, i had to wait outside, and be very, very quiet. i didn't realize, or didn't know, until many years later what the situation was, only that i got a bad feeling when i thought about going over there and was downright scared of luis.

luis was a horribly violent alcoholic. absolutely vicious. abusive. dangerous.

my babysitter (my father's stepmother's niece [got that?]) told me that luis had died, and i'd better be sad, because my cousins lost their father. i can't remember how old i was, certainly no more than 7 or 8, but all i remember thinking was, why should i feel sad? he can't hurt my aunt and cousins anymore. i dared not say anything to my babysitter, but i remember feeling conflicted about what i was being told to feel and what i was actually feeling.

i didn't remember any of this until this morning.

her body was flown back from mexico tonight (the speed of this is surprising to me) and the services will likely be monday.

i'm not sure exactly how to support my father during this. i suppose just listening and making an effort to call him is the best for now.

media update: january

2010-02-01T18:06:00.000-08:00

this, of course, is more for my own remembrance than anything else. asterisks denote something i particularly enjoyed. follow this advice at your own risk.

MOVIES:
Funny People *
Youth in Revolt
Whatever Works
The September Issue *
Man Push Cart
Up
Precious
The Union: The Business Behind Getting High
True Romance (r)
Yes Man
Bolt (r)
Endless Summer (r)
Big Fan
World's Greatest Dad
Assassination of a High School President
The Visitor

BOOKS:
Laurie Notaro, "The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death" 1/1
Brian Wansink, "Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think" 1/18
A.J. Jacobs, "The Guinea Pig Diaries" 1/23

MUSIC:
Band of Horses, "Cease to Begin"
Pearl Jam, "Vitalogy"
Peal Jam, "Yield"
Pearl Jam, "Binaural"
Ke$ha, "Animal"
Young Money, "We Are Young Money"
Various Artists, "More Than a Game"
Vampire Weekend, "Contra"
Jeremih, "Jeremih"
The Gossip, "Standing in the Way"
The Gossip, "Music for Men"
Notorious BIG, "Greatest Hits"
Various Artists, "LSTN #8"

tony soprano is a wild thing

2010-02-01T09:50:00.000-08:00

i'm not usually a video mash-up fan, but this is pretty good.

six word sunday: long retired, he needed a purpose

2010-01-31T07:36:00.000-08:00

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six word sunday: longing for the return of summer

2010-01-24T15:57:00.000-08:00

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FUN VIDEO: Perfect Strangers Shot For Shot

2010-01-23T15:56:00.001-08:00

I wish they still ran reruns of "Perfect Strangers!"

Sent to you by ThatBeeGirl via Google Reader:

FUN VIDEO: Perfect Strangers Shot For Shot

via Zoomdoggle: More fun than work! by jakehimself on 1/21/10

Behold, the complete open, perfectly redone shot for shot. In Seatle. This will either make you want to track down a re-run, visit the windy city, or both. Either way, we dance the dance the joy. King Of The Hill anyone?

LINK: via Buzzfeed.

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hippo birdie

2010-01-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

hard to believe it's been five years since i started this blog. i've often neglected it, but it's been a good place to share ideas, thoughts and fun stuff.

and for those that say

(via)

pffffft.

things i love: look at this fucking hipster

2010-01-18T13:55:00.000-08:00

the latest in an occasional series about things i love, or otherwise find useful and generally pretty rad.

if your instinct is like mine, your first impulse might be to shield your eyes, but look at this fucking hipster is harmless. that is, if you consider laughing at idiot fucking hipsters harmless.

in short, hate the hipster, love this site.

six word sunday: welcome to california. now go home!

2010-01-17T18:29:00.000-08:00

(just kidding, of course.)

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PLAY: First-Person Tetris

2010-01-15T15:44:00.001-08:00

Sent to you by ThatBeeGirl via Google Reader:

PLAY: First-Person Tetris

via Zoomdoggle: More fun than work! by jakehimself on 1/15/10

When you turn the pieces, the screen rotates too. It's mind-bendingly fun. Click the pic to make the jump. Be warned though, you're committing at least the first few minutes of your day.

LINK: Firstpersontetris via Boingboing.

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things i love: neosporin overnight renewal therapy

2010-01-11T12:50:00.000-08:00

the latest in an occasional series about things i love, or otherwise find useful and generally pretty rad.

i'll admit it, i had my doubts about neosporin's magical healing properties. i mean, i use it occasionally for a scrape, but not religiously like some people.

but this winter, i've had the unfortunate experience of especially dry, cracked lips and found that my usual ace-in-the hole wasn't doing a damned thing. my sister recommended regular ol' neosporin, which sounded generally pretty icky to be putting on your lips, and i came across the neosporin's kid sibling, specifically designated for use on lips.

the claim is that after three days of overnight use, you'll have softer, smoother lips. i'm pleased to report that this was indeed my experience with this product.

bring it on, california winter!

six word sunday: a lovely fall day with friends

2010-01-10T10:17:00.000-08:00

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media update: december

2009-12-31T06:13:00.000-08:00

this, of course, is more for my own remembrance than anything else. asterisks denote something i particularly enjoyed. follow this advice at your own risk.

MOVIES:
Wall Street (repeat)
Bruno
Heavy Metal Parking Lot
Nothing Like the Holidays
I Love You, Man
Food, Inc.
School of Surf
The Big Lebowski (repeat)
The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill
Doubt
Save Me
Step Brothers
Role Models
Last Chance Harvey
Google Me

MUSIC:
The Living End, "Roll On"
The White Stripes (various tracks)
The Toadies, "Rubberneck"
Various Artists, "For the MASSES"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "Fever to Tell"
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "It's Blitz!"
3 Colours Red, "Revolt"
ABBA, "gold"
Above & Beyond, "Tri-State"
AFI, "AFI"
Air, "Moon Safari"
Arcade Fire, "Funeral"
Bush, "Sixteen Stone"
Deftones, "Saturday Night Wrist"
Deftones, "White Pony"
Deftones, "Around the Fur"
Deftones, "B-sides & Rarities"
Deftones, "Deftones"
Deftones, "Adrenaline"
Deftones, "Team Sleep"
Depeche Mode, "Singles 1986-1998"
Failure, "Fantastic Planet"
Foo Fighters, "In Your Honor"
Jimmy Eat World, "Blessed American"
Our Lady Peace, "Our Lady Peace"
The Frames, "Once" (soundtrack)
Billboard 1989 Greatest Hits
Pearl Jam, "Backspacer"
Eddie Vedder, "Into the Wild" (soundtrack)
Various Artists, "Music Mondays"
Band of Horses, "Cease toe Begin"
Enya, "A Day Without Rain"
A Tribe Called Quest, "The Low End Theory"
A Tribe Called Quest, "Midnight Marauders"
Ken Andrews, "Secrets of the Lost Satellite"
Ladytron, "604"
Ladytron, "Velocifero"
Lush, "Lovelife"
Lush, "Split"
Lush, "Spooky"
Muse, "Absolution"
Secret Machines, "Now Here is Nowhere"
Snow Patrol, "Eyes Open"
Tenacious D, "The Pick of Destiny"
The Notorious B.I.G., "Greatest Hits"
Beyonce, "Dangerously in Love"
Jay-Z & Notorious B.I.G., "The Commission"

mele kalikimaka

2009-12-25T09:24:00.000-08:00

mele kalikimaka to all!

merry christmas eve

2009-12-24T06:37:00.001-08:00

may your holidays be filled with JOY

Classics: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

2009-12-23T19:19:00.001-08:00

i adore this movie so much, i watched again this week.

Sent to you by ThatBeeGirl via Google Reader:

Classics: A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)

via http://ilovehotdogs.net/ on 12/23/09

Every time I watch this film I have to resist the urge to sit on the floor Indian style with my face in my hands. It totally turns me into a little kid again; And somehow after forty years, and a million replays, the simple story and perfectly jazzy soundtrack by the the Vince Guaraldi Trio make it a holiday classic that never feels dated.

Our favorite Debbie Downer Charlie Brown is suffering from a lil' case of what doctors call Seasonal Affective Disorder. He's annoyed by the commercialization of Christmas that has turned even his baby sister Sally into a gold digger. His friend and part-time psychologist Dr. Lucy Van Pelt suggests he take a seat in the director's chair of their school Nativity Play. Unfortunately, Brown is no Scorsese. He can barely get everyone to stop dancing let alone turn them into thespians of Biblical proportions. This is my favorite scene: Schroeder pounding on the keys, Snoopy jamming on the bass, and all of the kids delivering some of the best dance moves you've ever seen! Once the dancing stops, Linus and the most charming little Christmas ~~tree~~ branch teach the children the true meaning of Christmas. Best Holiday movie, ever.

Happy Holidays from I Love Hot Dogs!

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six word sunday: welcome to the world, evan james!

2009-12-20T21:19:00.001-08:00

blast from the past

2009-12-19T13:14:00.000-08:00

i once heard nostalgia is memory without emotion. i often ponder this, especially when i wonder about what it must have been like to live in the 50s and 60s, with the innocence of that time.

there's something about this video that captures the excitement of children on Christmas morning, certainly a timeless experience.

Kodachrome Christmas from Jeff Altman on Vimeo.

(via retro renovation)

Six word sunday: custom made wreaths are the best!

2009-12-13T18:53:00.001-08:00

Thanks, Jewels!
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld

gallery show, part deux

2009-12-09T13:08:00.000-08:00

the first show was so successful, ISM Community is hosting another Polaroid show, this time in Los Angeles.

i am hoping to drive down to see two of my submitted 'roids in their second show.

if anyone is in the area, visit the Copro Gallery in Santa Monica on january 9, 2010 and support what is sure to be a great show!

shopping tip:

2009-12-01T19:50:00.000-08:00

you know how much i love my photobooths, and how much fun would it be to send postcards with photobooths on them?

even better, chronicle books is offering a deal through december 4: just use code FRIENDS to get 30% off your order and free shipping. (via piewacket)

time for holiday shopping, anyone?

media update: november

2009-11-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

this, of course, is more for my own remembrance than anything else. asterisks denote something i particularly enjoyed. follow this advice at your own risk.

MOVIES:
Shades of Ray
Henry Poole is Here
Couple's Retreat
Duplicity
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Me and Orson Welles *
Porky's
Ten Things I Hate About You (repeat)
Caddyshack (repeat)
The Legend of Billie Jean (repeat)
Chop Shop
The Blind Side *
The Girlfriend Experience
Inside Deep Throat
The Tracey Fragments
Four Christmases

BOOKS:
Jen Lancaster, "Such a Pretty Fat"

MUSIC:
Mew, "And the Glass Handed Kites"
M83, "Saturdays=Youth" *
Ekolu, "Ekolu Music II Anthem" *
Glasvegas, "Glasvegas"
Morrissey, "Years of Refusal"
Morrissey, "Greatest Hits" *
Rihanna, "Rated R" *
Ladytron, "Witching Hour"
Music from the motion picture "Once"
Danyew, "Wake Up" +
Diggy Simmons, "Point to Prove"
Royce da 5'9" "Something 2 Ride 2" +
Fidel Nadal "International Love" +

+ denotes iTunes free download

six word sunday: the result was sweet and delicious

2009-11-29T15:23:00.000-08:00

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cultural tradition

2009-11-27T06:36:00.000-08:00

i am likely participating in buy nothing day today. i briefly thought about taking the picture black friday challenge, but that would mean dealing with way too many crazies at the mall or other stores.

and besides, i have all the crap i need right now.

gobbler

2009-11-26T21:03:00.000-08:00

happy thanksgiving!

so much to be thankful for, perhaps this year i am realizing this more than ever.

i am thankful for my loving family, even if i do complain about them. i'm thankful for a great job, for a comfortable home, food to eat, healthy friends and family, and for the ability to travel the way i do.

i'm thankful that i discovered a passion for making myself healthy this year, and have had the determination to continue with it.

back catalogue

2009-11-25T18:30:00.001-08:00

trivia last night was good, up until the point we got disqualified for cheating.

yeah, that's right, we cheated at trivia at a pub. my classiness knows no bounds. it was funny to see a friend get into it with the accusing bartender, fully defending our honor despite the fact that, yeah, we did look up an answer or two on google. then i had to throw my two cents in and say, "hey, we're in the silicon valley where everyone and their mother has some kind of smartphone. who's to say i wasn't on twitter, WHICH I WAS?"

s'okay, we just had fun goofing off and didn't really need the $50 in bar credit anyway. but! we will be back.

oh, yes we will.

peep show

2009-11-16T20:45:00.000-08:00

i felt like toothpicks were keeping my eyes open most of the day. i got a weird burst of energy toward the end of my training session in the late afternoon, but that is now long gone. it's a quarter to eight, and i'm gonna hit the hay very shortly after i'm through writing this.

this week is going to be busy, i have something every night after work. this, of course, in addition to my workouts. when does it ever end? i feel like i'm getting busier every week, long gone are the days i'd come home from work and lounge around for hours, sometimes watching two movies a night.

got my harmony one in the mail today to replace my old harmony remote. logitech was kind enough to offer a minor discount to replace my current one since the warranty period has expired and it wasn't holding a charge. got it setup, and the touchscreen feature is pretty rad.

alaska air announced direct service between san jose and maui starting in march. this is exciting for several reasons, but perhaps currently so because of the $169 each way introductory fares. gonna book a ticket for early april, mmhmm.

six word sunday: boothing is fun at any age

2009-11-15T13:48:00.000-08:00

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link of the week

2009-11-14T06:51:00.000-08:00

blackberry rules!

six word sunday: seasons changed, but they did not

2009-11-08T09:02:00.000-08:00

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it's aloha friday

2009-11-06T07:14:00.001-08:00

six word sunday: the waiting game was her favorite.

2009-11-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

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malibu dream house

2009-10-31T09:56:00.000-07:00

i'm not ashamed to say that i LOOOVED playing with barbies when i was a kid. my sister and i played for hours, and i entered her into a contest that won her the barbie dream house when she was about 5. once that house came into the mix, it was all about which one of us would use that, and which one of us would use the fold-n-fun house, the "loser" settling for the latter. i often "won" the dream house simply by virtue of being the oldest.

now this is a bit over-the-top, but a giant handwoven rug with an inital "B" stamped in the center? the mid-mod sunurst mirror? jonathan adler? i'm all over it.

my video pick of the week: barbie's maliu dream house.

(via retro renovation)

media update: october

2009-10-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

this, of course, is more for my own remembrance than anything else. asterisks denote something i particularly enjoyed. follow this advice at your own risk.

MOVIES:
Away We Go
White Material
Opie Gets Laid
Shrink
Vantage Point
Please Vote For Me
Management
The TV Set

BOOKS:
Jennette Fulda, "Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir"

MUSIC:
Karen O and the Kids, "Where the Wild Things Are" soundtrack *
Various Artists, "Landmark Theaters Digital Sampler"
DJ Kool, "Let Me Clear My Throat"
Diggy, "She Don't Want a Man"
Jay-Z, "Reasonable Doubt"
Drake, "So Far Gone"
Various Artists, "LSTN #7" *
Melaine Fiona, "It Kills Me" +
Benton Paul, "Run" +
Mary J. Blige, "The One" *
Various Artists, "Promo Mix" and "Hip Hop Takeover"
Owl City, "Ocean Eyes" *

+ denotes iTunes free download

regretsy

2009-10-26T05:42:00.000-07:00

i stumbled upon regretsy over the weekend and have been horrified at its contents since.

i mean, people really sell this crap? or, more accurately, are hoping people buy this crap?

take, for example, the reaper, made with real human rib bones.

not your style? maybe the masturbating dinosaur is more your speed. (i'm looking at you, t-rex.)

a great way to spend a solid 15 minutes going, "wtf?!"

grocery store musical

2009-10-23T17:38:00.000-07:00

the fine, funny folks (alliteration, heyyyy!) at improv everywhere have done it again with grocery store musical.

it's my video pick of the week.

six word sunday: even cloudy days couldn't stop her

2009-10-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

way to go, nicole!

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the bay that day

2009-10-17T08:59:00.000-07:00

the 20th (!) anniversary of The Earthquake (yes, it deserves capitalization) is upon us. the chron is full of reflections on "where were you when..." and my own circle of friends have had many a discussion of that fateful day.

i was in the 5th grade, and my sister, mother and i had just returned from shopping for halloween costumes. strangely, i don't recall what i was that year, only that i begged my mother to be a punk rocker, complete with a multicolor spiky wig. i wanted that wig SO BADLY. i don't know if it was my mother's conservative nature that balked at her daughter! wanting! to be! a punk! or something else, but i am now 30 years old and have not dressed up as a punk. (foot stomp.)

it was pretty hot for october, although the bay area always seems to have a hot spell in october, and we were still in summer clothes. we returned home and i set about doing my math homework (a thin, purple volume of problems, both literally and figuratively) downstairs on the coffee table. my sister was upstairs, likely playing with her barbies, and my mother was in the kitchen when the shaking began.

i (gladly) ditched the math homework for the a doorway leading to the backyard, while my mother ran for the doorway separating the kitchen and family room. as the shaking was still going on, my mother and i could hear my sister thundering down the stairs, yelling. poor thing was so frightened by the shaking, she didn't know what to do. earthquake drills are standard practice in california schools, but my sister, only in kindergarten for a matter of weeks, hadn't participated in one yet.

after the shaking subsided, my mother checked to make sure we were okay. we weren't able to reach my father, which was scary, but of course this was pre-cell phone days. the three of us went outside to talk to some neighbors and compare damage, of which there was some: my mother's china cabinet fell over, breaking some depression-era and world war II-era glass heirlooms. of course, we were without power and would be for about 24 hours. given that it was dinnertime and nothing could really be prepared, once my father arrived home he was immediately sent off to carl's jr. to wait in line for over an hour with seemingly all of our neighborhood. (why carl's jr. had power and no one else did i still don't know.)

we all feared aftershocks, and slept with our bedroom doors open. school was canceled the next day, and 20 years later i am still surprised my mother let me ride my bike alone to my friend jennie's house so that we could go to the park.

my father had tickets to the world series for us, although not for october 17. we opted not to go once the series was rescheduled, and i still regret it!

i've been in several earthquakes since then. one that occurred the eve of a 49er game. that idiot jimmy johnson claimed it wasn't an earthquake, it was just the cowboys coming to town.

my sister is still terrified of earthquakes. at the mere mention of the word, she pretty much freaks. although i don't think about them on a daily basis, unfortunately the threat of the next "big one" is always around. watching and reading coverage over the last few days has brought tears to my eyes a few times.

breathtaking view

2009-10-15T18:23:00.000-07:00

i've been reading patrick smith's ask the pilot column for some time now. as a pilot, he provides a interesting take on the world of commercial aviation.

in today's column, he linked to a video he took on the approach and arrival at JFK. it is truly amazing.

so.rad., and it's my video pick of the week.

six word sunday: a better view is not found

2009-10-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

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To SJC!

2009-10-10T21:32:00.000-07:00

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld

JFK to...

2009-10-10T14:12:00.000-07:00

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld

SJC to...

2009-10-06T22:15:00.000-07:00

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld

shorter repeats

2009-10-06T20:36:00.000-07:00

i leave for new york in just a few short hours, the same red-eye flight i always take. i'm excited to see my friend Vanessa! just finishing up some laundry, and i'm just about set to go.

i got the best news today: i won a contest at the club that gets me $1100 worth of personal training sessions! i don't know who was more excited, my trainer or me! my club does this body age thing and they set up a contest where you had to guess the body age of several trainers, mine included. she's 29, but her body age is 17. yikes! i'm sure mine is that of a retiree. anyway, i got the most correct answers (truthfully, my trainer helped me out a bit) and am stoked!

speaking of training, my trainer has me doing cardio speedwork and i HATE it. but that's just because it's hard. :) i worked out hard with her yesterday, and tried to replicate most of the workout alone today. this is where i know i still need a trainer -- sometimes i can't get myself as motivated when i work out alone. i did 45 minutes of cardio speedwork today, and felt pretty good about my effort. the bummer is, because i have a bum knee the elliptical is out and i'm stuck with the bike (trainer urges the spinning ones) and the erg. 25 minutes of speedwork on the erg and i'm ready to die.

the incident quotient on this week's "trauma" is significantly higher than last week's episode. who knew a street fair could be so dangerous?

i was short on patience earlier today, which was likely why i was so irritated by everyone's idiocy, but now things are all good.

six word sunday: his endless refrain quickly became grating

2009-10-04T20:33:00.000-07:00

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sycophants

2009-10-01T05:47:00.000-07:00

i adore "mad men," and "seasame street" is a perennial classic. the combination of the two makes this my video of the week.

media update: september

2009-09-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

this, of course, is more for my own remembrance than anything else. asterisks denote something i particularly enjoyed. follow this advice at your own risk.

MOVIES:
Starter for Ten
Good Dick
Can't Hardly Wait
How to Lose Friends & Alienate People
Expired
Partly Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox

BOOKS:
Therese Fowler, "Souvenir"

MUSIC:
Jay-Z, "The Blueprint 3" *
Morrissey, "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful"
Shop Boys, "Party Like a Rock Star" *
The Lovemakers, "Love is Dead" +
Animal Kingdom, "Tin Man" +
Slaughterhouse, "The One"
Miguel Zenon, "Residencial Llorens Torres" +
Mayer Hawthorne, "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out" +
Junior Boys, "Dull to Pause" +

+ denotes iTunes free download

stacked in your favor

2009-09-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

i woke up at 6:30 yesterday morning, and couldn't fall back asleep for about an hour. normally i wouldn't have an issue with waking up then, especially as i prefer to get up early, but since i went to bed less than 6 hours before, i wasn't having it.

i fell back asleep after tossing an turning for about an hour and a half, then woke up and glanced at the clock. it said 10:10, and my brain said, "the gym! THE GYM!" as in, you were supposed to be there over an hour ago! which really isn't that big of a deal, except for that i like to get out of the gym by 11 on weekends so that i have the rest of day free. instead, yesterday morning i booked a last-minute massage appointment for 11:30 and decided to head to the gym afterward.

i had a shiatsu massage, which was lovely, then did an hour of cardio and some strength training and some work on the stability ball. also, i'm all over the assisted pull-up machine these days. before i went to maui i told my trainer that someday i'd like to be able to do a pull-up. i should have known better, because before my session was over, i was on the assisted pull-up contraption pulling 100#. my arm (pits) hurt so much the next two days! but i was hooked, and have been adding them to my workout routine, with and without my trainer.

now here's the part where you know i'm cuckoo:

i joined a gym for the time i was on maui.

my trainer put together a nice travel workout and a water workout routine for me, but i missed having the gym routine, so for less than $50, i joined the gym for 10 days. and while the gym was kind-of a dump, it's super close to our home there, and provided everything i needed for my workouts, all 7 or so times i went. and each time i went to the gym on maui, i ended my workouts with a session on the pull-up machine, even adding in some tricep dips.

i got on the scale yesterday morning after my workout and shower and lost roughly another 2#. i've been at a plateau the last 6-8 weeks, and i was thrilled to see a drop again. when i tell my trainer about my additional loss, she'll likely shrug her shoulders and say, "i told you so!" because her advice is to eat more. she's a hardcore athlete, done the ironman several times, and regularly participates in triathlons. (can i just say i love her? she's the perfect trainer, so motivating and encouraging, but kicks my ass when i need it, too.)

anyway, i met with a nutritionist the week before my sister's wedding, just to make sure my eating was on track and to get some ideas for good-for-me meals. i'd been eating about 1500 calories a day, and my trainer was like, um, that's not enough with the working out you're doing, you should see how many calories your body uses at a resting rate, maybe try metacheck? the nutritionist i saw didn't do metacheck, but the club where i workout offers it, so i had it done. there was roughly a 1500 calorie difference between the formula the nutritionist did and what the metacheck read -- that is, the metacheck claimed i needed 1500 more calories than the generic formula.

anyway, i have no idea what got me started on this tangent. all i know is that i'm living better, feeling better and eating better.

and i swore this wouldn't be a workout blog.

six word sunday: it was out of this world

2009-09-27T20:07:00.000-07:00

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radiance

2009-09-24T20:53:00.001-07:00

i turned on my tv tonight for the first time in ages. who knew i had two episodes of "better off ted" from august about to be deleted on my tivo? i just wanted to make sure i created a season pass for "trauma." i'm not normally a fan of medical dramas, but since its filmed in SF i thought i'd give it a go.

the old navy "cardi coats" commercial is ridiculous.

today is the second time this week that i've had a headache that is so bad, it makes me dizzy. i took advil when it struck on tuesday, but it didn't touch it. at my board meeting in the evening, my neighbor offered to do reiki on me to relieve my headache, and it worked! i wish he was around today to fix it again.

i skipped out on the gym yesterday because i had to get new tires (i typed "tired") for my car after a flat tire in the morning held me up. i'd been putting off getting new tires, and see what happens?

i also skipped out on the gym today because of this headache. i'm hoping to go tomorrow morning, or in the afternoon before i meet my friend angie for drinks and apps.

working out has become such a priority i kinda freak out when i can't make my 5 workouts a week. i didn't have any sessions with my trainer this week, but my monday and tuesday workouts were pretty intense.

it's almost the weekend and i'm thrilled. but i'm more thrilled that it's finally fall, my favorite season. here's hoping we start to get some crisp, fall-like weather soon. i have a couple of new jackets i'm dying to break out!

chutes and ladders

2009-09-23T19:17:00.000-07:00

my trip to maui was one of the better ones i've made in the last few years. i was so glad to be able to go to my friend's wedding! i also spent a lot of time with many of my parent's friends, the kind of people that get upset if you don't make an effort to see them daily. good people, but it gets old!

having lived on maui, i never do touristy things, but this time i decided to take the ferry to molokai. it was a long, but fun day. it's about an hour and a half each way, departing from lahaina. on the way back, i met a nice guy from san diego and we proceeded to chat it up the whole ride back and hit it off, laughing and joking the entire ride. we were alone on the upper deck of the ferry for the first half hour, until we were both so soaked from the water splashing, so we went to the slightly covered lower deck. i made a joke about needing a rain jacket, and he goes, wait a sec, and pulls out a clean shirt from his bag. i nearly died, it was so cute and thoughtful! because i thought we hit it off, i was ballsy and asked him to dinner as we were exiting the ferry. he mumbled something and started walking away, leaving me like, huh? i debated following him to ask him what he mumbled, but decided against being a stalker and instead enjoyed a nice dinner at kimo's alone.

cracking macadamia nuts

mac nut tree

tasting mac nut honey, yum!

kalaupapa (aka the leper colony)

view from the hotel molokai, my lunch spot

on the way to the rehearsal dinner

beautiful hawaiian church where the ceremony was held

the church was tiny and stifling -- standing room only!

the groomsmen

view from the reception, the king kamehameha golf club, looking toward the south part of the island

my friend and his beautiful bride

my sister got married september 12. it was lots of fun! i kept saying to everyone, it's so much fun when it's your sister's wedding, you know just about everyone! i gave a speech that people are still talking about (funny, but sweet) and did 3 tequila shots before doing so, with all three shots plied by a cousin.

from the photographer's site: we ran up and surprised them

getting ready

first dance

goofys

they're on their honeymoon (maui) til tonight. they went to oahu for a few days, my wedding gift to them was inter-island tickets. while my sister was away, she was laid off. the business office is moving their operations to sacramento, and while we know she'll find something suitable, it sucks that she was notified on her honeymoon.

365 days of working out

2009-09-23T06:52:00.001-07:00

y'know, sometimes it's hard to notice the changes that occur from day-to-day when you're in a workout regimen. maybe i should have made a video like this guy. ;)

i think i've watched it 6 times already. amazing!

six word sunday: the view was just the beginning

2009-09-20T08:13:00.000-07:00

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six word sunday: the start of a great evening

2009-09-13T20:34:00.001-07:00

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things i love: CoverGirl Outlast Lip Stain

2009-09-07T19:57:00.001-07:00

the first in an occasional series about things i love. some are products, some are people, some are places.

first up:

CoverGirl Outlast Lip Stain

it's rare that i rave about a makeup product, even rarer so that i rave about one i bought on impulse.

i bought flirty nude, an ideal color for something that's barely there, exactly the look i'm always going for. it doesn't have the same consistency as benefit's benetint, which is a good thing, as i often manage to spill some of it. the smell is quite pleasing, and it doesn't have a chemical taste when you lick your lips.

i do have a debate about the name "outlast," however. while it does stay on a lot longer than a traditional lipstick, it doesn't last all day, like some of the promises claim.

overall, at about $7, it's well worth the cost, and in just a week's time, has become one of the things i love.