Friday, September 29, 2006

True Colors

I came across this really cool site yesterday:

www.scraptitude.com/colorcombos

It's an automated tool that lets you pick any combination of Stampin' Up colors and suggests other colors that compliment them. It will also generate random palettes in case you're looking for suggestions. Even if you don't have a lot of Stampin' Up paper and ink but enjoy paper crafts, I think you'll find it quite useful!

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Ouch!

I ordered these shoes from Zappos.com last week. I thought some leopard shoes would be fun for fall. Plus, they match black and brown outfits.

They came in the mail today. They are SO CUTE on! But I cannot stand up in them! I have never put shoes on my feet that fit so awkwardly. I'm really sad that I have to send them back. At least they make the return process very easy. I just had to print a pre-paid UPS label from their site.

As a humorous side note, I pitched Zappos.com as a client at my former job. On that day I happened to be wearing some shoes from Payless by Star Jones. And someone asked me what brand they were in front of the whole meeting. I was afraid to lie, thinking that these people know shoes, so I just admitted to being a bargain shopper. That was truly one of my most embarrassing moments.

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Time Killer

If you're looking for something fun to do, check out this game:

http://us.mms.com/us/dark/index.jsp

It's a picture with a bunch of different things going on. The different things symbolize the titles of 50 horror movies. For example, the lady screaming is the movie "Scream."

Steve and I got 38, which I think is respectable. Anyone think they can beat us?

I did find the answer key, so I'll post that in the comments in a day or so ...

I should mention that it's to promote dark chocolate M&Ms. So don't get thrown by the M&Ms in the picture.

Ashley's Book Club


I finished "Shopaholic and Sister" last week. I hadn't read a Shopaholic book in a while, so it was fun. Definitely not the best so far. But now I can't wait for "Shopaholic and Baby" in February!

Hey, Big Spender


Last night was our first show at AMTSJ as subscribers. Even though our seats were high up, they were right in the center and the view was good.

We saw "Sweet Charity," starring Molly Ringwald. The show was good and it was fun to see someone in-person who graces such a large portion of my DVD collection. (Actually, I think I have all those movies on VHS tape!) I'd previously only seen the original version of "Sweet Charity," which is sort of weird and really dated. I'm glad this revival cut out a lot of the weirdness.

Before the show we went out for drinks and dinner, so it was a fun night overall!

Saturday, September 23, 2006

Chapeaus

Crockett in his Halloween hat:




Me in mine:


My Favorite Things

I put out my fall decorations this afternoon. Here are a few favorites.

Family room coffee table:


New funky Halloween cats from my mom on the mantle:


New stuffed fabric apples (also from mom) on my kitchen table:


Little glass pumpkins on hardware in the kitchen:

There are a few other things I wanted to show, but the photos didn't look good on the computer. I'll take more and update later.

Friday, September 22, 2006

I left my shoes in San Francisco

I had to take two days off of work in September. Today was one of them. Steve also took the day off, and we decided to spend the afternoon in San Francisco.

We went to the Ferry Building, walked around and had lunch. Then we decided to walk from there to Union Square.

It was ridiculously hot for San Francisco today. Like almost 90. And I wore sneakers, jeans and a sweater. I was SO UNCOMFORTABLE. Especially because my shoes were stabbing into my heel for the entire mile-long walk.

As soon as we got to Union Square I ran into Old Navy. I bought a tank top ($4), cotton capri pants ($14) and some flip-flops ($2). Then I went into the bathroom and changed, throwing my uncomfortable clothes into the shopping bag. That was the best $20 I've ever spent.

The only problem was that the shopping bag was big and heavy, and I had to carry it around all day.

Wednesday, September 20, 2006

By Request

My newest reader called me this afernoon to let me know that what this site was missing was more cat photos. So in her honor, here are some recent pics of the kitties ;)




I Scream



Not much exciting to share today. I mentioned this sweatshirt last night. I thought I should take a photo and post it for posterity's sake. I truly love this sweatshirt because of how stupid it is. I wear it several times a week (after work). In case you can't see clearly, it features two ice cream cones with faces. One is saying "hi" and the other is saying "hello."

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Blah.

I'm so tired. I'm mailing today's post in:


The Last Survey
Last person you huggedSteve
Last car rideHome from a baseball game tonight
Last time you criedA few weeks ago
Last movie you watched\"The Last Picture Show\"
Last food you ateMicrowave popcorn
Last item you boughtI ordered a pair of shoes online
Last shirt you woreCurrently wearing a gray sweatshirt with two ice cream cones on it
Last phone callTo Steve
Last text messageFrom Steve
Last kissEarlier tonight
Last thing you touchedA pen
Last funeralOnly been to one (more than 10 years ago)
Last trip to the mallSaturday
Last time you were excited for somethingSunday -- A little Halloween trick I have up my sleeve
Last person you sawSteve
Last thing you drankWater
Last person that broke your heartNot going there
Last time you were happyI\'m happy now
Last plane rideHome from Florida in April
Last dreamHad one last night. Don\'t remember it now.
Take This Survey at Quizopolis.com

Quizopolis

Monday, September 18, 2006

Counting on It


I have loved Count Chocula since I was a kid. I think it used to only be available seasonally. It seems like it disappeared for many years and reemerged recently. Or maybe some stores only stocked it near Halloween? I don't know.

But what I do know is I bought it on a regular basis through all seasons in the past few years. And then I couldn't find it. And I've been looking. For a long time.

My mom helped me find some in Target yesterday. These were the last two boxes, pushed way to the back of the cereal shelf. The Count's box got a makeover. And now he's whole grain!

I had a bowl for breakfast this morning and it threw my body for a loop. Despite being whole grain, the Count still packs plenty of sugar, something my breakfast standard, plain oatmeal, is lacking. I've been bouncing off the walls all day.

But that won't stop me from sharing breakfast with the Count again tomorrow! After all, 'tis the season.

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Witchy Woman

This weekend was fun, but I didn't get much accomplished.

Yesterday was the summer picnic for Steve's office. It was at Vasona, and it was a beautiful day. They had barbecue and games. After a while, it got boring, so I decided to walk around the lake. That was a dumb idea. I got about 80 percent of the way around and then realized it dead-ended. I had to turn around and walk the whole way back. It was OK though, cause there were various animals -- including geese, chickens and cats -- to check out on my stroll.

Last night we saw "The Last Kiss." It was OK. I was hoping it would be better, since I liked "Garden State" so much. And we went to Target, which has truly outdone itself with its Halloween selection and presentation. I will have more entries regarding my Target purchases in the next few weeks.

Today I went with my mom to the Almaden Art and Wine Festival. It kind of sucked, since it was uncomfortably hot and there weren't many good booths. I did make one special purchase. This photo just doesn't do it justice:

These ladies have a booth with the coolest witch hats every year. I'd been wanting to buy one for a while, but the good ones are always taken before I get there. Anyway, I tried a bunch on today and picked this one. You can't see the detail in the photo or the fancy vintage buckle and rhinestones on the feathers. I guess if you want to see it in person, you'll have to come trick-or-treat at my house!

Saturday, September 16, 2006

Pumpkin Patch


This morning I decided it was time to harvest my pumpkins. I'm so proud! There are three more that weren't ready yet. That's good, cause we'll have a fresh batch to put out for Thanksgiving after some of these are carved for Halloween.

In other pumpkin news, I added a scoop of canned pumpkin to my oatmeal this morning. Very yummy.

Thursday, September 14, 2006

Project Menu: Episode 3


Tonight I made these individual chicken pot pies. The recipe was from the Weight Watchers "Time saving meal ideas" book. They were a hit! And they only took about 20 minutes to make. This will definitely be a regular in the rotation. Here's the recipe (for one individual pie):

-- A chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
-- 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables (thawed)
-- 1/2 cup condensed cream of chicken soup
-- 2 tablespoons chicken broth

Mix all of those together in a 2-cup casserole dish. Then roll out some of the Pillsbury biscuits that come in a tube and use those to cover the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

EDIT: Forgot to mention that the chicken breast should already be cooked. A cooked a bunch up earlier in the week so this would be quick to prepare.

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

New Tunes



I downloaded the new John Mayer album "Continuum" today. It's so good! He always delivers. And I'm so glad he's not really dating Jessica Simpson.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

She's Back

Today was the season premiere of "The Martha Stewart Show."

Guess what everyone's getting for Christmas? That's right, get ready to enjoy your very own place-mat purse sewn by me! She demonstrated how to make them today, and I think I can master it in time for the holidays.

Just kidding. I'm sure nobody wants a purse made out of a place-mat. Still, I think it's a good practice sewing project for me, so I'll probably try it out when I get a spare afternoon.

Monday, September 11, 2006

No Strings Attached

My dad set us up with a wireless network last week. I LOVE it! I was able to work a bit from home this evening. I was very happy to be sitting at my kitchen table with a kitty in my lap.

And now I'll be able to write on the site more, since Steve and I can both be on the Internet at the same time. Hooray!

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Golden Ticket


We stumbled upon Powell's Sweet Shoppe in Los Gatos yesterday. It's a really fun place!

It's an old-fashioned candy store with lots of new twists. There's all kinds of "nostalgia" candy and funky new stuff as well. They also have a gelato bar and movie theater seats in the back where "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" plays on a loop.

If you're in the neighborhood, it's definitely worth a visit.

Saturday, September 09, 2006

Follow the Leader


Martha says it's OK to start celebrating Halloween in September. At least that is what I've gathered from her awesome new Halloween site that has loads of helpful how-to videos. Speaking of Martha, she's back with new episodes on Tuesday. I can't wait!

And a big "Happy Birthday" to my mom! We will be celebrating with a delicious dinner at Evvia in Palo Alto tonight.

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

I am a bad person


Does anyone else think that Suri died her hair and put color contacts in for this photo? If I were on the cover of Vanity Fair, I'd probably do the same, I guess.

Actually, I think she is very cute, and she looks much more natural in the other photos from the inside of the issue.

Tuesday, September 05, 2006

San Francisco Treat


I had to attend a class for work in San Francisco today. My dad told me I needed to leave by 6:00 a.m. to beat the traffic. Since the class started at 9:00 a.m., I decided that a 6:30 a.m. departure would be fine. I loaded up my trusty commuter mug and hit the road.

I got to the city at 7:30 a.m. and had an hour and a half to kill. So I found a Starbucks and people-watched for an hour with a grande latte in hand. Then I walked over to the building where the class was. The doors didn't even open till 9. Nothing else was open, so I decided to walk around. I found a Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf! I didn't know they existed north of Santa Barbara! And their vanilla-flavored beverages are just too creamy and delicious to resist, so I went in and bought myself ANOTHER LATTE. I had three large coffees before 9. I don't think I've ever been so jittery! Honestly, I wanted to go back at lunch and get an Ice Blended Vanilla, but I was afraid I might explode.

I did make an exciting stop at H&M during our lunch break, and bought a few fun things.

After class, I strolled around Union Square and then headed home.

All in all, a lovely day. And the class was on how to write HTML code, so look forward to some fancy tweaks on this site!

Monday, September 04, 2006

Snappy Service

I've always managed my digital photos using Snapfish. And that's also the service I use to order prints.

I'd run out of photos to scrapbook, so I logged on today to order prints from the past year or so that I just hadn't gotten around to. I was kind of bummed, cause I knew they wouldn't come in the mail for a few days, and here I had a full day off with nothing to do! But to my happy surprise, they now give you the option to pick your photos up at your local Walgreens instead of having them mailed! I chose that option and got an e-mail about an hour later letting me know the photos were ready.

Lucky me: My local Walgreens shares its parking lot with Michael's and Scrapbook Island!

I think that is a great new offering. And I'll definitely be taking advantage of it in the future!

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Appley Adventures


Yesterday was the most boring day ever. So today we decided to go on an adventure.

We drove to Watsonville and enjoyed lunch at a yummy Mexican restaurant, where a mariachi band serenaded us with a romantic song. He he :) It was embarrassing!

Then we ventured out to Gizdich Ranch. Contrary to the information on their Web site, we could not go apple picking! But we did get to enjoy an apple slush and a piece of fresh apple pie. And we spent some time hanging out in their antique store. We came home with a gallon of their tasty apple cider, which we will definitely enjoy.

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Charge It

Many people have admired my Starbucks Duetto Visa card over the years. And it has been good to me. It's been a long time since I've actually paid for anything at Starbucks.

But I just cannot keep up with the quantity of rewards points I earn! And I've already used my points for just about every big-ticket item they sell there. Yes, I own the 12-cup Barista machine. And no, I didn't pay a single dollar for it.

I found the perfect alternative today. It's called the Scrapbook Rewards card. First of all, it comes in beautiful designs, and you can select the one you like best. And you can cash your points in for various scrapbook supplies, magazines and classes.

You earn 4% on anything you buy at a craft store. 3% on any gas purchases. 2% at restaurants and grocery stores. And .25% on everything else.

I think I'll be rolling in my rewards in no time at all!

Friday, September 01, 2006

Project Menu: Episode 2


Tonight I made Moroccan braised pork with apricots and dates. The recipe was from the Weight Watchers "Dining for Two" cookbook. It was actually a success! It was a little on the sweet side, but it looked kind of fancy with the apricots and dates on top. Like maybe a dinner guest would be impressed! I served it with couscous as the cookbook recommended. I've never made couscous, but it was easy and tasty! Definitely a new alternative side dish.

I also made chocolate chip cookies tonight, but substituted the chips for M&Ms. They were requested by Steve and turned out yummy.

By the way, the tomatoes in the salad were home-grown!