WISH LIST: [summer | fashion]

with the weather heating up FINALLY and with my trip to Hawaii almost here, it's only natural for me post a wish list of some of the many things that i would love to have for the summer.

RIP: [mj | king of pop]

its still feels surreal that Michael Jackson the "King of Pop" has passed away unexpectedly on Thursday, June 25th 2009 at the age of 50.

I don't know about you guys but i grew up listening to all of MJ's music and i even remember trying to "moonwalk" in my parents kitchen and failing miserably at it, when i was younger. ha! (don't lie i know you did too lol)

But with the passing of the KOP the #1 question asked is "what's your #1 favorite Michael Jackson song?" and to be compeletly honest with you guys.. i can't! there's too many good ones... great ones to choose just one. (i.e. thriller, human nature, billie jean, rock with you, the way you make me feel, heal the world, etc...)

i know i'll get shit for saying this but as the years flew by i kind of forgot all the great amazing songs he created over the years. OK! i didnt forget persay, more like out of site out of mind and it saddens me that his passing and every radio/tv station playing his songs had to refresh my memory of his talent/greatness. i will definietly be adding MJ/Jackson 5's classics back onto my ipod's playlist.

in the end Michael Jackson has left this world a true legend and icon. he'll always live on in his music.
REST IN PEACE MJ!!!

xoxo

GREAT FIND: [free | new flavors | pinkberry]

This friday between 5-9pm Pinkberry is rolling out the FREE carpet for their brand spanking new flavors coconut & passion fruit.

so be sure to go in and grab your free small Pinkberry... especially in this economy who doesn't love FREE things?! hell i loved FREE things even when the economy wasn't bad, who i'm i trying to fool. lol

enjoy!
xoxo

PHOTOGRAPHY: [flickr | picks]

i absolutely love the art of photography. here are sfgirlbybay's friday flickr picks.
from the looks of it we have a lot of the same taste in photography. enjoy!

ART: [fashion illustrations | bil donovan]

isn't this water color painting by Bill Donovan just breath taking?! now this is the type of art i'd LOVE to hang up in my home. amazing! i wish i was this talented.

{source: love made visible}

PERSONAL: [career | jobless]

FREE AT LAST!

with some recent events that had gone down with me and the company i worked for (yes! that's right past tense) it was only a matter of time in this economy/recession that i would most likely get laid off when the time came. so when i (along with 3 other people) was called into the conference room on friday, i pretty much knew i was probably getting let go.

people ask me if i knew it was coming? no, but i kinda had a feeling especially when we didn't really have any work coming in. but i still felt it was a little unexpected, if that makes any sense ha. especially since i thought i've been work my butt off and have been kicking ass on the jobs we have been working on recently, clients picking my work etc. but oh well their loss right?!

but to be completely honest it's very much bitter sweet. after recent events i've been some what looking to get out, so this really gave me a bigger push. the saddest part about me getting let go is my coworkers... i'm going to miss them. hopefully we'll still keep in touch.

i also truly appreciate the apologies for me getting laid off... but seriously DON'T BE! i'm sure as hell not. ha! i always look at it as "everything happens for a reason" and "when one door closes another one opens" and i truly believe that. now i have time to focus and get back intouch with me and what i really wanna do. life's too short!

but as happy as i am about getting laid off and to start the "vacation", i do however feel exteremly bad to have to put all the financial reponsablities onto daren now. so hopefully i'll be able to find a new job in no time... after a vacation of course! hahaha

i still dont think it's truly kicked in yet that i dont have work anymore. i still feel that "MAN! i dont wanna go to work tomorrow!" whine lol.

well wish me luck on my new jouney.
xoxo

PERSONAL: [gun range | lax]

as some of you know, i grew up being a tomboy. i've always wanted to go shot guns at the range but when i was growing up my grandfather wouldn't let me go with him and the "boys" because i was a "girl". go figure right?! so when our friend steve was asking everyone if they were interested, of course i jumped at the chance (daren, not so much ha).

when i was younger i grew up with a bb gun and i got the chance to shoot a shot gun once... but thats it, nothing as serious as the glock 9 & colt 45 we were shooting with on Saturday. i was a little nerves and excited but quickly got over my nerves.

for 5 out of 8 of us, this was our first time at a shooting range. so for safety we decided to only get 2 lanes and we just switched turns so that the experience shooters could show/watch the rest of us. but if you ask me all us ladies turned out to be the "naturals"! don't mess with us, you don't want none of this! hahah jk

but all in all, it was a great fun experience and i'm so proud of mina for facing her fears of guns and for taking charge. good job! thanks steve, luke & morgan. had a blast. i can't wait to go again!!




if you'd like to see all the images i took at the range click here.

GREAT FIND: [poladroid project | program]

did the news of Polaroid stopping production on their instant cameras over a year ago sadden you as much as it did to me?!

well i've just found the next best thing. it's not as cool as the actual thing but its just as close. it's called Poladroid – an online program available for Windows and Mac users that converts your digital shots into digital Polaroid look-alikes. YAY!

What’s so cool about about Poladroid? You drag and drop your digital photos on top of the camera and then the camera shoots out a blank photo (just like the real thing) that slowly “develops” on your computer desktop.

Sticking true Polaroid form, you can only take 10 shots at a time.

Also, for you iPhone owners, Shakeit is an iPhone App that uses the same tinted colors, staggered developing process and entertaining “shake” technique. which means the Polaroids actually develop quicker if you shake it. This app will costs you $.99 US. i might have to carry around my deactivated iPhone just to have this app handy haha.

Polaroid is also coming out with PoGo but its just not the same without the white border and the crazy vintage-looking color hue. if you know what i mean?!

{source: nymag.com, justintimberlake.com}

PERSONAL: [question | car]

Would you buy the same exact car as your friend/someone you know? (Color/model/year)

why the question you might ask?!

I had a pretty heated argument with a friend. she had stated that I'm a snobby/selfish person for wanting to drive a different car than everyone else I know. I like individuality, does that make me a snob?

She said that if she liked/wanted the same exact car that her friend drove she would just get it. And yes maybe it is selfish of me to think the way I do, but if that's the case wouldn't it also be selfish of the person for just buying something because they wanted it and not consider the other persons feelings on the matter too? (In no way do I or am I looking down @ people who do or have, I'm just trying to defend my character and playing devils advocate, you know?!)

Maybe its just me, but I grew up in a place where your car was an extension of ones self, not in a status kind of way(I can care less about that) but in a way where its another way of identifying a person. (i.e. "Hey there goes so & so")

In no way am I saying that no one I know can have the same car or that its wrong of a friend to have the same car as me. But I myself, just personally try NOT to get cars that other people I KNOW. Do I wish everyone thought the same way.. Yea! Do I expect them too... Of course NOT! Its personal opinions and people can do what they want. Would I ever tell a friend they can't get the same car?! Of course not. Would I prefer them to get a different color, yea but would I de-friend, hate or be mad at them if they didn't get a different color?! No!

Its just personal preference. No ones right or wrong. I dunno like I said, maybe its just me? so tell me, what are your personal thoughts on the topic? (don't worry, no judgments here)

Xoxo
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HUMOR: [zack morris | jimmy fallon show]

love it!

WEEKEND RECAP: [travels | sacramento]

This weekend the hubby (yes the hubby) and I headed up to Sacramento for my Aunty Judi's surprise 60th birthday party on Saturday.

FRIDAY:________________________________
I get home from work & finished packing using my brand spanking new luggage (YAY!). I seriously was shocked when I was able to pack both of our stuff in my luggage. Normally I have no space left to fit Daren's 2 t-shirts, 2 shocks, 1 jeans, 1 polo shirt & 1 undershirt... But I did it! Lol

Once Daren got home we were off to LAX to grab Mexican food @ the airport for dinner (like I always do before my flights) and to catch our short flight to the 916.

While @ the airport I got a text from my cousin Geof saying he didn't get the banner Nic (his sister) had asked me to make for their mom's party. Doh! I had sent to Wednesday afternoon thinking it would definitely get there by friday... Guess not! I knew I should've sent it over night or taken it with me on the plane. Oh well. Live and learn!

Oh and I didn't tell my parents that I was going to bring Daren with me, I wanted it to be small surprise. Plus I figured that since my parents are now planning to come down here for both Thanksgiving & Christmas this year the rest of my family won't be able to see him.

So once we landed safely in Sacramento my dad picked us up. When we arrived at my parents house we chatted for a few minutes but we were super tired and headed to bed. Plus my cousin Geof wanted me to wake up early to help him set up the party.

SATURDAY:_____________________________
I woke up around 8:30am so I could take a shower and get ready before my cousin Geof came to pick me up at 9:30am. As Daren of course slept in. Lol go figure right?!

Geof & I then headed over to Wishing Well (party store) to pick up balloons and a back up banner. After that we headed to Freeport Bakery to pick up the awesomely decorated cake (wish I took a photo of it). Then we headed to Geof's house to pick up the flowers. By this time it was already 10:45am (party started @ 11am) and the Party people were already heading to the venue (Fortune House Chinese Restaurant) so we headed over there to set up. We were hopping that banner I made would've made it just in time... But sadly it didn't.

The surprise was a success! She wasn't expecting it at all. My cousin's planned it out perfectly. They planned a family dinner Sat night so she wasn't expecting it. I guess geof also told her I probably wouldn't be able to come because I was just there and Daren hardly comes up so she wasn't expecting him either. But of course I didn't find this out until the end of the night when my mom had told me. I was wondering why she looked so surprised to see me there let alone daren. Good one guys ha!

After lunch Daren & I headed off to the movies to go see the Hangover. It was funny, but not as funny as I thought it was going to be.

And after the movies it was time for dinner (was still full from lunch & popcorn lol). Daren had TONS of work to do so he opted out of dinner and had us drop him off at startbucks so he could work with no distractions (I.e. TV, bed etc). So we did, and then head off to Scott's Seafood for dinner.

4 hours later we were finally done with dinner and went to go pick Daren up from starbucks. Lol

SUNDAY:______________________________
We had lunch with the Sato's (kellie, brent & my nephew brodie) & natalie at Paesano's (sp?) In elk grove or should I say Breakfast. For some strange reason they now don't serve lunch until 2pm on weekends... Its that weird?? We were so sad but decided to stick it out any ways.

After lunch it was time to pack up and head over to the cemetery to visit my brother's nitch. I haven't gotten to go the last few trips back and especially since Daren was with me this time, I thought we should definitely go pay him a visit.

Then it was off the airport. Sadly for Daren I accidentally scheduled our flight back during the Laker/Magic Game 2. But I got to catch the beginning and he would've caught the end if he wasn't a workaholic and didn't head into the office once we landed. Lol

All in all the weekend was nice. Nice to have the hubby around and with me... For the most part. Most weekends consist of him working a lot. (Thanks again for flying up with me babe! 123)

Welp that was my weekend. Sorry no pictures... I really need to get better at taking them ha. But I hope you guys all had great weekends.

Until next time...
Xoxo

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