Happy Howl-O-Ween!

Happy Halloween everyone! Earlier this afternoon, the boy, Hazel and I headed to the park for the inaugural Howl-O-Ween Pooch Parade & Pet Expo, benefiting Pet Stop Rescue. When I heard about it, I knew I had to take Hazel out for a day of Halloween fun. Dogs can dress up, too! Late last night, I ran out to my local PetSmart to find a costume and I picked up a sweet little Cinderella dress for just 5 bucks in the clearance section. See, it pays to procrastinate sometimes!

Anyway, Hazel looked adorable, of course, if I do say so myself. She wasn't so happy about the costume this morning, she had her sad face on, but once we got to the park she lit up and started running around, showing off and saying hi to everybody-- dogs and people alike. We actually saw another Cinderella prancing around, but Hazel was cutest, for sure. (I'm a mom! I'm allowed to be biased.)

We ended up not actually "marching" in the parade-- the boy's back was really bothering him today and he needed to go into work still-- but we walked around the park for a little while and after the boy left, Hazel and I stayed to watch the parade-goers return. It was a fun time and just like with little kids on Halloween, Hazel ate tons of treats! In fact, as I type this she is passed out on the floor, in a treat-coma. What a life, huh?

Hope your Halloween is just as good!

An icy evening

Here's a riddle for you: Where can you go in Los Angeles when it is 90 degrees outside, but you can still comfortably wear a fleece jacket, boots and a scarf?

Why, a Kings hockey game, of course!

My thoughtful mother got me tickets to the game, so the boy and I and our roomie, Brook, piled into the car Sunday night and drove to downtown L.A. While the weather wasn’t exactly reflective of the season this past weekend (though it is suddenly chilly outside as I write this), inside that rink, wearing my layers, it almost felt like fall.

Now, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t really that cold inside the STAPLES Center, but I was happy just the same to finally have the chance to wear the Coach scarf the boy got me last Christmas, which has not been worn nearly enough times to make up for the steep price tag that I know came with it.

Funny enough, despite my longing for a cool night, when it came time to choose a refreshment I opted to sip a frosty strawberry daiquiri during the game. It chilled my hands but I couldn’t resist. I really am a California girl.

Sunday’s game was a night of firsts: my first time at the STAPLES Center—also home to the L.A. Lakers and Clippers—and my first time at a NHL game. I’ve never been a big hockey fan (though I’m sure my Canadian readers can’t understand why!) but I found myself surprisingly interested in the game, even if I did have a hard time keeping track of the puck.

For those who do enjoy hockey, it truly was a great game. The Kings scored two goals against Ohio’s Columbus Blue Jackets within the first five minutes of the first period and ended up winning the game 6-2. Even as a novice, I know that’s a high-scoring game.

Several players also came to blows on the ice after one of the Kings undercut one of the Blue Jackets—it was pretty gnarly; the guy did a full flip and landed on his head! Later in the game, a Blue Jacket checked a Kings player into his own bench. (I couldn’t help but laugh at that one.)

Another exciting moment was when the Blue Jackets were given a penalty shot against the Kings. The boy informed me that such an occurrence is very rare, which became obvious when the crowd stood to its feet to watch, boo and then cheer when the Kings goalie deflected the puck. Oh, yeah!

There were a lot of broken sticks, too. I didn’t realize how often players break their sticks! I would have thought those would be difficult to break… wouldn’t you?

All in all, I would say it was a fun, sometimes confusing and yet educational experience. I'd go again, for sure. I think I've warmed up (pun most definitely intended) to the machismo on ice that is hockey.

I'll admit, when the end game buzzer sounded, I was a bit reluctant to leave the STAPLES Center. Once we walked through the glass doors and out onto the city streets, the warm evening air hit us, reminding us of where we were and prompting us to peel off our jackets.

My icy evening may have been short-lived, but it was good while it lasted.

P.S. Thank you for all your lovely comments about my costume! You guys are so sweet. I can't wait to wear it again this Saturday!

Playing dress up

Halloween is here. That was made official Saturday night.

The party itself was okay, minus the fact that I didn't know most of the people there and all there was to drink was beer. (I'm not a big beer fan. I nursed two Coronas all night.)

Oh, and I can't forget to mention, my ex and his girlfriend were there. Not that big of a deal, really, but a little awkward to say the least since they kind of avoid me. Funny thing is, I didn't even realize it was my ex at first because he was wearing this ridiculous South Park character costume that pretty much covered his whole body and face.

Anyway, moving on. I did have a good time getting dressed up, of course. And making over Matt into Tinkerbell. I covered his lids in shimmery, bright green eyeshadow and lined his lids with navy liner on top and a shiny white on the bottom. There was mascara, blush and lipgloss, too! He totally rocked it out. The unfortunate part is we showed up right after they finished a costume contest! Everyone told him he would have won though, hands down.

For my makeup, I went all out, too. Bright blue eyeshadow, thick black eyeliner and fire engine red lips. If I can't wear it on Halloween, when can I? Actually, I kind of liked the red lips. I'm thinking that I should work those into my routine a little more often. Except, I need to get some lip liner to help it stay a little better-- you can tell in the photos below how late it is in the night by how much lipstick is left on my lips!

Speaking of photos, without further ado, here's a glimpse of my night.

Do you think I make a good Alice?

And does Matt make a good Tink? I think so! I mean, look at that pose!

Me and my bestie, Marielle, who went as Tinkerbell's counterpart, Peter Pan. Fun fact: Marielle's mom made both her and Matt's costumes! Pretty crafty.

Me and cowgirl Kristine.

The boys. Matt, my boy, and Jasin (that's Matt's boy).

Me and the boy. He wanted to go as Ted from There's Something About Mary, but he couldn't find all the requisite parts. Let's just say he wanted to be teenage Ted before the prom-- you know, when he zips his manhood into his jeans? Yeah, that's my boyfriend for you. And he wanted me to be Mary (with my hair sticking up). That was definitely a no-go. He ended up just wearing a wig and I told him he was a "bad hair day." Haha.

I don't even know who this guy is, but he was hilarious. He dressed up--perfectly, I might add--as Marty McFly from Back to the Future. But he also did a mean Michael Jackson impression.

Kissy face at the end of the night with the boy.

Luckily, my costume is going to get more mileage than usual this year as I get to play dress up all over again next week. On real Halloween.

Hope you all had a good weekend! And thanks again Andhari for the great costume suggestion!

Alice

Tonight, I am going to a Halloween party. Don't ask me why it's this Saturday night and not next Saturday night. I couldn't tell you. But the boy and I spent all day scrambling to find a costume (along with hundreds of other people, it seemed). And thanks to the suggestion of Andhari, I am going as Alice in Wonderland.

Well, given the way costumes are made these days, I am going as sexy Alice in Wonderland.

Let's hope I can pull it off!

What I am most looking forward to though is doing the makeup for my friend--and former roommate--Matt, who is going as... Tinkerbell! Oh, I love it. And yes, he is gay. My best friend, Marielle, is going as Peter Pan. I think they'll make a cute couple.

So in about an hour, I will head over to her place, armed with glittery blue and green eyeshadow, to make him over. What more can a girl ask for?

Hope you have a good night! I'll post some party pics soon...

Smile

Happy Friday everyone! It's been a busy week work-wise so I am ever so glad the weekend is here. I have been super lazy this week when it comes to reading (and commenting on) all your lovely blogs, so I have a lot to catch up on this weekend! Plus, I need to get a Halloween costume. Which is never easy, at least not for me anyway. (I am open to suggestions so if you have any, send them my way.)

In the meantime, I wanted to share the above photo with you. I was playing Hazel's paparazzi the other day, snapping away, and most of the shots came out just as cute as usual, with Hazel happy and looking at the camera. But this one was, well, a little off. And I love it! Cracks me up, I swear. I hope it makes you smile, too.

So, any exciting plans for the weekend? And have you already secured a fantastic costume for Halloween? (Do tell, I may steal your idea!)

Enjoy your weekend!

Tourist on campus

On Saturday, I went back to school. What I mean to say is, I visited my alma mater, Pepperdine University in Malibu. (Yes, it is gorgeous. No, I didn't go to the beach every day. Have you seen my skin?)

The occasion was a sorority event, the Alpha Phi Family Brunch, which is basically a chance for the new pledges to introduce their families--parents, siblings--to their new sisterhood. My little sis, Sam, invited me to come and since I hadn't seen her in forever, I immediately said yes!

Me and my lil, Sam.

(Now, if you are thinking that you can never read my blog again because I was--well, still am--in a sorority, please don't click away just yet. I was not that kind of sorority girl. Remember, Pepperdine is a quasi-Christian school AND there's no Greek row. If you watch the show GREEK, which I saw last night for the first time, my sorority experience was not exactly like that, to say the least.)

Moving on. I ended up being a little late for the brunch and believe me when I say, it wasn't my fault. I do have a tendency to run late but this particular instance I am blaming on the cops. The Police Officers Association decided to rally outside a councilman's house and, as they say, duty called. More like, the POA prez and the councilman called, while I was sleeping. But once I handled that, I was off.

Me and my growing family tree: Sam, Casey, Ana and Jillian

The brunch was lovely and I was so happy to see my sisters, old and new. And it was a great turnout compared to similar bring-your-'rents events we had when I was still in school. The only unfortunate part of the day was the heat. (So Cal obviously doesn't understand the meaning of fall.) It was so. incredibly. hot. I was literally melting. Melting! Along with the rest of my beautiful sisters. The get-together was originally scheduled to last until 2 p.m. but after brunch and the ceremony were over, people pretty much booked it to the shade or an air conditioned room to dry cool off.

Me and one of my bestest sister friends, Kapua. We rushed and pledged together. And sang together in choir, too.

Other than seeing my friends, one of the best parts of the day was taking in the newly renovated campus. The brunch itself was held on a patio behind the Sandbar--a coffee house/smoothie bar with computers  on main campus. When I went to school, there was no "back patio behind the Sandbar." Walking around the revamped Joslyn Plaza and Elkins auditorium all I could think was how lucky the current students are. And, "Darn it, I graduated too early!" Oh, and, "So this is what my tuition went to..."

But really, it is beautiful. The campus was breathtaking before and somehow it has been made even more so. Since I didn't take too many pictures around campus when I was an actual student, I decided to play tourist for the day. Here's some of my snapshots of the remodeled main campus, the chapel and, of course, the views.

View of the ocean from the Sandbar patio.

The chapel overlooking the ocean.

Looking out from behind the chapel.

A view of the Theme Tower, which has a cross on it that you can't see.

There's Malibu.

The remodeled Joslyn Plaza.

Another view of the plaza, with Elkins auditorium in the background and a completely new building on the right.

New patio outside the Weisman Museum and Smothers Theatre.

So, for all you college grads (or current college students) out there, where did you go to school and what was your campus like? If you've already graduated, do you ever go back? Have things changed?

And here's the zinger: Do you miss college? (I definitely do. Sometimes, anyway.)

Guess there's just one thing left to say-- Go, Waves!

Yeah, that's our mascot. Don't judge.

Collectibles

This post by Dionne got me thinking about collections. When I was little, I had a couple of collections. Some were pretty meaningless though and most unintentional. Stickers. Pogs. Barbies. Fortune cookie fortunes. Stuffed animals by the hundreds. 

But the one thing that I actually actively collected that I was really proud of was my rock and shell collection. I would pick up interesting rocks off the ground and scour the beach for pretty shells. I would then tuck them safely away in a pink music box—you know, the kind with the spinning ballerina? Then, when my geologist uncle would come for a visit, I would take them all out to show him and he would tell me their “stories.” What they were, where they most likely came from… I think I still have that collection somewhere in my room at my parents’ house. (Do you see now why I loved this amethyst necklace so?)

Currently, I don’t really collect much. Although, I am most certainly a pack rat. But I think a collection has to be more than stuff you don’t want to throw away. It has to be on purpose, don’t you think? Anyway, I do have about 20 or so shot glasses that I have picked up during my travels. And I have nearly every single Glamour magazine for the past four years. As well as an overflowing jewelry box and tons of strands of necklaces hanging on my wall. Oh, and debt. Seems that’s easy to collect!

I want to start a real collection though. Something legit. I would love to collect more old books, like the ones I bought awhile back. I also have a thing for figurines, particularly ones of little birdies and owls. Though, I won’t say no to a couple of friendly squirrels or a big-eared deer.

See, I have already begun my search for collectibles. Here are some promising finds I came upon while browsing Etsy.

1. Martha (vintage owl figurine) from ethanollie's shop Trampoline

2. Ceramic bird by Monkeys Always Look

3. Lil Squirrel Desk Buddies by BROOKLYNrehab

4. Ceramic Deer Figurine Vintage Design Celadon by Fruit Fly Pie

What do you think? A little too grandma-ish? A collection like that could potentially turn my house into a pile of knick-knacks. At the same time, I quite like the idea of a lovely little bird perched on my bookshelf or a pair of critters by the keyboard on my desk.

Full disclosure: I bought the bird. And the owl. Sign me up for Shopaholics Anonymous.

P.S. For those of you wondering where I got the Maple Ginger Snap gelato, I just picked it up at my local Vons. I am pretty sure you can get it at most grocery stores if you are dying to try it!

P.S.S. I had Chinese food Friday night—yum!—and this was my fortune: “You have a strong instinct to take care of the people you love.” Not exactly a “fortune” but one for the “collection," I'd say!

New obsession

So it's been raining all day and here I am thinking about ice cream. But I have a good excuse for this madness: Tonight, I discovered a new flavor that may just become my new obsession.

I never thought there could be a perfect-for-fall flavor of ice cream, but I have found it.

Meet Ciao Bella's Maple Ginger Snap gelato.

When I saw it in my grocer's freezer section last night during a quick shopping trip for dinner supplies, the name caught my attention. I mean, Maple Ginger Snap? Who can say no? So tonight, after eating a delicious bowl of my "famous" (yes, famous) farfalle pesto and sun-dried tomato pasta, I thought I'd grab the pint and a spoon and give it a taste.

Oh, man, is it good. Seriously amazing. Imagine ginger snap crumbles nestled in cream that has been sweetened with maple syrup and hints of cinnamon and toffee. It's spicy and sweet-- a surprisingly delightful combination for ice cream, er, gelato.

I'm already imagining this on apple cobbler or a warm blondie, with graham crackers or a cup of coffee... heck, I'll take it any way I can get it. It's a wonder that I was able to close the lid and put the pint back in the freezer!

Well, now that I have waxed poetic about gelato, I urge you to try it yourself. Then you'll see. Till then, tell me: What's your favorite autumn dessert? And what flavor ice cream makes you melt? (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

Oh, and for the record, banana ice cream (or fro yo), I have not forsaken you. You just have a new friend in the freezer.

Images via Ice Cream Source and Ciao Bella's Facebook

Redemption in a pair of jeans

Last Saturday, my bestie, Marielle, invited me out for a day at the mall. Since we hadn't seen each other in far too long, I said yes, of course. Marielle wanted to go shopping to treat herself to some early birthday gifts. (She turned 24 on the 6th.) I, however, was going to simply window shop and abstain from opening up my wallet.

Well, that plan didn't last long. I'm sure you are not surprised. We first hit up Macy's where, even though I had my eyes on some black peep toe flats with gold studs and a pair of tan cutout flats, I resisted the urge to buy. But it was downhill from there. We ended up shopping (and talking) for probably four hours that day. We both went home with tired legs from lapping the mall (we literally shopped till we dropped) and with our hands full of bags (and maybe a bit of buyer's remorse?). But I ended up not feeling too bad about my shopping spree since I really did get some great deals. I figured, if I'm going to spend, I better spend wisely. Here's a rundown:

At Forever 21, I got a slouchy-sleeved, navy knit top adorned with little rhinestones (Marielle hates these "slouchy," or "sloppy" as she called them, shirts, but it's an accepted fact between us that we have very different tastes in clothes... which is funny because we have been best friends for 16 years!) and a slew of accessories: a pack of metallic headbands, a silver braided headwrap, purple and magenta petal bobby pins, a gold and black owl necklace and a silver leaf cuff. I also bought a black and teal dress but it didn't fit quite right so it's going back. Minus the dress, it all totaled for about $45.

Next we went to LoveCulture, which I had previously never been to but soon discovered it is kind of like Forever 21: cute clothes at great prices. I got a mustard yellow boyfriend cardigan, a dark blue V-neck tunic tee, another three-quarter, slouchy-sleeved sweater (this one is gray with black feathers printed on the front) and a big rhinestone flower cocktail ring. This came to about $50.

We then stopped into ANGL. I asked Marielle how she pronounces the store's name. I say "Angel," she say "Angle." What do you say? Guess we should have asked the girl at the counter... Anyway, there I picked up a floaty, brown tunic tank with a purple, lacy design on the back and a form-fitting, tank top-style dress (receipt says "racerback bandage dress") that is teal on the top and a gray-ish brown on the bottom. I wasn't completely sure about the dress, but at the same time I kind of loved it and thought it would look good with a blazer. (Which I don't have, so that's next on the shopping list. Ha!) Marielle liked it but thought it was missing something and I suggested that maybe what it needed is a belt.

By this time, I knew I needed to curb the spending (I spent $50 at ANGL) so when we went into Urban Outfitters I told myself my only mission was to look for a belt and nothing else. Well, I found a pretty amazing belt ($30-- pricey, but totally rad don't you think?) rather quickly. Mission accomplished. I then began to ooh and aah over everything else in the store. Marielle came to the rescue and convinced me to put back a shirt I had picked up. I had said, "Do you think this will look good on me, or will the print make me look fat?" She said, "If I tell you it will make you look fat, will you put it back?" Mmm, yeah. What's a friend for, right?

All told, I spent $200 that day. A bit of a splurge, for sure, but it was a wonderful day spent with a even more wonderful friend. So in my mind, it was worth it.

The next day, the shopping continued. Sunday evening, I needed to go to the mall to finish buying Marielle's birthday gift (which I can't print here since I haven't given it to her yet! Just in case she sees...) and I convinced the boy to go with me. On Saturday, I had tried on some jeans at Charlotte Russe because Marielle said she got her jeans there and they were on sale at a really good price. Alas, I had no luck in the fitting room. So when the boy and I walked by American Eagle on Sunday night, I figured, what the heck, I'll give it a try. Some of you may remember that I have needed new jeans for a while since my favorite pair got holes in the crotch and that I was angry at AE for changing the way they cut their jeans and thus, ruining my life. Ok, dramatic, yes, but kind of true too because I hate shopping for jeans.

Anyway, I picked up a pair in pretty much every style they have, which is a lot, and went to the dressing room. One of the girls working at the time was helping me and I told her how last year I had no luck with their jeans. She replied quite surprisingly, telling me that last year's jeans sucked, that no one liked them, that AE had put out this new cut that was supposed to be fabulous and it wasn't. She also told me that AE had subsequently fixed its jeans.

There was hope.

I tried on the first pair-- which were skinnys, no less-- and to my surprise, they fit! It was like a miracle! AE had redeemed itself! I tried on probably 15 pairs of jeans and most of them fit. I was so happy-- that is, until I had decide which ones to get! I ended up getting three pairs of jeans (two Artist, one slim boot) and two pairs of skinnys. My luck continued at the cash register. When my card got declined, they said it had probably been canceled for having a zero balance for more than 3 months (which it did because AE had previously turned its back on me!). So I opened a new account and got a 15% discount. Woo hoo! Five pairs of jeans for $170. Again, woo hoo!

My dad took this photo of me in the council chambers at City Hall on Saturday. Just a tad bit embarrassing. It was the city's 40th birthday.

For the past week I have been a very happy girl, wearing my new clothes and slipping on jeans that fit, even if they are a size higher than I wish I was. Gotta dress the body you have, though, right? Also good: if they have holes, they are in places where the holes are supposed to be! Oh, and my cute, slouchy Steve Madden boots have seen the light of day more times last week than they have in the past year thanks to my new skinnys.

It's official. There's no better way to welcome fall than with a closet full of new clothes.