Pack it up, pack it in

Today is moving day, again.

Tomorrow will be moving day again, revisited. 

And then "Goodbye, apartment living."

"Hello, Mom & Dad."

Mail has been forwarded...

More than a dozen boxes already packed, taped and sent on... 

Hazel scoped one out for me. 

Amazingly, I still have more stuff laying around. 

And once it's officially moved, I have much

cleaning and organizing to do.

Thanks for all your sweet, 

encouraging comments the other day.

I know I'm making the right move (hehe)

Till then, I hope you are enjoying your week!

(almost weekend!)

and

Be back soon!

My life in boxes

As I told you the other day, I'm moving. (Again.)

But what I didn't tell you is where I'm moving to.

Cue Bon Jovi: Who says you can't go home...

Yep, that's right. Unfortunately and fortunately, I'm moving back home. To my parents' house.

I say unfortunately because moving home seems like a step backwards. I'm 25 years old and I'm going to be living with my parents. Now, I know that 20-somethings moving back in with their 'rents is a growing trend in today's economy and nothing I should feel ashamed about, but I have to admit, I do feel a little embarrassed.

In many ways, I have been "on my own" since I went off to college freshman year. Yes, I did come home each summer and after graduation I stayed at my parents' house for a few months. But as soon as I was able, I moved out to live in an apartment with my best friend, Marielle (and really, I wasn't financially ready to do it and it was probably not the best decision but I did it anyway).

After living with Marielle and two dudes for a year, I moved into an apartment with the boy. And then we moved into another apartment, where we are now. In the three years since I graduated I have moved four times (counting moving home from college) and now I'm moving again! And oh man, do I hate moving. (It just reminds me how much stuff I have and how big of a pack rat I am!)

But besides from not wanting to move home because of the whole "independence" thing, I am also worried because I honestly think that my parents and I get along a lot better since I moved out. (Mom, don't take that the wrong way!) I think we'll be fine because I have grown up; I'm not a teenager anymore, after all. But these past few years, I could go over to my parents house when I wanted to, call when I wanted to talk... I'm sure those of you who live on your own understand. So I say all this to say that while moving home is not the end of the world, it will take a bit of adjustment. (And, a lot of cleaning! Almost done with that though, almost done.)

On the other hand, I say it is fortunate for me to be moving home because, well, let's face it, it will save me a lot of money. Luckily, my parents haven't asked me to pay rent while living at home. And luckily, I have parents who actually want to take me back in! I do realize that isn't the case for some people, so I am grateful that my parents would let me come home, for free, no problem. No hesitation. They are happy to have me back. (And I'm triply lucky that home is just 15 minutes across town.)

And that is the main reason I am moving back home: to save money. I have found myself living paycheck to paycheck for quite some time (High rents in Simi + low income + no chance of a raise + no time to get a second job {and I did apply for one recently only to come to my senses} = financial instability) and things only got worse when the boy lost his job. I found myself having to loan him money that I didn't really have. Moving home will give me a chance to actually save some dough. (Remember my No. 1 New Year's resolution?) Maybe I'll even open a savings account!

So while there are some drawbacks to going home, there are definite benefits, too.

Our lease is up Friday and I spent much of the weekend packing up my life in boxes, so to speak. There's still more to do but by Saturday I will officially be a "boomerang kid."

Images via we heart it, here and here.

Living brightly

I'm a colorful girl. One look in my closet would reveal this as true. I don't wear much black, usually preferring to don pretty pastels and summery shades. Maybe it's the California girl in me, but I just like color.

The same goes for my design sensibility. Growing up, my room was as girly as a room could get. Think pink pink pink with a floral bedspread that perfectly matched the rosy wallpaper that perfectly matched my grandmama's hand-painted wall plates-- also in a floral motif. It was a bit uncanny how it all went together. And I loved it.

But once I got into my teens, I wanted a change. My obsession at the time was all things stars and I had just begun my love affair with the color yellow. (Up until then, my favorite hue was cerulean. Now the colors of the sea and the sun hold my attention equally.)

So what did I do? I painted my bedroom the brightest shade of yellow I could find. My parents questioned the choice but went with it (gotta love 'em). I accented the look with stark white Ikea furniture and pops of blue. A star mobile, star rug and many other star-shaped things completed the look. And you know I had a cheap copy of van Gogh's "Starry Night" hanging, too.

I simply loved waking up in that room. It was hard to be blue, shall we say, in a space that was so darn happy. Today, however, my living quarters aren't so vibrant. Beige walls and a brown couch are fine but I long for something more cheery, especially since my home is my office, too.

One day, I will have a house full of color, full of pattern and texture, full of ... life. Till then, I will just dream. And look at design magazines (ha!). I pulled some photos for future inspiration and I think it is safe to say that, if I had my way, my home would look something like this: (click *** for source)

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Do you daydream about how you would decorate your ideal digs? Do you go for in-your-face brights like me or perhaps something more classic and subdued? Do share!

Top image found on Oh Joy! a while ago. If you know the direct source, please let me know!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I love this time of year.

When the radio starts to play classic Christmas songs (I've been humming them all week) and your weekend schedule is booked with holiday parties.

When its cold enough outside to put on a scarf and boots and pull that jacket out of the closet that has been sitting largely unused most of the year (because you live in California, after all).

When eating copious amounts of cookies and other baked goods isn't frowned upon because it's practically a food group.

When walking your dog around the apartment complex is made all the more delightful because you get to admire your neighbors' Christmas lights and spy into their living rooms to see how their tree is decorated.

When you blow most of your paycheck on presents and start to stress when you realize Christmas is two weeks away and you still have more shopping to do. (You know you feel it too. Christmas time isn't all gingerbread and candy cane sweetness!)

But seriously, I have felt more joyous lately, even in spite of the looming debt. The holiday season never fails to lift my spirits. The only thing that would make it better is if we had room in our apartment for a Christmas tree. But at least I can count on my parents' house to fulfill that part of the holiday equation.

My mom always dresses up the living room with festive attire. Aside from the obligatory tree and stockings, the mantel and the banister are trimmed with garland, mistletoe hangs above the entryway, holiday class projects-- like my wooden snowman whose cap I made out of one of my old red socks or my brother's golden macaroni Christmas tree-- are set out on display, and dishes of candy tempt you at every pass through the room.

My mom lets me put up my favorite decoration, though: my grandmother's hand-painted nativity set.

Even though I started thinking about Christmas weeks ago-- getting the gifts, making the cards-- it didn't hit me until this week. For some reason it is hard for me to believe that Christmas is just around the corner, and soon after it will be a new year. Like one of my coworkers said to me today, Christmas will be here in the blink of an eye! It's so true. It seems like this year went by so quickly. But maybe it always feels like that in December.

Today was my company's holiday party. The office shut down at noon and we had a potluck. I brought my mom's sweet potato puree, which you may remember from my Thanksgiving plate. I made it because  my editor was bummed that I didn't bring him any leftovers after Turkey Day. Even though I had never made the sweet potato recipe before, it turned out well-- I did my mom proud, I think! Several people told me they loved the dish and even took home some extras; one coworker said it was her favorite item at the potluck!

I have two more "office" parties this weekend, on Saturday and Sunday, though they won't actually be at the office. Since I work from home (minus Wednesdays), it will be nice to hang out with coworkers for once, especially out of the workplace.

Also on the weekend agenda? Crafting more cards! For those of you who emailed me your addresses, I sent out your cards on Thursday so you should find them in your mailboxes soon! Making each individual card proved quite an effort but I enjoyed putting my artsy, creative hat on for a change. I hope you guys like them! (And I'd love to hear what you think, so feel free to drop me a line when you get yours!)

Speaking of holidays (great transition, huh?), I have to go finish my Christmas wish list. Yes, I make one. My mom still asks for it every year! The list is usually fairly extensive, which my mom appreciates because it gives her lots of options to choose from. Once I'm done I'll post a little snippet of what I hope to find under the tree this year.

Till then, I'll leave you with an adorable picture of Hazel that I snapped on Thursday when I went into the office to pick up my desperately needed paycheck. It was cold and gloomy out so I put on her jacket. Isn't she a doll? Look at that face! (I am unashamedly biased.)

Happy weekend loves!



christmas collage and gingerbread man both via we heart it 

the More the Merrier

Last weekend, and most likely this weekend too, I spent my time trying to clean and organize the apartment. There was also a considerable amount of money spent on buying things to help me clean and organize the apartment. Why, you ask? Well, it is certainly not because I enjoy such tasks. I wish I could list "neat freak" as one of my personality traits but, alas, I live more in a state of "organized chaos," as I like to call it. Though, others—ahem, my boyfriend—just call it a bona fide mess.

Anyhow, the reason for the cleaning and organizing is... we got a new roommate! Yes, the boy's friend and co-worker (well, technically, the boy is our new roommate's boss... details, details) named Brook moved in with us last weekend. He needed a place to live and the extra rent money would really help us out, so it was a win-win for everyone. 

The only thing is, the boy is not used to living with other people and sharing his space. He is 35 and having roommates is kind of a thing of the past for him. I, on the other hand, am very used to living with roommates. Did it all throughout college and after college, until I moved in with the boy. I have lived with all types and I can pretty much get along with anyone. But the funny thing is, even though the boy and Brook are good friends, I think the boy is feeling like he is on Brook-overload. I'm not worried though; I'm sure we'll all settle into the new living situation soon. 

Still, there is one thing I am quickly realizing: With another boy in the house, I have lost my "veto" power when it comes to watching hours and hours of sports (at the moment, baseball). Before, I could just nag the boy to change the channel when I simply couldn't stand to watch another pitch. But now, I feel outnumbered! 

Oh, and I can't just walk around in my bra anymore. Haha, the joys of living with a male roommate. But trust, I would NEVER let another girl move in here with me and my guy. Even a friend. Funny double standard, huh?

So, what's your take on roommates? Love 'em or leave 'em?

And, what on your weekend agenda? Like I said, I have much more cleaning and organizing to do. It never ends! But maybe I will squeeze in some time to read one of the many unread books lining the shelves of our new bookcase (one of those organizing things we finally bought even though we've lived here for 6 months). I have so many options, too: "Julie & Julia" by Julie Powell, "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver, "The Lucky One" by Nicholas Sparks, "The Almost Moon" by Alice Sebold, "The Secret Life of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd... oh, the list goes on and on. If you have an opinion, which do you think I should read first?

P.S. We went to the county fair last night. Stay tuned for pics!

Image via i can read

Wishing the weekend was still here...

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend and a Happy Mother's Day!

This is my mom, last year on her birthday. I gave her one of those Edible Arrangements and we had to take a pic before we devoured it!

Saturday I had to work, kind of, by representing the paper at a street fair here in town. It was a pretty good time I must say because for five hours I just sat at a booth while people came up to tell us how much they love the paper! Not bad, right? Though I was afraid of the sun burning my shoulders and arms since I was wearing one of my new, summery Anthropologie dresses, I did get out from under our tent for a bit to actually walk the fair, picking up a shave ice on my way (though it was more like snow cone, but still cold and sweet and yummy) and a free pen (I never say no when a man offers me a free pen!).

This is me and my mom at the wedding of a close family friend last June.

On Sunday I slept in (nice!) and then called my momma to wish her a Happy Mom's Day. I then had to clean up our messy apartment because the boy's family wanted to come by. They had never seen the place and we didn't want them to see the pig sty we had created as of late so I went to work clearing the table, picking up clothes off the floor and trying to hide some of my makeup-- that is usually just out on the bathroom counter-- in the cabinets.

Finally, I got ready and met my fam for a late lunch of burgers and fries at Red Robin. Pretty unhealthy but definitely delicious. 

Love the freckled lemonade and the natural burger (not pictured)!

At lunch I gave my mom her gift, which I think she was pretty happy about: a 80-minute "ultimate" spa pedicure at Coldwater Creek The Spa. Plus, I added a paraffin wax hand and foot treatment. My dad and I went in on the gift together so that we could get her something really nice. She had asked for a spa pedicure for Christmas and didn't get it so I thought, what better time than summer to finally get what she asked for? 

Looks pretty nice, huh?

I need a pedicure myself and haven't had one in ages and I was thisclose to buying one for rough-around-the-edges footsies when I got her gift card. I simply can't stand painting my own toe nails and would much rather pay someone to do it-- and to do it nicely and cleanly too, without getting polish all over! So I am thinking I will actually splurge and get a pedi since I will be living in sandals the next few months. But I'll probably get the "cheap" (not "ultimate"), $30 one. That's good enough for me.

So that's the run down of my weekend. Oh, well, I forgot to mention, I started to make progress last night on the mountain of laundry I was telling you about, but I fell asleep! I still have my whites in the wash. Ick. Gotta go finish that today...

How was your weekend/ Mom's Day?

Images via Red Robin and Coldwater Creek The Spa.

Bullet time

Busy day. Well, busy week. But that's not really out of the ordinary. Still, it has lead me to not post earlier (technically it is Thursday but it still feels like Wednesday since it is just after midnight) and not read or comment on other blogs and that makes me a bit sad. I guess I really have been bitten by the blogging bug or else I wouldn't care.

Seeing as I do, here is a random post, a stream of consciousness if you will, in bullet form:

• My emotions are all out of whack. It's that time of the month, as they say, and I nearly had a breakdown at work. I am cracking under the pressure this week and I could feel tears coming to my eyes. For no real reason really except that I could tell my editor was disappointed that I didn't have all my stories in before I came into the office to do layout and it was making him a bit stressed. See, recently my paper had to layoff 3 people and my editor took over one of our sister papers, which means he is putting out 2 papers instead of 1, which also means I have a bit more work to do. Long story short, it was not a good work day.

• But it wasn't all bad. I did interview a really cool local pop artist who does some pretty amazing work-- and has a celeb clientele-- and he gave me a free print! So that was exciting.

• However... I still have one more article to write. Boo. That's next after this post.

• It was a sad turn of events tonight in Idol land. **SPOILER ALERT!** Last girl standing Allison Iraheta was voted off. Season 8 is officially now a boys club! I would have shed a tear if I hadn't done that already today. I can't really complain since I never actually call in or text my vote. Still, I almost don't want to watch the rest of the season now because Allison was my fave-- I always root for the girls-- but I will because Kris Allen is awfully cute, Danny Gokey has a sexy set of pipes and Adam Lambert, well, he's just too crazy not to watch.

• I have a pile of laundry to do. Multiple piles to be exact. A mountain to be even more precise. Add to that an apartment that needs some major cleaning and reorganizing. Anyone want to help me? No, I didn't think so.

• I love my Hazel. She makes me smile.

• Remember my cravings from yesterday? Er, Tuesday? You know, Cinco de Mayo. Well, later that night I had the real thing at El Torito. Not that El Torito is muy authentico or anything but it was better than I thought it would be. And I got a free Tecate bead necklace. What's not to love about that? Here's some pics to prove it: 

Top to bottom: Me and my blended strawberry margarita (and Tecate necklace), some chips and salsa, a bowl of yummy tortilla soup with no cheese, a chicken tamale (again, no cheese) with a green-ish (tomatillo, maybe?) sauce that I didn't expect seeing as I usually am a red sauce kind of girl.

So there you have it. I am hoping tomorrow (really, today, I know you are all confused now) will be better and less busy and stressful but I kind of know it won't be. But my goal is to have a positive outlook, to take the stress in stride and look for the silver lining... the weekend is almost here!

Let our powers combine

I’m back! From outer space! *singing Gloria Gaynor in head* Ok, no, not really outer space. But I have been MIA the last few days and for that I apologize. It has been a C-R-A-Z-Y workweek, with not much sleep last night. The stress has been palpable and I am starting to see it on my face by way of blemishes. So not fun. But, I am so glad it is Thursday because the rest of the week is all downhill from here and soon it will be the weekend!

I feel a little guilty though for not posting on Earth Day, which was yesterday for any of you who might be living under a rock. I kid, I kid. I really only knew it was coming because my planner says so. Anyway, I had this whole idea of posting about green living and what we can do to be more eco-friendly but then I realized today, I’m glad I missed Earth Day. Because writing a post like that would make me the biggest hypocrite on earth! That is a slight exaggeration, but what I mean is that writing about how we can do our part to save the planet doesn’t mean much if the person who is writing about it doesn’t even practice what she preaches.

"Captain Planet, he's our hero. Gonna take pollution down to zero." 

You know you love it.

I wouldn’t say I have a Big Foot-sized carbon footprint, but I am sure it's not that small, either. I'm no Captain Planet. I go through probably 2 or 3 writer’s notebooks a week—and I don’t write on the backside of pages unless I am forced (i.e., when I run out of paper mid-interview). We buy paper plates, plastic cups and, until recently, bottled water. We have now switched to buying plastic jugs of water, which probably use less plastic but still. Living in an apartment has caused us to slack on recycling. I constantly forget to turn off lights when I leave the room, or the house. Whenever I am brushing my teeth I let the faucet run until I remember the conservation stories I have written on the fact that California is in a serious drought and that I am wasting 3 gallons of precious water a day by letting the tap run as I brush (thanks bewaterwise.com for that factoid). Oh, and I regularly take 20-minute showers.

So see what I mean? I can’t write about being green. But, I don’t want to sound like a cop out. Every day is a new day and I can try to make better choices in the future. Do my little part to save the planet. Make the Captain proud.

Tell me, what do you do to try to live in a more environmentally conscious way? I will add your tips to my “eco-do list.” And does Earth Day make you feel guilty, too? If so, watch out. National Arbor Day is tomorrow. Better go plant a tree! Or buy this cute, reusable tote and the dirty work is done for you (meaning, for each purchase, one native tree is planted in an ecosystem restoration project in the United States). Me likey.

For $12.95, this "pod" is in the bag. 

(In honor of Earth Day, get 20% off until the end of the month. Just enter EarthMonth09 at checkout.)

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Stay tuned…

Check back later for when I hand out some Blog Lovin.’

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Forest print via Bee's Knees Studio's Etsy shop

Captain Planet image from here.

Reusable purse from BeGreenNow.

Home Sweet Home

I'm finally posting pictures of my new apartment! It took me awhile, but I couldn't not deliver since I told ya'll I would post some. I just had to get it looking somewhat respectable before I could take the photos, you know?

So here goes. I'll start with the prettiest pictures first:

A view from our balcony. We are on the top floor, the second floor. The sky looks so amazing in this shot. And the palm trees are very California.

The view looking the other way. Can you see the cross on the top of the hill? It has been there for as long as I can remember, and I have lived in Simi for 20 years.

Our cozy living room. It's not much, but it's homey. And the couch is comfy! That's Hazel's new favorite spot. She is sitting behind me chewing a bone as I type this... Oh, and as you can see, we have a lot of blankets!

Another shot of the living room. I love those photos on the wall. The bf was not such a fan, which is why this is the first time they've been hung up, but I think they add a little something to the room. You can't tell, but they're nature shots taken by American photographer Eliot Porter and I got the prints during a visit to the Getty.

Our tiny kitchen. A bit cramped, but it gets the job done. We hung the colorful painting to liven up the space and have something to look at while doing the dishes!

The boudoir. Not sure I can call it that, but I will anyway.

My closet. I bought the picture from a sidewalk-artist in Venice. I think it's nice in the morning to open up my practically-bursting closet and get dressed seeing the beach.

See. I told you. It's overflowing with stuff! (It took awhile to organize, as you can imagine.) I can't believe I filled that whole closet. RR has to use the one in the spare room! 

Me. Posing in the "boudoir."

So there you have it. It may not be an HGTV Dream Home, but it's ours and I like it. For now, it's home. Hopefully, we won't move again for awhile (at least a year, please!). Hazel loves her new home too, especially when we go for walks. See how happy she is:

Have a great weekend everyone! Me and the bf are going to the LACMA to see Vanity Fair Portraits before it closes. So excited!

I'm back from moving!

Sorry I have been MIA this week. I feel like I've been gone so long... Moving, unpacking and trying to write articles left me absolutely no time to post, or even read other blogs! My plan is to make it up this weekend, instead of doing laundry :)

Anyway, since we were moving this past weekend and I didn't have TV or internet until Tuesday afternoon, I missed the Grammys. And Desperate Housewives (I just read the recap, sounds like it was a good one! Darn it.). And The City. So sad. I feel so out of the loop! But I did manage to scroll through some photos from the Grammys and I must tell you, it is a sad day in fashion when I think Paris Hilton and Miley Cyrus were the best dressed of the night. 

Yes, a tad short, but I love the colors. And it's the Grammys, so you can be a bit wild.

Maybe a bit mature for Miley, but so sophisticated and I love the hair, so props to her.

Of course, there were the usual stunners as well, see Carrie Underwood and Kate Beckinsale. 

Carrie with fellow AmIdol winner, Jordin Sparks, though I am not digging her dress as much as the one country music's golden girl is donning. But I still have love for Jordin, no doubt.

Ah, Kate. She can do no wrong. Always sexy. Always gorgeous. I hate her. ha!

And Katy Perry's ensemble had me intrigued... but I can't say I completely love the pink concoction. Something's throwing me off-- the bow? the hair? Hmmm. You tell me.

So what do you think? Did you watch the Grammys? Who was your favorite red carpet starlet? And did I miss out or luck out by not watching?

P.S. The apartment is still in disarray, boxes everywhere, clothes on the floor... Honestly, we haven't even made the bed and in our exhaustion have been crashing on the couch. So not comfy. Hopefully all this will change this weekend and things will be put in their rightful place. Then, I can take some pics to share with you!

All images, except Paris Hilton, via Access Hollywood.

Paris Hilton image (cropped) via TMZ