Shoulder envy

Shoulder envy, as in, I envy whoever has this on their shoulder!

The above image-- featuring the new Kristin Op Art Ikat Print Satchel and Kristin Ikat Large Wristlet-- popped up in my inbox today and I was instantly smitten. I just love ikat! It's fun to look at and fun to say. And we all know I love Coach, so it's a match made in purse heaven.

Not to mention, the soft colors are perfect for summer and will go with just about everything in my wardrobe. Now all I need to do is save up a couple hundred dollars.

But first, one more decision: hippie, satchel or hobo? I think I like the hobo shape best...

Just dreamy.

A Christmas wrap up . . . before heading into the New Year

Hello and happy Wednesday (night)! Another week-- and another year!-- is almost over. As it seems my days have been lately, this week was also a doozy, from drama with the roommate's quasi-girlfriend who was staying with us after her parents kicked her out (l-o-n-g story) to a little extra stress at work because my editor is on vay-cay (he is proposing to his long-time girlfriend on NYE!) to the boy getting punched in the face at work today by one of his employees (wtf? again, long story). Safe to say, I'm glad tomorrow is Thursday and that Friday is a day off!

Since my last post, I still haven't gotten caught up on reading your blogs. Apologies! I am going through one of those times where I am super busy and can't seem to muster the energy to post or comment. And when I do actually have time to check back into the blog world, I have no motivation. Do you ever feel like that? Please say you do to make me feel better :)

Anyway, I hope everyone who celebrated the holiday had a wonderful Christmas. Mine was quite nice, though there was a lot of driving involved and poor Hazel was thoroughly exhausted by the time we got home. And the boy and I were exhausted too!

Here's some photos I snapped between opening gifts and eating a prime rib and baked potato dinner (yum!) at my parents' house:

Setting up my grandmama's hand-painted nativity set each year is one of my favorite traditions and a beautiful reminder of her.

Hazel got tons of toys and treats this Christmas, all wrapped in tissue paper for her shredding pleasure. Ripping open the packages was more fun for her than getting to the gift inside... though she's been having fun trying out (and squeaking!) all her new toys this past week.

My mom and dad got to open their gifts from us first.

Hazel "helps" my dad unwrap as the boy looks on. Side note: Isn't the mantel pretty?

My brother gives his new shades a thumbs up.

Hazel refused to look at the camera for mommy...

... both times. She was investigating upstairs.

Twinkle, twinkle.

My mom's snowy village.

We ended the night on a sweet note with a traditional Danish dessert that we have every Christmas: homemade rice pudding with raspberry sauce. We Danes play this game where you stir a blanched almond into the pudding and whoever finds it in their bowl wins a chocolate prize. (My mom won this year, but we all got smaller chocolate consolation prizes, too.)

Now that I'm older, the best part of Christmas is seeing the reaction of my family and friends when they open their gifts. I think everyone liked what I got them-- though it is hard to tell with the boy's niece, who as an only child received so many presents I think she lost track (she has a whole herd of Zhu Zhu Pets now). Still, the rest of his family were impressed by my unique (and handmade!) gifts: the pottery pieces and the beer soap were a big hit.

I took home some fabulous gifts, too. The boy's mom got me a great chrome-colored Kathy Van Zeeland studded bag (that I had picked out on QVC at her request) and my mom (and dad) fulfilled many of my wish list items (Anthro top and apron, Ruche jewelry, Urban Outfitters ruffle skirt, Marc Jacobs Daisy perfume, yellow wool jacket from Victoria's Secret... just to name a few. She always goes overboard!).

The sheen and studs give this bag some rocker edge. It is totally different than any other bag I have, which is why I love it. And it looks even better in person!

I love my pocket watch necklace and huge speckled yellow cocktail ring from Ruche.

The boy surprised me too. Turns out a girl can dream. He gave me a Coach bag. Being the Coach fanatic that I am, I could tell what it was when he pulled the wrapped box out of hiding. But still, I was shocked. (Not to mention the fact that the last time I unwrapped Coach boxes, I found a scarf in one and perfume in another-- not a purse!) He had said we should keep to a $100 budget this year. I went a bit over that but he blew the budget out of the water!

Now, I hate to share this next part but I will. Unfortunately, the boy didn't get me the bag I wanted. Somehow, he managed to pick the one style that I am not such a fan of. It is black, which is not really my style. Again, I hate to even say that I didn't really like the purse because I love Coach and it was such an amazing gift, but it's the truth. And I guess the boy knows me pretty well because despite my ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the tote, he could tell I didn't really like it. So it's going back. And the bag from my last post will find a new home.

Which do you like better?

So I know it's almost a week later, but how was your Christmas? What was your favorite gift? Did anyone get a down-right awful gift? (You know, a snowman sweater with pom poms, or something of the like?)

And what are you doing for New Year's Eve? As of now I have no plans. I think I'm going to ring in the new year at home. Open the bottle of wine I got from the boss as a Christmas present, maybe make some onion dip... a real low-key evening. That doesn't sound all that bad, does it? But who knows, I might change my mind! I'll let you know.

Till then, cheers!

xo,

Images via QVC- Kathy Van Zeeland, Ruche and Coach 

Santa's on his way!

Hello there! I'm back! I can't believe it has been so long since I posted last. Sorry to have been so out of touch! It seems I've had a million things going on between shopping for gifts and meeting (early) deadlines. And I've had a million things swirling around in my head, some that I wanted to post and some I didn't. Ha! But here we are and its already Christmas Eve! I can't believe it.

Except I can because last night my dad and I did our annual "tradition" of last-minute shopping. He always waits until the very last minute to go out and pick up some gifts for my mom. He is not the best when it comes to picking presents, especially clothes, and he hates battling crowds so he puts it off-- but there were still plenty of people out and about yesterday.

We started our evening excursion with dinner at a local Mexican restaurant we love, because you can't shop effectively on an empty stomach, right? Then we headed over to a place I can't disclose since my mother reads this blog. (Hi, mom!) After about an hour or so we had our hands full and I think we got some really nice stuff. Guess we'll see how she likes it tomorrow!

In my second to last post, I mentioned that I was finishing up my Christmas wish list for my mom and that I'd post a snippet here... is it still too late to share? Nah. My list was primarily made up of clothes, even more so than in past years. But there's some beauty products and a bag thrown in for good measure. Take a look: (as usual, click image to see it larger!)

Anthropologie

Diaphanous Tunic (can't find the link!), Manisa Dress, Cabin Fever Tunic and Grecian Top

Urban Outfitters

Kimchi Blue Ruffle Tiered Skirt and Sheer Hearts Tights

Victoria's Secret

Button-up wool trenchcoat and Pleated tunic in plaid voile 

Beauty

Daisy by Marc Jacobs (my absolute fave scent!), VS Makeup Heidi Klum Eyeshadow Palette in Exotic Jewels and Parisienne by YSL.

and the Bag (a girl can dream, right?)

Coach op art chainlink Audrey (part of the Madison collection)

And, of course, I included several items from my Ruche wish list as well.

As for what I am giving others, I went the handmade route this year. Well, the buying handmade route, not the making handmade route. Since I have developed a love affair with Etsy over the past year, I made a little pledge to myself to try to buy as much handmade as possible this Christmas. And I have to say I was pretty successful! I'd say more than half of the gifts I bought were handmade.

I can't give too many details, but I can say that I bought some necklaces from Elephantine, sachets from Jewelweeds and  Cicada Studio, scarves and a desktop calendar from Michelle Brusegaard, a polaroid calendar from lifelovepaper, a hand-stamped silver and copper name necklace (for the boy's 7-year-old niece!) from The Two Beans, and beautiful pottery items from Miss Pottery, Mud Hutt and Utile Mud.

Now, finding something for the men in my life, that was the hard part. Etsy does have some great options but it still proved difficult. But I did pick up some lovely smelling beer soap from The Beer Soap Co. and personalized iPhone/iPod sleeves from in blue that I think the recipients will really enjoy.

And talk about last minute shopping, I still have to get something for my ever-so-hard to shop for brother! He just might get another video game.

So now I must run. To finish shopping, do TONS of wrapping, pick up my paycheck (yay!), go out to the cemetery to lay flowers and then get ready to spend Christmas Eve at the boy's sister's house. Tomorrow we will be spending time with my family, enjoying a prime rib dinner (which is a change of pace from the usual Thanksgiving repeat!).

I'd love to hear how you are spending Christmas, but wherever you are and whatever you are doing, I hope you are feeling the joy of the holiday... and that you are well fed!

Cheers!

xo,

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!

Spoiled in SB

So four days later and I am finally telling you how I spent my birthday! Such a slacker. Anyway, I ended up playing hooky from work and going to Santa Barbara for the afternoon. The boy always has Mondays off and he wanted to take me somewhere to celebrate. I always enjoy going to SB so we did, though we didn't make it out there until about 2 p.m.

Once we got there we were starving, so we made a beeline to our favorite by-the-beach restaurant: Brophy Bros. This clam bar and seafood restaurant is always busy, even on a late Monday afternoon! But we didn't have to wait too long to get a seat outside on the second-story deck overlooking the harbor. But even better than the views, I think, is the food. I literally dream about it sometimes and I had even mentioned it the week before my birthday, secretly hoping that's where we would go. I got my usual, the pan-blackened Mahi Mahi. Dusted with Cajun spices and served with drawn butter, it is melt-in-your-mouth fantastic. It is a bit pricey at $22, but it comes with a hunk of chewy sourdough bread, a garlicky starter salad and two sides-- I got rice pilaf and cole slaw, which I happen to think is the best slaw out there. Can you tell I like Brophy's? So good! The boy got fish 'n' chips, which is also delish so I stole a few bites off his plate. This is our routine: get the dishes we both love so we can share!

After our late lunch, we walked off our full stomachs on State Street. While I only planned to window shop, I did pick up a few things. First we stopped in at Sur La Table where I saw (for the second time) these adorable waffle cone ice cream bowls and I decided I just had to have them. It's my birthday after all, right?

Unfortunately-- or fortunately, however you want to look at it-- my shopping didn't end there. We later walked into a Coach store that must be a factory store because everything was on sale! It was crazy and much too tempting. I fell for the markdowns. RR bought me this adorable bright pink bag that was simply too good a deal to pass up at $40. While I was checking out another equally adorable, colorful and springy bag, the boy said, "Babe, I'll get you the pink one for your birthday and you should get that one for yourself." So I did. It was not as cheap, but it was still on sale. Oh, I got a flowery keychain, too.

Yep, definitely threw out the ol' budget that day. But it was nice to get out and do something and be spoiled a bit. Though, I did feel it the next day with tons of interviews to do and stories to write. But I pulled it off and hey, my birthday--which is not always my favorite day of the year--didn't turn out all the bad. And it ended on a sweet note once I got home: a scoop of vanilla-strawberry ice cream in my new "waffle" bowl. Yum.

Here's a look at my day by the beach, in pictures:

Spring's in the bag

Oh, I am so exhausted. Even my Cinnamon Dolce Latte can't save me today. I guess that's what happens when you stay up till 3 a.m. to finish writing a story and then wake up at 7:30 to get back to work! So excuse me for my fluff post today, it's requires all the brain power I can muster at the moment, but I am sure Coach handbag lovers will enjoy...

****

In between running to the police station to do the blotter, checking out the sign at a local night club and then coming back home to email my editor little tidbits/facts/quotes to add to my stories, I managed to find time this morning to pay my due-today Victoria's Secret bill. (If I haven't told you already, I can be pretty bad at paying my bills on time and often am doing it the day they are due).

As I was walking through the mall to Vickie's, I spied this gorgeous yellow leather bag at my favorite expensive store, Coach. It immediately conjured up thoughts of spring, sunny days and smiles.

I give you, for your viewing enjoyment, the new Parker Leather Large Convertible Hippie, which retails for a hefty $358 (That's about the same as my last-last-last season Holiday Patchwork that I carry religiously. Luckily, I didn't fork out that money-- my ex did.)

A classic, go-everywhere carryall in a bright hue just makes me happy.

Besides yellow, it comes in white, mushroom and sand, too.

This is actually the Parker Leather Satchel, but it is just as cute! (But pricier, at $458)

As Coach puts it, the Parker collection draws its inspiration from the vitality and whimsy of spring. Love it. Would love it more with a lower price tag, but whatcha-gonna-do? Anyhow, I love yellow and the happiness it elicits--which is why my teenage bedroom at my parents' house I had painted a truly bright yellow-- so just looking is fine by me. I'm an expert window shopper.

Have any other cute bag's caught your eye lately? What else makes you think of spring?

Images via Coach