I've been in major need of a makeover...

and today I got it! Thanks to MBOC who was my partner in crime and the best personal shopper ever, I finally bought some things that were long overdue.

Make Up Forever HD Foundation: "Live your life in high definition. With Make Up For Ever HD Foundation ($40), you'll never have to cringe under florescents, hide from cameras, or get it on in the dark. This oil-free foundation is designed to create a soft-focus effect, hiding every imperfection in every type of environment."


NARS blush in Orgasm


MAC Viva Glam lipstick/liner/gloss: "Established in 1994 by M·A·C Cosmetics, the M·A·C AIDS Fund supports men, women and children affected by HIV/AIDS globally. Introducing its first VIVA GLAM lipstick that same year, M·A·C decided that every cent of the selling price of the VIVA GLAM lipsticks would go to the M·A·C AIDS Fund. With a total of six shades of Viva Glam lipstick and two shades of Viva Glam lipglass now sold worldwide, and through the annual Kids Helping Kids Card Program, M·A·C Cosmetics has provided over $130 million (US) to date for the M·A·C AIDS Fund. The M·A·C AIDS Fund is the heart and soul of the company – with its employees giving their time, energy and talent to help those affected by HIV/AIDS worldwide."


And new clothes from my new favorite store!


And the best ending ever:


I could do this every weekend....

May 31, 2009

Happy Birthday to me!

That is all for now, but more pictures and stories to come. I'm exhausted and must turn in after such a whirlwind weekend. Thank you for all the birthday wishes. <3 <3

A new low

Iz hit it.

I found a new thing - Redbox dvd rentals. $1 a night. Not the best selection but when you don't have cable and your laptop can't handle online media too well, there isn't much left to choose from.




I rented Catch and Release last night, starring Jennifer Garner and Timothy Olyphant. Pretty depressing. Nontheless, I liked it, guess why?




I'm going to see if I can score Bride Wars and Milk tonight. We'll see. Ok, off to the gym to try to get skinny and then off to the mall to see if I can find something that will make me feel pretty.

C-ya.

Vacation in Maui

Why not somewhere more exotic or luxurious? Well, I don't have a passport - still waiting.

And before you toast to me for finally going on vacation, now is probably a good time to say I'm not going on one, I'm just dreaming of it.

To be able to wake up to coffee, oranges, and PBJ and eat it on my balcony to see this:


Then take a good book and lay on the sand to stare at this:


Maybe go swimming in the ocean like this:


And when I am sleepy, to fall asleep at sunset like this:

The highlight of my week so far

It doesn't take much to amuse me.


see more dog and puppy pictures


see more dog and puppy pictures


see more dog and puppy pictures


see more dog and puppy pictures


see more dog and puppy pictures


see more dog and puppy pictures

Bikram Yoga - holey crap

(for the record, I do know that it's probably "holy crap" but I just can't bring myself to spell that out together).

I also want to blog about my fantastic Friday night but I didn't have a camera and you'll later see why it wouldn't be the same to post about it without pictures. I'm being a mooch and waiting for pictures from my comrades that I was with.




Today I tried Bikram Yoga for the first time. Luckily, I went with Claire and Yahpee. For those of you that don't know what Bikram Yoga is, it's HOT YOGA. Yoga for NINETY minutes in a hot room (105 degrees or more).

I sweat less than I thought I would, actually. Maybe this is because I was taking it easy since it was so hot in there and I was afraid of passing out.

Location - new place in Irvine. Very nice and spa like. They even had free sponge cake for students! The staff was great and the bathrooms were very clean. Towel service and mats if you needed them. $29 for unlimited classes for 2 weeks for you and a friend. Score!

Some observations:
- I felt like it was technically an easier class than the other yoga classes I've had at the gym. No downward dog and not many of the regular sun salutations or plank moves.
- It was damn hot. Humid is more like it.
- I wanted to give up multiple times during the class. Instead I just laid there like a quitter.
- You CAN'T LEAVE THE ROOM for the entire NINETY MINUTES! It was unbearable at certain points but I'm glad I stayed for the full experience.
- I slept for 3.5 hours when I got home and woke up parched and drained.
- Eating at The Counter afterwards with Claire, Yahpee, and Roof was so nice. I felt so healthy that I went bunless!

Will I do it again?
Yes. =)
Tomorrow, in fact. And I'm going to try to go 25 times between now and the end of April. I want to see what the hype is about.

Here is a very informative and interesting youtube video that is pretty accurate on what the class was like. Intense.

Happy 50th Birthday Barbie!!

Happy 50th birthday Barbie! You haven't aged a bit.

My tribute in honor of the occasion:

Happiest Place on Earth?

Orange County - duh! Where else can you live that you can say "gee, I think I'll go to Disneyland tonight"?

It's been a great weekend. Mr10yt was out of town again so I had to keep busy. And busy I kept!

Aside from the regular cleaning, taxes, and errands, I got to hang out with my friend A. We've made a pact to hit the gym 2x a weekend, which we did. We also had a pleasant lunch at home and she nested while I painted 1.25 walls in my guestroom. :-/

A invited me to go House of Blues for dinner followed by DISNEYLAND where she gets free admission!!! I've never been to HOB and have also never been to the Happiest Place on Earth when there were no lines for Space Mountain (I'm hoarse now), Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, and Small World. *sigh* Thank you A for taking us there!

All of this, combined with Cheetos and orange soda, makes for an excellent weekend in my book.

HOB in Dowtown Disney

Dog, meet Pony.

I really like my job. For the most part, I really enjoy my coworkers, and that includes the boss. I consider myself fortunate in this way. I love the clients and the relationship I develop with a number of them. It's touching to get invited to personal parties they have and to receive new client referrals from them, it's the highest compliment to our work.

Along with my job comes having to dog and pony every now and then. Downside is that, well, it's a dog and pony show and it can be tiring knowing that everything you say and do, and even how you look, is being scrutinized. Upside are the great free meals I get to have! 4 dog and pony shows in a week, starting tomorrow. Breaks up the monotony of Banquet and Lean Cuisine meals for lunch, that's for sure.

Balboa Bay Club - Newport Beach, CA
I've only had breakfast here so I'm excited to see the lunch menu.


Pacific Club - Newport Beach, CA.
I've had lunch and dinner here, and it's a popular venue for evening receptions in my field. The food has always been extremely tasty.


Big Canyon Country Club - Newport Beach, CA.
Been here twice. The staff was very polite and attentive.


Finally - my favorite of the four: Pleasant Peasant - Newport Beach, CA.
It's a country bistro with French flair. I love their gazpacho and the salmon with cream sauce. I think I'll try something different tomorrow and order the French onion soup and Wellington.


I get to feel fancy! Wish me luck that I don't forget my manners during my lunch escapades!

I'm kind of proud of this, so I'll share: 2 of our 4 hosts have asked that I do a speaking segment during the talk that my boss gives to the hosts' important clients (on estate taxes and minimizing exposure and liability, etc.). I've done this before but not in front of crowds this big. My 2 segments will be on Qualified Personal Residence Trusts and Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts. Wooot! Party time on Opposite Day!

Orange County Restaurant Week - here I come!

I am so excited! Orange County Restaurant Week is Feb 22-Feb 28 and I have 3 restaurants planned already! I would like to add at least one other place for lunch, but we'll see if I can muster up a proper date to go with me.

Can't wait! Here's what is already slated:

First - Savannah Chop House, Laguna Niguel, CA

STARTERS
choose one

Onion Rings

Butternut Squash Soup

Wedge of Iceberg
Blue Cheese Dressing, Tomato, Onions

Chicken Spring Rolls
Mustard and Sweet Chili Sauce

ENTRÈE
choose one


Smoked Prime Rib
Creamed Corn, vegetables, au jus, Horseradish Sauce

Pan Seared Seabass
Spinach, Mashed Potatoes, Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

‘Voodoo Steak’
Blackened Top Sirloin, Voodoo Sauce, Jalapeno Cheddar Potatoes, Green Beans

Pork Chop
Mac & Cheese, Green Beans and Cabernet Truffle Sauce

DESSERT
choose one

Tahitian Vanilla Bean Crème Brulée

Chocolate Soufflé Cake
Chocolate Sauce and Vanilla Ice Cream

New York Style Cheesecake
Fresh Strawberries

Next - Stone Hill Tavern at the Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, CA
(do you see what I see? Root beer float!!!)

STARTER
choose one

HEARTS OF ROMAINE
PARMESAN, CROUTONS, CAESER DRESSING

SPOT PRAWNS
BUTTERNUT SQUASH CRÊPE, COCONUT-CURRY BROTH

BIG EYE TUNA
CARPACCIO, FINGERLING POTATO CHIPS, KALAMATA OLIVES

SECOND
choose one

JIDORI CHICKEN
MAC N’ CHEESE, BROCCOLI, ONION JUS

TASMANIAN OCEAN TROUT
CAULIFLOWER PURÉE, MUSCAT GRAPE, CAPER RELISH

PRIME BEEF SHORT RIB
YUKON POTATO, GLAZED MIREPOIX, WORCESTERSHIRE

DESSERT
choose one

FUJI APPLE CRISP PARFAIT
CALVADOS SABAYON, GINGER ICE CREAM, APPLE CHIP

ROOT BEER FLOAT
SASSAFRAS ICE CREAM, WARM CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

And finally - Taking it back to the old school with my Team Green Partner MBOC at McCormick & Schmick, Irvine, CA
(sorry, it won't let me share the menu, but I promise MBOC will take pictures to share)

Color me stalker....

But this post is for the sole purpose of creating a list of food recipes that I WILL try to make in the month of February. They are all from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations. If you haven't seen her blog, you must check it out. Once I give ALL of the recipes a go, I'll blog my results.

Grilled Ciabatta Bread Salad


Macaroni and Cheese


Grilled Salad Skewers


Scalloped Potatoes


Tortilla Pinwheels - I plan on bringing this to a Yorba Linda shindig on 2/21!!


Now I want to eat my blanket.

My simple life

It's been a simple week for me. Mr10yt was out of town for work again. It gets lonely, but thank goodness I have my two dogs, Sophie and Caleb, to keep me company. The good thing about Mr10yt being out of town is that my best friend lets me dogsit her dogs so that I have extra protection since Soph and Caleb are wimps. Max and Mia are super good guard dogs. They come over when Mr10yt is gone and stay with me until he gets back.


OC Nesties had a gtg on Sunday, January 24th - potluck and books! Friends, eats, and reads are one of my favorite combinations. WeezerMonkey did a great recap here with a lot of photos! Too bad my camera isn't as nice as hers otherwise I would have posted my pics too.
Everyone was such a good houseguest and it was so nice to see everyone again. I love my girls.
Lowlight of the party - some of our nesties were sorely missed. Highlight of the party - no one got shanked.


To keep myself busy when Mr10yt is out of town, I've been...cleaning! I've made it a point to declutter and get organized for 2009. That is my goal this year - to get my house and head in order. I'm on my way!

Closet before:


And closet after (with about 75% less stuff - I swear I have no clothes anymore):


Next projects:
- paint guestroom
- clean out guestroom closet

Thanks for reading!

When the cat is away, the mice do paint

And so it begins. Mr.10yt is out of town again and I found myself home from brunch with nothing to do. I decided to get a can of paint and finally do the walls in the powder room. The faux-textured blue paint in there has been an eyesore to me for almost 3 years. Good riddance!
After 2 hours or so of painting, I'm done!

Before:


And after. Still need to finish the little parts on the cabinet and find a picture to put above the throne. Home Depot's Behr paint in Benjamin Moore's color Pismo Dunes. Apparently HD has the formula for this color and it was a perfect match. I don't care what people say, Behr is A-OK with me. I used 1 coat and it covered fine and was easy to apply.