I went and got one...

...a real estate agent.

That makes it real. It makes it official. And I meet with the mortgage broker next week to get pre-approved. Holy s$!* this is happening quick!

Interim-dream-home-until-I-get-married-and-have-kids-and-need-more-space... here I come!

And I'm back...

Back to the land of the living.

Back to work.

Back to feeling myself.

Back to being showered and clean.

So...I had to treat myself.  Look what I found at Westfield Shopping Center...a little slice of Heaven...delish!

**PS - special thanks to my GQ who brought me soup, OJ, oranges, and love.  :)  Having someone to take care of you when you're sick is the best medicine ever!

Woe is me...

I am sick.  

I am at home.

I am missing work.

...but I had to laugh when I looked next to me at my side table.  This is the "sick" me...no staging...just me...

Yes, those are peanut M&M's.

Yes, those are used kleenex.  (gross. sorry)

Yes, that's Oprah.

Back to blogging in healthier times...

Weekender...

I spent 90% of my weekend in some form of public transportation... and now I'm 90% sick...ok, I'm actually 100%, down-and-dirty, hurts-all-over sick. Ack.

Plane, shuttle, car, car, train, bus, shuttle, car, shuttle, plane, BART, car, bus. No kidding.

It was all worth it to spend some time with my folks in SD, meet up with my girls in LA, spend some time with the cutest little boy in the world, and then fly home to the waiting arms of my fella.

Outside of Shutters in Santa Monica where we had a delish brunch and I had a kickin' bloody mary...(you can just barely see George's baby belly...so cute!)

The smartest boy in the world pointing out his vast knowledge of letters of the alphabet!

Good times. Now only if I could get rid of this cold, we'll call the weekend a success, deal?

Forever friends...

I'm sure a great majority of you facebook (yes, I used it in the form of a verb...what of it?) I just wanted to say thanks to the good 'ol Facebook. I've recently gotten back in touch with some of the most amazing people from my past who I had lost touch with. Years and years later, I see their names and faces and read their statuses and send messages...and I feel happy.

Oddly, though, I can't get out of my head the obsession of trying to figure out HOW it was that we'd lost touch! If these people were so amazing and if I cared for them, how could it be that I wouldn't do all that I could to keep them in my life? I know people get busy, new faces and relationships enter into the mix, sometimes disagreements lead to unforgiveness... Ack.

All I know is that I'm really good at cherishing the people in my life today. And all I know is that I want to be really good at keeping good people in my life forever. So it is written, so it shall be...

AHHHHHHH!!!!...

BEST FREAKIN' SHOW EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cannot put into words how good this was. YOU MUST GO AND SEE THIS! The SF version has all new costumes too! Amazing!

"Defying Gravity" literally took my breath away. I needed the entire intermission and 2 glasses of champagne to recover. (stock photo)

I was wearing red patent flats with my navy velvet dress until GQ pointed out, rightfully, that I looked like I was in a Dorothy-homage costume. Ha! I quickly changed to black tights and black booties! :) He's so great! PS - don't tell him I told you, but we BOTH teared up during the show!

The Great House Hunt '09 - Part 6...

I found it. Seriously...this one would be perfect for me. I fell in love with it immediately and I could SEE myself living here. Problem is: so did about 10 other families who came to the open house. I wish it were mine, but I'm happy for whatever family gets it. Maybe I should get my loan approved now and be ready so that great homes like this don't fall through my hands. :(

Type: Bungalow

Hood: Westbrae/North Berkeley

BR/BA: 2 / 1

Finished basement. Laundry room. Split-level (love that!)

Look how cute this little bungalow is! Sweet little porch too!

Fireplace. Large, open living area. Picture window. Love.

Fabulous kitchen. I would cook my heart out here! The door leads to the stairs to the large finished basement and the laundry room. SUPER awesome!

Nice, large bathroom

Look at this INCREDIBLE backyard! LOVE!!! Garage/Storage too!

***Side note: I was really bummed when I fell in love with this place. Namely because even if I had all my stuff ready to buy, my chances of being "chosen" as the buyer were slim. When talking to the seller's agent, she told me that all offers would be accepted and then the decision would be made based on who was the best candidate to buy...this included not only financial, but also demographic and the most "desirable" for the neighborhood. EXCUSE ME? I suddenly realized that me as a single woman was less desirable than say, a young family with children...at least for this neighborhood. It was the first time ever in my life I felt even slightly discriminated against. And oddly, it wasn't because I was Asian or a woman, it was because I was single. Ouch. Sure, my down payment and my salary might have pushed me into consideration, but man, I was kinda bummed. Nothing worse than feeling like you can't have something you really want. Welcome to life, Susan.

Off to see the Wizard...

Tonight we see "Wicked".  I am SO excited!  I've been waiting a LONG time to finally see this show.  I'm happy to share the night with GQ...he gets so excited about things just because I am!  I'm wearing my new Marc Jacobs navy velvet babydoll dress with patent red flats and a newly made pair of earrings from last night's leftovers (red and silver...simple).  We've got great seats.  If you're there tonight, I'll be the one in row J standing up the entire show singing along at the top of my lungs.  You can't miss me!

Don't be jealous... :)

"Its time to try defying gravity..."

Gettin' crafty...

Last night I finally hosted a Ladies Activity Club meeting.  What a great time!  I had so much fun.  I love getting the chance to cook and host.  I wish I had a bigger place so I could have dinner parties and have friends over.  Alas, I don't...so I had to "borrow" Emily & Rob's place for the night.  It was nice meeting some new people and just bond over food, drinks, and amateur jewelry-making.  It's amazing how people have such varying "eyes"...meaning, when I bought the beads for everyone, I tried buying with certain combinations in mind.  I found it fascinating how others came up with completely different combos, making really lovely earrings...but matching beads I never would have thought to pair together. Amazing.  

In any case, here are the results of my first foray into the land of beads...excited to make more...

Happy V-day!

I'm super excited for Valentine's Day. Of course, mostly because Graham's in my life and I'm excited to celebrate what we have. But also, because our plans for Saturday night are what I would call...PERFECT! Dinner for 2 at Gary Danko? Nope. Romantic buggy ride along the Embarcadero? Nyet. Dozens of roses and boxes of chocolate? Nein.

...my finger hearts his finger...

For our first Valentines together, Graham and I will be enjoying the most wonderfully casual, beautifully romantic, and fantastically special night...

Where: Susan's floor, indoor picnic

Menu: pb&j and tunafish sandwiches, salt & vinegar chips, pink champagne (the cheap stuff)

Entertainment: Wall-E and Nights in Rodanthe (this took some convincing...apparently, Graham's boyfriend, Stephen Colbert, has a thing against Nights in Rodanthe...go figure...)

Dress code: sweats mandatory

Gifts: must be practical...I got him a tea kettle (I notice him looking at them EVERY time we're at Whole Foods!)


So much fun...I can't wait! Happy Valentines Day, everyone!!! <3

The Great House Hunt '09 - part 5...

Type: Condo
Hood: Moraga/East Bay

BR/BA: 3/2.5

Sweeeeet views of rolling hills from the living room!

Fireplace! And I kinda like the 1/2 floor layout...

Sweeeeet views of rolling hills from the bedroom...I'd love waking up to that view everyday!

This is the view from the backyard...and there's a jacuzzi!

The only reason this condo is even on my radar is because I fell in love with the views! Can you imagine looking out onto those green hills every day? Yes, it's nowhere near anything interesting. Yes, it only has 2 roads going in and out of the community. Yes, the city's only main attraction is a strip mall with a TJ Maxx. But, but...the VIEWS! *le sigh* Just a thought...moving on...

Darn you, Gilt Groupe!...

Ack, I did it again. I went a little nutso on Gilt Groupe. This morning's sale was Shoshanna and I happen to really like some of her stuff. I bought this green paisley dress. I wasn't so sure about it, especially since the way they had it styled was with bare legs and black pumps. Not really that hot. So, I've decided to try out Polyvore (clearly, I'm no pro with this thing yet) and here's a couple ways I'd wear it...and suddenly feeling better about the purchase:

On a side note, remember when Shoshanna was just this young NY party girl who made the headlines by dating Jerry Seinfeld? Then she became a designer all the sudden? But, I liked that she was targeting her line for curvier women (like herself) that flattered all shapes. Now suddenly she's this rich, successful designer and since she's all thin, her clothes suddenly aren't all that focused towards the blubber-set. Ack. Thus, I bought the baggiest dresses she had on sale at Gilt. *le sigh*

PS - if you're wondering if the prices on Gilt are worth it, both dresses I bought today were $50-$80 cheaper than their prices on another discount site, Bluefly.com.

Weekender...

It was a pretty eventful weekend.  My sister was in town for work and we met for dinner on Friday night...WITH GQ!!!  Yup, he's meeting the family...starting with my sister.  We had such a great night of sushi, sake, and stimulating conversation.  GQ was great and I could tell they both enjoyed meeting each other.  *whew*

Saturday, GQ and I head down to Union Square to watch the Chinese New Year Parade.  I was shocked how many people were there and how people totally lose their minds at events like this.  There were near stampedes and crushed crowds on every corner.  GQ and I got stuck at one corner and I was literally being pushed at first and then just squeezed to an uncomfortable, unbreathable crowd.  It was scary!  But, at the end, GQ got us through and we even found a great spot on top of a parked firetruck to watch the rest of the parade.  What a blast!

Sunday we went to check out some open houses in Castro, Noe, and Cole Valley.  What cute areas.  I really, really like it down there!  If I do find a place in the city, I'm gonna try and focus my efforts to those neighborhoods.  I just like the people...the vibe.  

After a pretty drama-filled, stressful week at work last week, I'm looking forward to hopefully a more laid-back week ahead.  ...and on to share my first Valentines Day with GQ.  I'm not a "go big or go home" type when it comes to V-day...so hopefully, we'll keep it simple and casual.  I'm pretty sure that's his hope too.  

Oh...and by they way...his name is Graham.  :)  I thought it was time to share...

A New Hobby...

I have agreed to host my 1st SF Ladies Activity Club meeting later this month and I'm SUPER excited. Not only do I get to check off one of my goals for the year, but I also get to cook up some goodies (I'm thinking prosciutto wrapped asparagus spears, cream cheese wontons, and mini-kabobs), AND I get to take on a new challenge...jewelry making. I've ALWAYS wanted to try this but it felt too overwhelming. But this time, I'm jumping right in. Anyone have any tips?

...Oh, and I went CRAZY on etsy and bought a bunch of beads. Here's just a sampling:

This is gonna be a blast and I'm looking forward to walking away with some new handmade jewelry, customed to match my wardrobe! Yay! It's never too late to learn something new (my words of wisdom for the day). :)

The Great House Hunt '09 - Part 4...

Here's a brand new listing that I've fallen in love with:

Type:  Condo/TIC

Hood:  Castro/SF

BR/BA:  2/1

Your typical SF home from the front.  Bay windows a plus.

The kitchen's a nice size.  Don't love the cabinets and could use more counter space.

Love the box ceiling in the living room...and the built-in...

Fireplace in the bedroom...*le sigh*...

So, I really, really like this place.  Its at Castro and 20th...which I think is a pretty nice area.  I haven't spent enough time in there so its hard to say.  But, the home itself is gorgeous.  I'm never crazy about the TIC, but we'll check out the open house this weekend and see how it goes!  I'll keep you posted!

My Early Predictions...

After tonight's Hollywood round on American Idol, my favorites are:

Danny the widower

David Osmond

I'm looking forward to hearing more of the people they didn't highlight today.  Hollywood week is always my favorite part of the whole season...drama!  And its still up to the judges instead of the crazy American voters!  See you tomorrow!

How am I doing?...

Being an HR Director, I am of the school that the employee is what makes a company successful. And happy, healthy, growing employees are what a company needs. The trick to this is hire well, train well, motivate well, and review well...feedback...we need to know how we're doing.

My boss is of the same school (yay!) and he is in the process of giving performance reviews to the whole senior management staff. I was first up. I was nervous because he had mentioned to us that he was gonna be brutally honest and very tough simply because he wants us to get better...even better. I like to think of myself as very self-aware...and when it comes to work, I'm really pretty good at what I do. I couldn't think of very much he would point out that I was failing at. And, that's what made me nervous. I'm not good with the unknown.

In any case, it was a big thumbs up. He was so encouraging and really supportive of what I do. And the line that I will forever take away with me for the rest of my working days: "If I were to put together a management dream team, you'd be the HR person." SWEET.

Managers out there...please don't ever underestimate the power of the performance review. Your employees will thank you for it.

Back to work!...

Guilty...

I know better than to go on any kind of shopping bender with the economy so bad and my future hope to buy a home looming...

Still, a friend of mine sent me an invite to join Gilt Group, which I have been dying to do. Gilt Group is basically an online SALE-A-THON for designerwear. They focus on 1-2 designers each day and there are some really good deals. Today's designer: MARC JACOBS...my fave! So...ack...I went a little crazy.

Here are my purchases:

Navy blue velvet dress w/ adorable lace peek-a-boos at the sleeves and the bottom.

Layered chiffon babydoll dress. I love it...empire waist, cute details...

ivory-colored jacquard dress. Love the box pleats in the back...

A little bit of guilt is not that big of a deal...right? *sigh*...oh well...I love my purchases! :)

If anyone wants an invite to Gilt Group, let me know...

Superbowl Fun...

The food: turkey meatballs, veggie gyoza, tortellini salad, 7-layer dip, chili cheese dip, pigs-in-a-blanket

The drinks: Green Lakes Organic Ale

The company: small group of peeps from work...and GQ made his debut with my friends...he was a success! ;)

Superbowl Sunday was a lot of fun. GQ and I ran some errands earlier in the day and I pretty much cooked all afternoon. We head over to my friend Laura's and just enjoyed a small but spirited gathering. It was a blast!

My highlights:

Jennifer Hudson's singing of the National Anthem...HOLY COW! That rivals Whitney's version. SO GOOD...goosebumps...

Close game...and loved watching Larry Fitzgerald have a good one...I'm a big fan...

The commercials...for the most part were just 'meh'. But this Careerbuilder one cracked me up:

A lot of fun...but boy am I beat this morning...