Tony Hsieh is my freakin' hero!...

Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, has always been a bit of a hero of mine. His focus on company culture and committment to his employees is inspiring...one of those bosses that I'd be willing to be a janitor for if it meant I could work for him.

I saw something this morning that reinforced my undying devotion to Tony Hsieh:

He gets me...he really gets ME! HA! "Asian Fit" sunglassess! (remember my struggle due to lack-of-nose-bridge?) WAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH! The best...eva!

Hit me up, Tony Hsieh...I'd be a kick-ass janitor, I swear!

Oooohh la la...

The Alexander McQueen dresses on Gilt this morning were puuurrrrty! And completely work-appropriate...I'd have so many occasions to wear them! (ummmm...ok not...but I wish I did)

Ahhh...what a treat...

Hawaii was as great as everyone said it would be. Truly lovely. We stayed away from Waikiki for the most part and just enjoyed the beaches and snorkeling on the east and north shores of Oahu. 9 days has to be the longest vacation I've ever really taken so it took some getting used to just relaxing and enjoying. Thanks to my sweetie for his patience and experiencing it all with me! Aloha, Hawaii! Maholo for the great time! I'll return one day soon, I promise...

I caught the bug...I'm officially addicted to snorkeling...3 days @ Hanauma Bay

We saw sea turtles! They are so cute! Look how clear the water is!

The food was ridiculously good. Here was my favorite meal @ the Grass Skirt Grill on the North Shore. Yummmmm....

When in Hawaii...we had tons of fruity cocktails (and then switched over to beer...gotta stay true to oneself! ha!) Did you know those orchids are edible? GQ ate every one...

Shave ice @ Matsumoto's on the North Shore (though, I must say, my favorite was from a small local place called Tropicana) Did you know there is no "d"...shave ice, not shaved ice? huh...

We had a great time! Check out my tan! Oooh la la... hee!

Back to work and real life again. I'll miss the warm weather and the beaches. But, its nice coming home to SF.

PS: SF is still home. My offer on the Montclair property fell through. I've heard of it happening but didn't expect it to happen to me. The day before I left for vacation. Ack...more details another time. Until then, I'm sticking around SF and continuing my search for my first home...)

And I'm off...

I actually don't leave until tomorrow.  But since I will be of no use to anyone today as my mind and attention span have caught an earlier flight to Hawaii than my body, I will just sign off now.  Be back in 10 days.  Until then, think of me here:

...as I think of myself looking like this (thanks to Lucy Liu for allowing me to "borrow" her body...and thanks to my stellar photoshop skills to make this so realistic...)

Aloha...Ha-va-eeee, here I come!  

Just one more thing...

So, I've got all my clothes, shoes, hats, sunscreen, magazines, bathing suits...all ready. But, I needed 1 more thing. Another pair of sunglasses. I have my favorite cheapy aviators that I love. But, just in case, I needed to find a second pair...preferably black to counter my other amber/gold pair.

Sunglasses are really hard for me to find. I don't have a nose bridge (thank you parents and Korean heritage...) so most glasses just sit on my cheeks. I've learned to live with it and have resigned myself to finding ones that just don't make prominent marks on my cheeks after too long. Alas...I found them. I knew he wouldn't let me down.

Marc Jacobs...plastic frames, again, to counter my other wire -framed pair. Black. Hollywood. Comfortable. Perfection.

Now I really am all set...1 day to go...I can't wait...

One stop shop...

So, I'm kinda in love with iGoogle. One homepage where I can check my gmail, my reader (blogs & feeds), my docs (forget excel or word), my weather, AND translate from one language to another, AND play Hangman? SOLD! J'adore!

SUPER easy to setup. I recommend it to you all. No more transferring info from home to work to home to work. Its all right there...even if your computer crashes! Google, how awesome you are! Just call me a "googlette" or a "googleizer" or a "googlemanic"! Whatever...I drank the kool-aid...

One can never be too prepared...

...that's what I tell myself.  So, when my friend Martin teases me about having too much sunscreen, I remind him the damage the sun can do to one's skin.  So what that I have 3 different kinds of sunscreen, ALL SPF 30.  So what that my face sunscreen is SPF 70 (who even knew it came that high). I'm going to be in Hawaii! The sun is strong down there!

And yes, I've actually had all my clothes out and prepared for my trip at least 2 weeks ago.  And as of last night, 4 days before our departure, I'm finished packing.  Ha!  (I'll probably repack at least 2 more times...just in case...)

I'm so excited.  GQ and I have been bickering a bit lately...stress with the homebuying, stress with his finals, busy/conflicting schedules...So, I'm excited just to get away with my guy, relax, drink fruity cocktails, wear more floral print than I ever normally would, and shower my man with love and affection.  

3 more days...

Au revoir...soon enough...*le sigh*

Things I'll miss about living in San Francisco:

• The weather – sounds strange, but true
• Being able to get anywhere at any time
• Russian Hill – the best freaking hood in the city! Loved living here!
• My sweet little apartment
• Happy hours – and the ease of getting there, getting trashed, getting home
• The immediate “awe” you get from others when you say you live in SF
• Fog horns
• Cable car bells
• Iconic symbols of the city – Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, Transamerica Building, Sutro Tower, Palace of the Fine Arts
• The Presidio – and lazy, reflective days spent there.
• Tourists – I swear, I will miss them
• The plethora of choices for food, drink, shopping, sight-seeing, walking
• The #12 bus home from work…that’s a great line
• Diversity and acceptance, all crammed into a 7x7 piece of land
• The people.
• The energy.

It’s not like I’m moving to another country. Not even another state. But, man, Montclair feels very far from my current home. And though I’ll still work here, I won’t be from here. And that saddens me. Thanks, San Francisco. If all goes as planned, I’ll close escrow sometime in mid-May. That gave us almost exactly 1 year and 4 mos living together…and I’ve loved every minute of it.

Let me pinch myself...

Is this really happening?

• Find perfect home. check.
• Make an offer. check.
• Gut check #1. check.
• Offer accepted by seller. check.
• Pay deposit with life's savings. check.
• Gut check #2. check.
• Escrow open. check.

I'm in escrow! What? What does that even mean? Holy cow this happened fast. And, according to my agent, this is just the halfway point...there's a lot more to do from here. But, I'm gonna be in Hawaii for 10 days as of next week! Can this happen without me? Apparently, now that I've forked over the dough, it can...and it will. I'm flipping out!

Stopping off at at the bookstore on my way home to pick up decorating magazines...for MY home! (fingers crossed...)

Couple things decided already:

• No cable tv (just hulu.com and an HD antenna - thanks, Emily, for the inspiration)
• No car until 2010...that means me and the transbay bus will become close friends
• Composting...difficult w/o much of a yard, but check out this really cute compost pail)

Someone get me a brown paper bag! I'm hyperventillating! Oh, and PS, once the keys are in hand, I'm officially off the invite list for anything that will cost money. I'm only available for free events and funtimes moving forward...ha! (nervous laughter...)

Uh huh, yeah, that's right...

They're mine. All gloriously mine. Just as it was meant to be. With the first click, as simple as that. Its a cinderella moment, my friends. Destiny. Me and my new Louboutin booties are gonna stroll off into the sunset...

Don't get your hopes up...

That's what I've been told my everyone...including my real estate agent...about my (that's right, MY!!!) home. We got all the information, put the offer together, and submitted it to the seller. Now we wait. Even if he accepts, there are all kinds of opportunities for these things to fall through.

Still, I've already been shopping for furniture, dreaming of paint colors, and debating over design aesthetics...

Fingers, toes, and all else...crossed...

...wish me luck...

There's something about a purple wall that I'm finding very attractive...especially since MY place has a lot of natural light...

I did it...

I made an offer on a condo. Now excuse me as I go and have a heart attack.

More details to come...

I love me some San Fran...

After reading about Jordan's amazing rooftop party,

...and Emily's lovely weekend around the Bay...

...I have to ask myself if I'm really ready to trade in San Francisco for the more-affordable East Bay. Hmmm...we shall see. More open houses in Berkeley and Oakland this weekend. AND, my first foreay to the Alameda Flea Market. Really, SF would only be a bridge-cross away...is that so bad? I know, I know...its just not the same...*le sigh*

Have a great weekend, everyone...wherever you are!

Oh no...

...I am in for some BIG trouble.

Louboutin. Gilt Groupe. Wednesday. 9am.

Susan. Poorhouse. Wednesday. 9:30am.

The 2-week countdown...

I leave for Hawaii in exactly 2 weeks! Whoo hoo! I'm a little bummed since I haven't been working on my bikini body quite as I had hoped...ok, not at all. I may have to resort to a tankini (gasp!). In the words of my beloved GQ, "Be gentle on yourself." So, I will. Fatness and all. I can't wait!

How to find a home...

Look, I'm no expert. This is my first time out of the blocks. And its been pretty overwhelming. But, here's where I've net out and how I got there. Some helpful tips for those planning on buying one day...

• Find out your FICO score - this will give you a realistic view on what interest rate/range you'll be paying
  
  
• Create your "list" - must haves, would like to haves, and must not haves. (for instance, snippets on my list include: I must have 2 bedrooms, would like to have a fireplace, and must not have a hood with bars on the windows.)
  
  
• Get pre-qualified (and preferably, pre-approved for a loan) - this helps you determine what your price range will be.
  
  
• Make your HONEST monthly budget - how much can you afford to pay for mortgage monthly after you eat out, pay for your car, buy your mom's birthday gift, and get your hair did?

• Save at least 3.5% of your highest possible price for a down payment - if you qualify for an FHA (first time home owners (ummm...not sure what the A stands for), you need only to put down 3.5% of the purchase price. Still, that could come to about $15k - $20k.

• Find an agent you like and trust - I found my guy on Yelp after having worked with 2 others in the beginning. I really like him and trust that he'll help me git 'er dun!

• Look, look, look - I look a lot online (craigslist, ziprealty, redfin) and then I go to about 3-5 open houses a weekend. I've already viewed almost 30 properties.

• Be patient & believe - this is a huge step. Don't rush. Don't be bullied. Don't be talked into. Believe that you'll find your perfect home and don't make a move until you do.

I'm not at the final stages yet, but I feel pretty good how far I've come. I was so overwhelmed at first and now, I'm feeling confident. I'm gonna own my own home one day...soon...