Nordstrom Anniversary Sale...

...aka, my yearly road to near bankruptcy...

I forced myself to stay up until midnight last Thursday in order to be the first in "line" on nordstrom.com for the Anniversary Sale.  Chomping at the bit to see what new Fall/Winter merch would be previewed and sold at reduced prices...

Honestly, not much.  But, still...I managed to spend a pretty penny...especially on the essentials:  bras, panties, spanx (a 30-something's best friend), winter tights...

Here's a sampling of the other goodies I bought:

PS - I was on a business trip in a hotel room when I made my Nordstrom online purchases way past my mid-week bedtime.  When I got home, I noticed I had lost my Amex card.  Calling the hotel, they said they had found my card and on it was a note from housekeeping: "this card was found in between the sheets of the bed".  Nice.  Thanks housekeeping, for your judgement...

A Year Ago Today...

...this house became mine. 

A year of headache, heartbreak, penny-pinching, debt, fear, second-guessing, and many, many tears later...

I've never been happier.  

Thank you, Home...you've surprised me with your ability to envelope me with love, protect me from life's storms, challenge me to be an adult, and proving daily that you were worth it all.

Lessons I learned from "Lost"...

First off, thank you Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. I loved every single minute of it. Not just the finale...but each and every episode for six seasons.  Well done.

Now, after much reflection...

"Lessons I learned from Lost"

• Everyone is flawed.  Even the pretty people who are able to look amazing when dirty, sweaty, and make-up less...they, too, are flawed. Hallelujah.  I don't have to hate.
• There's never a good explanation for running into a polar bear on an island.
• Hollywood will always find a way to find a young actor w/ an uncanny resemblance to an adult actor to play them in a flashback (young Jacob...hello? Holy teenage doppelganger!)
• I may be wrong about Asian men...I'd date Jin and/or definitely Miles in a heartbeat.
• Never wear white or jeans when flying...in case of crash. I'd hate to be stuck on a sweaty island with jeans on...and a white "shows every spot" tank top.  
• Become a stronger swimmer, paddler, gun shooter, puncher, liar...you never know when these skills can come in handy.
• The success of a really smart show is in direct correlation to how many Asians are in the cast. (Fast Forward = 1.  Lost = 4 (don't forget the head Dharma dude))
• Star Wars references make every scene better.
• When stranded on an island, always ask yourself if this is actually purgatory...you could save yourself a lot of stress and headache. 
• Doctors are ALWAYS the hero. (Dangit, I should've listened to my Korean parents who said I'd be a failure if I studied anything other than medicine)
• I am dumb. Seriously. I read some analysis of the finale and series as a whole and I didn't pick up ANY of the clues! I didn't even figure out the finale...AT ALL!  What the? 

Man...I'm gonna miss this show.  Can't wait for the box set to come out with all the seasons.  Lost marathon sounds amazing now that I know what they were trying to do from the beginning!  Ha!

I don't care what I *should* do...

It was my birthday last week.  Its normally around this time that people reflect on the year past and make some goals for the year forward.  I've noticed when you reach a "certain" age (not sure when exactly that is), it becomes less about where you're going and more about where you're not or where you haven't been.  

By this point in my life, I know, I know...

I should be married.

I should have children.

I should be thinner.

I should eat better.

I should exercise more.

I should drink less.

I should make more money.

I should reapply sunscreen.

I should consider botox.

I should wear more sensible shoes.

I should take a multivitamin.

I should dress my age.

I should be more accomplished.

Thinking over all of this, for one brief moment, I felt totally depressed.  What the hell have I been doing with my life for the past ** years?  How come I'm not where I SHOULD be?

And then it hit me...

I'm at a really great place in my life.  Simply:

I AM happy.

I AM a good person.

I AM kind to people for the most part.

I AM generous.

I AM loyal.

I AM fun.

I AM having fun.

I AM dressed with a smile on my face 90% of the day.

All, in all, that sounds pretty awesome.  So, happy birthday to me!  I'm exactly where I should be and excited for the year ahead to see where I'm going!  

The San Francisco treat...

Bay to Breakers 2010 was, as usual, ridonkulous!  I am always impressed and amazed at how creative people get with their costumes.  Some of the best ones would walk by and I'd think, "man, I wish he was my friend".  (and no, I'm not talking about the wrinkly, hairy, naked guys...) ha!  Don't worry; no x-rated photos from my camera... *wink* (at least not posted!)

Well done, SF...

...the house from "Up"...

...Conan...

...everything's better with bacon...

...never too old (the guys underneath these lego costumes were like 50!)

...I heart this DJ! He was awesome...

...can't forget the Jersey Shore crew...

New office space...

Our offices just recently got a facelift and MAN, it truly makes all the difference!  We used to be in a cubicle farm with high walls and a real call-center type environment.  There was nothing creative about it.  Monday was our first day in our newly renovated space (after 5 months in our temporary digs...dreadful).  

Tada!

Iconic images of SF when you get off the elevator

Modern yet inviting lobby area

Open, counter-height workspaces & concrete floors for the Creative Dept

...ping pong...our true passion...

Open offices & conference rooms...transparency...

...lots and lots of natural light...

Loads of space for eating & socializing

Little details...quotes in the light fixtures...

The "Great Room"...plenty of space for multimedia and collaboration...

Loving it...you can feel the rejuvenated energy and buzz already!

April showers bring...

...MAY FLOWERS!

Trial and error, trial and error.  I've spent a pretty penny and invested hours and hours of time into my backyard...only to have it look lovely, then disastrous (weeds!), then bare, and now...lovely!

I admit that some of the things I've planted have past away to Garden Heaven.  But others are alive and well and have really flourished!  And now with Spring (and Summer around the corner), I'm amazed at what's blooming in my backyard! (I'd include the names of the flowers, but honestly, I have no idea...)

Oh! And my flagstone pavers were getting really beat up and weeds were taken over the in-between parts.  So, I planted some Irish moss as filler.  Its supposed to grow and spread and eventually be full like a nice outdoor carpet! Fingers crossed!

Before...

After...

Come on over! The weather's gorgeous and my outdoor space if itchin' for some company!