say goodbye.

hello loves! I'm so sorry for my infrequent postings lately - between being sick and clearing the house of holiday decorations, my blogging has been sporatic. I apologize! that being said, I'd like to give 2009 a swift kick in the behind, say goodbye (adios, ciao, etc.), and get a move on 2010!

I had a year of love, loss, and broken and fixed friendships, and I am definitely ready to put it behind me! seeing as the blogging theme for the next couple of days will be that of resolutions, I'd like to point out that I have never made official resolution declarations. 2010 is a brand new year, my friends! this year, I'm playing Santa Claus - I'm making a list and checking it twice. forgive me as I blab about my personal struggles and how I'd like to triumph over them:

• stay active and healthy. now that I have my Kindle, there's no excuse as to why I can't read and run on the treadmill at the same time (or hit the stairs or the bike for that matter!).
• focus on my food. I have some severe food allergies and at times, I cheat. I definitely pay for it, but does that change anything when I see chocolate on the table? who am I kidding?! no, it doesn't.
• sit up straight. I'm getting back into ballet and I know the 'madame' of old days would shove a board down my leotard if I wasn't straight up and down. it was funny when I was 10. at 24, I think it would be a bit embarrassing.
• make time for those that count. I have a small network of extremely close friends that I want to make sure know how much they mean to me. I'm going to make time for them no matter what.
• give thanks and give back. I am so blessed in my life - I don't want for or need anything. I need to attend mass (thanks for the inspiration, Danielle!) and thank God and I need to start getting more involved in my community. there are plenty of people who need my spare time more than I do.
• travel. I'm so inspired by my friends who have seen the world and I've decided that this year, it's my turn. Europe, here I come!

what are your New Years Resolutions? what are you putting first in your life for this upcoming year? I want to thank all of my old friends and of course, my many new friends for the inspiration and love you've shown this year. you're all AMAAAAAAAAAZING!! (if you attended a Paul Mitchell School, you'd understand that show of emotion!) until next year....

xoxo

keepin' it real.

hello lovelies! I hope everyone is having a great day and that you're all prepared for the upcoming holiday (however you're spending it!). during this time of economic and personal insecurity, I want to bring up something that makes my heart smile.

through ups and downs, popularity and controversy, Beyonce and Jay-Z have prevailed. I know, you were expecting something a little more solid, right? I'm sorry to disappoint but I just can't help myself. these two make me smile. I love their music, both together and seperately. I love how private they keep their personal lives. I especially love that their committment to each other is so strong. it was just reported on Perez Hilton that the happy couple will be merging their last names in order to carry on both his and hers to their children. so sweet! it's people/couples such as this that should be examples for marriages. they obviously have very high profile lives and contrary to other famous couples, they manage to keep their relationship on the DL, which I think is perfectly appropriate.

what do you think about merging her maiden name with his last name upon union? are you traditional in the sense that you will take his name? untraditional in the sense that he will take yours? I'm hoping that for children's sake, this could be a trend, especially when there are no men in the bride's family!

xoxo

singing in the rain.

good morning loves! I hope everyone had a nice Monday. mine was a little dull, seeing as I'm a bit under the weather, but at the end of the day, it was what it was. (I know, I get so annoyed when people say that but whatever...) I'm so excited to be up and out today seeing as I'm wearing my new Cole Haan boots - seriously, so comfy! I have a picture of them on my Twitter if you're interested, or, just check out my previous post! speaking of which, I promised another boot trend that I'm absolutely obsessed with and here it goes:

Hunter rain boots. I die.

how cute are these little numbers?! they come in so many colors and they even have cute little sock/cuff inserts that you can put in them to make them extra warm. speaking of which, those little inserts stick out the top and add the most adorable little accents. I should have just bought a pair when I was shopping this weekend - I'm really regretting that now! living in the Central Valley of California, we don't get ridiculous amounts of rain, but I just can't pass up these fabulous boots. don't they just make you want to jump into a puddle?! they absolutely bring out the little kid in me. love them!

xoxo

pinch me. I must be dreaming.

hello lovelies! I hope everyone had a fabulous weekend! I don't think I sat down once - I definitely had a crazy, whirlwind time. I had two absolutely fantastic days at the salon (my clients are so amazing - I'm so blessed!), Saturday night was my mom's family Christmas party (think 65 people stuffed into one house - incredible!), and Sunday was a day spent in the bay with my mom's best friend and my "sister" (for lack of a better word) and 20 of their closest friends.

after spending a few hours with my extended "family," my mom and another of her best friends and her daughter and I went shopping. everyone who knows me knows how absolutely frustrated I become with crowds. I'm slightly OCD and definitely germaphobic and public places with too many people make me cringe. I toughed it out and scored some killer Cole Haan boots. killer, you ask? yes. killer. they're absolutely gorgeous in black suede with a pewter/silver buckle at the top. they're snug enough around the calf that they don't give me cankles yet I can still tuck my skinny jeans/pants into them and they don't cut off my circulation! I'm in love. the kicker? they're comfortable. that's right. comfortable. I'm the queen of high heels around my family - they can't be high enough for me (I'm dying for a pair of 16cm Louboutins). that being said, my new Cole Haan boots are quite low (only 3 1/4") and I actually find that much more uncomfortable than something higher. years of ballet/dance have my arches curved to an unnatural height. the plus one here? Nike Air Technology. squishy soft. absolutely arch-conforming. I'm dreaming.

hopefully my pants won't be dragging on the ground. seeing as I'm so used to 5"+ heels, my hems may be a little damp. oh well, guess that means skinny jeans and leggings for the rest of winter!

what are your opinions on comfortable shoes? what do you consider comfortable and stylish? a special thanks to my very dear friend Jaclyn @ Confessions of Domestic Goddess for blogging about this wonderful Cole Haan innovation first!

xoxo

p.s.
be prepared for another boot obsession tomorrow - this one being on the opposite side of the spectrum!

the (lame?) giver.

good morning loves! I hope you're all having a fabulous one - I know I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off! that being said, I have a couple of minutes to post this little number and hopefully I'll recieve loads of feedback because I'm a little weary of this decision!

I'm a giver. I love giving gifts - little tokens of appreciation. this Christmas, my mom is going to be the reciever of two incredible gifts and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it! the first is a diamond ring that I picked out for my dad to give to her for their anniversary. poor mom gets consolidated Christmas and anniversary presents because their anniversary is December 30 and normally they just have a nice dinner and call it even. but this year is anniversary # 20 and I told my dad if he didn't come up with something good, the dog house would look cushy compaired to where he'd be sleeping! so, seeing as a very good family friend of ours owns a jewelry store, I went down and picked out a very beautiful 3-row diamond ring that I know she's going to love (especially since she put it down on her wish-list!).

ok, now for the feedback part of my blog. we've also ordered her something that I think is one of the coolest kitchen gadgets I've seen to date: a crock pot with a removable insert that you can use to brown your meat before you slow-cook it! my mom loves to cook but is this lame?! it's the All-Clad Deluxe Slow-Cooker and besides being functional, it's beautiful! and, to top it off, it was on sale at Williams-Sonoma so that was pretty much the deal sealer. is it ridiculous to spend almost $400 on a slow-cooker that will get loads of use and has a double-function insert (we had to pay for rush shipping which was almost $45, which brought the sale total up considerably)?? please give me your feedback - I'm vascillating between lame and fabulous! there's a fine line!

xoxo

the 'root' of the problem.

good morning loves! I hope everyone is having a wonderful morning/day/afternoon (considering time zones, of course). I'm not going to make a habit of ranting and raving here on my blog but today is just one of those days. I've started a cleanse and needless to say, I'm hungry. it's already ridiculous and everything is getting on my nerves. especially, today's topic of discussion.

as a licensed cosmetologist, I take pride in my work. I stay updated on my classes/training. I study magazines and fashion trends to keep up with latest styles in both clothing and hair and makeup styling. I'm pretty much in-the-know about most things when it comes to hair. I love it. it's my obsession. and rightly so, seeing as it's my job (well, at least 2 days a week!). the other night, while scrolling through my Twitter, Holly Madison posted that she was "having her roots did." I know this is supposed to be funny. I'm not so high strung that I can't take a joke. Lack of grammar aside, the biggest thing about this statement is the use of the word "roots." the "roots" of your hair do not surface and therefore, you cannot "have your roots did." the proper term for coloring or lightening the hair that has grown out since your last visit to the salon is "outgrowth."

now, as I've said, I'm not one to nit-pick about things such as this. I understand, we're not all trained and licensed cosmetologists. if we were, we would refrain from such statements as "I'm painting my nails," or "I'm plucking my brows." Instead, we would state that we are "polishing our nails," or "tweezing our brows." we are neither houses (because, you see, you paint a house) nor chickens (chickens are plucked) and therefore should not refer to ourselves as such indirectly.

I apologize for my rant today, I just had to get it out. and please, never let your stylist hear you say that you're at the salon "having your roots did/done." talk about making us cringe!!

xoxo

some like it hot.

good morning loves! I hope everyone had a great Monday. I took a spin class last night for the first time in a long time and let's just say I should have brought a pillow to sit upon today! that being said, I want to talk about one of my current favorite things. it's something that makes me so happy in the morning - and I'm sure we could all use an extra dose of happy at this time of day!

it's the Starbucks Soft-Touch Concord Tumbler. it's double insulated stainless steel shell keeps my drink of choice (chai tea this morning, Zen tea for my afternoon pick-me-up!) piping hot - just the way I like it! I'm one of those freaks of nature that can't drink my tea or my latte unless it's near the brink of boiling. I just prefer it that way! and not only does this wonderful tumbler (in a striking shade of garnet, might I add) keep my drink hot, it keeps it hot for hours! it's absolutely amazing! I rave about it to everyone who comments on this small piece of joy. nobody can tell me that it's not just the expensive things in life that make me happy! this is one of the best $20 I've ever spent. the only drawback to this small piece of happiness is that it's not dishwasher safe - hand wash only! I don't mind, though. a quick soak in hot, soapy water and it's done!

so, for all of you looking for a vessle for your morning drink of choice, I highly suggest this tumbler. and, if you prefer your drinks to be on the iced end of the spectrum, it'll keep you happy as well! enjoy!

xoxo

on pointe.

happy Monday my lovelies! I'm so sorry for the lack of post last week, I spent the beginning of the week in bed with strep throat then the rest of the week trying to catch up! it didn't help that the keepers of my house (AKA my parents. ha!) were away for the week. that being said, I'm back in full force and ready to pick up where I left off!

I had an absolutely wonderful weekend - working in the salon on Friday and Saturday, then spending Saturday evening with my dear friend Jaclyn and her husband and their families. I'm so lucky to have such amazing friends! on Sunday, my Tia ("aunt" in Spanish, for all of you who didn't catch on in high school or college, or, for that matter, don't live in California!) treated my mother and me to a matinee performance of "The Nutcracker." my 8-year-old cousin Emma was dancing in said performance and being in our cushy box seats, watching from the front instead of stage right brought back some lovely, yet bittersweet memories!

I grew up dancing - ballet, jazz, hip hop - and watching from the audience made me a little teary. the ballet lifestyle was a bit much for my mother and I to handle and at the age of 15, I reluctantly retired from dance. now, all I have to show for it are my out-turned stance and high-arched feet. I know that ballet is an excellent form of exercise and I can't get the thought of returning to dance out of my head. if you've never been to the ballet or practiced some form of dance, I urge you to do so. it's such a lovely experience. to see the dancers move so gracefully and with such understated power is magical.

I'm thinking of adding some adult ballet classes into my workout regime (which, after this past weekend, will be back in full force!). what does everyone think? what do you add to your workouts to spice things up? what are you passionate about and how can you incorporate this into your routine?

xoxo

a christmas carol.

hello my loves! I hope everyone is having a fabulous week - I know that I'm excited to have Friday right around the corner!

as of late, there have been a lot of blog topics regarding favorite holiday movies and such. personally, I adore Christmas movies. I watch them all year round so I can have that warm and fuzzy feeling 365 days a year! last night, I saw an update on a classic and absolutely have to rave about it! I saw A Christmas Carol in IMAX 3D and it was so fantastic! it seemed as if it were snowing on us, the characters looked close enough to touch, and the imaging was ridiculous. I would definitely recommend it to anyone over the age of 10 (the film is rated PG but there were a few scenes that seemed a bit frightening for younger children). I would definitely recommend seeing it in 3D - it was a wonderful experience! and, of course, the brilliant message of giving was front and center - I was smiling through the whole movie. Jim Carrey did a seriously outstanding job with this film; he's quite the acting genius!

what are your holiday film traditions?

xoxo