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| Lemon Salt Lemon Cupcakes |
Friday, July 27, 2012
Thursday, July 26, 2012
The Book of Face
It seems like every other day I get into a discussion about the pros and cons of facebook. Usually it's with people who are strongly against it (even if they're members). The argument, as you can guess, is that it allows people to stalk you and you're faced with learning random facts about random people you don't care about.
I get it. It's often a total waste of time and brain cells. More importantly, it can entice bullying and FOMO.* Plus, those people who use facebook to give people a false impression that their life is perfect...well, they're just lame.
That being said, I have to admit that this one little website is a huge part of my life.** As I pondered R's question about making new friends, I realized that facebook has helped me tons. Friendships are all about "me too!" moments, right? Well, when we share the minutiae of our lives with the free world, we will inevitably find someone out there who has the same habit, loves the same restaurant, is stuck in the same airport, whatever. And it creates a great sense of community. I'm bad at talking about myself, and I think twice before posting some things that might appear boring to others, but you know what? It rarely hurts. As I try to build friendships in a new place, those new acquaintances who are in my network are able to learn the tiniest things about me (and vice versa), and we're forced to keep in touch and bond. It's harder to forget about people when their business is all up in your web browser.
Speaking of keeping in touch, that's an obvious plus. I hate calling people. 99% of my facebook friends are people I wouldn't call anyway. So this site does not keep me from human interaction - it allows me to keep in touch with people I would otherwise let float away and to be more updated on the family/friends I do talk to often...and to "meet" people I otherwise would not know...and to feel like I'm right there when old friends have a reunion. :)
*Fear of missing out. I'm so glad there's finally a term for this condition.
**FYI, I take people off my news feed if they annoy me and never post things I wouldn't want my parents to see.
I get it. It's often a total waste of time and brain cells. More importantly, it can entice bullying and FOMO.* Plus, those people who use facebook to give people a false impression that their life is perfect...well, they're just lame.
That being said, I have to admit that this one little website is a huge part of my life.** As I pondered R's question about making new friends, I realized that facebook has helped me tons. Friendships are all about "me too!" moments, right? Well, when we share the minutiae of our lives with the free world, we will inevitably find someone out there who has the same habit, loves the same restaurant, is stuck in the same airport, whatever. And it creates a great sense of community. I'm bad at talking about myself, and I think twice before posting some things that might appear boring to others, but you know what? It rarely hurts. As I try to build friendships in a new place, those new acquaintances who are in my network are able to learn the tiniest things about me (and vice versa), and we're forced to keep in touch and bond. It's harder to forget about people when their business is all up in your web browser.
Speaking of keeping in touch, that's an obvious plus. I hate calling people. 99% of my facebook friends are people I wouldn't call anyway. So this site does not keep me from human interaction - it allows me to keep in touch with people I would otherwise let float away and to be more updated on the family/friends I do talk to often...and to "meet" people I otherwise would not know...and to feel like I'm right there when old friends have a reunion. :)
*Fear of missing out. I'm so glad there's finally a term for this condition.
**FYI, I take people off my news feed if they annoy me and never post things I wouldn't want my parents to see.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Making Friends as an Adult
The past few weeks, I've been really wondering the key to making friendships as an adult. N shared this article that looks at the challenges of making friends after you're 30. Since then, this article is being shared by many Facebook friends.
My friend pool is quite diverse - filled with friends from different parts of my life. The friends span people who are very creative and artistic versus scientific, risk takers vs. cautious, married vs singled, have kids vs. none at all, and the list could go on. Bu the qualities the people who I call friends have in common are: genuinely good people, kind, loyal, and fun! I can't think of anyone in this friend pool who I can't laugh with until my sides ache.
I looked at G$'s friends and see the same qualities with the people he holds dear to him.
When I moved out to the Bay Area, I had quite a difficult time making friends and was lucky that G$'s friends accepted me with open arms and soon became my friends. It's hard to make that adult friend transition. As kids, you make friends based on who is in your class or is friends with your parents (ahem miss N); then you migrate to college and that's the best time to make friends since you traditionally live 3.5 minutes away from them. When I graduated, I still had all my college friends so close by and assumed that is how it would always be. But little did I know, that after college - friendships are hard to come by and take effort.
As I've transitioned into this phase, the ideal friendships are ones the person (if they're single) or couple get along well with both G$ and I. It's hard to have a close friendship when your spouse can't stand the sight of them or their partner. And like the article highlights, Facebook makes you feel like everyone in the world has millions of friends and is always having fun times!
Free time is also more a rarity than it used to be. Scheduling plans with friends who have kids poses a challenge around nap times, ballet schedules, swimming lessons, etc. And I am a challenge to make plans with during the week since my travel schedule is a bit sporadic and last minute. Having a few glasses of wine on a work night with girlfriends used to be easy - now I'm tired for a day or two after :)
I'm starting to learn that friends are still important in our lives, but aren't always the key to a social life that satisfies us. I feel lucky that I do have good friends (spanning my entire life) to count on when I have news to share (whether good or bad), and friends that I don't have to see for years but just pick up where I left off.
Has it been easy for you to make friends as you get older? Any secrets?
My friend pool is quite diverse - filled with friends from different parts of my life. The friends span people who are very creative and artistic versus scientific, risk takers vs. cautious, married vs singled, have kids vs. none at all, and the list could go on. Bu the qualities the people who I call friends have in common are: genuinely good people, kind, loyal, and fun! I can't think of anyone in this friend pool who I can't laugh with until my sides ache.
I looked at G$'s friends and see the same qualities with the people he holds dear to him.
When I moved out to the Bay Area, I had quite a difficult time making friends and was lucky that G$'s friends accepted me with open arms and soon became my friends. It's hard to make that adult friend transition. As kids, you make friends based on who is in your class or is friends with your parents (ahem miss N); then you migrate to college and that's the best time to make friends since you traditionally live 3.5 minutes away from them. When I graduated, I still had all my college friends so close by and assumed that is how it would always be. But little did I know, that after college - friendships are hard to come by and take effort.
As I've transitioned into this phase, the ideal friendships are ones the person (if they're single) or couple get along well with both G$ and I. It's hard to have a close friendship when your spouse can't stand the sight of them or their partner. And like the article highlights, Facebook makes you feel like everyone in the world has millions of friends and is always having fun times!
Free time is also more a rarity than it used to be. Scheduling plans with friends who have kids poses a challenge around nap times, ballet schedules, swimming lessons, etc. And I am a challenge to make plans with during the week since my travel schedule is a bit sporadic and last minute. Having a few glasses of wine on a work night with girlfriends used to be easy - now I'm tired for a day or two after :)
I'm starting to learn that friends are still important in our lives, but aren't always the key to a social life that satisfies us. I feel lucky that I do have good friends (spanning my entire life) to count on when I have news to share (whether good or bad), and friends that I don't have to see for years but just pick up where I left off.
Has it been easy for you to make friends as you get older? Any secrets?
R's Photo Project - Week 14
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| July 15 (Sunday): I thought the back of this dark chocolate sea salt bar was so random! |
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| July 16 (Monday): The calendar on my desk made by one of my talented co-workers. |
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| July 17 (Tuesday): Aah...college memories. |
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| July 18 (Wednesday): I took this on Tuesday, but whatever. My friend's dog, Bubba. |
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| July 19 (Thursday): The haircut I'd like after I chop it all off for a charity in January. |
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| July 20 (Friday): The yummiest GF pizza! |
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| July 21 (Saturday): My new Tom Ford sunglasses that I got off Groupon Goods. |
Friday, July 20, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
R's Photo Project - Week 13
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| Sunday (July 8th): Yummy Mt Rainer cherries! |
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| Monday (July 9th): My matching ring to N's for her 30th birthday. I didn't have it for a couple of weeks and was so sad! |
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| Tuesday (July 10th): My treadmill faced the pool - can you see the kiddie area with the cool stuff? |
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| Wednesday (July 11th): Starry night that I tried to re-create (this one isn't mine). |
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| Thursday (July 12th): YAY - Nordies Anniversary Sale! |
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| Friday (July 13): Kauai guidebook a coworker lent to me. |
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| Saturday (July 14th); Three spoons at Plumed Horse, where we celebrated N's 1 year anniversary living in the Bay Area! |
Friday, July 13, 2012
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
R's Top 5 Must Haves for Summer Skin
So, with summer comes baring your legs, arms and minimizing the foundation. So with that said, I've found some new staples (all under $30) for my summer skin care:
1. Olive Body Scrub from the Body Shop. I can't say enough about this product. I use it once a week on Monday morning, leave it on for a few minutes and then wash it off. I can feel my skin feel fresh and moisturized without that icky residue. It is also a very mild scent which I adore. I will be posting a comparison blog with another scrub.
2. Schick Quattro Trim Style. So I used the Venus rake product last year, and this year found this at Target. It has three different comb lengths and then the option to take the comb off completely - based on your hairstyle ;). I read that the trimmer lasts up to a couple of years - amazing! Even if it doesn't, it's quite a steal at $11, and is a trimmer and razor in one! The Venus rake product was a separate rake and razor, and is pricier than its $11 competitor.
3. City Block Sheer Sunscreen SPF 25. This is a steal at $21! I love this product because not only does it work well as a sunscreen, I use it as a primer as well. On Saturday/Sunday afternoons where I need some coverage, I will wear the sunscreen (to protect my face) along with some powder, mascara and a hint of bronzer - voila - I look as natural as one can be without a zit showing :)
4. Nars Orgasm Blush. This is another must have, regardless of season. During summer, I especially love the natural glow this product provides with any level of tan. The product is practically smudge proof - I've worn it on 18 hour travel days, gym sessions - it literally keeps a great glow, but comes off with my makeup remover.
5. MAC Lip Conditioner: LOVE LOVE LOVE. This product is better than Carmex, which is blasphemy! This product isn't sticky, virtually has no smell and keeps lips moisturized for hours on end...love love love. go buy this!
Bonus: MAC Fix+ Spray: This is great, especially in the summer. I recommend spraying it when you have minimal eye makeup on. I do love how it feels, especially on my face on a hot day. I have been known to put this in the fridge on a hot day :) I also LOVE having this when I get off of a long plane ride.
There's obviously products that aren't included, but I wanted to keep this affordable and easy to find :)
3. City Block Sheer Sunscreen SPF 25. This is a steal at $21! I love this product because not only does it work well as a sunscreen, I use it as a primer as well. On Saturday/Sunday afternoons where I need some coverage, I will wear the sunscreen (to protect my face) along with some powder, mascara and a hint of bronzer - voila - I look as natural as one can be without a zit showing :)
4. Nars Orgasm Blush. This is another must have, regardless of season. During summer, I especially love the natural glow this product provides with any level of tan. The product is practically smudge proof - I've worn it on 18 hour travel days, gym sessions - it literally keeps a great glow, but comes off with my makeup remover.
5. MAC Lip Conditioner: LOVE LOVE LOVE. This product is better than Carmex, which is blasphemy! This product isn't sticky, virtually has no smell and keeps lips moisturized for hours on end...love love love. go buy this!
Bonus: MAC Fix+ Spray: This is great, especially in the summer. I recommend spraying it when you have minimal eye makeup on. I do love how it feels, especially on my face on a hot day. I have been known to put this in the fridge on a hot day :) I also LOVE having this when I get off of a long plane ride.
There's obviously products that aren't included, but I wanted to keep this affordable and easy to find :)
Monday, July 9, 2012
Dating Musings
Since I have a knack for going on first dates that never turn into second dates, I'm often forced to wonder if I should change my perspectives. Approximately 50% of these recent encounters were people I wouldn't have minded seeing again but were apparently not interested, and 50% were vice versa. Did this latter half think the same thing in their heads that I thought about the first half (i.e., "I'm not a bad person, why would he/she not want to hang out with me again?")?* In the end, do we all have a false, inflated sense of self?
I've definitely let go of judgments that I used to make, but where is the line between being picky and just plain knowing what you want? As a food lover who isn't too tight with money, I'd prefer to spend time with someone who is willing and able to pay for great experiences and who enjoys a good meal. Also, as a person who isn't boisterous or uber social, I think I could benefit from someone who is.** Meanwhile, this person can be short or tall, metro or sporty, bald or with hair, with any career and background. Is that unreasonable?
As for the theory that I'm overthinking this and it all just comes down to a "feeling" - well, I know plenty of couples who are happy now but definitely did not have a mutual interest in the beginning. So I have no idea how long you're supposed to wait for this "feeling" to materialize.
Or maybe, in the end, it's a crapshoot that simply comes down to timing and luck.
*Let's be honest - some of these were "Who does he think he is to dis ME?!"
**Yes, I realize it's highly unlikely that said boisterous and social guy would want to date a girl who isn't.
I've definitely let go of judgments that I used to make, but where is the line between being picky and just plain knowing what you want? As a food lover who isn't too tight with money, I'd prefer to spend time with someone who is willing and able to pay for great experiences and who enjoys a good meal. Also, as a person who isn't boisterous or uber social, I think I could benefit from someone who is.** Meanwhile, this person can be short or tall, metro or sporty, bald or with hair, with any career and background. Is that unreasonable?
As for the theory that I'm overthinking this and it all just comes down to a "feeling" - well, I know plenty of couples who are happy now but definitely did not have a mutual interest in the beginning. So I have no idea how long you're supposed to wait for this "feeling" to materialize.
Or maybe, in the end, it's a crapshoot that simply comes down to timing and luck.
*Let's be honest - some of these were "Who does he think he is to dis ME?!"
**Yes, I realize it's highly unlikely that said boisterous and social guy would want to date a girl who isn't.
R's Photo Project - Week 12
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| July 1 (Sunday): Drinks reminiscent of our vacation last year: White Sangria for me and Vinho Verde for G at ad hoc in Napa. |
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| July 2 (Monday): A chocolate I found for G's dessert - Caramel and fleur de sel....delish (I had a little taste!) |
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| July 3 (Tuesday): Drinks with old friends up in SF |
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| July 4 (Wednesday): Photo credit to Miss N. Who doesn't love some cotton candy in a wine bottle on the 4th of July. |
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| July 5 (Thursday): Crab salad and sushi made by G$. I love how the plating looks like a smiley face |
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| July 6 (Friday): G$ with his BFF. LL and I were amused at how the two of them looked like they were holding hands while we walked behind. |
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| July 7 (Saturday): This is a shout out to N - Rain is the first type of booze (after the fish wine) she purchased when turning 21. |
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Nailed It, Part 4: Ombre
That's ombre, not hombre. ;) This manicure is basically just a gradient across your nails. There are a couple of ways to do this - either take a dark color and mix it with different amounts of white to get five shades, or find five shades of nail polish in the same color. My recommendation is to get this done at a salon so that you have a plethora of options and don't have to dig them up yourself.
I've tried red before and currently have this pink scheme (with my blue toes making a cameo in the background):
Blues and purples are next on the list!
I've tried red before and currently have this pink scheme (with my blue toes making a cameo in the background):
Blues and purples are next on the list!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
R's Photo Project - Week 11
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| June 24 (Sunday): Yumm....watermelon that N and I were sharing |
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| June 25 (Monday): It's normal to have confetti on the bottom of my office boxes... |
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| June 26 (Tuesday): G$ hates making the bed, so it made me so happy to see that he did it anyway :) |
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| June 27 (Wednesday): Who doesn't love sashimi for dinner :) |
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| June 28 (Thursday): G$'s cousin sent us roses for our 4 year anniversary |
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| June 29 (Friday): Lemon sorbet in Santa Rosa that reminded us of our favorite popsicles in Portugal and Spain. |
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| June 30 (Saturday): A stream on our hike |
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