I'm Alive

It has been a while but I am alive!  Just barely anyway.  Somehow, despite being a closet germaphobe, I managed to catch the Cold from Hell.  It is now 10 days and counting but despite bottles of cough syrup, bags of cough drops, homemade chicken broth-in-a-mug (I find I drink more liquids from a cup rather than from a bowl with the whole spoon-to-mouth action), vaporizers, honey, neosporin, and boxes and boxes of tissue...I am still in the grips of that damn Cold.

I really have to get better soon...like...asap.  Tomorrow, I have the interview of a lifetime and I cannot be a good candidate if I'm coughing up a lung every few minutes.  Lately, I've been running around town running errands and doing things for people--some of it was because of the holidays (I tried my best to contain my germs by covering my nose and mouth with a pashmina) and some of it was due to absolute necessity.

Today, I looked at my closet and discovered that my favorite suit jacket was not dry cleaned after I wore it the last time and my black sheer stockings have a run in them.  Normally, I do not dry clean my blazers after each use but the last time I wore it, a bad comedy-cliche happened to me:

There I was...walking around in my beautifully fitted blazer and slim-fitted black pants, feeling all the world like a rockstar in my black patent stiletto pumps and swishy "professionally" bobbed hair, towards a group of classmates and associates about to get my mingle on...when the giant gorilla of a guy directly in front of me takes an unforeseeable step backwards and smashes right into me, sending my super hot cup of coffee flying backwards into me...drenching my top with scalding, burning, dark liquid.  Eyes bugged in horror while the gorilla ass takes a look and does a true douche-bag smirk and TURNS AWAY.  I would shoot eye daggers at the guy but I am a consumate professional (but in truth, my chest was burning in pain and I quickly walked off to tend to it).

And so there you have it...I could break out my other suits but this is my FAVORITE blazer.  I have had it since 2004 but the classic style and fit is unsurmountable.  I will dab at it today to get rid of the obvious dried coffee marks and do my best to freshen it up because there is no time to take it to the cleaners today.

Right now, I am wearing a neon-yellow oversized fleece to keep warm and between sips of green tea and hot water, I am eating spoonfuls of buckwheat honey to soothe my raw, irritated throat.  Why buckwheat honey? Apparently, it has properties that are great for soothing throats, more so than other honey varieties.  It has all sorts of antioxidants and anti-bacterial and other fancy sounding health benefits so I went to the health food store nearby and found a jar of the thick, dark, raw, crystalized stuff and went to town.

I am so very weak right now (5lbs lost in 10 days) that I had trouble opening it but once I did, the pungent odor of horse emerged.  That's right...the fresh bouquet of equinous expellius wafted up and actually assaulted my deadened taste buds and olfactory organ.  I guess the only time I've ever really smelled buckwheat is on a farm where horses live and um...drop...droppings so I dry-heaved until I could work that thick brown liquid down my throat.  What do you know...I think it works!

So now, whenever I get that horrible spot of dry, itchy throat...you know the one....it's just located in a tiny part of the throat...feels like the size of a pencil-eraser...that itches and makes you couch until your abs ache and your throat light on fire...I lick a spoonful of honey to lubricate the throat and I don't feel so bad anymore.

I think I will not go out today to buy silk stockings...I can buy them tomorrow before my interview and still have plenty of time.  I just don't want to go outdoors today and expose myself to the elements again. I will hunker down, cuddle up, and do my best to go an hour without dripping, couching, sneezing, or blowing my nose.  An hour.  That is all I need to get through the interview.  Please pray for me.

Thinking...

A while back, I posted about some new vehicles we were considering.  Since then, my 96' Maxima has bit the dust twice and shall be revived no more.  We may be able to hold off on a new car for a little while longer though--hubby already takes the train to work and I might be able to do the same.

I'm just thinking out my thoughts here...so here goes (sourced through random googling):

Research
2007 Prius = <$15,000
MGP = 46 combined
Cargo space = 14.4 cubic ft

2012 Prius V (wagon) = $29,000
MPG = 42 combined
Cargo space = 34.4 cubic ft. (seat up) and 67 cubic feet (seat down)

Analysis
That is a HUGE difference in price and in storage. Our initial goal was to buy a gently used vehicle and let the first owners take the depreciation hit.  We plan to buy it outright rather than to make monthly payments unless the financing rate is very very low.

We already have a sedan but we have continually needed a larger "hauling" vehicle and it has been a huge PITA trying to stuff things into the little car or borrowing people's trucks/SUVs.  Plus, it'd be nice to have a larger car when we have a family.  A stroller fits easily into the trunk of hubby's TSX but it leaves no room for anything else.  Of course groceries/stuff can be put in the backseat of the car but we'll still be tight on room.

On the other hand, a '07 Prius is about half the cost of a new Wagon.  Is it worth the extra cargo space?  le hmm.  Perhaps it is not a good idea to compare a wagon with a sedan.  It's more accurate to compare the wagon with a SUV.  Could we wait another year or so before buying a new car?  That way we might be able to get a used 2012 wagon then?

Hm.

To be continued.

A New Goal

Last fall, I went through a pantry/freezer cleaning experiment to see if I could go the entire month without buying any more groceries/spending any money on food.  Although we had a few unexpected food expenses arise (taking the family out to dinner), we saved a lot of money that month.  Obviously the stuff that was languishing in the back of the pantry and freezer for months weren't items we typically used so once we cleared it out, we were able to start anew with stuff we actually do consume regularly.

Now I want to embark on another experiment.  While it saved money to empty out our food stores, it isn't sustainable in the long run because we'd have to replenish it eventually.  A better experiment would be to try my hand at a little extreme couponing!  We don't typically consume a lot of conventional groceries: we either try to grow our own or buy local & organic--not stuff you'd see in the weekly sale mailers.  However, there are items that occasionally pop up that we do put to good use: soy milk, almond milk, juices, jarred (never canned) tomato sauce, and occasional toothpaste/mouthwash/floss etc.  I'd prefer to use Tom's of Maine toothpaste but we haven't fully made that switch yet.

Anyway, today was my first attempt at extreme couponing and while it isn't much, I did manage to save $2.05 on a half gallon of Almond Breeze!  I've purchased it at as high as $4.29 before but I usually buy it for around $3.79-$3.99.  Today, it was 2 for $6.00 and I had a $.55 manufacturer's coupon + store double coupon.  I ended up paying $1.95 for Almond Breeze...pretty much a 50% saving from my normal cost!  It feels so good!

So I'll do a little here and there to start accumulating more coupons in anticipation of my experiment come September.  I'd really like to see how much I can save that month.  My goal is $100 off our normal food/grocery expenses.

Upcycling

Things have been shifting and changing the household lately.  We moved in over two years ago and we haven't really touched the house since then.  Now that we have settled in, we have a better of idea of our habits and we are working on re-doing parts of the house.  We have 4 bedrooms, all of which are good-sized, but they aren't being maximized so we went to work planning and rearranging existing furniture.

The first project we did was to repaint a horrible bright blue bedroom (think "My Little Pony blue") into a much more flattering and neutral pale grey.  We are also in the process of taking apart the study and moving one of the two desks out to make a sewing/crafting area for me in the grey bedroom. We have plans to turn the study into a more functional library/playroom/guest room down the road.  By rearranging the study, we re-use existing stuff to complete other areas of the house.  We hung curtains and added a large pendant light for the dining room.  It is currently an IKEA white paper lantern but I saw this wonderful DIY hack for making a hemp pendant lamp that I want to try:

I either want to make one gigantic one or maybe 3 medium sized orbs hung in a row.  They look like West Elm's Abaca pendant but at a fraction of the price:

I can see it being a fun craft project with kids so I'll probably attempt this on a weekend when I have my niece over.  

I was Born in the Wrong Era

Hubby always jokes that I was born in the wrong era.   My BA is in English and focused on 18th century Anglo literature (and comparative literature from other countries around that time.)  I love all things from that era: the literary works, the history, the fashion, the furniture, and the lifestyle.  It's just fascinating!  Lately, I've been drawn to living the lifestyle of the generations past:  I'm into baking my own bread from homemade starter, growing organic vegetables, and refurbishing furniture.  Basically, it's just old-fashioned homemaking and working with one's hands.

I have one more professional hurdle to pass in the very near future but once I complete it, I will have a short period of free-time before I begin working again.  During that time, I have multiple home projects that I hope to accomplish.  They include:  remodeling our kitchen (cabinets and backsplash), painting and re-decorating the study, painting a bedroom,  installing a picture gallery, sewing slipcovers for our cream colored sofas, and buying a cheap (<$30) wingback chair to reupholster.

If I have time, I want to make a headboard for the master bedroom, hack our living room ottoman into a storage ottoman, and some other plans that include metallic grasscloth wallpaper.  It's going to be a super busy but very fun-filled summer!  I can't wait!!

P.S. Hubby, if you are reading this, I would really really really like a sewing machine (preferable Janome brand) for my birthday/our 2nd wedding anniversary!  Oh! and an electric nail gun.





okthanksbai.

The Jet-Set lifestyle!

We just got back from Europe a few weeks ago and now we're on our way up, up, and away again! This time, we're headed to the Mayan Rivieria with it's white sand beaches and clear, turquoise water.  The forecast shows a low of 70 and a high of 90 (my ideal zone) but unfortunately, it'll also have scattered thunderstorms.  Regardless, I am so looking forward to our leisurely tropical getaway with a bunch of our closest friends!

We have a couple excursions planned while where there...touring the Mayan ruins, a girl's spa day, and either swimming with dolphins or taking a zipline over the forest.  I think I'd enjoy ziplining but the opportunity to swim with dolphins (Hub's favorite animal) is too hard to pass up.  I guess we'll see what the rest of the group wants to do when we get there!  Can. Not. Wait.

Off to take care of houseplants and a quick mani/pedi!

She sells Seychelles by the seashore.

**Update**

Yay!!  After wishing I had them during my entire trip in Paris, I bit the bullet and placed a pre-order as soon as I got back.  Unfortunately, it took over a month before the order was fulfilled and I wasn't able to  enjoy them in Cancun, but I am enjoying them now!  I ordered .5 size up but I found that they run true to size, so the recommendation to order .5 to 1 size up was inapplicable to me. It fits very well without any chafing, rubbing, or discomfort but when I lift my feet, it feels a tad loose.  The wide leather bands hold it in place and it's not so bothersome that it'd make me return and reorder.  All in all, I am very pleased with these shoes.  I've worn them with a fancy silk and sequined outfit to a wedding, casual cotton summer dress, and a jaunty nautical inspired shirt and shorts outfit.  Yes for the perfect pair of wedges!

**End Update with a fist pump!**

Or so I wish.  I wore out my last favorite pair of shoes--metallic slippers with just a 1.5 inch heel--perfect for wearing with anything from skinny jeans to dresses to shorts.  In my quest to find a new replacement,  I stumbled upon the cutest pair of shoes yesterday.  They are way higher than my last pair of favorite utilitarian shoes but heel height has never intimidated me.  Here are these beauties, in all it's glory:

Seychelles

Aren't they beautiful?  Even though it has a 4 inch heel, it's on a stacked platform so it'll feel like more like a 3 inch heel.  I like them enough to pay full price for them ($110) and there are actually quite a few amazon promotions right now which would bring the price down to around $60.  Yet the gods defy me! There are no more taupe colors left in my size :(  While I can still order it and wait for the next shipment, the next shipment won't arrive for several weeks so it won't arrive in time for my impending vacation.  I guess its probably better not to teeter around in wedge heels on cobblestone streets but still--I feel a pang of sadness.  Add in a double pang because the Amazon sale won't apply on the impending shipment so it'll be full price.  While I said I'd have been willing to pay full price for it, knowing that I can get it at around $60 makes me unwilling to pull the trigger.  Boo!  Boo hiss snarl!  

And the shoe search saga continues...

What's a suburban wife to drive?

I remember when our family first got a minivan--it was a big, boxy, Dodge Caravan that we affectionately dubbed "Big Red". (Apparently, this was a popular car back in the 90's because El Hubbo's family had a silver one dubbed--"Silver Bullet".) I loved the sliding doors and how roomy the interior was, but that fascination eventually faded to embarrassment. Maybe it was because it had gotten dinged up and old over the course of 10-years, or maybe because it became synonymous with suburban soccer mom's, or perhaps even, due to the GIANT phone number and name advertising our family's business all over the windows. Probably all 3, but since then, even though vans are incomparably useful during moving, I have averred against them.


Instead, the 18-year old me looked at shiny, assertive, stylishly towering SUV's with eyes shining in delight and decided that when I had a family someday, I would get an SUV. I'd be a cool mom, rather than the minivan, conservative jean-wearing mom.


Cue to 5 years later, when yet ANOTHER passive/aggressive suburban mom cut me off on the 73, shooting by, no doubt tearing off to drive her children to La Crosse practice. (This was when I lived in SoCal, where I normally drove a minimum of 80 on the stretch from the 405 to the 73). I realized then and there...SUV drivers can often be d*cks. I did not wish to be a d*ck. I mean, yeah, her faux blond highlights were awesomely sun-kissed and she was gabbing away on a fancy phone, but I did not like the attitude. It seems the higher the driver's vantage point is, the lower their willingness to follow general traffic niceties. Gone was my ambition to be an SUV driving "cool" suburban mom.


It has been several years since the 5 years later of my 18-year old self and while I still don't have kids, it is at least within the perimeter of the planning stages. Ok, it's still too early but my current car is 16 years old and it has died 2 times in the past 6 months, resulting in an ungodly shop bill. Although it's back on track, we are hedging our bets that it won't last more than 2-3 years. Since we want to buy a slightly used car for our next car, that means we'll end up purchasing cars around the 2010/2011 generation!


Cue the car search! (It's a great waste of time!) We currently have 2 sedans and we are really looking for a car with excellent gas mileage (so hybrid or electric is a must), cargo space, and all-wheel drive, under $20k used so we can pay for it up front to avoid financing it (since debt is the Great Evil that must be avoided or eradicated). Since we may have a family in 2-3 years, it would be great if it doubled as a family car. Some options we considered are:


1. Prius- Good price, best mileage, awesome for commuting, roomy interior, decent cargo space, but no AWD. Even new, it's attainable. 3 years old would drop it to the $18k category. Oh yes.


2. Prius V (Wagon!)- new car, coming Summer 2011.

(source)

Expected base of $28,500 for new, so a slightly older one will drop it under $20k. 40mpg average mileage, super roomy, awesome cargo space, but no AWD. I love that it's a wagon! Not an SUV! Not a mini-van! Just a super awesome modern family car that doubles as an awesome commuter car? Oh heck to the yes! But...no AWD and it's not always the best idea to get the first gen of a new anything. Still...this would probably be IT if it had AWD. Still a top contender though.

3. Lexus 400H (2008 and newer). Decent mileage for a hybrid SUV, looks curvy, decent cargo space, luxury ride. Cost would be about $25k for a 5 year old car but at that point, are we really just getting it for the name? Part of the consumerist,materialistic self in me says, "yes! I indeed want a nice abstract L on the grill of my car!" but luxury brand aside, it is a nice, compact SUV crossover that has all the functions we want: hybrid/gas efficiency, cargo space, and most importantly: AWD.

4. Toyota Highlander hybrid- looks ugly. Just can't drive it. I'm sorry. Not even if it was slapped with all the abstract L's, linked rings, and pie looking doodads available on it. I can handle the consumeristic/materialistic self, but I can't turn-off the superficial. Besides, the gas mileage isn't all that great.

5. Commuter sedan/electric vehicle- Tesla looks so cool but at $50k, even with the tax incentive, it is double our price point. Other electric commuter cars are around $30k and will probably drop a bit over the next two years, but that puts us back at the current situation of owning 2 commuter cars with no cargo space and no AWD.

So...what have I learned today? Well, the only nice hybrid family car with cargo space and AWD currently available is the Lexus, followed by it's country cousin, the Highlander. We wouldn't notice extra padding in our wallets because it'll require the same amount of fuel we're using now, but at least we get so much more car for it. Do we want a car that fits all the requirements moderately, or go for another car (such as the Prius) that BLOWS most of the requirements out of the water even though it lacks one of the most integral requirements? What would YOU do?

Doggy Day Care #1

Hubby and I have been thinking about getting a dog but neither of us have ever really owned a pet. We've known people who get all excited and prepare for a puppy only to break down and give it away weeks later. I was afraid we might do that too because we have absolutely no clue how to handle pets. How do we make the call then? With a trial run!

Today, I am doggy-sitting for some friends of ours and it is the first time in my life that I have been left alone with a dog for more than 2-3 hours. I have to admit--when I woke up this morning, I was very apprehensive about it. I am a bit of a neat freak and I cannot abide dirt, germs, or messes. The very thought of my custom Ethan Allen sofa legs getting chewed up is enough to make me break out in a cold sweat. However, this was the best opportunity for a puppy trial run (with a well-trained puppy to boot), so we jumped at the opportunity.

The first thing I did after getting her was to take her out for a walk/run. I wanted her to walk next to me but I also felt bad for preventing her from nosing around so I wavered between staying firm or letting her wander. I did a bit of both, but I'm still not sure what is the best thing to do. She also started getting antsy so I broke out in a jog to get some of her energy out. I think that helped but I got winded before she did. I had a bit of trouble wiping her paws down coming in and she was also kind of sassy with me, so I took her to the backyard and played catch with her for a while. I also used treats to reinforce my authority and by the time she came in, I was able to teach her "Paw.", which means lifting her paws and letting me wipe them down with a warm, soapy, towel. She's such a smart dog! She really understood what I wanted from her! She got lots of doggy treats for that :)

All in all...it's much better and easier that I expected it to be. She's been napping under my desk for about an hour now and I won't need to walk/feed her until 3pm. I've really fallen in love with this friendly breed--she's smart and noble, pretty and friendly, fluffy, and hypoallergenic. Although she nipped/bit my hand a few times when I was feeding her, it didn't break skin. It was more my fault, I needed to calm her down before feeding her and not hold out my treat with my fingertips. We'll see how things go over the next few days :) If she's still as lovable, I might need to get a Samoyed after all!

Downsizing

One of my favorite design bloggers recently announced that she is downsizing from her current large family home and moving to a much cheaper and smaller home. It's not because they're hurting for money, on the contrary, they both have professional jobs and make enough to live well with a 15 year mortgage left on their lovely house. They're downsizing because they actually want to pay off their house in 4-5 years and live absolutely, completely debt-free.

It really got me thinking about how lovely it would be to also be completely debt-free. I want it more than I want a big house or a designer handbag or a fancy car. I never really count mortgage debt as debt until now but now I see all the possibilities of being completely debt-free! So what is our plan? I love to plan. This is our plan.

Neither of us have ever had consumer debt. However, I still have student loans and we have our house mortgage. We'll do our best to pay off my student loans in 2-3 years and then we'll both combine our efforts to pay off the mortgage. Imagine how liberating it'd be to never pay mortgage again! We could save up, quit our jobs, and travel abroad for a year. Then we can come back home, find jobs again, and save up for our next adventure.

The traveling abroad idea is from another design blog that I read--the family of 8 (yes, 8. They are Mormon) relocated from Denver to Normandy for a year. They have portable jobs and they're just renting in France rather than Denver at the same rate of rent. The kids are attending the village school and it sounds like an amazing experience for the family. Obviously this will take a lot of planning because we'll still need jobs while abroad for income to survive during that time--but it's just an example of how free one's live can be without the anvil of debt dragging one down.

Someday soon...if we continue doing what we're doing...we can get there.

It's a Mystery

Last weekend, I threw a Murder Mystery dinner party for El Hubby's birthday. In the past, we never really celebrated his birthday because it was so close to Valentine's Day and it was difficult to get people together. This year, I decided to make Valentine's Day weekend all about him. My friends and I have talked about throwing a murder mystery for a while now so I thought his birthday would be the perfect opportunity to do it.

I purchased "Murder at Franklin Vinatra's Birthday Party" from Amazon, which is a cool instant download kit. I just printed out the document, assigned characters, and emailed everyone their first set of clues. It got a bit scandalous (in a PG-13) kind of way because of cross-intruigues and affairs so it might be better to do this for an all-singles party. There's a bunch of different themes available, like this Christmas Murder one: Murder Mystery Party Game Instant Download: Twas the Night of Pandemonium - a Christmas Murder or this funny pirate one: Mystery Party Game Instant Download: Ahoy Mateys! The Mystery on Bootstrap Bluebeard's Pirate Ship. I might do something utterly ridiculous next time, like a Pride and Prejudice and Zombies theme muah ha ha.

Since this party was a 19050's Hollywood Glamour themed, I served mostly 1950's era food and drinks. It was a bit challenging getting the timing of food down because I had to use the oven for most of it. Hubby promised me two ovens in our next house and probably a professional range but yeah...that might take a while haha. In the meantime, I'm on the lookout for a countertop convection oven/toaster oven. When it is just the two of us, it is a pain (and inefficient) to heat up the entire oven to make 2 servings of food. We got rid of our microwave for health reasons (completely based on conjecture, and not science) so we only heat up food on the stove or oven. Also, we have lots of people over, it's nice to have an extra oven unit around to bake appetizers or keep stuff warm until it is ready to serve.

I have my eye on this Cuisinart Oven, which is $142.99, shipped:

Cuisinart TOB-195 Exact Heat Toaster Oven Broiler, Stainless
It received hundreds of reviews and still managed to maintain a near 5 star rating. Hubby's coworker recommended this unit too so I think it will be a good, reliable bet. The only downside is that this thing is HUGE. I like to keep things in proportion to the scale of the surroundings and this might be overwhelming. Also, the "negative" reviews are few but disconcerting. Lots of talk about burnt fingers and confusing digital buttons and poor toasting qualities.

There's also this sleek Breville Toaster oven for $249 (Or $299 from Williams Sonoma) that has received good reviews.

Breville BOV800XL The Smart Oven 1800-Watt Convection Toaster Oven with Element IQ

It has sleeker lines and looks a bit more compact, which I like. The negative reviews on this one are also relatively few (18 out of 453) but that's where I learned that you can't heat foil or oven-proof glass in it. It also mentioned shattered glass doors. Hmm. And these two are the high-end, highly rated units too! Does anyone have a good convection toaster oven to recommend?

1:30am and all is clear

As I begin this entry, the hubs is snoozing away and I am concurrently waiting for the laundry to finish washing and cake to finish baking. Why am I doing housework at this hour of the day you ask? It's because I am nutters. Juuust kidding. (ok, perhaps just a little). Why the cake? Well, tomorrow, I am hosting a fancy pants murder mystery dinner for hubster's birthday and I'm trying to get as much done in preparation for tomorrow as possible. Why the laundry? Because I clean as I cook and in the middle of sanitizing the counters, I accidentally dropped some bleach water onto my favorite jeans. It is twirling in the laundry and I hope my quick action will prevent it from bleaching unsightly spots on it. (Memo to self--never wear one's favorite jeans to do housework.)

I have prepped almost everything by now. It was supposed to be an easy bash for me to host... it's a 50's themed bash so there was going to be lots of easy comfort food such as meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I even ordered dessert-some fancy flavored macarons--rather than attempting to make my own. However, due to an unfortunate turn of events, the baker had to cancel today and here I am, at 1:35am, waiting for the last layer of my last minute cake to finish baking.

I suppose I could have picked up a random cake from the supermarket tomorrow but I have a habit of making everything more difficult than it needs to be, such as driving the extra 30 minutes to the local Whole Foods-esque market to buy vegetarian-fed, local pasture-raised, hormone-free meat. My conscience wouldn't let me buy Costco beef. And did I really need to get Palestinian limes for my gin & tonics? yep...that was a must-have too. Had I more time, I would have also gone to the Eastern European meat market near our house to pick up some rosewater syrup to make rose martinis. Ooh...wouldn't a bit of rose simple syrup sprayed on the cake taste good too? I love roses.

Ok, I'm off-tangent now and the cake is done. Good night, farewell, I'm off to go to sleeeep. Adieu, adieu, to you and you and youuuuuu...goood-night!

Paris under $5k

What does a neophyte traveler do in order to prep for a most-anticipated vacation? Research!! Although the internet a wealth of information, I like to start with tried and true travel guides such as the the all-popular Frommer's Guide to Paris and Rick Steves' Paris 2011. These were great launching pads for my research.

After identifying the region we wanted to be in and the places we wanted to see, I was able to set up a realistic budget snapshot for our trip. We wanted to keep the cost low but I don't think we can do this trip satisfactorily below $4k. Below is the breakdown:

1. Plane Tickets x 2= $2050
2. Lodging (x 8 nights)= $880-$1440
3. Food ($100USD/day) = $800
4. Local Transportation (Metro, all zones+Versailles)= $103
5. 4 day Museum Pass= $136.81
6. MISC (day trips, excursions, shopping)=$500
Grand Total: $4469.81 and up (depending on lodging choice)

The biggest variant so far is our lodging and miscellaneous expenses. I've traveled enough to know that the misc buffer needs to stay. That leaves lodging. Thanks to the travel guides, I narrowed down our choice of arrondissements to either the Latin Quarter (5th), Marais (4th), or the St. Germain area (6th). All three choices are located in central areas--the Latin Quarter is livelier and probably more fun for us. The loft we like looks like Linguini's loft (from Ratatouille!) with big, lovely windows, a fully stocked kitchen, a sitting area, and a loft. It is also the most expensive of the bunch. (Other less expensive 5th arrondissement rentals are teeny 200sq ft studios with convertible sofa beds).

Marais is a bit quieter but in the most beautiful historic part of Paris. It is across the Seine from the Latin Quarter and probably not the easiest to get back to at night. Still..it's very beautiful and picturesque. I think I will like the quiet charm of the area. It's in the middle price range and I think we're most likely going to stay here.

The St. Germain area is right next to the Latin Quarter but it is more artsy and bohemian and is the least expensive of the three. It's also centrally located so I don't mind staying here either. I just need to do some more research to find out which area is the most convenient.

We're also keeping an eye out on sales before we book so it'll be another month or so before we finalize our itinerary. In the meantime, I need to start working on my French! I've heard great things about this: Rosetta Stone V4 TOTALe: French Level 1
Has anyone ever tried it?

Paris, Je T'Aime

Bonjour mon ami!

That is about the maximum of my French language skills. Why on Earth did I listen to practical people who told me to take HS Spanish because it was more useful in the US when I really really prefer French? I mean, I struggled through Villette and had to guess through 1/3 of it because of the author's propensity to pepper in French conversations. Good thing it is not too late to learn because we shall soon be en route to Paris!

The only problem is that we can't decide exactly where to go. We only have 9 precious days because of our conflicting schedules. With just 9 days...should we spend the entire time in Paris and really soak it up? 8 days will be enough time thoroughly enjoy the tourist attractions AND get off the beaten path a bit. There is this little flat that I am thinking of renting...it is in a great area and looks like the little apartment in Ratatouille! We'd be able to really relax and it would be the easiest trip. We'd probably go to Versailles for a day too.

Another idea is to split up the trip a bit...5 nights in Paris and 3 nights in Northern France. A derivative of that itinerary is 4 nights Paris, 2 nights in London, and 2 days in Northern France, and then followed by a train ride back to Paris for our flight home.

The last idea is to fly into Paris and head south. We'd spend 5 nights in Paris, take a 4 hour train ride south to Nice, and spend 3 nights in the south of France. Since Monaco is so close, we'd probably take a day trip there too. The downside is that we'd need to take another 4 hour ride back to Paris to depart. Quite a bit of time will be spent traveling but I don't think we'll go back to France anytime soon so should we just go for it?

Food is lovely

This Saturday, Hubby and I went out on our first "date night" alone in months. Normally, we go out with our friends or or have some other family thing going on. We found ourselves remarkably free on a beautiful (and rare) sunny afternoon so decided to head downtown to do some grocery and window shopping. We weren't sure what to do about dinner at first but then I remembered that my friends got us a very nice gift certificate to one of the restaurants we've been meaning to try. Yes! Today was the perfect opportunity. (Now that I think about it...gift certificates to nice restaurants are one of my favorite gifts ever. It makes me try new places and allows us to splurge without hurting the bank too much).

Anyway...this is now one of my favorite restaurants! Everything was SO delicious! The plating wasn't overly fancy but it was done in a nice and appetizing way. The service was great, the ambiance was nice, there was a nice mix of young trendy-somethings as well as older couples. I enjoy people watching and my imagination sometimes gets the better of me hehe. To our right, the slightly awkward but exceedingly polite 50-something couple looked like new empty-nesters. They ordered lovely wine, appetizers, and tapas to share and I could tell that both made an effort to make this night special.

To our far right in a more open dining area, I saw a vibrant, elderly couple--the man wearing a tweed coat with elbow patches and the lady with white hair and a bored, languid expression. The woman was most definitely in charge. She ordered salmon with chickpeas (coincidentally, what I ordered) while her hubby ordered fried chicken. She ate delicately of her salmon and chickpeas until she had exactly 1/2 remaining on her plate. With out much ado, she made a gesture, held up her plate, and switched with her husband. I must say, the fried chicken looked extremely appetizing. How different their food sharing approach is compared to ours! Of course, I think hubby would prefer this lady's approach because I am always guilty of sneaking a fork over to his plate hehe.

Slightly behind us were a table of early 30's women wearing similar hair styles, fitted jeans, and variations of a loose tunic-style shirt. "Hiiiiiiiii" was the constant refrain. It looks like they had a very good time and it was most definitely a "girls-night-out" thing. Looks like fun! Best of all, there were no drunken displays of rowdy behavior! I suppose that is one pleasant bit about getting older :)

During this time, husband and I were having a wonderful time enjoying each course of our meal. We splurged since we had a gift card, so we ordered a charcuterie plate, an entree each, and umm...a dessert each. Along with a wine pairing. Yeah...we had a good time :) Without further ado, our dinner!







Umm..yeah. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. Because we both felt rather guilty for overindulging, we went to the gym later that night and worked out for about an hour. Then, this afternoon, we went on a hike up a mountain haha. Much better. Next time, no need for appetizer and just one dessert (the meringue was awesome!) will suffice :)

French Chic

Often I feel like I I make decisions without looking at the grand scheme of things...a very linear way of thinking, if you will. When we furnished our house, we made some quick decisions because we felt pressured to get some things right away. For instance, our dining table is a continual sore spot for me...we spent about $1100 on a set we didn't love but felt compelled to get because we had to hose a dinner for family soon after our wedding (and that family was flying back shortly). In hindsight, I wish we had gotten something at a local thriftstore or off Craigslist. There's some amazing things to be found if one is patient! Solid hardwood, beautiful hand turned legs, intricate detail...all that is lost in our "new" world of MFD and particle board. It was also really difficult, initially, to get past the ickyness factor of "old" or "used" furniture. I think it's an Asian thing to prefer things new: newly built house, new cars, new furniture...everything new. Maybe it has to do with superstition (bad jujus inhabiting the old?) but even when family homes are no longer in use, it sits there locked up in permanent abandonment. Once, my sister asked if we could just open up the family home and deed it to a poor family but my mother said that no one would want to inhabit it, and such a thing is just not done.

So anyway..,.yes, it took quite a lot for me to actually want used furniture. Not all things are good used: for instance, no mattresses. No sofas either. Maybe a chair if I can rip out the old cushion and completely clean the frame and redo it myself. I'm perfectly fine with solid wood pieces though. Recently, I took an old cabinet frame off Craigslist (purchased for $20) and turned it into a new liquor cabinet/landing table.



Add in some decorations and a IKEA frame hack, and we have this lovely Parisian inspired vinette!



Lately, I have realized that my style preference leans on the whimsical and feminine. It's completely opposite of hubby's preference for Swedish modernity but we're finding a balance. I know my taste will go out of fashion eventually so I don't want to invest in expensive pieces. Here's where thrift stores and old furniture comes in handy! I recently found this lovely provincial dresser that would be perfect for our guest room but it was sold before I got to it :(


Then, I found THIS today. Love. This. The perfect match to the first little dresser! The price is not bad at all ($150) but it doesn't fit the scale or personality of the house but wouldn't it be an awesome TV stand? (not to mention buffet/sofa table). Maybe if we didn't already get our classic style TV stand, I would have been able to hack this. I mean seriously, how great is the design and all those dressers? Cut out a hole in the back to let the electric components vent and use the rest of the cabinets to stash everything from remotes, DVDs, toys, kiddie stuff, anything. Love it--just wish we had the right place to put this!




Anyway...those are just some of the lovely finds waiting to be found at your neighborhood thriftstore:) The hunt is part of the fun so happy hunting!

January is the season of White!

I guess January is the official "White Sale" season because every major retailer is having a bedding sale. We've been making do with the most minimal and basic of bedding for the past 1.5 years mainly because bedding can be extremely tacky, like bed-in-a-bag polyester sets such as this gem:



to extremely expensive, such as this $400 (yes, for just the duvet) from Hotel Collection that I have been eyeing for over a year.



It doesn't look like much online but in person, the fabric is lovely and sumptuous, weighty, with a great hand feel and a lovely metallic sheen to it. It's more champagne with just a hint of blue. As you can see...I really liked it. In fact, I even bought it once when it went down to $210 but returned it the next day when I realized that I just couldn't handle spending $210 on some fabric, albeit nice fabric, sewn together. So...back it went and my conscious eased up.

Fast-forward over a year later...hubby and I are still using 2 separate blankets (apparently, I am a blanket-stealer), mismatched but happy. We went to the mall to burn off calories after the post-Christmas feasts (yes, plural), and discovered that the January White Sale was in full swing! We've had about $220 in Macys gift cards burning a hole in my wallet for over a year now so we decided to hunt for a new king sized down comforter that we could share in peace. Unfortunately, the down comforters that we liked were about double what I had in gift cards but luckily, a nearby Hotel Collection display was much more fruitful! No, the "Rings" collection we originally liked was not on sale but a brand new collection was even better!

Behold, the lovely Ombre Mosaic! Neutral? check. Classic? check. Cotton? Mostly cotton...can't expect 100% for metallic fabric anyway, right? As an added bonus, this set didn't require dry cleaning while the Rings did!



Thanks to a 10% coupon on top of the store sale price, we picked up the duvet cover and matching bedskirt. Since the color is so neutral (champagne ombre base with a subtle pearl colored patterns), we were free to mix and match sheets! Further digging in the 50% off lowest clearance price pile yielded this lovely beige Hotel Collection set (top and bottom sheets + 2 shams). It is almost a match of our duvet cover color so I don't mind the slight pink stitching detail.



We walked around with our items for a bit before taking the plunge to burn up the gift cards on bedding. Since we've had the gift cards for about 1.5 years now and never used it, we decided that it's better used on something we like and would use rather than letting it sit in my wallet until who-knows-when. After all is said and down, we only had to add about $30 for the duvet, bedskirt, and sheet-set. As soon as we got home, I laundered everything and everything held up nicely in the wash :) Now it is sitting pretty in the linen closet for when I get the opportunity to change linens!

New Year, New Beginning

I am a big fan of new beginnings so every time a new year rolls around, I feel refreshed and ready to take on the world! It still feels a bit unreal that we are already in 2011--I still remember how hazy and futuristic 2000 felt when I was in second grade (when I found out that I was c/o 2000 and had to draw our predictions for the new millennium). I thought we'd all be able to teleport by now and have robotic maids who spouted chocolate milk from their fingertips! (Oh wait, that was from some 80's movie that I can't recall the name of anymore).

Anyway...I thought so much would have changed by now, and while many many things have changed and far surpassed my wildest dreams, there are some things that have not changed. Well...I am not getting any younger (o ye fickle sands of time) and my bucket list hasn't even been created yet. For 2011...here are some of my resolutions. What are yours?

1. Treat my body better (more sleep, more exercise, cleaner foods, less caffeine/sugar).
2. Treat my mind better (relax, think positively, learn to laugh at myself, be less anxious).

Ever since I started working, I found myself becoming more and more introverted. Most likely due to the nature of my job but I became so caught up in rules and propriety that I really became a stick-in-the-mud and forgot how to just have fun. That, along with every day worries just made me a really stressed person. Over the past year or so, hubby and I have made a serious effort to go out more with many different people because I know that I was missing that part in my life. It's funny...for many people, going out with friends is as natural as breathing but for me, I got so used to just hubby for company that I was seriously relearning how to become extroverted again!

I read an article recently (I believe it was in the NY Times) about how people are now leaning more towards cultivating relationships instead of cultivating money/status/prestige like in the earlier part of 2000. That seems like such a happier and simpler mindset. I have it so good--caring and loving family, great and supportive friends...this year, I resolve to do all of the above and hopefully, improve in those areas of my life.

Other, less lofty ambitious but much more practical resolutions include saving more money. I've got a watchful eye on my graduate loans and a plan to clear it within 2 years of graduating if all goes according to plan. In order to make sure I meet that plan, I must be more mindful of spending. I feel a bit guilty...over Christmas, I spotted and fell in love with a Burberry trench coat without knowing it was Burberry. In a moment of utter greed and WANT, I persuaded Hubby to buy it for me. It is too late to return it (and I really don't want to return it) so it is mine. How can I be so conflicted--on one hand, so happy...and on the other hand...so guilty? The sad thing about relying on things to be happy is there is always going to be something else on the list to acquire next. So yep...I must indeed learn otherwise.