Sunday, May 30, 2010

Nordstrom Half-Yearly

It's that time of year again, the Nordstrom Half Yearly sale. This sale is ONLY for women and children's items (the men's sale will start June 18th). I checked it out at Stanford and I would tell you to save yourself the trip and just shop online. For some reason the stores barely have anything on sale...but there's a ton of good stuff online. To be honest though, I would just save your money for the Anniversary Sale (by far the best one of the year). This year, the sale will start on July 16th and go until August 1st. I would hit a Nordstrom a few weeks before to pre-order...things go QUICK! Happy shopping.

Because Your Cat Didn't Already Look Like A Cat

Have you ever looked at your cat and wish he or she looked more cat like? Have you ever wished your cat was just a little cuter? If you answered yes to either of these questions then I have the perfect solution for you. For $160 (or 18,900 yen) you can dress your pet up like Hello Kitty. This set comes with a hat, collar, purse and "blouse". What more could any kitty want?!?

Here's the set...
How sweet!!

This cat looks THRILLED to be dressed up. Hahahahah! See Ahi, I'm not THAT bad of a mom!

Juicy Sparking Juice


Another one of my million dollar ideas stolen! I don't know why it took them this long to think of this....cause it's about time! I love Santa Cruz Organic juices but they are too sweet for me. Normally, I'll get a 32 ounce bottle of juice and a few bottles of sparkling water. I like a 1/3 juice, 2/3 sparking water combo. Well, no longer will I have to make my ghetto juice. Santa Cruz Organic has recently come out with 10.5 ounce cans of sparkling beverage. The have 5 flavors: orange mango, lemonade, mango lemonade, pom limeade, and raspberry lemonade. I've tried the mango lemonade and raspberry lemonade. Both were great. Sweet, but not too sweet. Mmm, a great addition to your fridge for summer.

Transforming T-shirts

For the second meeting of our craft group, we will be revamping t-shirts. If you are coming up short on ideas of what to make, a great resource is "Generation T" by Megan Nicolay. As it says, this book has 108 ways to transform a t-shirt. I really like this book because their shirts don't look so homemade. We've all tried our hand at reworking a shirt at some point in time, but 9-10 times they look SO homemade and I'm too embarrassed to wear it. No one wants to look like a 5 year old made their shirt. Ladies, do some research before you come ;)

All About Hats

One accessory I'm seeing all over the place these days is hats. Hats are a great easy accessory. I'm one of those people that loves to buy accessories (necklaces and earrings) but I never end up wearing them. I always end up debating if the necklace really goes with the outfit or my jewelry ends up getting in my way at work so I take it off. I like hats because not only do they add some funk to your outfit, they also serve a purpose. Will all the bad press the sun has gotten, what more could you want from a hat....function and fashion. Gotta love it! Here are some of my favorites.....

Yours truly, during a night out on the town
Great for a sunny day! Laying by the pool, shopping, or walking around the farmer's market. I really love San Diego Hat Company hats. They have at least a few styles that are made out of paper. These hats are great because you can roll them up and throw them in your suitcase. Paper is a lot easier to take care of then straw.
The fedora is really hot right now. There are tons of colors and materials. Another great hat for summer. This style looks great with something kind of girly, a dress or skirt.
Felt hats aren't only for cold weather. People are pairing theses hats with more summery looks. Felt hats are great because they are easy to take care of. There's something very Janis about these hats.

Spider On Drugs


Haha, this explains a lot....

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Platinum Weddings


Since I don't have cable I'm not really up on current TV, but don't worry I still spend hours in front of the TV. One of my recent favorite programs was "Platinum Weddings" on We channel (or Netflix if you're me). This show showcases OVER (....well perfect in my mind) the top weddings. I will admit that most of the brides and grooms get their weddings paid for by one of the sets of parents.....and with that in mind, I have decided to divorce my parents and find "better" ones with lots of cash to spare.
One of my favorite episodes was the wedding of an Indian couple. Their wedding was a 4 day celebration that included cannons, a helicopter and a white horse. The bride walks down the aisle in $100,000 worth of jewelry and dress. Their first dance featured a snowstorm, to go along with their winter wonderland theme. Price tag you wonder? 1.26 MILLION. Try topping that!
It's pretty neat to see what you can do with an unlimited budget. The items with the biggest prices tags seem to be food and flowers. Some of my favorite touches were: having a candy bar, crystals hanging from the flowers, having a photo booth, walking down the aisle with both parents and of course, snow during the first dance. Big NOs were: pa systems (poor sound quality) and ugly dresses.

Super Nails!


I am happy to report that other than dry cuticles (as you can see above), my nails are holding up quite well. As you recall, 2 weeks ago I got my OPI Axxium Soak Offs. I am very impressed with their tolerance for daily life. They have held up through: laundry, ripping up boxes, putting metal cabinets together, staple removing and dishes (all in a days work ;) ). What's the difference between a regular manicure and these bad boys? These look the same 2 weeks after I got them done. A regular manicure would have been long gone by now. My only complaint is that the clear (regular nail polish) that the lady put on at the end hasn't held up so well.....but luckily you can't really see this unless you look really close. One other thing that's a little odd is that I had a sharp corner so I took a regular file to it and it seems thin and slightly damaged around the area I filed. So if you have rough edges or sharp corners you might want to consult the pros on how to best remedy it. All in all, they have held up wonderfully, I couldn't have asked more. I will keep you posted on how the color change and fill goes. Wish me luck!

Monday, May 24, 2010

Makers from the Maker Fair

It shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but my favorite part of the Maker Fair is the shopping. Every year there are exciting and unique vendors. Every Maker Fair, I find myself bouncing back and forth like a ping pong ball. "Oh! Look at that!", "Cool! I want one of those!". This year, there were a decent number of vendors I had seen before. There's a great selection of crafts, from felt animals to soap to huge robots. Here are a few of my favorites:

Sweet Meats: started by a San Francisco native, who has butchers on both sides of her family. These felt meats come in individual and family size. I've had my eye on these meats for 3 years now. I finally broken down and bought my very own family sized hambone. Very comfy and calorie free! http://sweet-meats.com/

Xlyocopa: a husband and wife from Tucson, Arizona make amazing wood crafts (jewelry to instruments). They use laser and hand carving to make these pieces. One of my favorites is a ukulele covered in different style moustaches. Doesn't everyone need of of those. http://www.xylocopa.com/node
Bumperboy: A librarian by day, this creative genius has her own comic and line of merchandise. The hero, Bumperboy, is an eager explorer and enjoying gummie worms and movies in his spare time. But what I loved most by this artist was her whimsical felt dolls. The cat in boots and cupcake bears were my favorites. http://bumperboy.net/index.html
Bill Robinson: This 26 year old Aries graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology. He currently works as an animator for online game site: wonderhill.com. I really loved his whimsical art. These characters look straight out of a storybook dream world. http://flimflammery.wordpress.com/
WoolBuddy: There are a ton of felt animals going around these days, but I thought these ones were especially cute. Lord knows I'm a sucker for beady eyes. A 3-D artist and art teacher, she started making these wool creatures as a hobby but soon had a legitimate following. Her crafts range from felt R2D2s to winged dragons and can be found in Crafts and Folk Art Museum. http://woolbuddy.com/blog/
My Imaginary Boyfriend: This was one of my favs from last year. This artist makes a different type of felt crafts. My personal favorite being the brown bag beer/bottle cozies. Her felt log pillows are pretty sweet too. Who said felt was for little kids?? I hope there will be more great items coming from this artist. http://www.myimaginaryboyfriend.com/index.html
Yazmin Perez: also currently residing in Palo Alto, this Bay Area native cites her family as inspiration for her work. After going to school to 3-D modeling she switched over to jewelry making, and found her true calling. Her sterling sliver pieces look part sea creature, part outer space. My favorites were her jelly fish necklaces and earrings. These pieces were quite expensive though. http://yasminperez.com/

I can't wait to see what next year brings....

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Maker Fair 2010, Videos


Here's a short video of a fire breathing dragon @ the Maker Fair

Electricity Rock Show

Maker Fair 2010, part 2 (More photos)

Not quite sure how they were able to make this happen....water and fire at the same time (a little hard to tell from the pic).
Robot
My Maker Fair treat....a ham hock.
Next stop, the moon!
Crazy music and electricity
Uhh, I think that cardboard man is touching our butts....
Probably because I touched his. Hehe ;)
Steampunk for the day, Walker.
Crazy watermansuit
Radio Flyer on steroids
How could you have a bad time with all this cool stuff around you?!?!

Maker Fair 2010

Today (and yesterday) was the 5th annual Maker Faire (yes, that's really how they spell it). This fair comes around once a year and tours cities such as: San Mateo, Austin, New York, Detroit and Ann Arbor.
This 2 day festival celebrates DIY crafts, inventions, tinkering. There really is a "if you can dream it, you can do it" spirit to this event. No idea is too crazy or too difficult. There are a ton of inventions and such outdoors, and best of all you can ride/touch/see up close most of these over the top creations.

There's also a cool unique craft fair....this is not your grandmother's...or even mother's crafts fair. From fuzzy neon bear hats to baby clothes, they have it all. After 3 years of waiting, I finally broke down and purchased a meat pillow. Again, if you can dream it......someones probably already made it.

Great for all ages, this truely is an event that should not be missed.
There's also a great selection of food and treats there. The prices are average "fair prices" (ie $5 for a lemonaid, etc). This year, they had the largest batch of paella I've ever seen.


I'm already looking forward to 2011!

Friday, May 21, 2010

For The Dogs

Well, these days you really can make money doing anything.....
A couple in Australia (Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson, past members of The Velvet Underground) are putting on a concert for DOGS! This concert will take place on June 5th, on the steps of the Sydney Opera House. The concert will be in high frequency, so only dogs will be able to hear it (humans will hear nothing). I'm thinking this is one I can skip.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Something Nice For The Day

You know some days how you just come across something random and it makes you smile. I found this heart shaped leaf today (too bad I can't keep it as part of my heart rock collection). It fell off of this plant at work that I absolutely hate because it drops leaves like it's the middle of fall. Well, I'm glad to see that something good can finally come of this horrible plant. Smile for the day, check!

My New Bag....JJ WInters

Summer is upon us (even though you wouldn't know it from the rain we've been having lately)! And you know what that means, time to switch to your summer purse! I can "hear" half of you rolling your eyes at this (but this is why you love me, right?). My Marc by Marc Jacobs "Totally Turnlock Core Faridah" has held up well, but the beautiful pink color is starting to fade.

Enter, my new JJ Winters bag. These bags are from Beverly Hills and are currently being carried by just about all of Hollywood's IT girls (this bag was in Transformers). I was attracted to this bag because of its laid back, easy going feel. It looks like something you've had forever. And of course goes perfectly with this summers boho (bohemian chic, for you gentlemen) vibe.

On the overall "purse scale", I'd probably rate this one a 3 (out of 5, with my Marc Jacobs at a 4.5). This purses best quality is it's look. It's a nice dark leather (it's definitely not as red as the bottom picture makes it look) with a little bit of a distressed texture. I really like the look of the twisted strap...something different! This bag is deep enough for you to throw a sweatshirt or beach towel in. And I like that it has a dark color lining, so when you pen comes uncapped or something of the sort, you don't have to stare at a big stain. Best of all, it's hands free! Throw it over your shoulder or across your body. Both hands are free!


Now for the downsides....The opening of this purse is narrower than the bottom, which always drives me crazy cause you can't open the bag wide enough. This purse also doesn't have any sections on the inside, so everything is thrown together. One thing they also could have done with all that surface area is to add some pockets on the outside, under the front flap or on the back. This purse might not work for some because the strap is not adjustable. For me at 5'6", it works well across my body. One other thing that strikes me as odd, is the closures. The top flap does not have a magnet or closer on the bottom of it. Instead, they are at the top of the opening (inside)......which I guess is probably more logical because there is less chance of stuff dumping out or someone reaching in.


Over all, I think this will make a great summer bag. If you see me, let me know what you think about it. Hopefully it will stand up to my wear and tear ;)

Fun Stuff from Tokidoki

Want to add a little fun and funk into your life? Then, I would reccommend Tokidoki.



Originally started by an Italian artist, Simone Legno. He later pair with Hard Candy founders, Dineh and Pooneh Mohajer, to create the brand Tokidoki has become. This company has a fresh, funky, young feel. Legno cites Japan as his inspiration.


Each character in their collections has a cute story. Here's one about Mozzarella, a gun toteing cow---->"What Mozzarella leads the Moofia, a gang assembled to extort milk from the lunchboxes of schoolyard bullies. Mozzarella and the Moofia are loving and kind to good kids, but ruthless and feared by those who harass the innocent. By taking milk from the bad and giving it to the good, they know the good will grow up strong and healthy to protect themselves. To the Moofia, milk is power and protection." Who thinks of this stuff?!?!



Today they make everything from makeup to bags to phone covers. All of their items are reasonably priced and will for sure set you apart from the crowd.



Tuesday, May 18, 2010

CurryUpNow: 2010 Version of the Taco Truck

Sick of all the same options for lunch at work? Don't have time for a sit down meal, but want something more exciting than a sandwich? I have the perfect answer for you! What can only be described as the modern day taco truck, CurryUpNow.

One of the things I love about the Bay Area is the diversity. From Afghani to Vietnamese, it's easy to find in the Bay. CurryUpNow has answered the call for a more "modern" taco truck. Just about 7 days a week, they drive around the Bay (Palo Alto, Mountain View, Redwood City, Burlingame, San Mateo, and SF) serving up delicious Indian street fair. The best way to track their trucks and find out what they are serving up that day is to add them as a "friend" on Facebook or Twitter. There are daily updates.

As you can see from the menu above, the prices are reasonable....and you can see from the pics below, that the portions aren't small.


Today, I had a samosa and the "daily" burrito. Both were yummy! The burrito was moist and had just the right amount of spice. Spicy but not too hot. The samosa was crunchy and filled with potatoes and a mix of other diced up veggies. I will definitely be back for more!! Looking forward to trying more of their items.

Word from the wise, COME EARLY! (Lines can be 30 mins long)

Infused Vodka: The Final Chapter

Not too long ago, I wrote a post about infusing vodka. Well, here's an update on how my experiment turned out. If you remember from last time, the flavors I made (also, above from left to right) were: rose, mint, pineapple, ginger and ginger pineapple (and not on the shelf, orange blossom). After letting all of the jars infuse for 13 days, drum roll please, the hits were: rose, pineapple, ginger and ginger pineapple. The misses were: mint and orange blossom.

If you recall my last post, there wasn't much science to my infusing. I just gathered my ingredients by what sounded good to me, rinsed everything off, threw them into the jars and covered them with vodka. I shook each jar for a few seconds each day, during the 13 days.

Today, I poured the liquids through doubled up coffee filters....your lucky I had those or I would have been filtering with cat fur. I need a kitchen before I purchase "necessary" kitchen tools, like strainers. And gave each of em a small taste. Phew! That first taste reminded me why I drink beer.....and how glad I am that college is over. Flashbacks. Haha. Me gagging = not a pretty picture. I will continue to stay away from taking shots....

I think the "hits" worked well because they have strong flavors and there are no "undernotes" of plant/earth (chlorophyll). The ones I like, all have sweet taste to them. But much to my disappointment, they don't taste sweet like the drink I had at Thanh Long....I can only imagine how much simple syrup they add to cover up the vodka taste. I think the ginger, pineapple and ginger pineapple will be great mixed with some juice and sparking water. The biggest surprise, is the rose flavored one. It is surprisingly sweet and has a beautiful red color.

All in all, I think it was worth it, but I am going to be sticking to my day job......guess my million dollar idea will have to be something else :)

Monday, May 17, 2010

My BeautyPup

Here's a pic of my baby in her new tutu (:3 This is the craft I made in our first craft group meeting...I know I said we did felt. I made this tutu for Ahi and started on a felt dress for her :)

Nail for Working Ladies

Well, awhile back I had posted about OPI Axxium Soak Off Gel "nail polish". So, this weekend I went and tried them out. Verdict: I am very happy :) I am still not sure about their "soakoffability" but so far so good. They are very similar to acrylics but you can do it on your natural nails (ie your nails will not be any longer than regular). Once your nail grow out, they fill them nearest to your cuticle. There are about 7 colors to choose from (one of the downsides). The colors come out kind of sheer (not as strong a color as normal nail polish) but I am still happy with the result. The best thing about them? NO chipping! When I get a manicure, I normally end up chipping it or messing it up before I make it to the car.....then it only lasts a few days because I inevitably hit them on something or ruin them washing dishes and such at work. These bad boys aren't going anywhere. If you're someone who likes to change your polish color often, these might not be for you. But if you're looking for polish that will stay and will look good for more than a few days, give OPI Axxium Soak Off Gels a try. (I would recommend calling around first because very few salons are doing this). A new set will run you around $40. If you try em, let me know what you think (and what salon you went to) :)