fashion.food.funtimes

The Comeback

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 01:03:00 +0000

How many times can you restart a blog?

I recently got a new job working at Stella and Dot a social selling jewelry company. Although I am not involved with the creative side of things, it has really inspired me to want to dress nicer and get back into blogging and fashion. The polyvore set below showcases some highlights of the Fall 2011 collection that I really like.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Stella and Dot Fall 2011 by gummiskye featuring copper jewelry

To read Stella and Dot's blog Stylewatch
To follow Stella and dot on twitter

Mad Men

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:21:00 +0000

I started watching Mad Men on Netflix since my return to the Bay Area. I'm not sure why I keep watching it because it's really quite slow and depressing. The men write ads and cheat on their wives, and the wives really do nothing but waste away. The only upside is the styling is really good and all the girls have cute dresses. Why did this show win an Emmy? I don't understand.

Betty Draper- I guess she is my favorite character.

La India Dormida in El Valle

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 15:25:00 +0000

A couple of Sundays ago, my boyfriend and I ventured up to the sleepy town of El Valle (just over an hour drive from where we are staying) to buy veggies at the local farmer's market and to hike to La India Dormida. The hike was not easy with steep ascents and plenty of loose rocks. The most difficult part was finding the entrance and following the path, neither were well marked. The hike begins with a short walk to La Piedra Pintada, a huge boulder with weird hieroglyphics.

La Piedra Pintada ( boulder covered with hierogyphics)

We tried to hike following the main path and encountered several small but beautiful streams and waterfalls. We walked for maybe an hour before we found a local walking along the path and decided to see if we were headed the right way. Apparently we weren't, so we backtracked and went the way the local suggested.

Little stream

Cool waterfall

Finally we reach the top of a hill, but there isn't a view, just a lonely house. We ask the guy sitting in front of the house and he says it's not far and offers to take us there. We walk along the hill top until he brings us to a clearing, and finally we get to see the India Dormida.

"Legend has it that Flor del Aire, a beautiful daughter of the indigenous leader Urracá, fell in love with a Spanish conquistador. However, Yaraví, the strongest and most aggressive fighter of her tribe, was in love with her. Since he could not get her love, he killed himself and threw himself from a mountain (??) in front of Flor del Aire. The princess (Flor del Aire) was upset by the death of Yaraví and decided to forget her love for the Spanish conquistador, and started to head for the mountains, crying and crying until she died. Nature, moved by the sadness of this love story, perpetuated Flor del Aire´s legend as a silhouette of the princess laying down."- Source

If you use your imagination you can see the outline of her sleeping.

Finally La India Dormida

Closer shot of head and chest

How 2s: Volunteer and Give back

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 02:43:00 +0000

I've always been an advocate of volunteerism and philanthropy. I started volunteering when was in highschool and ever since I've always searched for ways of giving back to the community no matter where I am.

La Finca Maya, El Nance (San Carlos), Panama

The biggest reason people don't do it is because they think they don't have time or that they have trouble finding something that interests them.
First, if you have time to watch TV or procrastinate you have time to volunteer. Even spending an hour or two a month giving back can make a difference. Secondly, there is something out there for every interest. I like working with kids and I volunteer as a learning mentor at College Bound in San Francisco. My boyfriend doesn't have that same interest and would probably rather spend time cleaning Ocean Beach seeing as that's where he surfs the most.

1. Giving back through work- if your company hold volunteer events- go to them! If you don't want to give time, most companies have gift matching grants. So if you donate $100 to a friend's charity fundraiser, your company will match your gift. This is practically free money for the charity.

2. Giving back everyday- if you are looking for a place to volunteer consistently, I'd look at national organizations, like the Boys and Girls Club. They usually have branches in most large cities and are volunteer type positions where you can go each week. If you are looking for places to volunteer every once in a while, I would look at food donation warehouses (they always need help sorting food) or seasonal activities (Christmas gift drives). I haven't been able to find a great volunteer searching website to date, some are okay, but craigslist is also an interesting place to find stuff.

3. Giving back while travelling- if you are traveling for longer than 2-3 weeks, it would definitely be feasible to add a volunteering event. This is not only beneficial to the community you are helping, but as a traveler you will be able to better experience the culture and the language. While in Panama, my boyfriend and I spent a Saturday volunteering at La Finca Maya, where they host free English, computer, and art classes for the local children. We got to meet about 10 young Panamanians and help them with English games and art class. It was a lot of fun.

Wall of artwork by the kids

Kids playing ping pong during break

Art class- sawdust with white glue and paint

Finished product!

How 2s: How to Find a New Job

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:06:00 +0000

I got laid off last week and I've been feeling scattered not having anything I HAVE TO accomplish. It doesn't make it easier that I'm in Panama where the pace of life is as slow and lazy as a snail.

View outside our apartment

Luckily, my boyfriend has been helping me get on the job search wagon, so here are the tips he gave me. I am following them right now, so I can tell you if they work once I land a job.

1. Begin compiling list of places you are interested in working for. Your list should have at least 30 places. This research phase will help you expand your options and you'll find places perfect for you that you never would have known existed.

2. Rework resume. I decided to follow Tim Ferriss's advice on hiring a professional resume writer. Resume writers know how resume's are progressing, they should have previous experience as a recruiter, and have a keen eye for detail. I, like most other people, possess none of the above skills. Thus, I would recommend Kent from First Rate Consulting on Elance (a great platform to outsourcing work). He's fairly priced and he's done a great job with two of my friend's resumes. You can also try Odesk (same concept as Elance), but I had trouble finding quality resume writers there.

3. Update LinkedIn. You can do this yourself by finding an awesome profile and copying it, or you can get your resume writer to help you update it. Also, try to add as many contacts as you can and make sure to have a couple of strong recommendations on your page

4. Network- A great way to see if you know people at a company you are interested in, is through LinkedIn. Type in the company name in the search box and it'll automatically show you who of your contacts is closest to you.

5. Apply for jobs online. This means going to sites and submitting applications to the recruiter.

Objective	Desired Result	Actions
Find a list of companies I am interested in.	List of Companies I am interested in working for.	1- Read tech blogs/employment blogs and any other place you can find company info to research companies 2- Start a spreadsheet of companies that includes Name, Products, Size, Location, and any other factors you would consider important when thinking about a place you would like to work.
Rework Resume	Complete Resume	1- Write most recent accomplishments 2- Write accomplishments you are most proud of. 3- Think about what you want your resume to say about you and write it down.
Update LinkedIn	More Job Offers/Emails	Copy a good LinkedIn in profile set up
Networking	1- Find out about new companies that are hiring that I am interested in. 2- Find people that know people that work at companies I am interested in.	Skype Calls with friends and friends of friends.
Apply for Jobs Online	Interview.	Only do this when you can not find a person that works there.

It's hard to stay focused all the time, so if you get bored or tired, you should read Penelope Trunk's blog. It has great job hunting advice and her blog is really fun to read.

HOLA MOLA! Kuna Yala, San Blas Islands

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 22:48:00 +0000

Boats on the mainland

My boyfriend and I spent the past weekend visiting the San Blas islands in the Kuna Yala (on the Caribbean coast east of Panama City). We scheduled one night stay with Carti Homestay Hostel as well as transportation to and from Panama City. We got up at 345am Saturday morning to drive in the pouring rain to Panama City. There we scheduled a ride by jeep to drive us to the Kuna Yala. In our guidebook, it said that we should not attempt to drive their ourselves because the roads were bad and we would have to ford a river. In the past year a bridge has been built and road have been paved, so it's definitely do-able with a large SUV or something with power (there are a ton of steep hills up and down).

Bye bye mainland, heading toward the island with our hostel to drop off our bags

Carl on a palm tree at Hook's Island

Lunch of fried fish, coleslaw, and rice

Carti Homestay was a great place to book our trip through. It is a local kuna family that runs a hostel in their house. They have a couple of private rooms (not really private, more like changing room private than room private) and a dorm. Their bathroom is an outhouse on a pier and you go right into the ocean, their shower is a bucket you use to dump water over your head, but they do have electricity from 6pm-11pm. It's very rustic so if you like a nice bathroom, I wouldn't recommend staying too many days. Otherwise, they are great, they charged us each $35 for one night, 3 meals, and a small boat to take us to different islands. We got to see Hook Island, the Dog Island, and finally Starfish Island before we stopped at another island for an impromptu birthday celebration before returning to Carti where we were staying.

Kuna women selling molas (traditional embroidered cloth) on Dog Island

Dog Island

Double Starfish.

Our official final island was Starfish Island. We didn't actually stop there, instead we stopped a hundred meters or so before the island where the water was seriously only 2-3 feet deep. So there I was standing in the middle of the Atlantic in thigh deep water! The water was so clear and we got to hunt for some starfish to photograph. We didn't stay there very long, but it was one of my favorite parts of the day.

A local dugout canoe with fresh conch

On our way home, we made a random stop at another island to celebrate the birthday of Fey, one of the brothers running the hostel. Everyone was very welcoming and sweet. The tour guide (eldest brother) bought everyone rum and coke shots and we all got to have cake. How's that for a sweet vacation?

Friends of tour guides cutting cake- they even made birthday t-shirts

Little boy peeking in Carti

Finally we got back to Carti the main island, where straw huts are crammed so tight there is barely room to walk. We went to a local "bar" which was simply someone's house with a tv and a fridge with cold beer. The bar closed at 10pm an hour before the power on the island goes out. The next morning we wandered around Carti a bit, went to their one room museum, and got to soak in some island life before heading home.

Cutest little kitten by a bag of cement

Our hostal room with tarp blinds

Hanging out at their dining table with my new mola bag ready to go home and shower :)

Some Animals and the Panama Canal

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:57:00 +0000

One lane bridge on the way to Gatun

Same bridge with view of boat in canal

After over two weeks of landing in Panama, my boyfriend and I FINALLY made an effort to go see the Canal. We started the day off a little than expected and drove up to the Parque Nacional Soberania, which is a park north of the Miraflores Locks near the Gatun Lake. We got to Pipeline road and I decided it would be a good idea to walk about 2km to the Discovery Center because it's supposedly a great place to go bird watching.
We didn't get there until 11am and so we hardly saw any birds at all. Apparently to see birds and other wildlife, we were supposed to get there at 7am. We finally got to the Discovery Center but decided not to pay the $15 to go in since all the animals were hiding. We'll go another time when friends come and visit and we bust our butts to get there earlier.

Orange bellied green bird

Hummingbirds feeding at the Discovery Center

Outline of a howler monkey- also proof that I need a new camera

Storm approaching on the drive back over the bridge

We headed back the way we came and stopped at the Summit Zoo to check out their jaguar and national eagle. Unfortunately the jaguar was asleep and hiding and the eagle was too far and also hiding so I couldn't get a good photo, but I need see some pretty cool spider monkeys.

Mommy spider monkey with baby

Other monkey, so cute and fuzzy

Ocelot feeding on chicken

Monkey grabbing for snacks

The zoo was not very well maintained, I guess that makes sense considering the entrance fee is $1 for adults and $0.50 for kids. There wasn't much more than what I took photos of, but it's not a bad place to stop since it was right on the road toward the locks. We got to the Miraflores locks around 3pm, (3-5pm is when the large ships go through the locks), so we got there just in time to see some ships in transit.

It was a gloomy day, but here you can see the two lanes.

Here is a lock, I'm don't remember if they were filling it or draining it.

The Miraflores locks is a cool place to go either in the morning or late afternoon (in the middle of the day no large ships are in transit). There is a mini 4 story museum, a 10minute video of the history in English or Spanish and several viewing decks. There is a small gift shop, two snack bars, and a buffet restaurant ($30 per person WTF).

Manolo Caracol, Panama City, Panama

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:00:00 +0000

My boyfriend and I spent the weekend back in hot humid Panama City. A friend and his family were in town so we decided to go to Manolo Caracol, a very cute restaurant in Casco Viejo (the old part of town). The restaurant is featured in several guidebooks, including Moon and Lonely Planet. It's also been featured in NYTimes 36 hours in Panama City (for those who like pictures more, here is the slideshow version). The restaurant has a 10-12 course meal each night for $25, not including drinks. It's supposed to be innovative Panamanian cuisine focused on fresh ingredients. Although it has raving reviews, I didn't quite think it hit the mark. Yes, the concept is cool, the location is nice, the service was attentive, but the food wasn't up to par.

1st course*: Corvina ceviche- way overcooked and had the texture of chicken- FAIL

2nd course: Mango veggie rice wrap with sweet sauce- MEH

3rd course: Goat cheese stuffed peppers- delicious WIN

4th course: Shrimp with heads and yummy sauce- WIN

5th course: Fish cakes with green curry sauce, the cakes were overcooked but the sauce was a win, overall MEH

6th course: Scallops- way tough like rubber FAIL

7th course: Beef in some tomato-y sauce (bad picture quality), so tender WIN

8th course: Risotto with Shrimp, too over cooked FAIL

9th course: Chicken tamales- I was getting too full to eat these so I gave mine away MEH

10th course*: Brownie with some type of delicious sorbet WIN

4 wins

3 fails

3 mehs

* These were individual portions, the rest were a portion for 4 people to share family style.

Luna's 4th of July

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:41:00 +0000

While I am in Panama, Luna is living the high life at my friends Casey and Mike's house. She is already BFFs with their dog Aiko and she got to spend the 4th of July playing at Stinson Beach. What a lucky dog.

Luna and Aiko on their way to the beach- SO EXCITING

Luna being a beach bunny, playing fetch and looking cute

Luna and Aiko combine efforts to dig to China

What a day...Aiko still wants more fun time

Luna is pooped.

A summer in Panama

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 15:30:00 +0000

View outside of Luna's Castle (hostel) in Casco Viejo

My boyfriend and I decided on a whim to spend the summer living abroad. Luckily my job allowed me to work remotely from another country. Our specifications were warm weather, access to good surf (not for me), reliable and fast internet, and cheaper living costs than SF. So here we are in Panama with all of the above.

We flew Continental and had an hour in Texas between connections. Our first plane out of SFO was delayed and we had to run our asses to the next plane. I don't think I've ever run that fast with all my luggage before. My legs were cramping up and I didn't think I was going to make it. Finally, we arrived in Panama City around 7pm and stayed in a mediocre hotel (Hotel Roma Plaza) in and area called La Exposition. I would not recommend for any travelers to stay in that area, it's dead at night and there really isn't anything there.

The next day we moved to Luna's Castle a hostel that we found in our Moon Panama Guidebook. We figured we would save some money and have access to helpful people who could speak English. We saved some money, but we went from a mediocre room with AC to a lousy borderline nasty room with a terrible fan. Even though we were roughing it with the mostly Australian and European travelling crowd, we were in a cute neighborhood with character, we were a close taxi ride to almost all of Panama City, and we were able to try a lot of delicious foods.

Our first night there, we were recommended Casablanca a short walk from the hostel. It was a romantic restaurant with outdoor seating on the edge of a square. It had just rained so we sat inside. I got the lemon corvina, a type of sea bass and the national fish. My boyfriend got coconut shrimp. The meals were delicious and the service was good. They take credit card which was also awesome.

Lemon Corvina

The next day we rented a car from the Albrook airport (flights within in the country) to explore the beach towns outside of the city where we were hoping to rent a longer term place. Albrook airport is also close to the city's bus terminal and a gigantic mall with tons of stores, from pharmacies to Kenneth Cole. On our road trip west along the Pacific, we stopped to eat at Carlito's Pizzas by Playa Palmar (a local surf spot). We had empanadas and pizzas. The beef and raisin was my favorite empanada.

There was stray dog on the patio of the restaurant. It was so cute so I took a photo.

We decided on a place to live in Gorgona, a small beach community near Coronado. We wanted to move in the next day and get out of the hostel, but it was Sunday and the rental car place wasn't open and the building manager who had the keys was out. So we spent another day in Panama City.

Our first stop on Sunday was the fish market, mercado de mariscos recommended by my friend Bennie who had visited Panama previously. He sent me this great link from the blog Former Chef that made the market a must see. The market had an outdoor and indoor area, it fairly large and reeks of fish. There are tons of ceviche stands with some of the best and cheapest ceviche I've ever had.

Octopus (pulpo) ceviche $2!!!

Mixed (fish) cocktail (mayonnaise-y sauce) ceviche $3!!!

I'll leave you with some pictures of the waterfront near the fish market. More updates to come.

Hazy skyline, it's super humid

View of Casco Viejo

Boats coming in.

Happy Canada Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 14:46:00 +0000

Canada Day! by gummiskye featuring t shirts

Dorothy Perkins going out top, £15
Rue21 t shirt, $9.99
Oasis sleeveless shirt, £35
Bermuda shorts, $22
Armani Exchange linen pants, $59
Ralph Lauren Collection vintage shorts, $448
Wedge heels, $140
Proenza Schouler high heels, $995
SOLE flat sandals, $50
Yves Saint Laurent leather tote bag, £845
Miu Miu patent leather clutch, £360
Patent leather handbag
Floppy sun hat, $34
ASOS oversized sunglasses, £12
Madewell buckle belt, $32

Red wine, white wine

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:47:00 +0000

Two Sunday's ago, my friends Teo and Bennie organized the best Napa wine tasting trip I've ever experienced. The entire trip was so well planned that we managed to hit 7 wineries and a deli. If you are interested in reading about how to plan such a trip, read my post on How 2s: Wine taste in Napa on a budget and off the beaten path.

Arrive at Teo's house at 855am, get in huge Lincoln Navigator ready to depart at 9am.

Stop 1: Judd's Hill $10 tasting

A private room was ready for us with scorecards and places all set for us. Very hospitable server with lots of good tips.

Stop 2: Hagafen Cellars free tasting with tasting pass

Only standing room at the bar for tastings. The old man pouring wine was either very out of it or just didn't feel like working.

Stop 3: James Cole Estate Winery $20

This place is probably the most upscale winery we visited, everything is deep wood or leather, you can tell you are paying for the decor on top of the wine. There is only standing room at the bar and server was a leathery woman, hence, no pictures.

Carl showing me how to taste honeysuckle

Stop 4: Genova's Deli

Bad picture but delicious sandwich. VERY VERY long wait- call ahead and order.

Stop 5: Robert Biale Vineyards $15

A private table was set on the back patio with a dedicated server. We could look out to the vineyard- so beautiful.

Probably my favorite vineyard in terms of atmophere

Stop 6: Silenus Vinters $15 normally, but $7.50 with 2 for 1 yelp mention

Looked like a car dealership, but had very nice bathrooms

Again only standing at the bar.

Stop 7: O'Briens Estate Winery $15

Very nice backyard with picnic tables and access to the vineyards. The server was a bit inattentive, but the atmosphere was very relaxing.

Stop 8: Bouchaine Vineyards

Horseshoe toss

Beautiful outdoor area, this place is doggy friendly too!

We brought snacks

And they provided snacks

How 2s: How to wine taste in Napa on a budget and off the beaten path

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 20:47:00 +0000

A couple of Sundays ago, my friends Teo and Bennie organized the best Napa wine tasting trip I've ever experienced. The entire trip was so well planned that we managed to hit 7 wineries, but what stood out the most to me was the individualized attention we received and how little money I spent overall. To read more about the trip itself, read my post red wine, white wine.

1. Take a limo/town car service- this is obviously not the cheapest route to go, but it's worth it not to drive, unless you have a driver/friend who doesn't plan on tasting. How to make it cheap? Join sites like Home Run, Groupon, and Living Social, buy their 50% of deals for rentals with drivers. This saves a headache from either driving or listening to the driver complain, both of which might be worth the money spent.

2. Plan ahead- this is essential with a car service, have an itinerary planned to be most efficient. Write down each winery you want to hit and make sure it is routed so you don't backtrack on driving. This saves money and time.

3. Visit boutique wineries- these tend to be appointment only, which makes for a cozier more personable experience. At many places, you'll have a table set with a dedicated person talking to you about each wine. This makes for a more unique wine tasting experience, but BEWARE not all appointment only places are better.

4. Look online for discounts and/or share a tasting with a friend- go to their websites, check out yelp, google for discounts. This can range from complete free tastings to a 2 for 1 deal. I shared a couple of tastings with my boyfriend not only to save money but to prevent myself from getting drunk. This is a great idea because you can really just have a taste and not a couple of gulps.

5. Pack snacks and lunch- we stopped at a Genova's Deli to grab sandwiches, it was reasonably priced, but the wait was so horrendous and threw us off schedule for the rest of the day. I would not recommend going there unless you call to order ahead or have 45min-1 hr to spend waiting.

Orange you glad it's June

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 17:16:00 +0000

Orange you glad it's June by gummiskye

Belted dress, 45 GBP
TopShop long day dress, $80
TopShop knit jacket, $98
Free Hugs - Women, $24
Zara satin sandals, $100
High heel sandals, $136
Kate Spade orange bag, $164
Marc by Marc Jacobs bangles jewelry, $88
Adidas logo watch, $75
Monique Pean horn jewelry, $1,110
Orange Alarm Clock, $20
Kosta Boda 'Contrast' Glass Bowl, $100

Birthday Bash

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:45:00 +0000

WOOT WOOT!
My sister Starr is turning 18 today.
Still not old enough to drink, even in Toronto.

To celebrate her birthday I am featuring some of her blog posts.

seeing, making, drawing: some of her cool artwork

just living inside my head: melodramatic title but yummy cute cookies i helped make

words, words, words: hipster outfits deluxe edition

Hipster is the new black: hipster rant, so long i don't think i even read it all

floating seas: architecture

May: Straw, baby blue, and pink

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 30 May 2011 23:01:00 +0000

I have discovered Polyvore.

May 2011 by gummiskye featuring a colorblock dress

Colorblock dress, $368
Tie dye tank top, $25
Seven For All Mankind flare leg jeans, $198
TOMS glitter shoes, $85
Kate Spade pocket tote, $295
Floppy hat, $15
Logo sunglass, $89
Forever21 hair bow accessory, $1.50

How 2s: How to Pack for a Cruise in a Warm Climate

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 25 May 2011 19:57:00 +0000

I just came back from my 5 day cruise to the Bahamas and I meant to write this post prior to going, but didn't have enough time...

Cruises are relaxing and fun, but can get nasty when bottlenecks occur from the large number of people onboard, for example food lines at lunch time, but most importantly boarding and getting your luggage and deboarding and leaving the ship. Packing efficiently will significantly reduce the amount of pain involved with getting on your ship and getting off your ship.

Here are some rules that I live by:

1. If your cruise is 7 days or less, you can pack everything in a soft carry on and another bag.
Unless you are obese or severely large, your clothes will fit into a soft duffle bag. Yes. It may be harder to carry than a rolly-polly hard carry on, but suck it up, you probably need the exercise and you can fit more stuff in the soft carry on and it can be stuffed easily into any overhead compartment.

How is this more efficient:

Saves you fees at the airport and fees for people to move your luggage onto the ship
Get out of the airport asap without waiting for luggage, get onto the ship fast, first group to get off the ship with docked
Always have everything on you, so things don't get lost unless you are in idiot

2. Don't bring more outfits than you can wear

Obviously make sure to pack enough underwear and bathing suits, but do you really need 14 different cover ups? Wear a cute breezy long top, then the next day use it as a cover up. A pair of shorts can definitely last 2-3 days, bring shorts in a dark color so they don't get as dirty. The nicer dress up clothes, ok fine, bring one, and seriously how many pair of shoes do you need: flip flops, nice shoes, and runners for the gym.

This is what I packed (clothing) for a 5 day cruise:

2 pairs of shorts
1 pair of longer loose pants also used as PJs
7 pairs of underwear (extra to be safe), # of bras depends on how often you will be wearing a bathing suit top under clothes
3 swimsuits
2 fancier casual dresses, 1 very casual dress/coverup
3 t shirts
3 tank tops
2 shirts that are long and work as coverups

3. Bring minimal accessories.

Do you really need all that make up? Or pairs of socks? Think realistically and reduce the extra stuff you may want to bring. First aid kit? They have that stuff on the ship. Snorkel gear? You can rent that anywhere. Towels? Are you ridiculous, that's provided on the ship. If you are on the line deciding, most likely the answer is you don't need it

4. Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.

Even if you are dark as shit or already have a base tan, you want to bring a hat and sunscreen. The hat is clutch because it shades your face and makes it easier to see without squinting, same with sunglasses except a hat will save a balding head from burning. Finally sunscreen is needed to prevent skin cancer, don't be dumb kids.

5. Finally, things you will be glad to have brought along:

Camera, you may be pissed off if you forget this
Water bottle like a nalgene will save you from shelling out $$$ for bottled water
Reading material in case you get bored or annoyed at the company you are with

My sister is a hipster

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 25 Apr 2011 21:10:00 +0000

Photo courtesy of her blog Musings of a Starr

This is my sister Starr, she is hip. I am featuring her because I am so proud of her hipness and jealous of how cool she is. This photo below of her was snapped by fellow blogger @livethepink.tumblr.com.

Scat cats!

I present to you, Luna the dog.

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 19:23:00 +0000

Luna asleep with George the stuffed hippo

I adopted a dog last week from the San Francisco SPCA. Her name is Luna and she is a year and a half and a lab mix. So far she has been very very sweet and a good obedient girl. She loves to run and play with other dogs and she is excited to go to training classes starting this weekend.

When I first got Luna, I felt like I had to leave her at home all the time when I went out. Until I discovered this wonderful site called Fido Factor - it's basically like Yelp but for dog friendly places. They have a good amount of locations in San Francisco and even donate $0.25 to the SPCA for each review written. If you have a dog, you should definitely check out Fido Factor.

Here are some more photos of Luna:

Awwww, why you gotta be so cute

Luna and her sock monkey friend

RETRO CAMERA: Best smartphone camera/photo app!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:06:00 +0000

Of all the apps on my smart phone, my favorite by far is my Retro Camera app by Urbian, Inc. I discovered the app a while back from my friend Liz’s facebook page (follow Liz on twitter @TheBeuks). She had these amazing photos and when I asked what camera she was using, she said "my phone".

SNAP! I had to get it!

(Downtown San Francisco taken from Twin Peaks with Fudgecam)
*all photos in post were taken with HTC Hero 5 megapixel android phone

Why is Retro Camera the best photo/camera app out there?

1. Price: Its free- download for Android or Apple

2. Great photos and effects: I love the way my photos come out- People with limited photography skills and equipment can take beautiful photos with 5 different retro cameras

3. Reliability: It hasn’t crashed since I got it over a year ago

Retro Camera comes with 5 different cameras:

1. The Barbl

Only color

Low color saturation

Medium contrast

Good for all around and portraits

(Lombard street)

2. Little Orange Box

Color and B&W options

High color saturation

High contrast

Good for candids, people, close ups

(Bear)

3. Xolaroid 2000

Color and B&W option

High color saturation

High contrast

Good for candid and abstracts

(sideways Lombard- I didn't have very many photos with this camera to choose from)

4. Pinhole Camera

Color and B&W option

Low color saturation

Medium-high contrast

Good for landscapes and still life

(road to Tahoe)

5. FudgeCam (my favorite of them all)

Color and B&W option

Low color saturation

Medium contrast

Good for outdoors

(Venice missing the E)

What are you waiting for? Go download it and have fun!

Finally the VDAY post!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 22:07:00 +0000

Forage?

According to Merriam Webster online Forage has the following definitions:

1: food for animals especially when taken by browsing or grazing

2: [²forage] : the act of foraging : search for provisions

For Valentine's Day I took my bf to a surprise pop up dinner hosted by ForageSF. As copied from their homepage "forageSF is a wild foods community conceived of by Iso Rabins in early 2008, with the mission to connect Bay Area dwellers with the wild food that is all around them with wild edible food walks, Underground dinners, and the SF Underground Market."

Their Valentine's dinner was held over three days with 2 seatings each night. Saturday and Sunday night's dinners were held somewhere on Valencia, and their Monday night dinner surprise (the location was emailed to me the morning of) was at Public Works, an warehouse type location used for events of varying nature.

I arrived at the location expecting communal tables, as advertised on their site, however they had maybe a dozen private tables for couples, maybe it was special for valentine's, who knows. My bf and I took one of those tables and sat near the stage where there were a couple of live musicians. The lighting was low and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming with the both the eager anticipation of the organizers to showcase local foraged food as well as of the diners to consume the wonderful creations.

Attempt at sharing the ambiance-a not so great picture of the centerpiece at my table:

I only managed to take photos of courses 2 and 3 because I had problems with the camera taking pictures clearly and felt douchy and japanese touristy for having the flash interrupt the meal. The food as you can clearly see, was homey and delicious. Below is course 2, foraged greens with a slow poached farm egg.

Course 3 was soup de poisson with garlic crostini

My favorite course, was the wild boar ragu, captured and killed by hand (sorry no picture, because I devoured the dish). All of the dishes were wonderfully cooked considering the meal was served from a pop up kitchen with an untrained chef. I would definitely recommend checking out their site. If you want in on the next pop up meal, sign up for their newsletter.

Click here to be linked to the foragesf blog post with more pictures.

Until next time...

Lobster out of a truck?!?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:33:00 +0000

Coming from Canada the land of poutine and snow, the concept of food trucks were foreign to me until I moved my ass down to California, where the weather is warm enough for people to stand in line to wait for food out of a friggin truck.

This week my lovely coworker introduced me to Sam's Chowder Mobile and got me pumped to get lunch from them. The truck is a subsidiary of Sam's Chowder House in Half Moon Bay and it not only tweets it's locations (follow them @chowdertruck), but has a schedule on it's website.

Although you can't see the menu in my picture, it's quite simple, yet quite mouth watering.

Clam Chowder
Fish Tacos
Shrimp Po Boys
LOBSTER ROLLS, and more!

The truck was stationed near Great America in front of a Cisco building, we got there around noon and there was already a HUGE line. BUMMER!

After about a 30 minute wait and freaking out that they might run out of lobster rolls I finally got my hands on the coveted lobster roll.

It had HUGE amount of lobster which was delish, but I wasn't a huge fan of the brioche-like roll. A little underwhelmed, I decided that it was still worth the wait, but next time I might just get the shrimp po boy that my coworker got.

Lobster out of a truck? Only in California!

Is a healthy chip an oxymoron?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 00:52:00 +0000

* Still waiting for pictures of Valentine's day dinner before writing post

Being fully employed has caused me to start developing symptoms of THAT 2:30 feeling advertised by 5 hour energy. I don't actually get that 2:30 feeling until 3 or 4 pm and sometimes I crave salty salty chips. Today I went to the vending machine and stood there for a good 5 minutes contemplating

which chip would be healthiest. Finally I settled with French Onion Sun Chips.

I decided to google "healthiest chip" and BINGO! The first two links I found mentioned Sun Chips!
Sun Chips Look to Be the #1 Healthiest Snack for People and the Environment
Top Five Healthier Chips

Advertised that they are made with All Natural Ingredients, Sun Chips also boasts 6g of fat per 1 oz. serving compared to 10g of regular potato chips. Apparently they have compostable packing, which is awesome, but too bad the ones at my work aren't.

Still- take a look at the nutrition facts. Why the heck are there so many cheese ingredients when the flavor is french onion. Strange. I guess the 18 grams of whole grains per 1 oz. serving isn't that bad for a chip. I'm still not convinced that a healthy chip exists, but Sun Chips is as close as it gets in the vending machine at work.

Valentine's Day

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:07:00 +0000

I'm beginning to think that I am starting to dislike Valentine's Day. As a kid I loved handing out cards and eating heart shaped candy. Now that I'm older, all it does is cause me stress. I can't help having expectations ingrained in me through the media and whatever else. I can't help wanting flowers and to be showered with adoration. I'm a girl. That being said, guys don't quite understand girls and I never get what I want for Valentine's. So this year I had specific instructions- yes, it's not so romantic, but at least I get what I want.

We are going to take a trip down to Monterey this weekend and YES the weather is going to be warm and awesome. We are going to go to the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz where the laws of gravity are defied! AND I am uber excited to go to Phil's Fish Market which was featured on Throwdown with Bobby Flay.

Source

Finally, on the 14th, I have planned a special surprise for him that is definitely post-worthy. I won't reveal the secret in case he reads this- unlikely, but maybe...

Growing Up and Freaking Out

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 06:13:00 +0000

So I haven't been as active as I wanted to be on this blog, mainly because I am having a quasi-quarter-life crisis. Quasi, mainly so I don't have to accept that it might actually be a full blown quarter-life crisis.

Growing up and being alive is one of the toughest things to do. Here are some things that I am currently freaking out about in no particular order:

Am I really going to work for the rest of my life? I've spent less than 3 years of my life working in the real world and it's already slightly depressing
I love traveling, should I take time off and actually travel the world? Should I wait? Will it be too late?
When will I start making enough money to eventually be able to buy a house somewhere I'd actually want to live?
Should I go back to school before it's too late and I'm the old person in the back of the class?
I want to have kids before I'm 30 and if I work out the logistics backwards I have to practically be engaged now or soon. How am I ever going to travel?

In one of my panic freak out anxiety driven crazes I turned to google to help me determine if I was depressed and having a crisis. It turned me to Penelope Trunk's Brazen Careerist blog. She's really interesting and a great read, with the ability to be personable yet realistic.

If you'd like to freak out with me read: Salaries Top Out at Age 40
If you'd like to feel better about life read: My financial history, and stop whining about your job