Pepper For Your Head

2012-06-25T09:12:00.001-07:00

It's been a while.

I love winter.. in fact...

2012-01-04T16:13:00.001-08:00

I love the seasons. I live in a city that provides all seasons, sometimes short-lived..but still SEASONS.
Every season we have whining from those that want it to be hot or cold - depending on season.
But where can you get all seasons, enjoy city life, travel to quaint towns and nearby cities to Boston, Washington D.C.? Not many other places like NYC.

I'm gonna miss it when I'm gone from here.

My first crockpot dish

2012-01-02T11:01:00.001-08:00

This is the first recipe I'm trying with my new crockpot I will let you know how it works out.

Easy Chicken

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken pieces 1 can (10 1/2 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup 1 can (10 1/2 oz.) condensed cream of chicken 1 can (4 ounces) mushroom pieces, drained 1 bell pepper, slice 1 onion, sliced Dash salt, pepper & garlic powder

Wash chicken and dry. Place in crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. Serve with noodles or rice.

As the year ends

2011-12-31T13:14:00.001-08:00

I think back to my resolution to text less and talk more. .. well it didn't work out so well. So I'm going to renew my resolution and add a resolution to send more mail ( Thanks to Teri for the idea)

Hope you had a wonderful year like I did!

The Reason

2011-12-06T09:37:00.001-08:00

So if you haven't noticed, I've been extremely absent from posting on my blog. December has been a crazy busy month and I'm finally getting some time to just chill. We started the month off by visiting our nephew and godson in San Diego (along with other family of course). It was Patrick's baptism and we were happy to be there for it. We flew in to San Diego Friday night and left 48 hours later. Great to be around family during that special occasion.

Wilkens Fruit & Fir Farm: Yorktown Heights, NY

The following weekend we traveled up the Deegan to Yorktown Heights. There a fruit and fir farm exists and we could cut down our own Christmas tree. It was a farm. And it was SO COOL. Spent a good amount of time looking for the right tree, the selection was scarce. After cutting down the tree and putting it on the tractor, we headed back to the barn to get hot apple cider and warm cider donuts. I truly felt like we were in the country. We dropped our tree back at the apartment and finished up the day drinking egg nog, decorating the tree and listening to Christmas music (of course).

Continuing the spirit of the season, my husband and I hosted some friends for Christmas with the Calis. I cooked turkey baked ziti, made some amazing buffalo chicken dip and baked cookies for dessert. Everything was tasty especially the Christmas Rum Punch that I whipped up for our guests. Mix orange juice, ginger ale, flavored light rum (I used grape and wild berry), grenadine and raspberries for ice. You will create an amazing rum punch that is sure to be liked by all. I am looking for excuses to make it again. (Valentine's Day party?!)

Christmas Rum Punch: see above for ingredients

Bringing us through the month of December and continuing with our "balls out Christmas" goal. We wrapped all the gifts a week early, we were anticipating the wonderful night before Christmas. Another year passed and I wasn't going to California but I was so happy to start new traditions with my husband. I shared stories of traditions in my family growing up and we agreed to be in California for next year's Christmas. It will be a nice time to be with my side of the family and my husband will get a chance to see what a warm Christmas day feels like.

This brings me to the point of the post and the reason for the season. We have been extremely involved with our church this year, well the last 15-16 months. We attend regularly and try to participate in all the extra activities. I feel it is a strong testament to our faith that we continue to stay involved and really get to know God. I admit, I went away from the church for a couple of years. It turns out that those were some of my worst years and maybe it was because I was lost. I don't want to go off on a tangent because I know I am in a much better place now but I'm happy to be back. The reason for the season is the birth of Jesus Christ. The season brings about joy and laughter amongst friends, family and especially so many great times between Mr. Cali and I. We hope that you enjoyed your Christmas and as we continue into the 3rd day of Christmas, we hope that God continues to bless you with great things.

Merry Christmas from Mr. and Mrs. Cali!

How's married life?

2011-11-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

AMAZING.

THAT. IS. ALL.

I lowkey wish that people will stop asking me how married life is? I mean I lived with my husband prior to our marriage...uh oh, taboo! But no, really it is AMAZING being married. Here are some plus points:

1. I can call him my husband
2. We can obsess about what's next for the both of us.
3. Benefits
4. Extra time to relax since we're not planning anymore
5. The upcoming photos and video our big day.

Ok now, that is all.

I'm married!!

2011-10-24T21:23:00.001-07:00

Here is a sneak peek from our wedding photographers Benchwerk! We LOVE it!

Today, in the social media world

2011-09-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I've learned a lot in the past week about G+... today I hung out with Steve Ward from Tough Love, his circles and some randoms that came over from Twitter - funny how I just quoted him yesterday, talked and chatted about Social Media's impact and how Google+ can improve. Quite interesting and a lot more people in my circle now that really are using this new social network for just that - networking socially.

Here's an article that kinda sums up what's going on with Google+ right now. Here is an excerpt from the article:

"The biggest challenge they face is what we call the noisy-stream problem, in which a few active people overwhelm the conversation. We need some tools to either suppress that noise or present the information in a way that it doesn’t dominate."

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/09/ff_google_horowitz/2/

Be Yourself and Love It

2011-09-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

"When you meet someone physically in person you'll know within seconds whether or not there would be physical chemistry. Everything that happens subsequent thereto (whether you're conscious of it or not) depends purely on that chemistry. Our minds work like computers anyway. Subconsciously we create an index in our minds that governs all our decisions. It determines where the line in the sand is, when enough is enough and whether or not we're settling or have met "the one". It works like this." - Steve Ward

I've been a fan of Steve since he debuted his show on VH1 a couple years back. The advice he gives on dating, relationships and maintaining serious committed relationships is always on point. Most people do not want to listen to him or me when I try to give them advice on their personal lives. I would never consider myself an expert but I know what feels right and what feels good. As I look back on the beginning of my relationship with Mike, I remember one thing - it wasn't difficult. I didn't have to think too hard. Everything just flowed. We communicated, we agreed and we disagreed. But there was a balance, everything came up. We talked about everything and knew what would work and what wouldn't. If you say that we played the game well, I would probably just laugh at you. Your love life is not a game. Be real with yourself and let love in to your life.

I said what I meant and did what I wanted to do. We are 16 days away from starting a new chapter in our lives and I am so grateful for it. If you ever want to know how to build a better you and move forward to the next chapter of your life, I say - Be yourself and love yourself. I find a lot of friends who question why they have it "so hard" or why things "happen to them". Accept it and learn from it. You can't hold grudges in your mind and your heart or they will taint relationships. Relationships that could end up being happily ever after. Listen to Steve, create that index when you meet people but don't create those indexes too early, you may miss out on something special.

Oh, She's Crafty

2011-09-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

I have been busy with projects for our wedding in 24 days. I am absolutely enjoying myself and loving this time. I don't know what I'll do when it is all over. Anyway, I have been really crafty. I am posting a photo of one of my first projects. I was inspired by a photo I saw on another blog. This box was flat wood color, I painted it with metallic paint from Michael's, added some tulle and printed a saying for the inside.

Don't be THAT person

2011-08-31T18:44:00.000-07:00

So as most of you know, the wedding is about 6 weeks away (from this Friday) and I think my most annoying thing to deal with so far is the RSVP part. RSVP is an acronym for a French saying that means Please Respond. RSVP as far as I knew was say yes or no if you are attending.

Well, apparently not many people understand this. You don't want to be THAT person that doesn't respond, do you? Your hosts have enough to do, they don't want to have to stalk you for a response. It's not fun and it's nowhere near stress-free and embarassing.

I have to make light of it all and here are some my favorite comments in terms of RSVP:
"Ummm you need us to actually send it back to you"
"I work that day. I don't know if I'm coming just to the reception or what."
"I put the envelope in a safe place to send it out and now I can't find it."

Well my advice to you if you are asked to RSVP is to PLEASE respond. Don't be THAT person. Update: Missing 12 cards and the RSVP date was yesterday. Oh well!

And my 100th post is here........

2011-08-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

As I struggled to figure out what to dedicate my 100th blog post to, I wasn't sure if I should talk about how amazing life is (LOL) or how awesome my photoshop skills have become or how excited I am to become Mrs. Cali. I mean, do I really talk about my life a lot? What I wanna know is if you think about your life as much as I do? Do you. I don't want to toot my own horn, but, hopefully I make you think. But maybe if you knew more about what could have been, you would know why I am so enthusiastic about the current goings on.

Sometimes I wonder how different things would be if I didn't make it back to NY for the 2nd time. If I would have stayed in California with my family from the beginning, would I even be living outside my childhood neighborhood? I always use the excuse that I'm the middle child and I needed to get out but really I just think it's destiny. I never felt scared about moving to NY, I was never discouraged from moving away - not even the 2nd time. What I went through to find out who was truly there for me is something I would never change. I grew closer to my family by means of social networks, text messaging, etc - crazy isn't it?

I mean I get it, some people that are currently "in my life" will not be there in a few years. Will it keep me from moving forward and trusting that everything happens for a reason? Definitely not. When I notice that someone has a little more to them than meets the eye, I will try to pick their brain. If it causes me to build a bond that involved mutual respect and friendship, then good for us. If not, then keep it moving. There are people that have showed me true colors in the past months, years and honestly, THANK YOU. You are either proving my point or surprising me. When it comes down to it, you really do not know what life will throw at you. But continue to live, learn and love and the rest will fall into place.

I guess that's how my 100th post turns out. Keep it movin' people.

How to Make Your G+ Profile Not Visible

2011-08-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

So I happened to Google my first name and last name to find out that my Google+ profile comes up on the first page. So I had to go in to the settings of my Google+ account to make sure this was not happening. Some posts that I make public I don't necessarily want public.

Here is a screencast of the steps I took to remove my profile from being indexed in search engines:

http://screencast.com/t/kl129vexpzdA

1. Go to Edit Profile
2. Scroll all the way down to Search Visibility
3. Make sure the box is unchecked.
4. Finish editing.

You will notice your Search Visibility is NOT visible in search. Read more here:

Maybe one day, I will make my profile searchable by search engines. For now, no.

Enjoy!

Thanks,
Marisa

Enjoying Google+

2011-08-24T04:57:00.000-07:00

It took me a while to get used to it and get people in my circles, but, I am enjoying this new social media network so much more than Facebook. The best part about Google+ is that if you comment on someone's post, it's not broadcasted to all your circles. My friends are my friends not my friends' friends so they shouldn't know what's going on everytime I post.

I like the Google Photos interface as well and I was easily able to transfer my albums over there with a widget I found on the internet. How cool that I'm able to store all my photos without having to "lose" them once I switch over.

I'm pretty sure I will keep facebook for those people I know will not switch ... my parents to be exact.

Don't get me wrong, I still check Facebook all the time but in terms of articles, posts and good reading material - it does not exist. This is what I want with my social network.

If you need an invite to Google+ please let me know.

Expressions in the form of Tattoos

2011-07-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

I started to think about tattoos as I sat on the subway home tonight because I saw a chick with a naked lady on the inside of her forearm. And another dude with skulls on his elbows.

I think tattoos are beautiful, for the most part. There are some really great pieces of art that exist out there. Some that represent lives lost, new beginnings, personal journeys, and so on. Tattoos are a form of expression. That being said, I don't think I'll ever be able to get one.

I have lots of people I'd like to remember with a "tribute tattoo". I think tattoos w/ color can really make a statement. I love the little, simple tattoo that says A LOT. Maybe I just have too much to express and can't pinpoint what exactly it'd be. My maiden name is almost donezo but I'll never forget it so I don't need it on my body. Same with my first name. No need for it because I have a good memory.

Once, I was going to get a little apple (symbolizing my love for New York City) on the small of my wrist with my then best friend. Glad I didn't do that otherwise I'd remember the bitch for the rest of my life. Lol.

Aside from the fact that I have too many things to express, why would you wanna spend precious dough on ink that you might not love next year.

Tattoos are great, probably not for me though.

Summer Update Part 1

2011-07-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

We are almost done with July and I must say it's been an amazing summer so far. Mike and I set goals from the beginning to have a great summer by doing things that don't cost too much and maximizing our time with family and close friends. Here are some highlights:

San Diego

We spent almost 5 full days in my hometown. From the moment we got in to town, it was busy busy busy running around. My sister, mother and I went dress shopping for my mother's dress for the wedding. She treated us to lunch at Cheesecake Factory then split a yummy slice of cheesecake. Oh, forgot to mention that Mike got stung by a stingray while we were shopping; he said it was the most excruiating pain he's ever experienced. Ouch! The next two days were super family filled. My parents and my sister-in-law's parents celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Saturday. Mike saw a lot of family again and met some more for the first time. We ate mexican food (the guacamole was delish!) and played ladderball. The following day was filled with more family for my bridal shower. Brunch was on the menu, then we played Loteria and opened gifts. Mike, my brother and my fàther went to Viejas for brunch buffet then took a tour around San Diego while the ladies drank mimosas. Kristi, Lauren, Stephanie and my mom loved their personalized glasses from JudiPaintedIt. The nightcap was at my aunt's house; carne asada, guacamole, fresh tortillas and the pool. Our Monday morning was quick; we filled the car with gas, got some Breakfast Jacks and went to visit my brother and sister-in-law at their new home. We returned our rental car by 11:30am and we checked in early.

Beach and BBQ Galore

I don't recall ever being at the beach so many times in the 8 years that I've experienced New York summers - and I'm not sure why. It's a good thing that Mike's best man is a beach bum because we've been working on our suntans ever since it got warm. So far, we've been to jones beach 3 times and lido beach once. We are fully prepared for the beach right now with a rolling cooler, blankets and SPF30 galore. After the beach, we are usually at their place having barbecued dinners. It is a lot of fun to finally hang out a lot with them. We chill, we relax, we party and we enjoy the company.

and my last highlight is....Wedding Planning

Mike has been crazy busy with work, to the point where he's getting lots of overtime. I've had to pick up most of the slack with planning because he is busy at work. Either way, we are in the thick of it. Our invites are going out by the end of this week. Hoping we get some good responses and no surprises. Overall, the DIY invite process is time consuming and requires patience but I would not have it any other way. These invites have our own personal touch to them. It makes them all the more special. So we're about 80 days away. So close...I cannot wait to be Mrs. Cali!!

And that is my summer update - part 1.

Enjoy!
-Mari

How organized are you?

2011-06-23T21:13:00.001-07:00

My goal was to get out of work today by 6pm. I came across Friday morning's schedule for me and realized that I'd be in meetings from 9am until noon tomorrow. With no time to prep for the calls tomorrow, I figured it would be wise for me to organize my thoughts before I left for the day.

No, I don't get paid overtime. But it is extremely important to me to be organized and prepared for tomorrow.

Many people would have just went home and winged it. I would have anxiety thinking about curveballs that'd be thrown at me during the call or losing control.

So my question is... Do you stay organized at work to make sure you are clear on what the daily agenda is? Or do you just wing it? I've implemented some great techniques to maintain organization at the job and they have filtered over to my personal life - just ask me how many google docs I have prepped for the wedding.

If you are in any form of project management and fail to filter these techniques to your personal life - how organized are you?

I am willing to share my secrets but I just don't think you want to be bothered with it. Or maybe you do. Better management of your work life, leads to more productive work days, less stress and smiles.

A to-do list is your first step. Have a good night!

The importance of time alone

2011-06-19T19:11:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning, Michael and I were at church completing one of the steps to getting married in the church. There was a question on this "test" asking us if we understood the importance of spending time alone and it made me think. We hadn't done that in a long time. Michael is my best friend, we go to work together, we spend a lot of time together...I love it! But, I used to do things on my own and now I just expect him to be by my side all the time.

So today, I spent the majority of my day alone, away from Michael. Took the bus to the 4 train, then to Long Island City Queens. I arrived a little early so I acted like a hipster in a coffee shop called Communitea and ordered an iced latte. I read the New York Times for a few minutes (of course about the changing dynamics of family) before Kelly joined me at El Ay Si for brunch. Recovering from a long night out, I was not sure I could make it through the day. Thank goodness that the Coca-Cola helped me through. After brunch, we bought cute little bamboo mats and ended up at the park. We stayed until 7pm, reading trash magazines and chatting about random things. Although I was not alone, I was alone from the love of my life.

My point being is that I enjoyed giving myself some alone time. It's important. We are 117 days away from our wedding day and I cannot wait! If you are in a committed serious relationship, please take a break and spend some time with your friends alone, away from your love. It will be good for all parties involved!

Enjoy your Sunday night.

I had all kinds of butt on me this morning...

2011-06-17T06:34:00.001-07:00

What's wrong with you you say? Well it is not fun to feel other butts rub against yours. I don't know these butts. Anyway, the trains were extra crowded this morning and I just couldn't deal with this tall guy's butt all up in mine. I was standing next to Mike and I kept huffing and puffing because the guy just didn't get off my ass. Maybe it was intentional but still.

Then I'm waiting for the train and a lady passes behind but proceeds to rub her butt all over mine. Not sure if that's the norm these days but I will avoid butts if I'm passing through close quarters.

It's called courtesy, don't rub on my butt and I won't rub on yours.. LOL!

The importance of saying yes or no

2011-06-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

So my brother, sister-in-law and I are helping to organize a party/catered lunch for close friends and family of our parents. It's their 40th anniversary. We ask them to RSVP. Why can't people do this BEFORE the due date. I never thought it was a big deal to RSVP whenever I received an invite. But, now that I'm planning this party with my brother and preparing for my upcoming nuptials, I now realize the importance of saying yes or no. If you're a maybe, then you are a maybe from the get go. If you are a no, why would you wait to say no to the organizers.

I just don't get it.

There is quite a lot that goes into planning and preparing for a party no matter how small or big. Maybe it's just me but is it not rude to NOT respond? I think so. So think about it the next time someone asks you to let them know if you're attending. It helps planners everywhere. Pretty soon, we'll all be less stressed about hosting events... or maybe not.

ps. if you have a pre-addressed envelope, that should always be sent out RIGHT away.

Some shots that I love.

2011-06-15T20:02:00.000-07:00

Here are some shots I love. Black and white - always powerful.

(I take no credit for these photos, simply pointing out their beauty.)

Here are some shots in Fort Tryon Park - wedding photo location:

Busy time, can't you tell?

2011-06-07T11:52:00.001-07:00

I'll be back in a few days

"Hump Day" was created......

2011-05-18T12:23:00.000-07:00

So people could stop screwing up the spelling of the week's longest day. W-E-D-N-E-S-D-A-Y. You know I remembered how to spell this by mispronouncing it in my elementary school days. WED-NES-DAY. Much easier to spell when you sound it out, even if you sound like a douchebag. Either way, please learn how to spell it because you look like the only doo doo face when you can't spell a word that is shown everywhere - newspapers, phone calendars, internet, etc.

Learn how to spell or keep looking for a job because no one wants to get an email that says: "I will get back to you on Wendsday"

Good day.

Healthcare Industry Seems to be Flawed...seriously!

2011-05-16T11:58:00.001-07:00

There is something seriously wrong with healthcare. I work, I have insurance, I had an emergency and if I went through my insurance, I'd be on a waiting list. So, I didn't. I went to a place that could take me right away but they asked me for my Medicaid card, I said I have insurance, they said "We don't take that" and ended up with a $500 bill..

So if you don't work, you don't pay anything but since you work, we know you can afford this eventually so we don't accept your private insurance.

Bunch of BS.

I'm going to be an Aunt!

2011-04-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

My brother and sister-in-law are expecting a new bundle of joy in late September! I am beyond excited for them and so happy that God has blessed them with an amazing thing. When I first found out, I was excited for a number of reasons; first grandchild for my parents, first niece or nephew for my sister and I; newest baby in the family overall. But, I am a little disappointed because I won't be around to spoil him or her. Ideally, Mike and I would like to move to California but we didn't expect it to be for another couple years or so. This event puts everything in perspective; family is so important. You want to be close to them to witness the special moments.

Mike says that I'm a lot more family oriented than he is, I never saw it that way. But now I do. I don't think I appreciated my family until I moved out East. I am glad he is standing up for me and knowing that I want to be close with his family. It is a process and hopefully we will get there someday.