The Girl Who Read the Trilogy

With our Book Club on hiatus, I needed some new books to fill my summer.  I traveled quite a bit and wanted some books that would be entertaining, but a little brainless.  The Stieg Larsson's Swedish Murder Mystery Trilogy that has been all the rage seemed to be the perfect fit. All in all, it was a very entertaining, smart series.  Here's a hint...Book 1 is a stand alone piece, although the character...

Hump Day: Beat the Heat!

People, it's hot here in SF.  Like, Africa hot.  It's been over 90 degrees and like I always say, 90 degrees in San Francisco is like 4 inches of snow in the South.  We're just not equipped for it.  Because we only get a handful of these days per year, no one has air conditioning (not even window units) and we don't have screens on our windows or doors.   I've been spending my days with all the shades drawn,...

The Perfect Winter Getaway – Part 2: The Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon National Park is a 2 - 2.5 hour drive from Sedona and is something that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime!  Going to the Grand Canyon during January was an interesting experience.  It was a little bit like going to Disney World in the middle of the night when the rides are closed and no one is there:  quiet, a little bit eerie, but just as majestic.  Even though the north side...

The Perfect Winter Getaway – Part 1: Sedona

A few years ago, The Hub (or, the BF at the time) and I took a 5 day trip to Arizona for his 30th birthday.  We had a fantastic time hiking in Sedona and touring the Grand Canyon.  We went over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, which may seem like a strange time to take that type of trip, but for us it was perfect!  We had a long weekend which allowed us to take less time off of work, the weather was temperate (for...

Hump Day: Ranger IPA

If you've seen me lately with a beer in my hand, there's a 90% chance that it's a Ranger IPA.  As an IPA lover in general, I have been absolutely OBSESSED with this beer!  Brewed in Fort Collins, CO by New Belgium, Ranger IPA debuted this past February and has easily become my new fave.  It's super hoppy and dry without being too bitter, medium bodied, citrusy and crisp.  If you are an IPA fan, then you must...

Not Your Ordinary Baby Shower, Not Your Ordinary Cupcakes

My dear friend Randi will be giving birth in a matter of weeks and us girls recently got together to celebrate!  Randi’s best friend Dawn planned a lovely afternoon at La Note, a delicious French brunch spot in Berkeley. We dined, we laughed, we cried!  Randi and her husband KC are some pretty amazing people and they are taking the road less traveled approach to this pregnancy.  They are waiting until...

Hump Day: Hitachino Nest Beer

Hitachino Nest Beer is a brand of beer that The Hub and I enjoy...when we can find it!  The Kiuchi Brewery was established in 1823 by Kiuchi Gihei , the headman of Kounosu village.  In 1950 Mikio Kiuchi inherited the brewery legacy, which at that time was producing only sake.  Kiuchi began brewing beer under the “Hitachino Nest Beer” name in 1996.  Today they produce over 10 different flavors of...

(Really) Guilty Pleasure

Most of my good friends know about my obsession with Who’s the Boss.  It was my favorite TV show growing up and I adored Angela Bauer.  So much so in fact, that I wrote my college entrance essay on how I grew up idolizing not Madonna or Punky Brewster but Angela Bauer.  I wanted to be a successful, high powered Advertising Executive.  It’s interesting that I ended up working with people like Angela in my...

Lazy Dinner Monday

Football is a BIG DEAL in our house.  The Hub is a born and bred insane Packers fan and we host game-watching every Sunday via our NFL Sunday ticket.  I am pleased to say that opening weekend was a success!  The sun was shining, the beer was flowing, the brats and tamale pie were hot, and the Packers defeated the Eagles!  The Hub was a happy, happy man.  After a Sunday of gluttony, we wanted something light for...

Jewelry Organizer

After seeing the jewelry organizer in my friend Jillian's new apartment, I became wildly jealous and had to go buy one immediately. For the last several years I have been keeping my jewelry in boxes in a dresser drawer.  The result has been tangled necklaces and earrings hidden somewhere and long ago forgotten.  It was time to get organized and make better use of my collection. My dream is to someday have an...