Little Brixton is safe at home. :D

11/04/08 Madonna

MVI_3086
Originally uploaded by iolani1

PetCo Park

My 2008 list--hmm..where am I on all this?!

I just had to re-post so I can check out my progress.....
The baby thing slowed some of these down....Especially the size of my tummy--that's out the window until 2009!

My 2008 List of TO-DOs and TO-DON'Ts

Money Things:
• No more late fees at the library. I mean, really. That is just sad.
• Cut trips to grocery store down to 1-2 per week instead of the nightly "Nothing at home sounds good maybe a trip to Trader Joe’s will help..."
• Deposit money into savings account each paycheck.
• Stop buying stuff that I don't need, i.e. Ebay
• Stick to “The Budget”
• When faced with the opportunity to spend embarrassing $$ on CL/Ebay/Target OR put towards monster consumer debt, choose to enjoy current selection of perfectly fine/and vintage clothes I never wear.
• Make hubby lunch at least 3x per week

The Size Of My Tummy:
• Walk my dogs EVERYDAY. It's good for ALL of us!
• Go to the gym at least 4 times per week
• Go to Hula classes on Sundays
• Do at least 4 5k Benefit Runs (ok, well WALK) this year
• Stop trying to rationalize french fries/chocolate/sugary lattes
• Eat more vegetables
• Drink more tea and less high calorie coffee
• Drink more water.
•Start learning to surf when water warms up!
• Get the freak off myspace and sub it for SparkPeople--it's so motivating!

Mind, Body, Soul
• Every day, choose happy over sad, free over constrained, and laugh a lot.
Wake up the next day and repeat.
• Take hula lessons.
• Have a girls night IN or out at least once a month
• Go to La Paloma to see more movies off of my couch
• Plant my garden.
• Start volunteering here.
• Learn Spanish or Sign Language (still deciding)
• Be a better wife/sister/friend/granddaughter/niece/person in general
• Visit my Dad and Grandparents for Christmas.
• Stop procrastinating!!! Just stop it already.
• Moisturize.
• Floss more
• learn to surf—or at least attempt a ton this summer (Surf Diva!)
• Host a dinner party in which I actually cook dinner without dropping it or burning it or only making mini h'orderves ala Cher in Mermaids!


Practical:
• Send a little more money to IRS every month
• Send a little more money to Student Loans every month
• Put more money in our 401(k) plan
• Get portfolio together and start website
• Deal with Volvo problems!
• Get dogs into classes!
• Start my day at 8am--at the latest
• Work hard. Make deadlines early and start new projects I keep thinking about
• Look at all the options and weigh them out
• Get ____ taken care of(private)
• Call more –email less


Finally... The Not-To-Do List:

• Time is sparse, life if short. Don't waste it on useless things, people, memories, obligations.
• Don't worry about stuff I can't change anyway.
• Don't expect other people to live by my values.
• Don't compromise my values for anyone.
• Don't choose the known over the unknown just because it's comfortable.
• Don't waste time on stupid stuff or mean stuff. Frequently ask myself "Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary?"
• Don't minimize my successes

This list is subject to change and modification of course.
To list is to live.

Da y at the Races 8/02/08

Del Mar Race Track

July 31st --Day of the "Big Ultrasound"!

Days till we know gender!

Father's Day 2008

Joe and Frank went to the U.S. Open in La Jolla for Father's Day. Tiger made some great plays from what I hear.... I talked to my dad and relaxed with the house to myself;)

Officially 8 weeks Pregnant!

The secret is out! We are 8 weeks pregnant and so thrilled about it.
I had my 8 week first doctor visit on Friday with ultrasound and all---I (of course) started a baby blog weeks ago--check it out to keep current;)
Baby Skiv Blog

San Diego Zoo

San Deigo Zoo April 23rd, 2008

Frank and I took Tobin to the zoo!
We saw a cute sea lion show, and lots of animals.....
We had a fun time, although the zoo is humongous and we only got about 1/3 of the way through it. I think we are going back tomorrow to see some more of it.

My 5k Race for Autism!

Kirsten and I did amazing! We finished 2 mins faster than our last race.
I'm so proud of us!!!
Our next race is the Encinitas race down at Moonlight Beach, May 3rd---hope to shave some more time off! :)

Easter at Moonlight Beach!

TIKI-INVASION II is Saturday May 3rd, 2008!

TIKI-INVASION II is Saturday May 3rd, 2008!

Mission Tiki Drive-In Theatre
4407 State Street
Montclair, CA 91763 (near Pomona)
Gates at noon, 1st band at 1:00! Movies at dark!

BANDS, GIANT HOT ROD CAR SHOW, VENDORS and SPECIAL GUESTS all day! CULT CLASSIC and "B" MOVIES on the drive-in screens at dark!

Here’s some what you can expect...

Bands! Agent Orange, Unknown Hinson, Deke Dickerson,The Woggles, The Ghastly Ones,The Burmese Crush, and The Del Reys on the BIG KAHUNA stage. The Martini Kings,
The Tikiyaki Orchestra and The Lonesome Spurs ....
on the SHADY LANAI.


Car Show: Bigger and better than ever! Vrooom! Enter your 1967 or earlier automobile
in our car show and receive a goody bag chock full of cool stuff including snack bar freebies!

Movies! THREE great B movie/cult classic titles to thrill and chill you!
Plus scads of vintage movie trailers and retro snack bar snippets!
DEATH RACE 2000!
ZOMBIE!
INVASION OF THE BEE GIRLS!

Special Guests and Burlesque! We’ve got Miss Bonnie Delight’s Burlesque Revue,
King Kukulele and OFFICIAL INVASION EMCEE JET POWERS to amuse and entertain you!

Shop till you drop! We’ll have dozens of vendors with the coolest merch! Shop for clothing and accessories, jewelery, tiki, hip and monster art, movie posters and memorabilia, car kitsch plus much more!

Fabulous Vintage Inspired Aprons and matching gloves!

Ooh-la-la! Carolyn's West's unique, vintage-inspired "Carolyn's Kitchen" aprons and gloves are reminiscent of the pin-up era and a fun way to play dress-up in the kitchen :) In Carolyn's own words: "I wanted to bring back the glamour, sexiness, and cuteness of a bygone innocent era. The gloves and fabrics are new and nicer - it's a new and improved version of the '40's. I let my imagination run, and originated the embodiment of that 40's girl in the apron and gloves, living in our ultra modern age..."

Holy Crap(per)

I just found this searching for fish tanks! Crazy---
http://www.fishnflush.com/

Aloha Tiki Aquarium

I just came across this amazing tiki aquarium, and I was just thinking--wow--I could use some more fish! Then, I saw the price tag....*gulp* $389--well--I think we've got enough pets for right now, but a girl can dream......;)

Update on the Jovavich /Hawk line

So I went to check it out--of course by the time I got there, there was only xs and xl left primarily, but I was less than thrilled anyway. So much of it was really boho type , misha barton, or Sienna Miller a couple years back...stuff that would look great on a skinny actor/model or 17 year old-but not so much actual women. I'm guessing their Target (bad pun intended) was much younger than me, to be fair.

Fruit Hamock! So cute for my tropical kitchen :)

I saw this tropical fruit hammock at the Botanical Gardens when we went there and thought it was the cutest thing ever! Then a couple days later when I went to the gym I noticed that at the juice bar they had one too! I just couldn't stop thinking about how cute it was, so I ordered one for myself! I love the tropical, beachy, hawaiiana, tiki vibe stuff, so this fits in perfectly.

Now I just need to sew my curtains for the kitchen! I want to get vintage barkcloth in a vintage floral Hawaiian print. Still searching--the material is a bit pricey though, so I gotta keep looking out for deals on Ebay. I'm still deciding whether I want to go dark background or light, too--I'm leaning towards light, so it brightens up the room---decisions, decisions...

Top ten reasons I really like Frank!

1. He tells me my house is "very neat & clean".
2. He tells me my cooking is "very good".
(No comments from the peanut gallery!)
3. He tells me I'm "very attractive".
4. He calls me "Doll" -- which I love!
5. He is really funny. He makes me laugh all the time,
whether intentional or not ;)
6. He likes to do chores in the yard, that before he came, didn't get done very often!
7. Now I have someone to talk to during the day
8. He takes out the trash, gets the mail everyday
and even washes my car!
9. He is game for anything--he always pushes the cart in the store, opens doors for me, and carries everything for me
10.He raised a great son;)

Oh, and by the way...He is 90 years old!!

I can't help it--I'm in love with Target ! (& Milla Jovovich)

It seems like every time a new Go designer comes out at Target--immediately the stuff in my hood is sold out. And if there is anything left it is always the XS's!--
Lately, though, I have been so underwhelmed by most of the Go International collections, but there are some cute pieces here.

Just read this on Fab Flash blog---
Jovovich-Hawk Collection for Target

Last fall I was excited to hear that Jovovich-Hawk was going to create a collection for the Target Go line come Spring. I knew the label's designers, models Milla Jovovich and Carmen Hawk, would deliver their quintessential, vintage-inspired pieces at a price I could afford. Well, the wait is almost over! The line, scheduled to hit stores on March 2, definitely delivers its promise of iconic Jovovich-Hawk looks, however some of them are looking a little too Sienna Miller circa 2005 for my taste. Oh, and be sure to check out the backstage beauties at the Jovovich-Hawk Fall '08 show!
To see more of the Jovovich-Hawk for Target collection,
read moreand more styles here!

I know this is old--but I just saw it--

Weiner Poopie --this is too funny

Shag checks! YAY

I just ordered Shag checks! I love the art of Shag and I hate boring old grey checks from the bank. Can't wait till they arrive--I got the Wives with Knives art. YAY
Writing checks may actually be more fun;)

You get what you pay for.......

So I needed to get my hair dyed really bad--I had major roots and gray going on, but I didn't want to spend a ton of money on the salon. I decided to go to the Paul Mitchell beauty school in San Diego, since I had been to the one in Austin a couple times and had fabulous results. I went there and it was just bad from the beginning. The girl just seemed not to know what she was doing and to make a long story short, I pretty much got the worst color dye job I've ever had or even seen. It was Orange--literally different shades of orange and even some red. One of the instructors when I was leaving even came over and asked if I was happy because I was pretty much practically in tears. I said I wasn't but after being there for 4 hours, I just wanted to run from there screaming. They said I could come back in a few days and get it fixed, but I just did not want to step foot back in that place again. I cried as soon as I got to my car and for about 20 minutes on the way home, just thinking about how horrible it looked and what was I going to do to fix it--and how much more it was going to cost to even get it fixed and if I could even afford to do it.

I worked the next morning at the coffee shop which is very close to a couple very high end salons...like the kind that charge $80 for a haircut. One of the stylists came in and right away asked me about my hair. I started tearing up and just told her the story and just felt like a complete moron for being so cheap int he first place.
She was like, "Come see me as soon as you get off." I was happy, but at the same time, I knew there was no way I could even think about affording what she would charge for a color correction! I went over a few hours later and she said, "It's your lucky day. Twenty minutes ago someone just called and canceled!" Now you have to understand, I see her once a week when I work there, and I didn't even know her name. She sits me down and just starts working color and going at it...the whole time i was freaking out a bit thinking how the heck I'm going to work out paying for this and when she was done--my hair color looked amazing--way better than it has in a long time and she would not let me pay--I tried to at least tip her, but she wouldn't even accept anything from me.

This is the nicest thing a STRANGER has ever done for me--I mean really--she took time out of her day, and did something that normally would have cost about $400 for free...I was so grateful...I just couldn't believe it---

I am just amazed at the generosity and kindness of a total stranger---

Race for Autism 5K March 29th--Please help :)

I am participating in the Race for Autism 5K to help find a cure for autism. Autism is the second most common developmental disorder in the United States affecting one in every 150 children born today. Despite some promising discoveries, the cause of autism is unknown and a cure does not exist. Research is crucial. Every 20 minutes another child is diagnosed with autism. Not only must we find ways to improve the quality of life for children and adults with autism, but we also must find a cure, and soon.

Race for Autism is our chance to make a difference in the fight against autism by raising money for autism research and heightening public awareness. Please join me in my fight as I raise $250.00 to help fund essential research. I will be walking on March 29th, 2008 and would like you to support those affected by autism.

Here is a link to my donor page---You can donate to Race for Autism http://NFAR.kintera.org/raceforautism/honey

Please join me in my fight against autism. Thank you for making a difference in the lives of the more than 1 million Americans living with autism today.

Today I did a 5k Race!

Today I did a 5k race. I didn't run--not quite there yet--but we did brisk walking/jogging the whole time.
It felt great to get up early and just get out there and do something good for myself!
Kirsten and I vowed to do one 5k a month, and little by little we hope to improve our time:)
We did it in 41.24 minutes--which I know isn't the best, but I'm still so proud of us for even getting out there and doing it!
After the race I was on a high all day--I wore my pedometer and at 10:30am I had walked over 5miles!!
I have just signed up to do a 5k benefit race for Autism at the end of next month--can't wait! And if you are reading this--I will most likely be asking you to sponsor me in the near future;)

Metaplace

PC Gamer magazine Jan 2008 issue
I'm so proud of my DH :)