Another Sunny Day in Cal-i-forn-i-a

So Cal-i-forn-i-a was absolutely amazing. I worked hard, played hard and eventually got some R & R. I was in Anaheim for a week and a half for our Annual Meeting. I fulfilled my role as "Queen of the Headquarters Office" so well that I eventually received my crown (imagine a scepter)



and I even came close to achieving my life long dream of catching an awesome wave! Well sorta...have a look :)



After the meeting, a co-worker and I rented a car and drove to San Diego. I fell in love with that place. It has the best of both worlds - a city AND a beach. Sunday evening we went to a free concert in the park. I felt like I was in a scene of Gilmore Girls. It was bliss.



I got back from California last week, then proceeded to go to the American Idol concert Wednesday night, left for New Jersey Thursday morning, returned Sunday morning and then finalized my vacation with an Incubus concert Sunday night. Incubus was amazing. Brandon Boyd was beyond hot.



What a way to end my vacay! Now if I could only get motivated to get back into the grind....

California, California, Here we coooooome

I cannot believe I'll believe leaving for Anaheim, California next week. Next week! Main, I had to repeat it to make it sink in. When I first started working at my job they asked me if I would be willing to travel. Umm..yes, please! We schedule our meetings waaay in advance, so in 2005 I knew that in 2009 I would be headed to Cali. I've been counting down the days ever since. This will be my home for the next week and a half, the Anaheim Convention Center



After our Annual Meeting a co-worker and I are headed to San Diego to visit the sites (San Diego Zoo, Sea World, Disneyland, etc. etc.). I'm so excited!!! Well, must go do some very important work so I don't get canned before the trip ;)

Two sisters only have their parents to blame It's rare that two can get along But when they do, they're inseparable

The No Doubt concert had to be the best concert I have ever been to. That's a pretty big statement, I know, but I don't think I have ever had that much fun. I caught myself tearing up about 4 times because I was soooo unbelievably happy.

It was the absolute perfect concert to go to with my sister. She loves No Doubt as much as I do. I vividly remember us listening to the Tragic Kingdom CD on repeat on her old boom box. So during the concert we were totally rocking out together the entire time. Nothing like jumping and head banging alongside your sister. Here's us waiting in line:



Another reason this concert so special for me was that every No Doubt song has a significant meaning. I remember exactly when & where I was when I first heard the song, what was happening in my life, and how I used the songs as therapy. Oh and, as I previously mentioned, Gwen Stafani's a huge inspiration. :) She sounded fantastic, looked beautiful, and was really sweet....she pulled up one guy on stage and to give him a hug. Here's her singing "Don't Speak" (I was definitely tearing up during this entire song)



The last time I almost burst into tears was when the took their final bow



I didn't want the concert to end.

I'm Just A Girl..

whose going to see one of my favorite bands, No Doubt, in concert on Sunday!!!! This will be my very first No Doubt concert and I'm super excited. I distinctively remember the day I first saw the "I'm Just A Girl" video on MTV. It was a school day and I was eating breakfast when I decided to turn on the ole' boob tube. I changed the channel to MTV and then it happened. I saw this



I sat in front of my tv and was in complete awe of Gwen Stefani. Who is this awesome chick? Her unique style, kick ass attitude, and rockin body totally inspired me. She still does. It's going to be beyond amazing seeing her in concert.

Aprils Showers bring more and more showers

Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of attending my friend Laurie's Bridal Shower. Laurie's getting married on August 22, 2009 in Baltimore and I have the privilege of being one of her bridesmaids. Here's a group shot of the bridal party.

Laurie's Bridal Party

If you can't tell, the wedding colors are black and purple. ...Laurie is the beautiful lady in purple in the middle. For the bridal shower, I was tasked with making a dessert, so I decided on cupcakes. One little fact about me...I don't know how to cook. Like at all. So everyone was extremely worried about my cupcakes. I enlisted help from my bff, Mrs. Baker, (side note - Mrs. Baker is an amazing cook!) and here's the final product.

Not bad, right?! Huge thank you to Mrs. Baker :)

And We're Off....And We're Both Losing Weight

Tomorrow I'm headed to Dewey Beach, Delaware for the 4 day weekend with some of my closest friends. It should be an awesome weekend, especially since my favorite cover band, Mr. Greengenes, will be playing there Sunday night and the weather gods are calling for sunny skies (fingers crossed). Super stoked! The last time I went to the beach my friend commented that he hasn't seen me in a new bathing suit in the last five years, so I decided to fix that. I bought this bathing suit from the Oakley Store last night

Oakley
Top: $40
Bottom: $35

..I'm pretty pleased with my last minute find. I only had one requirement; it had to be strapless or have removable straps, as I'm going to be in a wedding in August and the bridesmaids are wearing a strapless tea-length dresses. Nothing worse than having crazy tan lines with a nice formal dress. Having a fairly large chest I thought it would be more difficult because the strapless bathing suits that are trendy right now make my boobs feel like a sausage...kinda...maybe...your thoughts?

Hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! :)

In my very first blog post, I talked about my friend Marie's upcoming Big Hat Party and came up with some dress and hat options for the affair. While I didn't select any of the initial options, I am pretty happy with the outfit I chose. Pictured below are me, my friend (and beautiful bride) Marie, and my grandmother.


Dress: Forever 21, $24.80
Shoes: Payless, $15.99
Hat: Macy's, $35.00

It was a fantastic idea and party. Marie makes a crucial Black Eyed Susan, the official drink of the Preakness. Here's the recipe:

1 oz Vodka
1 os Mount Gay Eclipse Rum
1/2 oz Cointreau
6 oz Orange Juice
3 oz Pineapple Juice

Combine ingredients, stir, and pour over crushed ice. Garnish with a pineapple, orange slice and cherry brochette.

Enjoy! :)

Take me out to the ball game

One of my favorite things to do during the spring/summer months is go to Baltimore Orioles games. Typically we head to Pickles Pub before the game for a beer (or two...or three...) then head on over to game feeling good. Last week was no different, except my sister and I went to Pickles both before and during the game :P Here's a pic of my sister and I at the game


As you can see, we had awesome seats (thanks to my wonderful co-worker, Karen). Unfortunately, we didn't really need them...the game was delayed 3 times due to rain. My sister and I didn't care though. We made the most of the night and bonded...sister style :) To quote my sister, "You're like my sister and my friend...is that normal?" For us, yes. Yes it is. <3 you sister!

Singledom

I am single. I have been single for the past eight years now. During those eight years, I have learned so much about myself, gained some self confidence, and worked on being happy with me. I have gone to therapy, bought my first car, took surfing lessons, started running, acquired an excellent job (which I adore), made new friends and lost some old ones, ran my first marathon, went back to school for my masters, moved to the city, volunteered, and traveled a bit. I'm pretty happy with my life and consider myself lucky. At one point, I was the complete opposite; I hated the way my body looked, the way I acted, my relationships (or lack there of).

I try to remind myself of how far I've come and focus on the positive aspects of my life. Be present, not worry about the future. But sometimes, it's just hard to remain so positive. Everyone around me is in a relationship and I'm kinda down in the dumps about being single today. I am so over dating. Meeting boys in bars, on-line dating, awkward first dates, being stood up...it's so draining. I just want to meet someone I have an undeniable connection with and have that guy not be a tool. Someone who is a nice, sweet, and genuine person. Is that too much to ask??? Sometimes I think it is and I will be single forever. Ugh.

Running to help save lives

Last year I ran in the Baltimore Marathon with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team In Training program. It was such an amazing experience. I seriously had a huge goofy grin on my face the entire 26.2 miles.

For those of you who are not familiar with Team In Training (TNT), TNT is a program which trains individuals for endurance events while raising money to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The mission of the society is to cure Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkins disease and Myeloma and to help improve the quality of life for the parents and their families. What a great cause, right? Since I caught the running bug last year, I decided to run another marathon, this time the Marine Corps Marathon on October 25, 2009, with TNT.

Most of us know someone whose life has been touched by cancer and I am honored to be running for two individuals. The first is someone very close to my heart. Her name is Kathi Hahn, she is my best friend Ashley's mother. Mrs. Hahn was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in late 2007 and was given a clean bill of health in May of 2008. On August 11th, Ashley and her family were given the horrible news that her mom now has leukemia. Mrs. Hahn received a bone marrow transplant on February 6th. The recovery process has been a long and grueling one, but Mrs. Hahn doesn't let it show. She's amazingly positive and such a fighter. She is truly the strongest person I have ever met in my life.

Mrs. Hahn and her team

I am also running in memory of Aaron Riley. Aaron's family and the Hahn family bonded while Mrs. Hahn was recovering in the West Virginia University Hospital. He was just 21 years old and when he was diagnosed with Leukemia on October 5th. He had the first cord blood transplant ever done at the West Virginia University hospital on March 31st. I had the pleasure of meeting Aaron while visiting Ashley and her mother in March 2009. He was so upbeat and hopeful. A truly amazing human being. He sadly passed away on April 26, 2009. My deepest condolences go out to his family.

Aaron with his nurse

Click here for more information on my training and progress with TNT.

I Want My MTV...

I admit it. I am in my late twenties and I still watch MTV. Not just one show, but several...The Hills, The City, Road Rules/Real World Challenge, Real World, Making the Band, etc, etc, etc. I try to justify my love for The Hills & The City by saying I'm watching it for fashion, hair, and make-up ideas, but in actuality, I addicted to the drama. So good. My other MTV favs are usually kept a secret because they're pretty embarrassing. Especially Making the Band, there's no logical explanation as to why I love P. Diddy (Puff, Puffy, Diddy, Diddy Combs, Sean John, Diddy Doo Doo).

Anyway, while watching The Hills Monday night I saw the first 2009 MTV Movie Awards Promo! Guess who's hosting?!?! My crush :)

MTV Shows

Mark your calendars - MTV Movie Awards are May 31st!

My First Peeve Post

One of my biggest peeves is inconsiderate people. I often hear that I am too nice and constantly putting others before myself. So when that isn't reciprocated, even just a little bit, it seriously irks my nerves. Prime example, dude stood me up this weekend. Yup, the only running date I had this weekend was with myself.

He called me Friday night and we made plans to meet up at 11:00 AM at a nearby park. He said he would call me at 10:00 AM on Saturday to give me directions to our meeting spot. I drug myself out of bed at 9:30 AM, slightly hung-over from the previous night, and put on an outfit that looked something like this:

Find me on Polyvore

At 10:00 AM, no call. 10:15 AM, no call. 10:30 (the time I should probably be leaving my house to meet this guy), no call. 10:45 AM, no call. I decided that since I was already in my running clothes, I might at well go for a run by myself for several reason; a) It was crazy beautiful outside. b) I didn't want to waste a minute more of my time on this . c) I didn't want to be by my phone in case he did call...I might feel badly saying "no" and actually meet up with this guy. Seriously?! I could have slept in...god knows I needed the extra sleep. Ah well, next! :)

First Date Dilemma

So tomorrow will be a first date for this new guy and me. He wants to go running around a nearby park. Seriously. What does a girl wear on a running date? I want to look cute, but I don't want to look like I'm trying too hard.

First dates are all about first impressions. How am I supposed to look cute when I'm in my gym clothes and sweating?? Don't get me wrong, I love running and it's a nice change from meeting up for drinks, but it seems to me that a running date should probably be the 3rd, 4th, or 20th date. What are your thoughts?

One is silver and the other is gold

Any girl scouts out there? If so, this title probably strikes a cord with you. The song goes something like this, “Make new friends, but keep the old; one is silver and the other is gold.”. I couldn't agree more with this sentiment. Yesterday was just a plain old bad day for me. I vented to a new friend here at work and she helped me beyond belief. Just having a closed door session with her for 20 minutes put me in a better mood. So when I came into work this morning and found this, I was moved to tears.


I consider myself to be a very lucky girl; for I have a handful of amazing ladies I call my close/best friends. Rare, I know. I honestly treasure my friendships. Each and every one of them have taught, inspired, and supported me more than they will ever know.

I am currently taking a class entitled "Leadership and Intercultural Communication" for my masters degree. In this class, we have discussed the term "social intelligence", interacting or communicating with your co-workers and business partners to gain knowledge. Every person in your environment is a resource, be it good or bad resource, you still have so much to learn from him or her. I feel this way about my friends too (Note: they're all excellent resources). They are all so unique and different in their own way. I like to think of them as my "gurus". I have my "dating guru", "etiquette guru", "fashion guru"....you get the point. Just wanted to take a moment to recognize and give a shout-out to all the remarkable women in my life. You know who you are. A million times thank you! I <3>

My Crush

I am utterly obsessed with Andy Samberg. He first came across my radar when he and Justin Timberlake performed in the hilarious SNL skit, "D*@k in a Box". Hilarious. Since then, he has graced us with many SNL digital shorts and even a movie, Hot Rod. Andy (yes, I'm on a first name basis with him now) and Seth Rogan just did a new SNL digital short for "Like A Boss". Last week I purchased "The Lonely Island" Cd and I have been listening to it on repeat ever since. Constant laugh out loud moments..strongly recommend it!

Runner Girl

One of the things I love most about living in the city is the ability to run forever and never get bored. You see, for those of you who do not know me, I'm a runner. While the clothes aren't so cute (the biggest fashion debate is Under Armor vs. Nike), it allows me the opportunity to be with myself and my thoughts. So I've decided to share the wealth and post some views from my running routes...the first being the inner harbor route :)

This route is about 6.5 miles and on a sunny 70 degree day, it's absolutely beautiful. Here's my starting point, my neighborhood in Federal Hill.



After running by all the townie bars and downtown Federal Hill, I finally make it to the inner harbor (which was ridiculously crowded today for unknown reasons...spring break?).



After running around the harbor, I get to my favorite part of the inner harbor run...the path through my dream neighborhood, the "Harbor View Community". It will be mine. Oh yes. It will be mine.



To complete the run, I run by the ever popular Domino Sugar sign...perhaps you recognize it from "He's Just Not That Into You"?



Hope you enjoyed the view! Next up, my Fort McHenry route, where I get to look at lots of hot rowers! ;)

Big Hat Party

One of my dear friends got married on a beach in North Carolina last month. She managed to plan the perfect wedding in just two days. It was intimate, quaint, romantic, and she looked absolutely gorgeous. Here's the proof ..enjoy! :)

Since the wedding was a small affair, the newlyweds have decided to throw a Big Hat Reception at their house on May 16th, which is significant because it is Preakness. For those of you who are unaware, Preakness is a horse race held in Baltimore and it's one of Maryland's true passions. High school and college kids go there to get inebriated in the in field and get hit in the head with beer cans(which is undergoing many changes this year that people are very unhappy about), while others choose to actually sit in the stands and, shocker, watch the race! Go figure....Anyway, this year instead of getting hit in the head with a beer can, I get to dress up and wear a big hat. So excited. I've been searching on-line and in little boutiques for the perfect dress and hat, here are a few I'm leaning towards:

Dresses

1. J. Crew - $148

2. Mod Cloth - $69.99


3. Anthropologie - 168


4. White House Black Market - $168

Hats


1. Del Mar Co - $350


2. Anthropologie - $48


3. J. Crew - $58


4. Urban Outfitters - $28