Cartier Winter Tales Christmas Commercial

Sorry for the blog hiatus. I went to visit Matt in San Diego....and boy do we have some great stories and pictures for the blog. More to come.....but for now, this commercial is adorable

Cartier's Christmas Commercial.

Loving the Nutcracker touch.

miss her already!

I just spent an amazing 19 days with this girl.  We did so many fun things like try new beer, go out to nice dinners, watch movies, cuddle, laugh at each other, hang with friends, start new tv series (dexter), play games with friends, and eat eat eat!  Im home in Reno until the 29th but cant wait to see her already.  New Years will prove to be an amazing experience, I am sure of it!

Coca Cola Christmas Commercial

I might have found a runner-up for this year's best Christmas video!!

Coca Cola never lets us down.

Plus I LOVE this Train song :)

McDonald's Christmas Commercial

This little boy is to die for. He's so cute I could die.

Plus look at how hard he's trying to be good for Santa.

Guess who's going to Disneyland??!?!??!

We are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Folgers' Christmas Commercial

I've never actually seen this one until I started hunting for commercials.

But apparently it's a classic.

So much so that they remade it in 2009...

And to everyone's surprise, it sucked. But here is the classic.

On that note, I'm going to go make some coffeee now. Yum

Jello Jigglers Christmas Commercial

I've never seen this one before, so this is actually Matt's choice.

Very cute....plus it has Bill Cosby in it.

Hershey's Kisses Christmas Commercial

Matt and I LOVE this commercial!!

This one is simple, but fantastic.

Plus that poor red Kiss worked so hard!

M&Ms Christmas Commercial

This is a classic. I love this commercial.

The yellow M&M is my favorite!

Also, I know you are all dying to know more about what's going on with our lives, but we both have our respective finals weeks coming up tomorrow (well, Matt has Finals Week 1 of 2), so it's just going to be a little crazy. Plus again, working is really cutting into usual activities of doing absolutely nothing. Plus at some point I have to start Christmas shopping....hmmm I think that you will just have to sit tight and enjoy the plethora of our favorite Christmas commercials that are about to come :)

GO DUCKS!

quack quack

I GOT A JOB!!!

So last Tuesday, I got a call from this immigration lawyer that I had interviewed with almost 3 weeks ago. And she was calling to offer me a JOB! I was soooooo excited I am now an employee at Gee Law Firm :) I went to the library and renewed my book about Immigration Law. The job is currently only parttime, about 15-20 hours a week, but maybe I will get more hours later. Anyways, I started on Thursday and it is awesome. I get to work in this little office building, sharing an office with her. It's such a real people job, with a break room area (with FREE coffeeeeee/tea/cocoa) and I have my own key/clicker to get into the building! I have my own desk with plenty of very cute office supplies. On Friday, she sent me off to Office Depot and told me I would have fun because they have cute paper clips :) I bought the colorful ones, of course. And now I have a cute pencil cup holder too! Anyways, so far I am loving it. On Thursday, she took me to lunch at Ming's, this cute Chinese restaurant similar to PF Changs, but much more authentic (the sad part is that I actually prefer PF Chang's lol). Anyways, I spent most of Thursday working on putting together a client's adjustment of status packet to be submitted to the USCIS. So an adjustment of status is when someone in the US is changing their status from visa to permanent resident. And the USCIS is the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. Are you impressed by all the new stuff I learned already? Because I am :) Anyways, just wanted to share about my new job!! Have a great weekend :)

Shopping for paper clips!

Campbell's Winter Commercial

In honor of Tiffany & Co's beautiful Christmas commercial yesterday, I decided to go on a search to find the best Christmas commercials :) Campbell Soup makes the list...

I used to love this commercial. How cute is that little snowman eating soup?

Thanksgiving with the Evans

I promised you a Reno update....

Okay I know I promised you a Thanksgiving update soon...and it's already been like 5 days. But in my defense, I've been a little busy....I have finals next week and I started a new job this week (more about this later...).

But let me just say, it was definitely one of the best Thanksgivings ever (even if I spent a total of almost 18 hours traveling for 4 days). So I left Sunnyvale on Wednesday morning, catching the 6:52AM Amtrak to Sacramento. If you are ever bored and simply want to enjoy the amazingness of the bay, please take this train while the sun is rising. It is SPECTACULAR. After my train ride, I switched over to a bus to get to Reno. Well, this whole trip, which was supposed to take 6.5 hours ended up taking almost 8.5 hours. So my trip had a rough start (especially since Matt was late picking me up :-P). Anyways, I got in around 3 and we headed to sushi with Josh and Abby (remember Yen Ching?). As always, sushi was awesome :) Later that night, we met up with his other brother, Brian, and his wife Brandie (wow...wife, that's weird to say) to grab drinks at Flowing Tide. If you recall any of my other Reno posts, this is pretty much routine for us. Sushi and late night drinks.

Of course, the next day was Thanksgiving at the Evans. His mom woke up pretty early and popped her turkey in the oven. Did I mention that Connie's turkeys might be on my top 10 favorite things to eat ever? We spent most of the day watching football (of course)...Oregon won :) I think that I am officially an Oregon Ducks fan now. I decided this a while ago....it's mainly because Matt went there and I've been to a game there and because they have REALLY cute jerseys!! Anyways, Matt and I were in charge of peeling, boiling, and mashing 15 pounds of potatoes. Let me just tell you...it may not seem like hard work, but it was! The Evans have a pretty large Thanksgiving, there were 18 people at the table: the Evans family + me (8), his grandparents (2), his aunt and uncle (2), and Basim's family (6). It was so traditional...his mom made these cute nametags with pilgrims on them, there were all the classic Thanksgiving fixtures, and all of this was followed by a group activity (Mafia of course!). The food was spectacular and the company was even better. Needless to say, we had the best mashed potatoes! Anyways, after everyone was stuffed to the rim (Matt gained 9 pounds in the course of that meal), we played mafia...Matt killed off everyone as the lone mafia :( but it was still a blast!

The rest of the weekend passed in a blur, we went black friday shopping and scored biggg (Us: 104325, Black Friday: 0). We ended up getting the only portable hard drive at Walmart at 5AM because we had gone there at midnight to buy movies. When we were there, we hid one of the hard drives in the sporting goods section (behind golf balls). Thank goodness we did because otherwise, we would not have been able to find a hard drive. I ended up with at least 8 new movies :) (including Harry Potter 5 & 6). We saw Unstoppable (with Denzel Washington and Chris Pine) with Brandie and Brian...it was awesome. I recommend it to anyone who loves Denzel Washington! Or Chris Pine...because he is really cute! We also went to this British Pub, called Firkin & Wolf after the movie. They have a decent happy hour (although we only got beers). It doesn't really feel British inside though...because the decor on one side of the room doesn't really match the other side. But overall, it was pretty pleasant. And I got a Boddington's! Did I mention they put up Christmas decorations. The Evans house is now lit up in Christmas lights and their first tree is in place. I love this tree...his mom started collecting these ornaments from Hallmark, the Nostalgic Houses series and has ornaments dating back to 1984. It's really awesome :) and the tree is so cute, filled with all these mini houses and buildings. His mom also made turkey pot pie (yummmmmmmm) and I beat the Evans in 2 games: Chicken Feet and Perquackle (spellcheck that?). For the most part, we didn't do anything crazy and exciting. It was just nice to be able to hang out, relax, spend some time with my favorite boy and my second-favorite family! Thank you for the awesome Thanksgiving weekend Evans family :)

PS. Did I mention that it snowed? It SNOWEDDD!!!!!

best christmas commercial. ever.

Wow. Tiffany & Co. really outdid themselves this year.

This commercial almost brought me to tears. BEAUTIFUL.

I Like Our Dumb Phone Calls

The best part of having a relationship is getting to call the person or lay down next to them and tell them all the crazy things that happened to you all day long. And in the end that’s what it’s about. It’s not about the lust, it’s not about the money that they give you or whatever. It’s not about how good-looking they are, it’s about...can they listen to you talk for hours and hours and hours about stupid stuff that doesn’t matter. And if they can, then you’re meant to be together forever. Even if that means you have to call them 100 times, that’s okay. 

--Tegan Quin 

I LOVE YOU.

Today, we will have been going out for exactly 31 months. That is CRAAZZZYY. But I just wanted to tell you that I LOVE YOU!

The Thankfulness Project: Ping

Ping and I have been friends since...I moved to Sunnyvale. She is my favorite person to bring with me to family events (mainly because she keeps me from going insane) and my family likes her. I've been to her family dinners as well (actually I was just at her early Thanksgiving dinner last Saturday). I think our favorite activities usually involve shopping, baking cookies (and epically failing at it...you can only make so many batches of awful sugar cookies), and watching cheesy movies (like Letters to Juliet). We both ended up in San Diego for college, and we have definitely had some wild adventures (Mexico used to be safe when we were freshmen). She recently just got a new dog, and I like going to the dog park with her (since I've never had a dog and have never had the opportunity). I'm thankful to have such an amazing friend here (especially since both of us are going insane hunting for jobs) and here is her thankfulness project...

10 things Ping is incredibly thankful for...

1. My wonderful boyfriend, and the fact that I am lucky enough to see him every day
2. My family, especially my niece and nephew (I love the way they can make me laugh by saying something completely random and cute)
3. MLB TV for having a “deal” so I can watch my Giants while I was in SD for only $20 for the whole year.  And the Giants for winning the World Series so I could experience the chaos in downtown SF during the parade!
4. Denny, the sweetest dog who keeps me company during the day
5. Crossword puzzles in the newspapers that get left on the doorstep
6. Christmas decorations (even though Jon won’t let me start decorating until after Thanksgiving)
7. Date nights and random surprises
8. Netflix, for giving us movies to watch at night since there are no longer any more Giants games on tv
9. Finishing nursing school and passing the NCLEX
10. Bubble baths during rainy and cold days

"Right now I am incredibly thankful for...Denny. I had been waiting 22 years for a dog before we finally adopted him last month. He’s so cute and adorable and he loves to cuddle in my lap. It’s so funny watching him run around in circles, especially when he runs into the kitchen and his paws slip on the tile. He is the perfect puppy!" --Ping

Thank you for playing Ping!

photo via Ping L.

The Thankfulness Project: Lunani

Here is today's list #2!

Lunani and I started out as friends because we were on our high school yearbook staff together. Later, we found out that both our parents worked for the same company. Needless to say, our friendship was made to be. We have been friends for 6 or 7 years, and my favorite part about our friendship is that we can not talk or see each other for a while (like a few months), but when we do get to hang out, everything is exactly where we left off. She is amazingly artistic...she has a knack for designing (on Photoshop), an eye for photography, and a creative sense to die for (you should see her Christmas cards/birthday invites). It really sucks that she lives in Chicago (and I have yet to visit her yet, but not because I don't want to....blame it on the $$$$, or lack thereof) because we rarely see each other, but I know that when I do see her, it'll be just the same as always (with plenty of laughs and fun new foods to try). She has finally found a spectacular boy (whom I have yet to meet) and it's about time...because she really does deserve someone special. I am so thankful to have her as one of my best friends and here is her thankfulness project...
 

10 things Lunani is incredibly thankful for...

1. I have the most amazing family...
2. ...and friends that I could ever ask for: Mike, Min, Margaret, BChan, Jane, Steele&Brit, Kirk, Geoff,  Kristy, Carl, Viv, Whit/Tony/Adam, Matt, Albert, Jason, Annie, Charlie
3. I've only been with my boyfriend for about a month, but it's been so amazing so far and I'm glad I met him this year. 
4. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS ARE THE 2010 WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS!
5. A job that I love, crazy hours or not. Plus, I've worked with some truly awesome managers!
6. Roommates that will go to the police station and lower wacker to pick up my towed car
7. An upcoming interview for China
8. The means to go to Hong Kong every so often
9. This could be the Illini basketball team I've been waiting for. 
10. Chicago <3 

"Right now, I am incredibly thankful for...my friends in Chicago. In the five years that I've lived in Chicago, the friends that I've made here have really become my family away from home. We've shared similar experiences through our four years (and for some, five!) and now we're all trying to make a name for ourselves in Chicago. We've had a couple World Series wins between us (4! Sox, Cards, Yanks, Giants), Stanley Cup (boo Hawks), and a Rose Bowl appearance. But at the end of the day, we're grounded in Chicago and I know we're going to continue having late nights out, making sports history, and reveling in the little day to day experiences that make up our friendships. :)" --Lunani

Thank you for playing Lunani!

Check out Lunani's photography Here and Here!

Check out Lunani's blog Here!

photo via Lunani Y.

The Thankfulness Project: Corinne

For starters, I am posting two lists today because I didn't post one yesterday....let's hope we have enough lists to get us to Thanksgiving...in 3 days!

Corinne is one of my sisters in Sigma Kappa. Like me, she recently graduated (in biochemistry nonetheless) and is currently looking for a spectacular job (in case anyone is hiring). Corinne loves country music almost as much as I do...actually, my favorite spot to hang out with her is a country bar called Incahoots! We like to sing "Rain is a Good Thing" in the car, especially driving to vegas. I know that whenever I'm with her, I'm going to have a great night, because she is always a blast to hang out with. I'm thankful for having a sister with such a sparkling personality in my life and here is her thankfulness list...

10 things Corinne is incredibly thankful for...

1. Sigma Kappa - having sisters is the greatest gift.
2. Stephanie Fields - I seriously have no idea where I'd be without her. She's beautiful and loving and kind and I love that I get to talk to her on a daily basis about EVERYTHING. <3
3. Heels, mini skirts, and Essie nail polish
4. Having a warm bed to sleep in every night. I try really hard not to take it for granted
5. My faith in God
6. My health
7. My nephew Nathan and the brilliant insight he occasionally provides
8. My family even though most of them drive me half way to the looney bin
9. Mexican food and its ability to make everything better
10. Christmas lights and music and the magic that accompanies the holiday season.

"Right now, I am incredibly thankful for...my sisters. They're wonderful people who genuinely want to make a difference in the world. My closest friends are my sisters and joining Sigma Kappa has to be the best decision I made in college. My big Stephanie is everything to me, she is supportive and the most amazing person I know. Elizabeth knows how to make everything better (usually with food) and I love that I had someone to share bible study with. Maggie and I have a joint obsession with everything Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings and I can't wait for her to come back across the pond (I miss you dearly love). And my little sis, Selin, who has learned and grown so much in the last year (I'm really proud of you lil!!!!). I'm proud to say I get to live One Heart One Way. Everyday." --Corinne

Thank you for playing Corinne.

The Thankfulness Project: Sharon

Sharon is my first little sister in Sigma Kappa. Sharon loves the Lakers as much as I do...which is a big probably reason why I love her so much. She is currently kicking major ass in med school (at Loma Linda) and will some day be a brilliant awesome doctor. Sharon is a little neurotic (she is having a little trouble not diagnosing herself with all sorts of medical problems), but in a good way because she can laugh it off at the end of the day. And I love that she likes to start stories by saying "Omg true story." :) My favorite memories with Sharon include spontaneous trips to Souplantation and wearing our lakers jerseys to watch lakers game (hers is farmar, mine is bryant)...even if we are just sitting on the couch at my house. I am so thankful to have her as my little sis and I know she is going to be spectacular in the medical field. Here's her thankfulness project.

10 things Sharon is incredibly thankful for...

1. The fact that I can still wear shorts in the middle of November.
2. Having awesome friends everywhere, but especially here in Loma Linda.  Med school would absolutely suck without them.
3. My family!  Especially for bringing me food on weekends so I don't starve during the week.
4. God for always taking care of me and knowing what's best for me even though it doesn't always seem like it at the time.
5. Ben!  My wonderful boyfriend who listens to my concerns and helps me in school and who keeps me company when my roommate leaves for the weekend.
6. That my biggest worry is passing a test and not failing out of school.  Life is good.
7. My health.
8. That Thanksgiving Break is only about a week away.
9. Good music and my iPhone when I'm stuck in traffic
10. Caffeine. Coffee, tea, and gogirls.

"Right now, I am incredibly thankful for...Thanksgiving break. The first day of break Ben and I are gonna go to Disneyland for our friend's bday and then my mom got my favorite Thanksgiving food. And it will give me a good chance to catch up on my studying. I can't wait!!" --Sharon

Thank you for playing Sharon!

photo via Google images

The Thankfulness Project: Maggie S.

Maggie S. is my little sister...well not in real life, but in my sorority. In honor of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows coming out today, I wanted to post her list today because she has an endless affinity for Harry Potter. In case you haven't guessed, Maggie's real name is Margaret too! She is currently studying abroad in Scotland (for a whole year)...thank God for Skype because I can still talk to her! Maggie is brilliant (she is currently majoring in Ecology), quirky (she dressed up as Velma from Scooby Doo for halloween), and loves hot cheetos (she tried to order them on eBay and get them shipped to Scotland). I can't wait til Maggie gets back from Scotland so we can finally hang out. I am so thankful for my little sis and here is her thankfulness project.

10 things Maggie is incredibly thankful for...

1. Studying abroad in Edinburgh for a year!
2. Harry Potter (JK Rowling wrote the Sorceror's Stone in a cafe 3 blocks from where I live!)
3. Scarves
4. Colorful tights (and non-colorful ones too) so I can wear shorts and skirts when it's freezing out
5. The Internet
6. Sticky toffee pudding
7. Ugly sweaters
8. British TV (everyone reading this should download The Inbetweeners and Misfits because they're both really really good)
9. Skype
10. Plane tickets (business class!) back home for the holidays

"Right now, I am incredibly thankful for...scarves. It's getting pretty cold here so I'm working on my collection of cold-weather accessories. There are a lot of vintage stores and thrift stores here and it's really fun to look through them...even though 90% of the time there's nothing cute. I got a really cool fur coat though, which I've been looking for forever, so I guess I'm thankful for that. And I get to go home for Christmas to see my family and some friends which I'm really excited for. Especially the home-cooked Christmas dinner!" --Maggie S.

Thank you for playing Maggie S!

photo via Google Images

The Thankfulness Project: Jessica

Jessica and I were are sorority sisters and have been since the beginning. As freshmen, we both ended up in Sigma Kappa, and to this day, I think most of my best Sigma Kappa memories have been with her...and most of them are not even at Sigma Kappa-related events. I love going happy hour hunting with her...if you're interested in cute wine bars, make sure you check out Wet Stone and Cafe Chloe in San Diego. Miss Jessica is brilliant (she's currently getting her MFT), adventurous (she is bon voyaging to India and Cambodia soon), and a fashionista (she could make a white tee (the ghetto kind) look good with her knack for accessorizing). Above all, I know I can always talk to her about long-distance relationships (because her boyfriend is stuck in boooo-ring Michigan...her words, not mine). I don't really know what I would do without her and I am soooo thankful to have this amazing sister in my life!! Here is Jessica's thankfulness project.

10 things Jessica is incredibly thankful for...

1. A wonderful family that loves me and supports me in whatever I do 
2. A handsome and smart boyfriend who loves me beyond reason
3. That special group of amazing friends who are always there for me no matter what
4. The fact that I am in a school and loving it!
5. My baby kitten Leila
6. The opportunity to travel this year to some pretty awesome places
7. The simple beauty of the world: rain, beaches, sunshine, orchids...
8. For being healthy and happy and on my way to success
9. Warm peacoats, fall weather, and boots
10. Good books and good movies!

"Right now, I am incredibly thankful for...Leila. I have never been a cat person, sterotyping all felines as cold, picky, and having no personalities.  However, when you wake up to a little ball of fur purring on top of you every morning, nuzzling your cheek before curling up next to you to snooze for another hour or a little animal come up to you with a loving head butt before sitting on your arms while you type up that five page paper due in a day, you cannot love a cat.  I am so thankful that I picked up my  own ball of fur a few months ago.  Not only has she loved me unconditionally (and helped me edit a few papers!) she has been a great little companion and always brings a smile to my face with her little funny antics." --Jessica

Thank you for playing Jessica.

Check out Jessica's blog right Here and Here.

   

photo via Jessica H.

The Thankfulness Project: Maggie M.

Miss Maggie M. is one of the fabulous girls who joined my sorority last year. I was actually her recruitment counselor, and I cannot tell you how absolutely stoked I was that she joined my sorority (granted, she was already a shoo-in since her sister was also a Sigma Kappa). Maggie is maybe one of the funniest people I know (which is a huge honor considering how funny Matt (and his brothers) are) and I'm pretty sure I don't know anyone who doesn't like her. She used to buy me food at dining halls with her meal points :) Maggie is gorgeous, motherly (she is the new pledge class's assistant pledge mom), and a riot. I'm pretty sure no one could possibly discuss Olive Garden with as much passion as Maggie and Hope. Plus she likes to quote Mean Girls...and who doesn't like Mean Girls? I miss her incredibly and am so thankful to have her as one of my sisters. Here is Maggie's thankfulness project...

10 things Maggie is incredibly thankful for...

1. My beautiful sorority sisters
2. Target sweatpants
3. Gossip Girl Season 1 DVDs
4. My momma
5. My pillowpet Elmar
6. My friends who own cars!
7. Living so close to the ocean
8. Carne asada burritos
9. Living with the funniest girls on the planet
10. Being a gentle giant!

"Right now I am incredibly thankful for...my pillowpet Elmar because he is 1000 times better than any human male. He's soft, loves to cuddle, and has yet to forget a date! Plus, he smells way better than actual boys!" --Maggie M.

Thank you for playing Maggie M!

photo via Google images

In Remembrance of Andrea Will

I don't know Andrea Will. I've never been to Eastern Illinois University. But today, November 16, 2010, is an important day for Sigma Kappas around the world. Andrea Wills was a freshman at EIU in Sigma Kappa sorority when her ex-boyfriend murdered her. Today, her ex-boyfriend, her killer, is being released from prison after only serving 11 years.

Today, my sisters and I will participate in a candlelight vigil for Andrea Will. Join ΣΚ  in lighting a candle to remember Andrea and raise awareness for victims of domestic violennce. Our thoughts and prayers go to Andrea's familiy and sisters.

Read the story here.

The Thankfulness Project: Amber

Amber has been my best friend since my junior year (and her sophomore year) of high school....we have Homestead Cheer to thank for that. I mean, when you boil it down, we've only actually been friends for like 7 or 8 years (but it feels like forever). I practically lived at her house during high school (aka Grand Central Station) and her mom affectionately calls me her other daughter. We are sometimes known as Mamgret! Amber is a kickass biology student who loves Kid Cudi, bling, and Marc Jacobs. I am incredibly thankful to have this amazing girl as my best friend and twin....And here is her thankfulness project!

10 things Amber is incredibly thankful for...

1. my wonderfully chaotic family
2. alpha phi - my heart & soul
3. football season
4. weekly trips to disneyland
5. rainy weather
6. marc jacobs
7. harry potter and the deathly hallows
8. the christmas section at target
9. the nordstrom shoe department. and nordstrom in general.
10. ray lamontagne

"Right now, I am incredibly thankful for...Alpha Phi. It is the greatest love of my life. They are my support system, my family, my home away from home. I've never met a more motivated, beautiful, honest, and loving group of women and I am so proud of every girl in the chapter and everything we've accomplished together. This chapter is my heart and soul and has changed my life for the better. aoe." --Amber

Thank you for playing Amber!

photo via Amber M.

Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows: Part I

I couldn't resist posting this trailer to remind you that in comes out in 3!!!! days!!!!! I just rewatched it...and literally got chills. That's how nerdy I am. I am currently re-reading the 7th book, and am hoping to watch movies 1-4 before Thursday night. On Thursday night, I'm going with my friends to the Harry Potter Adventure, where they will show Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (movies 5 and 6) before the midnight premiere of the newest movie. I am sooooo excited I could pee my pants right now....but I'll hold it in for your sake! Anyways, I hope you are all going to see it too!  

Voldemort: "Why do you Live?"

Harry "BAMF" Potter: "Because I have something worth living for."

The Thankfulness Project: Meghan

Meghan is my roommate from freshman year. I have lived with her all 4 years of college and I think she is a big part of why I loved UCSD so much. Right now, she is applying to law school and I know that she will end up somewhere incredible (especially since she rocked the LSATs). She is a fashionista, a UCLA lover, and my absolute favorite person to drink tea with. My favorite memory with her is probably that one time we drank wine and watched movies all night, literally we must have watched like 4 or 5 movies (like Pearl Harbor, Moulin Rouge, Stuart Little)...it may not seem memorable to everyone else, but that was pretty much when I knew we were going to be best friends forever. I am incredibly thankful to have her as one of my best friends.... And here is her thankfulness project!
 
10 things Meghan is incredibly thankful for...

1. A nephew on the way
2. Pumpkin flavor everything
3. Dinner with my entire family (all 8 and a half of us)
4. Holiday decorations in the mall
5. Wind and crisp morning air
6. Morning gossip with my mom
7. Holiday cups at Starbucks
8. Not feeling too, too guilty about pulling out my Christmas CD
9. Fall boots & scarves
10. Scrambled eggs and coffee in the morning

"Right now, I am incredibly thankful for...my new nephew.  My older sister is due December 19th, but it seems like the baby might come a little earlier.  Despite the gross details of pregnancy and child birth I've had the misfortune of learning through this experience, after holding a 4 month old for an hour yesterday, I am even more excited about this new baby.  Life has been kind of dull and lonely since moving home and this little man, who will most likely be named Braeden, keeps me going and gives me something to look forward to.  I am so lucky and blessed to have what I already know is the cutest little baby boy as my main man in a month's time.  Nothing else in the world matters :)" --Meghan

Thank you for playing Meghan!

Check out Meghan's Blog right Here.

photo via Google images

The Thankfulness Project: Matt

Here is what my wonderful awesome amazing handsome brilliant sexy boyfriend Matt is thankful for. Can you tell that I am incredibly thankful to have him in my life?

 

10 things Matt is incredibly thankful for...

1. My incredible girlfriend that fights through thick and thin with me and never ceases to make me smile on a daily basis.
2. My parents, who are the most understanding and unselfish people I know in this world.
3. Siblings that are always a joy to be around and won't hesitate to keep me in check if I say something dumb.
4. The San Francisco Giants who decided to complete my life by winning the World Series this past season.
5. Smooth Jazz and how it calms me down and enables me to design and complete successful work.
6. Netflix for always being there when I have an all-nighter of work to do.
7. Architecture and how it allows me to express a great passion of mine.
8. A simple smile and how that can change even anyone's worst days.  
9. Coffee and how it can keep me up all night and warm me up on the coldest of days.
10. Optimism and how it can make the most difficult situations a learning experience and a way to find the positive aspects of any situation.

"Right now, I am incredibly thankful for...a simple smile because it can change a terrible day into a good one.  It has the power to create memories, give someone butterflies, and make every situation a fun and enjoyable experience.  Without smiling, the world would be a sad place." --Matt

The Thankfulness Project

In honor of it being November, the month of Thanksgiving, I wanted to start a new project, called the Thankfulness Project. The idea is to write down ten things we are thankful for at this moment in our lives. What I would like to do is to get my friends and family to participate and submit a list every day for something they are thankful about. You definitely do not have to list anything in order. It might be more fun if things are randomly listed in your list. After you finish your list, pick one thing you want to talk about being thankful for and write a short paragraph about it (you can feel free to incorporate other things on your list as well). I really want this to work, so if you are following us, please submit your list to mluo77@gmail.com.

I got the idea from another blog I have been following for the last few years, called The Rockstar Diaries. Naomi, the blogger, came up with the idea to make a list of things that make her happy, so essentially this is my version of her lists. If you want to check out her Here's to Happiness project, you should because she is adorable! Anyways, back to the Thankfulness Project.... I think this could be really fun, and I hope you guys think so too :)

         10 things I am incredibly thankful for....

            1. My awesome boyfriend who I love to pieces (even 460 miles apart)

            2. Orange leaves in trees and crisp, morning air

            3. The Giants winning the World Series 

            4. My family and their support in everything I do

            5. Christmas decorations that started popping up after Halloween

            6. People who give me the opportunity to interview for jobs

            7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I

            8. Great happy hours around the peninsula

            9. The smell of rain the morning after a storm

            10. Starbucks and their red cups, and pumpkin spice lattes!

"Right now, I am really thankful that red cups are back at Starbucks. There is nothing better than a warm cup of coffee in a bright red cup to start off your morning, pick you up in the afternoon, or warm you up at night. The only thing that could make it even better is if I could pick up some red cups and cuddle up with my awesome boyfriend and watch harry potter movies all day."

photo via Google images

New Winnie the Pooh movie!!!!

"If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred 
minus one day, so I never have to live without you."

cupcakes

dear matt,

love, margaret

Baby Bob Marley

How cute is this kid and his head bobbing to Bob Marley?

cantilever

Due to the inquiry of Margaret, I have decided to explain what a cantilever is in architecture.  In its simplest definition, a cantilever is a beam that is supported at only one end.  In the photo below, the dashed blue lines represent the placement of a typical beam.  However, with their nonexistence, the floor above is "cantilevered" over the space below.  This creates an open plan below and takes away the obstruction a column sometimes places on the plan.  Frank Lloyd Wright was a master of this and his Falling Water house was a prime example of this.  

Falling Water by Frank Lloyd Wright

Trash-the-Dress

So most of you know about my massive humongous obsession with weddings....well wait til you see what I have in store for you today. So my friend Louise and her fiance own a photography company called 8twenty8 studios, and they are just about the most fabulous wedding photographers I've ever met. Make sure you check them out right here. They really just capture the moment....and they capture all the big moments, all the little moments, but my fave is all the silly moments. They recently shot a wedding for this couple, but I'm guessing after the wedding, they did another shoot, the Trash-the-Dress shoot. I've never really seen a Trash-the-Dress shoot before, so the credit will have to go to this awesome couple and the photographers. But it might be the MOST fabulous thing I have everrr seen. In honor of this awesome couple and this awesome idea to trash her dress, I had to post about it on here. So enjoy the pictures :) I hope 8twenty 8 studios doesn't mind that I credit them in this blog for their awesomeness.

This is my favorite....she is shocked...and horrified!!!!

Payback is soooo sweet.

Trash-the-dress...maybe the new wedding trend?? Hmmm...I'm totally for it! Anyways, if you are in the San Diego/southern california area, I recommend 8twenty8 studios, because as spectacular as this shoot was....wait til you see their weddings :)

PS sorry for using the word awesome so many times. I was just overly excited.

Check out 8twenty8 Studios on Facebook too!

My Little Cabbage

Vous êtes mon petit chou.

Countdown: 17 Days!

she is such a noid!

this one is easily my favorite!