Mele Kalikimaka

I forgot how cold the Bay Area gets in the winter.  Thank goodness I'm fleeing to Hawaii tomorrow.  No need to be jealous, it's work related.  Although there will be no leisure time during this trip, I'm certainly motivated to get up early so I can at least go for a nice jog!

Hopefully my early mornings will help me get some good pictures. 

More to come!

Carrillo Turkey Trot

Although it's my parent tradition to host Thanksgiving, Nick and I started a new tradition this year and organized the first annual Carrillo Turkey Trot Bar Crawl.  We may have been stuffed from the previous night but we're still thirsty!

So who's in for next year?

First stop: The Hydeout. Think Three's Company Regal Beagle. This place had red walls and black leather chairs. Drinks were dangerously good and very reasonable.

 

Me, Marge, Andi and Stephanie

Second stop: The Bigfoot Lounge. Decorated like a log cabin, this is a fun place to grab a drink with a group.

The swanky wine bar.  I'm in love with the red lights!

Third stop: Amelie. Swanky wine bar located on Polk, this was the perfect stop to get a refreshing glass of wine and lite bites.   

Mr. Nick

(Ian, Lena, Paul and Andi)

Final Stop: BeldenTaverna.  This Italian restaurant has a great selection of sea food.

Dim Sum + Art History

A perfect date for Nick and I usually consist of the following things: pretty views, a long walk and most importantly... FOOD.  Yesterday our Saturdate adventure took us to the Richmond district of San Francisco where we enjoyed food from the Shanghai Dumpling King and saw the Japanesque exhibit at the Legion of Honor.   

The Dumpling King located on Balboa between 34th & 35th 

The #8 special hot and spicy

A complimentary fried donut with sugar



The Legion of Honor with pretty orange flowers

A view at dusk

Both were unique experiences.  It was my first time going to the Legion of Honor and I was taken back by the beautiful views of the Golden Gate bridge and the city skyline. 

The dim sum however takes the cake on our favorite part of the day.  This tiny restaurant has a major following and has a mega menu to look at.  

I guess they call them the Dumpling King for a reason.........

The Lamp Shade That Started It All

When you've lived on your own for 11 years, moving back home with the parents is an adjustment.  Since my new job requires me to work from home, I thought this was a great opportunity to redecorate Stephanie's old bedroom and turn it into a cozy office (after all she doesn't live here anymore)!  The new room was inspired by a vintage lampshade I bought at a flea market a few years ago (picture above).

BEFORE:

AFTER:

 We repainted the room from buttercup yellow to a battleship blue.  I love how the color goes from blue to gray as the light changes in the room.  I unfortunately had to keep the daybed, (my mother politely reminded me this was still Stephanie's bedroom), but modernized the bed with some decorative pillows.

 

For extra storage, I'm using the dresser as a place to house my files. 

I spied these file holders on this favorite blog site.    

I also personalized the space with my favorite pictures 

(including this one of Stephanie).

 

I finally framed the prints bought at this flea market 

and mentioned on this blog entry.

 My desk bought at target features a chrome vintage chair bought from e-bay.  Life lesson #453: When bidding on a piece of furniture, it is only a bargain if your shipping is less than your purchase.  E-bay chair cost:$35.  Shipping cost $150.  Can you say ouch!  I also recycled an old picture frame, by spray painting it white and turning it into a chic bulletin board.

This decorating business is harder than I thought.  If you have any suggestions or tips, please let me know.

Butter Me Up

 

Photo Credit

 Although the FTA says we should be at the airport 2 hours before take off, I'm usually the gal who waits until the last minute and usually arrives 45 minutes before flight. As a multi-tasker, I despise hanging out at the airport; you can only make fun of amateur travelers for so long.  So imagine my surprise when I spied, a fantastic nail salon at Seattle's Sea Tac Airport.

Butter LONDON offers fast, affordable, high quality manicures and pedicures.  Located in Concourse C, this nail salon is open seven days a week and no appointment is necessary!  Considering this salon is located at the airport, the atmosphere is darling. Decorated with a bird motif and blue and yellow accents, it's feminine but funky. I love the black lacquer chandler and gold accents. 

Now if only  Sea Tac had this in Concourse C, I just might follow that 2 hour FTA suggestion.....