so exhausted...

last week i worked over 12 hours every day and this week i'm pushing 15 hours for a presentation this week. i just made it today and this is the first evening in several weeks that i can really relax and enjoy my tivo! i've put everything else on hold for work. now, next tuesday i have another one!! oh well, it is what it is right?

back home

as usual, i had a wonderful time in new york! the main reason that i went was to see my friend's baby...isn't he just sooo cute?!?! i spent 5 wonderful days getting to know this wonderful little boy. he has the most amazing personality and his eyes are just incredible!

it was great to see my brother and his girlfriend. after lunch, i dragged my brother out to west village to go to magnolia's and then get some shopping done! i had dinner with j on thursday night and it was great to catch up with someone from my old gap days! on friday, i had dinner with t and met her bfren, r. they took me to this great asian tapas restaurant and tea cafe!

of course, m and s were great hosts. they always indulge me in all the silly things that i like to do when i'm there. oh, i finally had my first celebrity sighting...kelly ripa. she looks great, just like on television!

friends and family...

anyone need gymboree discounts cards? i know it's not gap or banana republic but if anyone is interested in venturing into the baby/kid shopping world, i have 30% off cards. =)

yippee...i'm off to new york in a couple of days! i'm so excited to head back to the big apple. m had a beautiful little boy in may and i will get to hang out with him all week! i can't wait to drink my dunkin donuts coffee, eat magnolia's cupcakes, scrapbook and SHOP!

reading. reading. reading.

now that i take bart to work - i spend 2 hours a day reading books! i have read more books in the last 3 months that the last 3 years, i swear! i am running out of books to read (i know that's really not even close to being true)...does anyone have any good recommendations? these are the books that i've read in the last couple of months:

the nanny diaries (mclaughlin/kraus) - my current bart book. my friend gave this to me a couple of years ago and i tried to read it but lost interest within the first chapter! now that the movie is coming out, i thought i'd give it another try.

time traveler's wife (niffenegger) - a great love story. maybe i was slow or tired but it took me a while to grasp the time traveling concept and understand how the past, present and future intertwined in this novel.

something blue (griffin) - i picked this up after i finished something borrowed. this book continues the story of one of the main characters from something borrowed. a quick chick lit read.

something borrowed (griffin) - looked like a good easy chick lit. i got instantly hooked and finished the book in one weekend! cute storyline.

middlesex (eugenides) - great book! the timing was perfect since greece was the backdrop and some of the references were familiar since i was just there. i never thought i would be so captivated with an hermaphrodite!

the devil wears prada (weisberger) - i just wanted to get something whimsical and light to read. since i work in retail, i thought i might be able to relate to some of the 'fashion' stories. also, i saw previews of the movie and wanted to read the book first. i really liked the book and even though the movie was slightly different, i really enjoyed the movie as well.

eat, shoots and leaves (truss) - i read great reviews about this book and thought i'd give non fiction a try. i really really can not get into non fiction. i fell asleep almost every day trying to read this book.

shopgirl (martin) - i bought this book because it was only $3 at the book store! after i bought it, i actually think j lent this to me a couple of years ago. shopgirl is a novella so there really isn't anything to complain about.

power of one (courtenay) - this was a book selection from my book club that i actually never read, oops. it's an inspirational story of a young boy succeeding despite great hardships growing up in south africa.

book of dead (preston/child) - on many best seller lists. it was a good mystery novel but there were way too many characters to remember. in the first few chapters, the authors must have introduced at least 20 different people! technically part of a trilogy, but i read just this one and have no interest in reading the other 2 books.

kite runner (hosseini) - seriously, my FAVORITE book. maybe it's because the characters live in the bay area or the familiarity of assimilating in america. i empathized with the characters and learned so much about afghanistan as well.

freakonomics (levitt/dubner) - interesting concept and theories. seriously, i really tried non fiction again. i read 2 chapters...and that was about it.

if anyone wants to borrow any of these books...just let me know and i will mail it your way!

another one bites the dust...

one of my planners resigned last week - he's going back to school. i guess the long hours at work will begin again. anyone know anybody interested in merchandise planning position???? PLEASE? just when i feel like i can make some progress in driving change, i have to get down into the nitty gritty again. oh well...

how adorable

last month we took a family trip to south lake tahoe. here is a picture of my adorable cousins, a and k, playing a round of golf with their uncles. the backdrop of the snowy mountains are just gorgeous!

yummie mac and cheese

s and i had dinner on saturday with his sister and her husband, c and m, at this funky richmond restaurant, q. q is known for their comfort food and they have amazing macaroni and cheese! the lamb shank that i had was soo tender, the meat just fell right off! the green beans and mashed potatoes were a nice compliment to the lamb. the red wine sangria was delicious - dare i say, almost as good as andalu's sangria. the apple crisp was a bit disappointing, not as light and fresh as i would have liked. all in all, i'll go back but will just skip the dessert!

another year older

it was my birthday this past weekend and the most exciting part is where my husband takes me to dinner. every year s treats me to my favorite restaurant, gary danko! i'm impressed every time we dine there - the atmosphere is warm, the wait staff is incredibly attentive and knowledgeable and the food is just extraordinary!! i always have the best dining experience at gary danko.

i can't believe another year has just flown by! this past year has been full of amazing experiences and challenges.

i think one of my biggest revelations is understanding my role as a 'wife' and how to develop a strong marriage while still identifying with my sense of independence. s and i have been married for 2 years and together for 8 years! it's so easy to get comfortable in the relationship and to take each other for granted. marriage is hard work. whether it is conflicting schedules, career ambitions, habits (good or bad), financial stability or in-laws, these are all things that are a work in progess. they continually evolve as we get older and our priorities shift. the key is communication, compromise and never go to bed angry! =)

financially, i'm coming to grips with my somewhat senseless spending habits. i finally feel a sense of accomplishment in my savings and creating a fiscally responsible budget. getting started was by far the hardest hurdle. now that i have a good foundation, i only want to keep saving and saving!! s thinks i'm a bit obsessive now.

professionally, i was at g for over 5 years. however, with the disappointing business, constant change in the leadership team and lack of accountability, it became too difficult to be happy at work. the company that i once loved working at and had so much passion for was diminishing. i recently found a new "home" and believe this will be where i'll be for many years to come!

so, for this upcoming year, i have 2 major goals. however, i'm keeping them to myself until i accomplish both of them!

btw - i have a wonderful husband!! he surprised me in the morning by making me breakfast in bed! =)

i'm turning into a cream puff!

i'm so obsessed with cream puffs now! last month, the first beard papas opened in san francisco! it's deadly because they are located on mission street between 3rd and 4th street - only a couple of blocks from my work!!! i've already had them twice in the last week (of course i had more than one each time)! they have flavored cream puffs (e.g strawberry, green tea or chocolate) but stick to the original vanilla cream puff! if anyone wants to try them - let me know - i'll certainly go with you!

back to the real world...

today, i started a new job!

after many years at g, i decided to leave the company to take a break to mentally and physically refresh myself. i was very particular about what kind of position i was looking for and the type of company i wanted to work at. i really think i found everything that i'm looking for at this new place. it's a smaller company with some amazing, talented and passionate people. i think i will have incredible opportunities to learn, grow, be happy and feel supported.

however, it's such a different transition to go from being at a company where you've built 5 years of relationships, credibility and comfort in processes and tools to starting all over and being the new kid on the block. i felt so helpless to not know such simple things such as where is the bathroom, the printer or even the closest starbucks?

other than the discomfort and nervousness about starting at a new company, my first day was fantastic!!! the company has a really great focus on making their employees happy and recognizing their contributions. the people seem down to earth and really focused on an appropriate work/life balance.

i really do think i've found a good home for my career. =) i hope this isn't just my honeymoon phase!