And the winner of my favorite Super Bowl ad is…. GOOGLE! You know, the company that doesn’t need any advertising. Their Parisian Love commercial was just the cutest thing I have ever seen.
Maybe it’s because I’m going to Paris in about 90 days and have an infinite love for all things French. Or maybe it’s because I’m in the midst of planning my wedding to a man that I quickly and unexpectedly fell in love with. Or maybe it’s because of the huge role the internet played in our relationship. Whatever it may be, this is “très mignonne.”
It’s been a wild couple of weeks, but undoubtedly some of the happiest days I can ever remember. What is it about being newly engaged that makes you feel like you’re walking around in a dream? I feel like my head is in the clouds surrounded by little cartoon hearts. I’m back in LA, without my darling (who is still in Nashville working on some music stuff), but with plenty of catching up to keep me busy and my mind off of missing him!
The time I spent in Nashville was divine – I’m so thankful I had the chance to spend a week and a half of (mostly) uninterrupted time with my future family-in-law and all of Julian’s friends, some of whom I will know the rest of my life. So many great moments, I don’t even know where to start. The southern food, naps on the chaise lounge, Jenesis braiding my entire head of hair, wearing onesies on Christmas morning, massages on the stairs, the great folks at Eastgate CCF, looking back on baby books and love notes from new mothers, kissing my sweetheart at midnight on New Years, countless trips to Starbucks, window shopping in various Nashville malls, getting ready with Jeorgi in the bathroom and buying/cutting my own “man pants”, perusing bridal books and magazines with Kayla (also newly-engaged), awesome conversations with grandparents who have more wisdom than I could ever hope to, ice skating, laughing my face off with Julian’s siblings, watching them spontaneously write and play a full-band version of the Power Rangers theme, cuddling his stinking adorable nephews, even the pathetic snow flurries that were falling when Julian dropped me at the terminal on Monday morning.
My flight back was uneventful, always a good thing, except for the fact that airport security confiscated my brand new jar of (heavenly) Loveless Cafe peach preserves. I was planning on giving them to Lauren, who generously drove to LA from Pasadena everyday of my absence to feet Fatterson 1 and Fatterson 2, but instead, she just got a thing of biscuit mix. Merry Christmas, Lauren!
The first day back at work was busy, but not totally nightmare-ish, a lot of catch-up meetings and returning e-mails. Now I’m here at home, repainting my nails (of course) and waiting for my girl Francesca’s flight to get in from NYC. Because I’m a good friend, I offered to pick her up from the airport … even if it is arriving at 2:00am. So now I have to make the decision…. coffee? Or nap?
At least I have PLENTY to think about while I’m waiting – who knew wedding planning was such a huge task? Or shall I say, 4140371 mini tasks?! I’ve only been engaged a week and I’m already overwhelmed by the questions, the suggestions, the requests for me to tell the proposal story over and over again. I guess it’s a part of the entire experience – after all, this only happens once! I guess I should savor every moment of it. That being said, I have a few things in mind for what I want, but there is still much up in the air. I’m more looking forward to actually being married to the love of my life. This is without a doubt the HAPPIEST time of my life.
Sorry, you’ll have to forgive my abundance of barfalicious gushiness. I am just… well, if you’ve ever been engaged, you know what I mean. If not, you will understand one day!
ALRIGHT, I’ll cool it. Now that my holiday break is over, I’ll be returning to my regular blogging schedule. But one last thing before I get back to my DVR for the evening (that I must enjoy now before I get rid of my cable TV) – I am very proud to say that I managed to finish another book in my never ending stack! The Shack was awesome. I’m also working my way through C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity and The Millionaire Next Door audiobook. So much great info in that last one.. well, both, to be honest. Highly recommended.
Just a quick note to all 5 of my readers to say MERRY CHRISTMAS and to let you know that my internet access may be limited these coming weeks. By miracle, I have finished all my work for the year and by this time tomorrow I will be in Nashville with my sweetheart to spend Christmas with his family and friends.
First, I’ll be dropping my Macbook Pro off at the repair shop because it is broken (I spit coffee on it on accident a couple months back and have been using an evil external keyboard ever since), which means if I do any blogging, it will be either via WordPress iPhone app or Julian’s laptop.
If you don’t hear from me, I’m still wishing you all a very happy holiday and a WONDERFUL New Year!
Has it really only been a week since my last Things I Love Thursday? And yet it feels like Christmas is approaching with rapid speed. I’d like to reverse, that, please – slow down the holiday cheer express and speed up the workday. Yeah, that sounds perfect.
Here’s a little list of things that are making me grin from ear to ear this week.
THINGS I LOVE THURSDAY!
- First things first, planning our Spring trip to Paris and Berlin. I’m not sure how much detail I’m allowed to give, so I’ll keep it brief: WE’RE GOING TO PARIS AND BERLIN IN MAY. We = me and Julian. If you know me, you know that I have a mild obsession with France and all things Parisian, so the thought of frolicking through the city in the Spring while the gardens are in bloom and the sidewalk cafes are ripe for sitting on sipping coffee and eating crepes is UNBELIEVABLY EXHILARATING. This will be my first time in both cities. I dusted off my French language books last night and have already begun making a list of things I want to see/eat/feel/hear/experience. If you have any recommendations, share them please! Warning: this might be all I talk about for the next six months.
- Living on a budget. Saving money is very important, children. Duh. It’s also very addicting. I won’t get ahead of myself because I’ve only just begun on my most recent dolla-saving journey, but every time I’ve become a tightwad in the past, I’ve found myself strangely obsessed with frugality. There is something exciting about watching every penny and seeing how much you are saving. It’s almost like a game – “can I live off of $20 in groceries this week?” I love the feeling you get when you transfer a big chunk of money into the savings account, or the statements when you see how much it is growing, or even find a super-saving coupon. Am I the only weird one, here? I find comfort in community.
- Making sweet & sour chicken from scratch. And not screwing it up! This is one of Julian’s favorite dishes, so I knew that it would make him super happy if I made it, and even happier if I made it well. I used this recipe and have made it twice since we got back into town. He loves it and I love it! Though I can feel myself reverting back into vegetarianism a little at a time (I was vegetarian/sometimes-vegan for three years until I met him, and even still don’t eat beef or pork.) For now, I’m just choosing more and more vegetarian options. It’s tough though, when your boyfriend is a meat-lover. At least I can take comfort in buying organic, free-range chicken.
- Flickr’s favorite button. I’m a retard (in the most politically correct use of the word, I promise) for only getting into Flickr now instead of years ago like everyone else. My account has been pretty dead for, well, since I created it over three years ago, but recently I discovered the “favorite” button and now I’m just having the best time ever collecting the most beautiful photos in the pool.
This is what my room looks like, but with a bigger bed. Yeah, I wish.
- Adding an extra layer to my bed. Sometime over the last week, it got cold in LA. Like, really cold. For LA, at least. It was in the 30s a few nights ago, and despite having heat in my apartment (which I am blessed to have), I was frozen solid. My heater is in the living room at the opposite end of my apartment, so hardly any heat makes it to my bedroom. I found a solution, though – adding more blankets to my bed. Blankets are heaven sent, for real. I have a super-soft ivory quilted blanket I bought at Target a few years back for like, $20, and the fact that it has remained soft to this day is a miracle. I layered it in between my sheets and duvet and my toes are no longer blue in the mornings. HALLELUJAH! I love bedding.
- Having a clean car. With all my preaching about consumerism and giving back/helping others, I’m ashamed to admit I have a brand new car. Well, it’s a year and a half old, but I bought it new, and it’s the first new car I’ve ever owned (my parents are firm believers in “drive it ’til it dies.” I only bought it new because I plan on having it for a very long time (like, when I have kids), which is why I bought a Honda, because those suckas last forever and a day and are VERY cheap to fix if broken. Moving on, my pretty new car is filthy dirty 95% of the time. Despite having a garage in the great-garageless town of LA, I usually park behind my house (I’m lazy) underneath some evil trees that drop leaves on my car every night. As a result, my car is very, very dirty. And then there’s the inside. Full of empty Starbucks cups, old bulletins from church, half-full bags of cashews, bobby pins, granola crumbs, bottles of lotion that are on the verge of exploding from the heat, receipts, more receipts, cat litter (don’t ask), at least twenty SocialVibe Pink Balls, etc. etc. etc. At least there isn’t (much) old food in there. Saturday I decided enough was enough and I hauled my darling car down to the car wash at the end of my block (which makes having this dirty a car even more of a disgrace) and washed it myself in one of those little bays (far too embarrassed to take it to be washed by someone else). I spent about $6 when it should have been $3 because apparently I am slow. Then I vacuumed the inside…. wow. I even refilled my windshield wiper fluid, which had been empty for about two months (you could barely see out of the window). At the end of the day, my car was clean, I was a mess, and all were happy. Driving is much more enjoyable now. Good thing I’m getting a bicycle for Christmas.
- Christmas baking. This past Saturday, I decided it was time to begin the baking of the Christmas treats. Now that I have someone wonderful to eat all my sugary snacks (someone who doesn’t gain weight, nonetheless), baking is so much more fun! I borrowed recipes from Amy and made peppermint bark and peanut butter balls. They turned out fabulous and weren’t hard to make at all (the bark is truly foolproof), the only sad thing is that they were entirely gone 24 hours later. I took the first batch to a holiday party with coworkers that night and the rest to church on Sunday where they were having a ‘world market’ type fair to help charitable organizations. I put the treats with the free coffee and they were gone in the blink of an eye. I have a few more recipes up my sleeve, and hopefully this time I’ll remember to take pictures!
Not my picture.
- Making gifts rather than buying gifts. Not only is it eco-friendly, but it’s FUN. Sure I’ve only made one so far, and I’m almost positive that I WILL be resorting to buying some gifts this year (there are only 15 days left until Christmas, after all), but I’m going to be as crafty as possible. And for those gifts that I DO have to buy, there are always gifts that give back.
Other random things that are awesome:
pretty notebooks (with Paris on the cover, of course, given to me by my girl Cesca) full of all kinds of lists, doodles and creative ideas; free lunch at work on Wednesdays; drinking warm water (not cold water); USAA’s annual dividend deposit (I love waking up $73 richer than I was the night before); watching Julian roll around on the floor like a toddler; “Never park drunk, that’s my advice.”; hearing great GREAT GREAT news from one of my best friends; looking down at the cat food bowls to find that Julian put a leftover bowl of broccoli next to their food dish (he doesn’t know cats); having an abnormally large excess of creative energy; RSVPing for orientation to tutor homeless kids downtown (more on this later, hopefully); “Won’t you guide mein sleigh tonight? Rudy…”; sweater boots; white Christmas lights; Blissfully Domestic; Craigslist; Jay-Z’s new album; MOM: “What’s going on over there?” JULIAN: “Oh, those are fountains.”; Tuesday phone dates with Katie; “I love ramen noodles. I want to get endorsed by ramen noodles. Do they have a website?”; Christmas trees in the lobby at work; heavy rain in LA, followed by very clear days; when people find my accidental wittiness, loudmouth and ill-timed remarks charming and funny; even better, when people actually like reading my blog and leave me awesome comments. What a reward.
This video is appropriate because I’m tickled pink after my awesome vacation and cross-country roadtrip, which I regretfully didn’t update about yet… but I will! We have loads of great pics and funny stories. I’m back in LA and feeling good, in the SocialVibe offices for the first time in over a week so naturally, there are a lot of things to catch up on. And, a lot of cool stuff that I’ll be able to share with everyone soon. As soon as I find the time to post a vacation update, I will! In the meantime, please watch this video of a surprised kitten that is currently going viral (it’s already been sent to me about 4 times this morning)…
Once upon a time, my fat kitty Scout looked exactly like that… but with a bit more white on her neck/belly. What a cutie.
I can’t believe it, but we actually made it to Virginia. We departed Los Angeles on Saturday morning, made a brief overnight pit stop in Nashville to visit with J’s wonderful family and get a crash-course in driving stick shift, then left on our 10.5 hour roadtrip to my hometwon yesterday morning. The drive through TN and VA was beautiful, and you could hardly notice that Julian and I had just learned how to operate a manual transmission just a handful of hours prior to taking off! Before I recount some of the highlights from yesterday, let me just say that It is SO great to be home and visit with my family for the first time in seven months. I’m currently parked at my Mom’s dining room table, watching the rain through the big glass window overlooking our backyard, and Mom is in the living room pinning the quilt she’s making me.
We’ve got four days of fun, family and food ahead of us, but here are some of the highlights from our Thanksgiving excursion so far (some of which might not make any sense to you but I’m including them anyway because, well, because I feel like it):
Our first time flying together (we watched the first half of Ben Hur – I’ve never seen it!); getting to hang with Julian’s family and meeting his sweet Grandparents; big hugs from little boys Avery, Ezra and Trevor; our very late night five hour crash course in driving stick from J’s brother Jhason and Julian’s filmmaker approach to learning to drive stick – “Did you get that on film?” (video to come soon); never quite getting the whole shifting-up-hill thing; ‘Mr. Cool Guy’ hand-in-the-pocket toothbrushing; slapping a Student Driver magnet on the back of our car; finding out it fell off somewhere between Nashville and Knoxville (drivers beware); lunch with cousin Garrett in Knoxville and a very delicious grilled veggie sub; stalling on a hill five times in front of a very patient pick-up truck drive (thank goodness we’re not in LA, I have a feeling the reaction would have been VERY different); spotting a flaming tire bouncing across the interstate (terrifying); listening to classical Christmas carols; the VA and TN scenery that I miss so much, miles & miles of rolling hills of trees with leaves clinging to the branches, rock walls on the side of the interstate, overcast skies, barns with advertisements painted on the sides of them; “I’m pretty sure that guy wasn’t wearing a shirt, just a puffy vest.”; taking pictures of Shoney’s restaurants; actually, my horrible, horrible photography skills despite using a top of the line camera (we have 500 pictures of blurry trees); screeching like a maniac in glee when I saw the sign for I-66 E; sleeping in my favorite baby blue sheets…mmm.
Parking lot director.
We’re gonna need this. Oh, and make sure you get this on film.
(I’ll do a big photo post later this week when Julian gives me access to his super-secret files)
This morning Mom made Belgian waffles and now we’re going to enjoy some nice Moroccan Mint tea before taking off to give Julian a tour of Old Towne Manassas, and then we’re heading to my Dad’s to visit with the other half of my family… whom I can’t WAIT to see and introduce Julian to!
Oh my, am I ever in a frenzy. I leave on a week-long trip to Nashville and Virginia on Saturday morning, and have been driving myself up the wall with work- and home-related tasks in preparation. It’ll be worth it though, as it is not only the first time the Julian Monster will be meeting my wonderfully delicious family, but it will be the very first time I’ll have headed back to Virginia for Thanksgiving since I made my move to LA three and a half years ago! My how the time flies. I presume all the leaves will have fallen by then, but I’m excited about being in my home state during fall nonetheless.
I didn’t have a ton of time to prepare this week, so pardon me if it’s not up to your expectations… to make up for it, I promise a week of blogging updates from home – with photos, since Julian is teaching me how to use his uber-fancy camera!
THINGS I LOVE THURSDAY!
- Six month anniversary celebrations. Gigantic hot pink and red peonies. Yellow Mary Janes. Shiny gold and pink belt. My (and his) favorite perfume. Pink cards with sweet messages on them. Deeeelicious food. Banana creme pie. A Christmas Carol in 3D with jingle bells on our wrists. Fake snow. A handsome man by my side. Our six month anniversary was a dream come true, as is the rest of our time together… *blush*
- The Pioneer Woman. I can’t believe I have been living this long without The Pioneer Woman in my life. I’ve brushed elbows with her by making her apple tart (which we devoured in its entirety in a single night), but I chalked it up to just another recipe blog and that was that. Boy was I wrong! I’ve spent literally hours reading her hilarious and detailed accounts of transitioning from life as a “black heel wearing city girl” to that of the rancher wife of a cowboy in the Mid West. The woman can write, not to mention, cook. I’d say she’s after my own heart. DEFINITELY a new favorite blog of mine. The cherry on top is that she’s got a new cookbook out, something I simply MUST add to my collection.
- Irregular Choice shoes. These aren’t your average run-of-the-mill pumps and wedges. They’re colorful, wacky, and cleverly themed shoes that will make your heart go thump-thump and your wallet go empty. Not that I would actually consider wearing these (I promise), but the Miaow shoe below is an wonderful example of what you can find at this UK-based shoe shop.
- Baby Red Pandas playing… Tarantino-style. Best animals EVAR!
- Speaking on the panel for Girls in Tech LA event “The Impact of Tech on Good & Green” – and not totally bombing. I was so nervous, as it was only my second time ever speaking on a panel, but if you know me, you know I love to talk – so I had no problem babbling about using social media tools for good, and apparently I made sense! Plus, I met so many awesome women who are making a difference in the world! My fellow panelists, and moderator Siel of GreenLAGirl.com, are amazing and definitely worth checking out: Sandra at orGLAMic.com and Tracy from YourDailyThread.com.
- Hearing Julian tell Scout how much he loves her and that she is the first cat he’s ever loved. And seeing the look on her face when he’s holding her. SO cute. Buddies.
- Advance Christmas preparations. I’ve hung Christmas light on my balcony, downloaded a classical Christmas album, and already began making my Christmas gifts. A month and a half before December 25, and I’m already off to a good start for my favorite holiday!
Happy Thursday! Only one more day til the weekend. Use today to reflect on the awesome things in your life that many people in the world aren’t able to enjoy, like having a loving family and/or friends, a warm bed to sleep in at night, food in your belly and a God that loves you no matter what (whether or not you choose to believe it). Let go of your stress and meditate on the positive… you’d be surprised at how much it lifts your mood!
- Candy shops. We visited one at The Mirage prior to taking in LOVE, the Beatles themed Cirque de Soleil show (which was AMAZING, thank you, Jess!), and it was sickeningly fabulous! I have a major sweet tooth so having that much sugar in one place was truly heaven. I ate it all the way back to LA, too.
- New babies. Congratulations to Chris and Kelly, who welcomed their son Dylan into the world very early last Friday!
- Holiday scented bubble bath from Philosophy, one of my favorite body care lines. Picked up some “Peace on Earth” this weekend and used it in my super fancy hotel room at the Trump (that cost way less thanks to Priceline). Mmmm!
- Bill Cosby. One of the funniest (and family-friendly) comedians EVAR. My friend Evan (@YourFriendEvan on Twitter) is heading up The Cos’ social media campaign, which includes profiles on nearly all the popular sites, including Twitter (@BillCosby), and one very special Facebook app, where you can dress yourself in a snazzy sweater and choose an audio clip from Bill to accompany your look. Mine below.
Personally, I liked my title, “A-bee-ham Lincoln” better.
Green technology. Chipotle installed solar panels in 75 of their restaurants, not only cementing their place in my heart, but securing their rank as the #1 producer of solar power in the industry. This is one of the many reasons I love this socially aware and eco-friendly company! San Francisco also became the first city in the nation to require residents to recycle and compost, banning food waste from trash. Residents have to pay up to $500 fine per incident. The first day of the law’s implementation was yesterday, and the city saw an increase of 100 tons in compost pick-ups. Sa-weet!
- Dresses made entirely out of pink breast cancer awareness ribbons. A little skanky, but it’s for a good cause. (P.S. Save some boobs.)
- Finishing another book (Francis Chan’s Crazy Love). So what if it was an audiobook? I finished! I only have about 15 more to go before I’m allowed to buy another book (I have a serious problem with buying books before I’ve read the ones I already own… and borrowing books for months/years without reading them, oopsies!)
- Connecting with a really cool LA-based non-profit while at BlogWorld. They do some really cool after-school programs with elementary school kids and I’m currently talking to them about ways that I can get involved. So exciting!
- Jeans that fit really, really well and cost less than $30 (thank you, Forever 21!)
On another note, what is up with the lack of Halloween spirit this year? No one has any plans for Halloween, which is on a SATURDAY I might add, the perfect night for a party, and I’ve hardly seen any decorations. It’s only a week away, people! What are you being for Halloween? I’ve got a really cute/funny/clever costume in mind for myself and the J-Monster. You’ll seeeee!
I still have to do a summary post about my trip to Vegas for BlogWorld Expo 2009, but the tour I took of Zappos.com deserves its own little blogdiddy. Thursday afternoon, thirteen of us crammed into a shuttle to the Zappos compound in Henderson. We had no idea we were in store for so many laughs and so much inspiration!
Zappos’ award-winning customer service is no surprise, the online retailer and its brilliant CEO Tony Hsieh have been featured on the covers of Fast Company, Inc., and many others. Their value is undeniable (just ask Amazon, who recently bought the company). What I wasn’t aware of, was their goofy, colorful, productive and absolutely infectious company culture.
The first thing I spotted walking in the door was a free coffee machine disguised as a robot like in Spaceballs. Then I noticed the free popcorn in the old-fashioned popcorn machine by the reception desk, followed by the toys, awards and props strewn about. “What is this place?” I thought to myself, as I knocked over a gold-painted column crafted from cardboard. Note: do not lean on these.
After drinking free coffee, registering for our tour, receiving free water bottles and gifting the friendly reception ladies with SocialVibe Pink Balls, bracelets and stickers, our tour began with a quick history of how Zappos got its legs.
Soon after, we were led by a giant Zappos flag up the stairs, past a class schedule of courses offered to employees to further their skill set and enhance their work experience. On to the epic call center, where all the award-winning service takes place. A few fun facts about their call center:
1. It never closes.
2. The reps do not use scripts, ever.
3. They have no time limit on calls. The longest recorded customer service call lasted 5 hours and 25 min. What patience! What dedication!
4. After their initial training, call center employees are actually offered $2,000 to quit, to test their passion and desire for the trade and the company. Our guide told us that less than 1% of employees take them up on this offer.
I quickly noticed that the entire office had a very bubbly, positive feel to it, and not only because their Marketing head was running around screaming with delight notifying the employees about a very exciting upcoming television spot for the company. Zappos.com’ headquarters are extremely cheerful and bright. They aren’t super glamorous like the Google campus, or anything, on the contrary it is mostly boring gray office carpet with icky cubicles – but the kicker here is that they are decorated within an inch of their lives with shoes, knickknacks, magazine cut outs, etc., looking more reminiscent of a kindergarten classroom than a multi-billion dollar company. I loved it.
We made a quick stop by Dr. Vik’s, Zappos’ in-house doctor (yes, full-time). He provides life coaching – both work and personal related – or as they call it, a “checkup from the neck up.” We took polaroids of us sitting in his office throne with crowns and tiaras atop our heads.
Next we were off to the cafeteria, where all the employees are treated to snacks and drinks all day long, as well as a complimentary catered lunch (which one of our guests happily helped himself to…. no names, ahem).
Later, we learned about the company’s innovative technologies for sorting and shipping merchandise – including a portability system called Kiva and the world’s largest carousel, measuring over 800,000 square feet, or the size of 17 football fields. UM, WOW.
Did I mention there is no cost for shipping? And that customers have 365 days to return merchandise, free of charge? Or that their shipping facilities are located in Kentucky, which means only 2-3 days to get to most US locations? Or the fact that it is just down the street from a huge UPS center? Oh. Well it’s true.
We also learned that until recently, the company relied on simple word-of-mouth marketing versus larger campaigns. They’ve just broken into TV commercials and sports sponsorships in the past couple of years. Here is one of their creative TV spots:
We perused the rest of the offices – the marketing department, various apparel and shoe departments, conference rooms, NAP rooms (because of studies indicating that well-rested employees are more productive, naps are encouraged on breaks), the Zappos Insights department (where other companies can come and learn how to apply the Zappos values and culture to their own organizations), and even “monkey row,” where the CEO and other executives sit (among the other employees – no walls or corner offices here!)
I’ll let the photos tell the rest of the story.
It wouldn’t be Zappos without shoes.
More shoes.
Really big shoes.
Hanging shoes.
Autographed shoes.
A scantily clad mannequin.
Now that’s a conference room.
Conference table collage.
Sesame Street decorations.
This row of cubicles – yes cubicles – is where their CEO sits. And the other execs. They call it “monkey row.”
The Insights department, where companies can come and learn the way of the Zappo.
What? It’s just a pirate, getting his bones shined.
The best part was, when the tour was done, they encouraged us to take free inspirational books on everything from marketing to management from their library, including the official 2009 Zappos company culture guide.
I have never walked away from a place with so much envy in my life! I highly suggest you all take a chance to explore how the Zappos.com company culture operates (they even have a blog where you can read about it), and replicate it as much as possible. I guarantee you will have much happier, more motivated and satisfied employees.
1. Deliver WOW Through Service
2. Embrace and Drive Change
3. Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
4. Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
5. Pursue Growth and Learning
6. Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
7. Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
8. Do More With Less
9. Be Passionate and Determined
10. Be Humble
AWESOME advice! Imagine how different your life would be if your business operated on the same values?
I’m royalty at Zappos.
Huge thanks to the wonderful @Sloane, KiVA Fellow and world-traveling-do-gooder, for setting the whole tour up.
It’s Thursday in most of the world already so I’m going to post this early… because, well, because I feel like it.
This is going to be a quick one, but only because I have to wake up at like insane o’clock tomorrow morning to catch a plane to Las Vegas. I’m going to BlogWorld Expo with my coworker David, who is speaking on a panel about Tools & Tips for Non-Profits in Social Media (hint: SocialVibe is one of them). I’m really looking forward to checking out all the other amazing panels and watching the keynote speakers. Oh yes, and the after hours events… always a fun time with the social media and tech crowd. Last year was pretty fun but this year will be even better, because Julian is coming up on Friday (he has friends in town) and we’re going to see LOVE, The Beatles themed Cirque de Soleil show with his (newly engaged) friends Clint & Katie on Saturday night. Then, we’re going to meet and hang with his other friend Michael at a church in Henderson on Sunday. It’s going to be a whirlwind of a time but I’m super excited…
…except for the waking up at 4am tomorrow morning part. On that note, let’s get started.
Things I Love Thursday:
Bookstores. If I had to choose another profession, I would totally work in a bookstore, or own my own, like the girl in You’ve Got Mail. Not only because of the sick discount (I LOVE reading), but because it would give me a chance to chat with fellow book-lovers and swap recommendations. Seeing all the new titles as they come in wouldn’t be so bad, either. I could browse a bookstore for hours.
RAIN!!!! LA is currently experiencing its first rain of the season. I come from a place where it rains almost year round, and though it can be quite annoying having to run to your car and getting your shoes all wet, there is something extremely calming and cozy about the rain. I really love being in the car while it’s raining… and cuddling in bed while it’s raining. Out here in Southern California, our winters consist of 50 degree weather and rain…. sometimes. Because of the recent wildfires, this downpour is even more welcomed than usual.
Rain? Smog? Whatever, it looks cool.
Free Sunglasses for Breast Cancer Awareness Month! PRVCY Premium is probably going to hate me because I have broadcast their free sunglasses offer out to just about everyone I know (and wrote about it on The Vibe), but hey – FREE SUNGLASSES EVERYBODY!!!
I don’t love PLAYBOY, but I do love that the magazine has chosen Marge Simpson as their cover girl for this month. Marge is keeping it somewhat classy in this three-page spread though, not bearing any real skin and keeping her cartoon lingerie on. The Simpsons are forever awesome.
Vegas! BlogWorld! I can’t stand the city for more than a few days at a time, but whenever I am in Sin City, it’s usually a lot of fun. The lights, the people, the sounds, the shopping, the food – there is truly no place on Earth like it. I remember visiting my Grandparents in (very Northern) Scotland a few years back and talking to their elderly friends about time they spent in the US. They said Las Vegas was their favorite. What is it with old people and Vegas?
itmademyday.com. Another meme site, but this one is pretty positive (most of the time) and made me LOL several times today.
Random, cute texts from my boyfriend. Oh, and laughing my face off with him. No one – and I mean NO ONE – makes me laugh as much as he does… that must be why I love him so very much. ♥ Plus he’s SO handsome! And sweet/talented/compassionate/tall/smart/driven, etc! So let’s just make this whole “Thing I Love” Julian as a person.
The smell of chimneys. I LOVE having a wood burning fireplace. All my neighbors are burning fires because it has all the sudden dropped about 10 degrees in temp… I love the smell.
Hiking the really hard side of Runyon Canyon and making it. I seriously thought I might pass out and meet my maker at many a moment on the side of that mountain, but I pushed through thanks to Heather and I felt awesome afterward. Note: this was Saturday morning and my butt is still sore. Good workout, I’d say.
Organic Lavender Chamomile tea, because it tastes like heaven on Earth and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and makes me sleepy without the use of icky drugs. My favorite is drinking it while reading in bed until I fall asleep. Traditional Medicinals is ‘da bomb.’
Learning about the 10 plagues and Moses at church on Sunday. Very fascinating, I had no idea that each of the 10 plagues was directly related to a specific god the Egyptians worshiped at that time (i.e., the frog plague & Heket, the female god of Frogs). I suppose this was God’s way of showing them that there is only one true God.
Ribbit.
Potential spring trips to Berlin… fingers crossed!
Patrick Smith Photography – this dude knows how to take a picture. His landscape shots are seriously jaw-dropping and perfect for desktop wallpapers (especially when you work on your laptop all day and can only dream about spending the day at one of these incredible locations)
And on that note we’re going to wrap this up, because I’ve got some lavender tea drinking to do so I can get nice & sleepy …. and then wake up at 4am to drive to the airport! >:O
