All ruffled up

Early in January when I was introduced to a coworker I immediately noticed her hair; specifically the few strands of brightly colored feathers she had adorned her tresses with. Instantly my wheels started churning.

If you know me, you know that I'm one to always want to mess with my hair. Its been a handful of colors, super short, long, blonde underneath, bright red ends after I graduated high school and almost every red/burgundy/wine and shade of black in between. But... feathers? That was a new one.

Ever since I saw some photos from a local salon who specializes in color I decided I wanted to dye a section underneath to look like phesant feathers.

Instead... enter the feather extensions.

oh hai bathroom shot. this takes me back to myspace..

Apologies for the bad bathroom shot but holy cow, I have a new obsession. I love these so much - it seems as if it is the perfect answer. I still get to have a bit of fun with my hair - and when I'm tired of it - I take them out.  Even the BF likes them, and my mom thought they were pretty cool, too.

So today after work I'm going to go have some more put in - I'm thinking some red ones and maybe gold or brown.

Anyway. In other news I'm stalking a pair of shoes and a skirt on urban. Not sure if I'll bite - maybe after payday this week but we will see.

Has anyone done anything different with their hair lately? Let me know - I'd love to hear about it! Hope you are having a great week so far!

The A to Z of me.

I saw this over at Sara's blog and thought it would be a little fun thing for me to do on a dreary morning (although it is Friday!)

A. Age: 26.

B. Bed Size: Queen. and I love it (especially when the cat decides to take over my side of the bed....)
C. Chore you dislike: All of them? I actually really dislike laundry. Way too many steps. If I could just fast forward to the warm out of the dryer part then I'd be happier.
D. Dogs: None :( Our apartment is too tiny. I would love to have a corgi though.
E. Essential start to your day: Sitting with Rosie for a few minutes and watching the morning news if its a weekday.
F. Favorite color: Hm I donno... probably red. Although I do like blue, too...
G. Gold or silver: Silver.
H. Height: 5'6.

I. Instruments you play(ed): Ahahaha. None. I always thought it would be cool to play the violin though..

J. Jelly bean flavor: Ooh the starburst ones - strawberry!
K. Kids: None at the moment... but I think 2 is a good number.
L. Lucky number: 11.

M. Month: I really dig September and October. It's our best weather here and the days are still long enough to have sun when you get off work.

N. Nicknames: I don't have any anymore, but I use to go by Fo...

O. Overnight hospital stays: A supposed blood clot scare when I was 16. I was hospitalized for 5 days only to find out that oops! My mri was read wrong.

P. Pet peeves: People who drive with their blinkers going, line jumpers, leaving the lights on in the house.
Q. Quote from a movie: "..and one pasta with meatless balls. Ew. It tastes the same! if you close your eyes.." - RENT
R. Righty or lefty: Righty.

S. Siblings: I have 1 sister who is younger. Everyone thinks we look alike but I don't see it. I look like both of my parents and she doesn't look like either (sorry lisa).
T. Time you wake up: .... 7:50. The joys of walking to work and starting at 9AM.
U. Underwear: I wear it. All the time/
V. Vegetables you don't like: I really don't have anything against veggies. I actually like brussel sprouts (with bacon... mmm...)
W. What makes you run late: Muni. Enough said.
X. X-rays you've had: Everything south of my chest.
Y. Yummy food you make:  Ahaha. Another funny one. With the help of a mix I can do a wicked jambalaya. Does that count?
Z. Zoo animal favorites: Penguins! And chinchillas. Only cause I'm biased. ;)

Happy Friday!

Whirlwind

Hello out there in blogland. I'm so sorry that I've failed to update this recently but I'm vowing to do better.

The past few weeks have been a complete blur. Europe was absolutely amazing - and in fact it feels like we went months ago. London was cold but for some reason I didn't mind (it almost feels like it added to the charm!). I achieved my goal of eating sticky toffee pudding (holy cow, yum) went to Liberty of London (although I didn't purchase anything it was fun to look) and I did go to Topshop and came home with a gorgeous vintage silk scarf.

Royal Swan

Tower bridge

Big Ben

Barcelona was almost a complete 180 from London. We stuffed ourselves with paella and spanish wine, enjoyed the sun, and just took in the culture. I could honestly wander Barcelona for hours - the winding twisting alleys with apartments piled up so high, birds tweeting from their windowsil cages and cobbled sidewalks. Barcelona is where I fell in love with my best friend all over again.

The lizard at Guell park

Shutters and windows on our hotel



Bumblebee at Guell park



It honestly seems like time has been flying by at an unprecendented speed. I can't believe March is coming to a close and April is almost upon us. 

Lately I've kinda been into a redecorating kick around the apartment. I'd love to paint some of the walls but quite frankly I'm not too sure I have that much energy (or effort). I've been gathering up prints of places that we've traveled to and framing them on a wall. I want it to be a bit of a photo collage.



I'm also majorly lusting for a new jewelry box and ring holder. I don't currently have either of those items and you have no idea how hard it is to try and pick something out.  For some reason I can't help but want the bunny ring holder from urban. There's just something so cutesy and adorable about it it makes me smile whenever I look at it. Alas, my local store is sold out of it and I'm not too sure I want to pay for the shipping.

Anyway - that's whats going on with me at the moment. Not much else besides my daily 9-5 grind and just being content with the way things are.

Life lessons.

Today dear blog, I'm going to go in a different direction. I'm usually one of those blogs who like to write about happy fashiony things... but in a recent turn of events I just wanted to get this out there.

Life is precious. Life is short. Quite frankly - I am blessed. I have my health. My family, my BF, my pets and my friends. I've never wondered what its like to be hungry or go without. I have a job, a roof over my head, nice clothes to wear and a healthy savings account. There are so many people who go without - and here I am being a brat about a 500.00 Hermes scarf. How shallow of myself.

And then there's the other side. The ones you love. Cherish them, because you have no idea what tomorrow holds. I'm realizing that I'm really just a tiny blip on the radar of life. Even when I'm gone - things will go on, people will still be here. I mean... I could walk out of my office today and not make it home. Who knows - right? I certainly don't. So be careful. Cautious, but not overly guarded.

1986 with my papa & grandma

I have been fortunate that I never really experienced loss until the age of 23. But at the same time - I have no idea how to react to people who fall terminally ill or pass away. I don't know how to respond, to think, to act. Is what I'm feeling normal? Who knows. But again - what is normal?

Ultimately what I'm really trying to drive home is that you shouldn't wait to tell people things. Don't wait to say I love you or thank you or that you appreciate them. Be spontaneous (within reason). Jump. Dance. Dye your hair and eat ice cream before dinner. Laugh, and laugh often. Write. Don't regret. Play hooky for a day and wander your city. Try new food (don't be scared - if you hate it you don't have to eat it again). Ride roller coasters and travel. Hug, high five, low five, or walk arm in arm with friends. Buy yourself flowers. Put on rainboots and jump in puddles.

Now that I've gotten it out... I just hope I can remember it all.

Six confessions.

i had actually attempted doing this yesterday but for some reason the internets ate my post for breakfast. booo. i saw this over at Kyla's blog and thought it would be fun to do here.

1) i think i live in the greatest city ever. honestly - i can't get enough of san francisco. even when i travel and come home i'm just so grateful and in awe of the city. i'm not sure of any other place on earth like this. even on days when i hate walking to work or dragging my butt up the hill to the apartment i'll see something like a new flower blooming or the light reflecting off the buildings downtown and i'll remember why i love it here.

2) sometimes i think i should've gone to art school. i really wished i had listened to the inner starving artist inside and taken some photography classes in college. there's nothing that can quite compare to taking my camera out and bending twisting angling myself to get a shot... and when it turns out the feeling is amazing.

3) i have a major soft spot for animals (if you couldn't already tell). if i had oodles of money or if i ever won the lottery i think know i would either start or fund a cat/chinchilla rescue/sanctuary. there's just something about having a fuzzy friend or three around when you come home at the end of the day. plus they always listen and love you unconditionally.

ollie in his dustbath

4) i'm secretly becoming obsessed with pencil skirts. okay, maybe skirts in general. wearing them with tights and flats just makes me happy. i'd really like one in red. and perhaps ocre. oh colors!

5) if there's one thing i wish i could (besides speak fluent italian) it would probably be to sing well. shows like glee and other musicals, heck even the radio make me wish i could belt out a tune or two (without making anyone cringe).

6) i'm a little obsessed with journals. moleskines too, to be exact. there's just something so ... comforting when you open the cover, pick up a pen and let yourself go. i've actually only filled up one whole moleskine but i'm on my way to doing it again (and maybe another by the end of the year). the red ones are secretly my favorite.

well friends thats it for now. hope everyone is having a good week and staying dry if you are in the bay area.

Jetsetting.

Hello my dear blog. I do have some exciting news for you! I just found out yesterday that in March I will be able to travel to London and another city! I'm so, so excited I can't even contain it.

Hello, Big Ben!

In London we will be meeting up with my boyfriend's brother on his way back from Africa to celebrate his 21st birthday. I'm so excited to be able to go back to London again.  There's definitely some sites I'd like to go back to and I'd really like to go see Abbey Road. What's even more fun is that since my last trip to Europe I purchased my nikon camera so I'll have a much better camera to snap photos with.

Also, we'll have enough time to go visit another city for a few days. Our top contenders are Barcelona, Paris, or Amsterdam. I'm really pushing for Paris. Back in 2007 when we did our 6 week tour of Europe we pretty much did everything on the cheap. Hostels, cheap meals, and unassigned train tickets were the main areas in which we cut our costs. But this time around I'd really like to be able to enjoy myself  (within reason, of course) and perhaps not eat at McDonalds so many times. In Paris I could practically taste the croissaints and coffee, Amsterdam I dream of chocolate and wandering the flower marts, and Barcelona's Sacrada Familia and paella are wooing me back in.

I still haven't been able to find churros and chocolate this good in the US...

I'm also starting to think of things to bring back (hah). I'd really like to go to Liberty to bring back some of their specialty printed items and maybe visit to TopShop. Plus the teas, jams, and biscuits... oh man. In Paris I'd totally go for some macarons and perhaps if I could ever swing it a nice scarf from Hermes (hello VAT refund!). And in Barcelona it would be wine.  Amsterdam would be larger photos of flowers (or even tulip bulbs).

Okay so they aren't tulips but they're still pretty.

So - if you have the chance to go to a few European cities again.. what would you bring back? What would you not care to see?

Happy almost weekend!

an update.

Ahh blog, I find myself to you yet again, apologizing for neglecting you and not writing as much as I said I would.

don't let the cute face fool you. she will shed anywhere.

Life has been... busy. And in between swiffering the floors, dodging (and trying to catch) catfur tubleweeds and neglecting laundry I've been strangely content.

The new job is going really well.  It's fantastic to be back in the financial district - and even more so to be around people again (people my own age - whoda thought?!). I love being able to walk to work every day - and even though I do have to dress up it's quite fun to wear skirts, tights, blazers, and blouses without people looking at me strangely and wondering (does she have an interview elsewhere coming in the office dressed like that?).

And while perhaps I haven't been to the gym as often as I should be (sorry, hips and thighs) or writing as much as I should, I just find myself really happy and at a good place for possibly the first time ever in my life. I am keeping up with my 1 a day photo 365 project, which is really fun. It actually makes me take a step back to find something that I may have previously overlooked and snap a photo of it as a reminder.

And every so often, I find something like this. And I remember. And remember. And remember. Just in case I ever forget.