Serenity Prayer

I'd like to start off 2008 with a beautiful prayer that resonates truth and wisdom that we all need to guide us in our daily lives.


God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can,
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
As it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make things all right
If I surrender to His will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
And supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

Parade of Uglies

To my faithful blog readers (yes, all 3 of you...hahaha), you already know my disdain for Fendi. I'm not that big on handbags to begin with, but to charge an arm and a leg for an atrocity is simply a crime and Fendi one of the worst offenders (Isabella Fiore will probably be the biggest offender but that's another topic for another day). To start off 2008 with a clean slate (and hopefully leave all the ugliness in 2007), I want to end the year with a parade of uglies courtesy of Fendi. Enjoy (and try not to puke on your computer screens)!

I hope Fendi leaves all the ugliness in 2007. Here's to more pretty things to come in 2008! Cheers!

January 2008 Must-Haves

It's best to start off a new year fresh and what's fresher than new clothing! For that fresh start, I picked out gorgeous feminine and flirty white dresses. These dresses have a minimalist appeal but are still fun and sexy.



Now for the shoes, I'm not bold enough to pull off animal print anything but the CL pumps above would be perfect with a simple white dress. The gold pumps above by L.A.M.B. would also look gorgeous with a short white dress. A long dress would make you look like you stepped out of a Greek myth. Hmmm...what to spend my holiday gift cards on...what a conundrum...

Happy New Year!

Here's to hoping
that everyone has a great
2008!

Happy New Year everyone!

2007 in Retrospect

2007 will be over in about 27 hours or so. I've been griping about how bad this year has been but truth be told, it wasn't too bad.

I started the year off with a surgery. My third surgery for my left arm. Then it was off to a "vacation" in the Philippines for two weeks. I wouldn't really call it a vacation hence the quotes. Two of the most hectic weeks were spent there shuttling off from one part of the country to another. The best part of that vacation was seeing my family for the first time in about 11 years. I also enjoyed the mini-vacation in Hong Kong.

Back to work, chaos ensued with a new controller at the helm of the accounting department. I ignored it and went on two mini trips, one to San Francisco and another to Las Vegas. Chaos at work continued with people leaving and people getting laid off. Mid-year was tough. The company wasn't doing to hot in a real estate market that was shaky. And then there was the break-up. I can't really say that I'm surprised that it happened. I was just surprised at how fast it happened.

Everything this year happened so fast. It's as if this year went by in a blink of an eye and everything is still a blur. I can't believe in a few hours it'll be a new year. As uneventful and partially disappointing 2007 has been for me, I'm still grateful that I have such great friends and family as my support system.

I'm kinda looking forward to 2008. New beginning, a fresh start. Here's to hoping that 2008 has great things on store for me. ;)

Sona Dinner Recap

Last week, we had our company Holiday Party at Sona Restaurant. As seen in the picture, the restaurant is pretty small. We reserved their private room, which according to their website sits up to 25 people. There were about 20 people in our group and we were pretty tight in that room. The room is long so it was pretty much one long table with no room to move.

When I arrived, a few people were already there. I asked for a Grey Goose tonic and to my surprise they didn't have Grey Goose. They only have 4 different vodkas, a Polish vodka, some vodka from Oakland, a potato vodka and an organic vodka. I decided to try the organic vodka when our Chief Counsel's wife started saying, "That's ridiculous. Vodka is a poison to your body and you're gonna call it organic. That's ridiculous." I was so flustered (and surprised) by her outburst that I ordered white wine instead. I also took my stuff and sat on the other end of the table away from her.

Dinner started around 8:30pm. Red and white wines were ordered for the table. I opted for the red (Pinot Noir) since red meats were on the menu. We had a Salmon Bellini with Mint and Yogurt Parfait for an amuse bouche. It was a little bite of heaven and the yogurt parfait tasted like the Persian drink (doogh, sp?). The flavors blended well together. The tartness of the yogurt complented the saltiness of the caviar. We had Hawaiian Poke Tuna with Celery Root Puree as an appetizer. Again, a bite out of heaven. One of our co-workers hasn't eaten yet at this point. She's extremely picky so I knew she was going to have a problem with the food. I ended up eating her appetizer. It was ok since 1.) she wasn't going to eat it and 2.) it was bite-size so no harm, no foul. The next item up was squash soup. It was probably the best-tasting squash soup I've ever had. It was sweet and savory. The only thing I didn't like about it were the squash seeds but I picked those off and finished the soup. The main entree was probably the star of the night. Braised short rib and beef tenderloin duo. The short rib was perfectly braised that it practically melts in you mouth. The beef tenderloin was perfectly cooked, soft and juicy. Desert was some sort of mousse and gelato (sorry, I forgot what it was called).

Overall, the food was awesome. I'd probably go back and order something from the regular menu. The tasting menu was great and the flavors blended perfectly but the portions were TOO small. We're big eaters and a bite and a nibble is not going to satisfy us. I think that was the biggest complaint of the evening. Everyone had a great time, but everyone left still hungry.

Tom Ford 'Margaux' Metal Frame Sunglasses

I was at Nordstrom at the Westfield in Topanga last Saturday shopping for last-minute gifts when these sunnies caught my eye.

This past summer, I was infatuated with the Tom Ford aviators but their shape didn't match my face. They looked great, just not on me. I was sad but I moved on and got Gucci ones instead. This past Saturday, I just couldn't resist when I saw these and I had to try these babies on. They are the exact same shape as my Guccis so I knew they'd fit me well. The squarish shape is perfect to balance my round face. It's also oversized so it does not look like it's swallowed by my face. The lenses are gradient so it's not too dark that you look like your blind.

These sunglasses are available in 3 colors as shown here. My favorite is the one with the smoke-colored lenses. Available at fine retailers such as Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, these babies are pretty steep at $340. I think they might be worth it if you have a round face like me and have trouble finding the right pair of sunglasses. ;)

Sona Restaurant

Our company holiday party is tonight at 8pm. I'm so excited. Every year I get to plan it and every year I always surprise myself by topping one before. This year I chose Sona Restaurant as our venue. I've heard so many good things about this restaurant and I can't wait to try it for myself. Stay tuned for party updates!

www.sonarestaurant.com

Fendi Sequin and Wool Embellished Tote

Stop the madness! Another monstrosity from Fendi. Why must we be subjected to such ugliness? Why?!? I think JJ did a post on this bag last month as well, but I felt like I needed to post my own entry since it's still being sold (and I'm pretty sure someone is dumb enough to buy it unless they're blind - no offense to blind people). Maybe these are for the Fendi fans. Maybe I just don't get it. Hmmm...what I don't get is why someone would want to pay over $7,000 for such an ugly piece of poo. Are the designers on glue or something? Are they trying to get fired?

If someone knows why something this hideous is being sold and marketed as a luxury item, please oh please let me know. Thanks.

Wish List 2007

Santa Baby,

I've been a good girl but I've had an awful year (relatively speaking). Can you please brighten up my holiday with these? Thanks much!

Mulberry Medium Agyness Bag in Putty

Named after British model, Agyness Deyn, this bag is perfect for me. Not too trendy, not too boring and in the putty color it can be used year round. The medium size is also ideal for petite women like me so we don't look like we're being swallowd by our bags.

Christian Loutboutin Architek 37942 Slingbacks in Nude

This shoe is part of Christian Louboutin's resort collection and is finally available at Saks. I know I've been complaining how Louboutin shoes hurt but I'd still love these even if they did.

Catherine Malandrino Sambala V Neck Dress

I want a Malandrino dress! I've had my eye on this dress since it came out about a couple of months ago. Part of Malandrino's resort collection, this dress screams spring. Feminine but flirty are part of the appeal of Malandrino's dresses. I soooo want one! I'm not one to wear sleeveless frocks (I think my arms are fat), but I'd rock this dress anyway.

December Must-Haves

This is by no means a wish list of any sort (that's to come later). I just wanted to post a few of my picks that makes me feel giddy and to remind us that the holiday season is upon us (not that we need any remind, of course).


There's nothing more comforting than a nice cup of hot chocolate on those cold, cold days of winter. I especially love the really rich ones topped with marshmallows or with a hint of spice. Yum!












I love Christmas tree ornaments and this sassy one from Anthropologie is perfect for the fashionista's tree. Anthropologie has a bunch of other hand-made ornaments that are just as cute as this one. Unfortunately, their stock is running low so hurry to the closest Anthropologie to grab one for you tree. They're currently on sale as well!







The holiday season wouldn't be complete if we don't hear "All I Want for Christmas Is You" on the radio. I actually have the CD and I play it every morning on the drive to work. For some reason, this CD always puts a smile on my face. Now it doesn't work year-round...only in December.

My favorite holiday movie...Love Actually! I've seen this movie tons of times and still everytime I watch it, it manages to tug on my heart strings. Beautifully made with such an awesome cast, this movie is not just for the holiday season (I can watch it anytime of the year) although it certainly is appropriate.

Elf Yourself

After a grim and bleak entry, get ready for some giggles. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas! Have a bit of sound ready…

Thoughts

Laying in bed tonight, all these thoughts rack my brain. My existentialist tendencies are starting to resurface. Why am I alive? Am I relevant? Is my existence important or am I merely a blip in history? When I die, will it make a difference to someone else? Will my memory live on or will I simply die and be forgotten?

As bleak as that may sound, these thoughts are not new to me. Still they remain unanswered. I am still searching for answers, still searching for truths. What does life have to offer? Is there solace in death? So many unanswered questions are burning in my brain...in my heart.

When you really think about it, in the grand scheme of things, what we do is so minute. What we do, what we think, what we have to say...does it really make a difference?

Fendi Peacock Evening "To You" Bag

In the tradition of fugly Fendi bags, this one does not cease to disappoint. It's so ridiculous that it's making my eyes bleed just looking at it. Why oh why is Fendi subjecting us to such eyesores? And at a steep price too! You can "proudly" own one of these uglies at $1700. Now isn't that a worthwhile purchase? *GAG*