Welcome home and a belated birthday!

Wendy went to London for work a couple weeks ago and came home last Wednesday.  We had her over for dinner tonight for sharing and pictures.  We had a lovely time and it was nice to hear all about her trip and the awesome sights; makes me want to go to Europe, STAT!   The only downer is that because our American dollar is so weak right now, everything is even that much more expensive…oh, and Wendy said the food was horrible.  Mommy and Daddy agreed, and although they went to Europe over 30 years ago, they also remembered the bad food.  Yikes – Brits, get it together!  Hmm….no wonder they don’t have the same obesity problem as the US. :X   Anywho, Wendy also brought me back the CUTEST Harrod’s HK towels – to die for, right?!?!?!  So glad you are home safe and sound, Wendy! 

 

It was also Wendy's birthday last month and I am just getting caught up now.  I still have a few birthday posts on the horizon (sorry I’m late Diana, Mommy, Lolli Oli and J!).  We went to Mastro’s for din din and celebrated both hers and Mommy’s birthdays as they are two days apart.  It was a great dining experience even though we didn’t get our bill comped.  :P 

Celebrations aside, Wendy is like a sister.  We have been close since we practically met 12 years ago. I thank God for her in my life.  She has a super busy social calendar, yet always makes time to hang out or do something low key with me and/or with the fam.  She is smart, talented, driven and beautiful, on the inside and out, and no matter how crazy life gets, we make time to catch up.  She never judges, always loves, always cares, and gives with everything she has.  I love you so much, Wendy, and I hope you always know just how special you are to me.  To celebrating many more together, with all my love…XOXO

 

Yummy yogurt!

Aren’t they the cutest?!  The whole co-branding thing is genius and it’s awesome that so many of the brands I already love, obviously love HK too…Yogurtland, Hanky Panky, Sephora…and the list goes on.  Come on T&Co., LV, and Lululemon…get on the bandwagon (or maybe it’s better that they aren’t…$27 panties are way different than a $2700 purse and I have the feeling I would want the latter just as much as did the former). 

Anyhow, as always, yummy yogurt tasted even better in my HK cup, using my HK spoon!!  HK’s fave flave is Strawberry Lemonade Sorbet and I have to admit, it’s pretty tasty, even by itself.  If you haven’t already, head on over to your local Yogurtland!  For a limited time, it’s not just a treat for your tongue, but happiness for your heart, because as Sanrio says, “small gift, BIG smile.” :D

HK + Yogurtland, again!

She’s baaaaaaaack!!!! 

HK will officially be making her second debut in Yogurtland stores tomorrow!!  Guess I know where I’m headed after the Mister’s bball game…eeEEKKkK, can’t wait!!  

FitBF with a twist!

Over at the little things we do, FITBF has gotten a makeover, so this is my first attempt using the new format.  As I started thinking about my fill-ins, I started getting super excited. 

I originally wanted to throw a big birthday bash for my golden birthday last year, after all, I was turning the big 3-0 on 8.3-0!  After talking to my Mister about it, he said that since we were already doing so much for our wedding, he thought it be best if we didn’t try to plan/throw a big shindig, not to mention the budget for that on top of the wedding – yikes.  So when I saw this week’s theme, I jumped on the world wide web in efforts to plan my virtual, already passed, golden birthday bash.

I found it wasn’t such a good idea.  My head was swirling and I even started getting frustrated and stressed when I couldn’t find the images of what I was envisioning!  I felt wedding flashbacks coming on, only this time, I was racing against time, wanting to post my images tonight!  That should be a TV show, if it isn’t already, like couples planning their whole wedding in 12 hours, or something crazy…it would be a nail-biting show for reals.

OK, so back to my FITBF…after an hour of searching, skimming, and stressing, I only found these images to capture some of what I might have included for my party.  I thought it might have been New York themed, sprinkled with Hello Kitty and a touch of fancy. 

If you do a FITBF, would you let me know?  I’d love to join your party as well!  Happy weekend!

There would be…a ton of twinkle lights

Invitations would look like…this…maybe not the color scheme, but do love the layout.

Dessert would be…a cake like this...definitely not the same color scheme (hate this one),

the stiletto would be different (hate that shoe), but love the NY skyline,

the bows, and the shape of the cake.

The back of the menu would be…Hello Kitty!  Not sure if it would actually be

the back of the menu, but I would find some way to incorporate her!

My make-up would look like…LOVE that smokey eye and those lashes!

I would wear…this dress if I had some time to work out and shed some of my weight! L

If not, I might end up wearing something like this…

  My shoes would be…these Valentino’s…SWOON!

My hair would be…BIG curls…bigger than in this picture but I got a

2-for-1 deal on this pic…love the hair and love Hilary too!

  

Party favors would be…this engraved on the back of an ipod.  Since this is my virtual party, I’m not concerned with the budget…and get it…an apple from the Big Apple! 

Hee hee…I’m so cheesy sometimes I make myself sick. :P

 

*all images found on google J

A special gift

I am so sorry for the sporadic posts – life has been nuts!  I know I say that all the time, but really, it’s been a whirlwind of craziness.  My Mister and I have both been running around like chickens with our heads cut off (he’s been hired by my parents to assist with their home upgrades and has been graciously helping me with my name change stuff...I’ve been swamped at work all while trying to fight a $3K fraud claim with Paypal and my bank – SO frustrating!), but somewhere in between the chaos, he found time to do something super sweet.

So we got home on Monday night after being in the car for 10 hours (well, it’s really an 8 hour trip but we made some stops), and I probably shouldn’t be complaining because he drove 8 hours and Daddy drove 2, which made me just a passenger, but something about being on the road for that long was just exhausting.  I had work to do so I jumped online to knock some out before unpacking, showering, etc.  As usual, a few hours pass and I finally peeled myself off the computer, joined my love on the couch, and slouched next to him just feeling totally beat.  As we sat together, we opened our mail and then he handed me a small UPS package.  I saw the package on the table when we first walked in, but figured he had just ordered something online, as I made a beeline to my office. 

I opened the package and this was inside…

His note melted my heart and made my day, my week…AND the HP HK gift was the cherry on top.  With everything that has been going on, his thoughtful package meant even more. 

To my love – thank you for being the greatest hubby ever and for always taking care of me, emotionally, physically and spiritually.  I love you with all my heart and praise God for you!!  You are an amazing man and I am privileged to be your wifey.  With a grateful heart filled with love…Your Mrs. S

Smile in style!

So remember awhile ago I had written about HP coming out with a HK line?!?  The collection is now available and truth be told, I’m a little disappointed with the selection.  There are only 13 pieces and of the 13, I only LOVE a handful.  On top of all that, the pieces are at premium prices!  I usually don’t mind splurging for HK or some awesome panties but I definitely know I’ve got to just decide on just a few faves.

Below are my picks, but you can see the whole collection here.

Happy hump day, sprinkled with Hanky Panky and Hello Kitty!!

HK in the sky!

Most of my friends send me all things HK that they find interesting.  A few of my friends have sent me HK articles on airplanes, but I have to say that I think the one J texted me this morning has been the best, due to the CUTEST photos.  I don’t really care for the writer of the article, or her sentiments so instead of chopping up her literary piece, I just decided to keep the pictures. 

Hope this little bit of HK makes your day the way she always makes mine (oh, that goes for J and for HK J).

  

Photos by Reuters via Buzzfeed

HP + HK!!!

Speaking of Hongie…she tweeted this the other day and I almost fell out of my chair.  NO WAY – two of my FAVORITE things are joining forces!! 

*Before reading any further, I just want to warn you that this post is for the more mature folks…please read at your discretion.

OK, so back to what I was saying…two of my FAVORITE things are joining forces!!  Yes, I just repeated myself – that is how excited I am about this. 

I LOVE Hanky Panky, as should you, if you’re a girl.  J  Their products are AMAZING.  I actually wore a pair on my wedding day (see photo below…super cute, right?!?!) and when I first tried them on awhile ago, I did go a little overboard and totally like redid my whole drawer with new HP stuff.  They are truly extraordinary I tell ya.  Comfy and one size fits all…what more could you love about ‘em?  It’s crazy…sometimes I don’t believe in those one size things, but trust me…they have shrunk and expanded right along with me.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.

AND WHAT?!  WITH HELLO KITTY?!?!  For those of you who don't know me, I am a hello kitty enthusiast.  I’m not even sure enthusiast is the right word.  What does one call someone who is completely obsessed?  Crazed or maybe a fanatic?  That’s me.  J 

So HP + HK?!  When, where and how can I get some?!  Apparently the line is being released on May 25^th, so we have a little bit of a wait, but I’m sure it will be totally worth it.

If you’re interested, here’s the article from MSN, with a little sample of what’s to come. 

58 days and counting!  Yayayaay!!! J

Hanky Panky and Hello Kitty Partner forPanty Line

By Kim Anne Thu 3:30 PM

Your underwear is getting a makeover this spring—and it’ll take you back to your youth. Sanrio’s Hello Kitty brand has partnered with undergarment brand Hanky Panky to launch a collection of panties.

The line will include various styles of thongs, boyshorts, bras and even lacy camis, all stamped with that nostalgic cat logo. The collection will be launched in smaller boutiques in addition to large department stores like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and others on June 30.

But if you think this line is just for the kids, think again. Sanrio senior brand marketing director David Marchi told Women’s Wear Daily that “A lot of people think this is just a brand for kids and teens, but many women 18 years and older have grown up with Hello Kitty and can relate to the brand in a more adult way.”

Yet another excuse to never grow up.

Photo courtesy Hanky Panky

Behind and the Big 3-0!

Hello! 

I’m so happy to be writing this blog as I have been so behind on blogging…and on life.  The days and weeks fly by so fast that I can hardly keep up.  I’m trying to figure out when I started to feel this way and I realized that I’ve been behind all year!  Yikes!  Professionally, it’s super busy and personally, it’s even busier, and both of them combined have created this tumultuous environment that I call life.  I’m sure all of you can relate, because each of us are in our own unique, tumultuous environments and if you’re not, I’m super jealous.

There is too much to get caught up on, so I’m going to have to do it in segments.  Today, I’m getting y’all caught up on the big 3-0.

I never thought much about turning 30, except that I wanted to be making a 6-figure salary and have an executive level position.  By executive, I wasn’t really referring to a c-level title, so maybe executive position was/is not the right description, but when I was 20, “executive” was synonymous with “person of influence” (this was before I read this, which I highly recommend reading, if you haven’t already).  I never thought about my wedding, getting married, or having kids.  I’m a pretty girly girl, so I’m not sure why I never thought about those things, I just didn’t…weird, I know.  Fast forward 10 years to where we are today.  I just turned 30 and am in the midst of planning my wedding and getting ready to be married.  I left the opportunity to hit the 6-figure mark, but am doing something far more rewarding and to me, priceless.  As far as influence goes, I try to share God’s love and goodness as much as possible, but often, I fall short.  :/  I’m working on it though!  In other words, God had other plans for my life. :)

Whew, enough with the heavy.  Time to share how I celebrated!!

Sunday, 8/28 – 2 days before…

• Went to dinner with Kristin, Randy, Dar and Ronnie.  So nice to catch up and fellowship with friends over food.  D+R just got married in July (Sherwin was in the wedding), and K+R will be married next year.  Enjoyed all the wedding talk and advice from the newlyweds.

Tuesday, 8/30 – my golden birthday (because I turned 30 on the 30^th!)

• Midnight – text messages start…Wendy texts, then J, and it continues throughout the day.  Thank you, friends and family, for making me feel so special and loved!
• 9ish - I walk into work and had this waiting for me (see pics below)!  Jason had stayed late the night before, shopped for the decorations then decked out my cubicle!  I do work with the best people in the world…Tin, D, J, Sonia – you guys are amazing and so awesome in your own ways.  I love you guys!!

• 12ish – enjoyed a yummy sushi lunch and fabulous birthday cake (Sonia made my fave!)
• 7ish – ate dinner with Mommy and Daddy (their anniversary is also 8/30) and Sherwin at the Derby…great service, tasty food and precious time with some of the people I love the most!

Thursday 8/31 - Janet!

• Daddy surprised us with tickets to Janet for our birthdays (Mommy’s was 9/6)!  It was at the Greek Theater, and as always, she was phenomenal!!  LOVE her!!!

Friday, 9/2 - Monday, 9/5 - Viva Las Vegas!

I decided that since I couldn’t have a big shindig (due to the wedding), I would do Vegas.  It’s the perfect place to close my 20’s.  People have been telling me that 30 is the new 20, that I’ll love my 30’s more than my 20’s, and in a way, I believe them.  I’ll be starting a life with Sherwin when I’m 30 and that alone, is more joyous than anything that happened in my 20’s, almost*. 

OK, so back to Vegas.  I don’t want to do Vegas for my bachelorette, but it did seem like a good way to say goodbye to the 20’s.  It’s completing the chapter in my life when I was carefree and sometimes careless.  :/  Since it was Labor Day weekend, it was SUPER busy, both in Vegas and at home…and for various reasons, our final headcount for the weekend was 10 and perfect.  I did miss friends/family that couldn’t make it, but they’re all in my heart so they were there in spirit! J  At the last minute, Nafan-Chan and Diana made arrangements to come too, and that was super special.  They haven’t gone on a trip by themselves sans kids since Lolli Oli was born, so it meant a lot to me that they came.  It meant a lot to me that Hongie, Chris, Dar, and Ronnie (Hanh and Wee too!) came also.  It was a weekend of BIG FUN and a celebration I will remember for the rest of my life.  Love you guys (even those that didn’t make it :)) – cheers! 

Note: more vegas pics to come…maybe.  I didn’t have my camera with me most of the time, so these are all I have for now!

 Didn't get to go to Marquee this time, but want to go back soon so we can go!!

 Chandelier at the Cosmo...GORGEOUS!  My new fave hotel...so swanky!

 Hongie and I at the secret pizza place! MmMmmmm...

R+D and me and my #1...at the Cosmo again! 

Nafan-Chan and Diana at the Cosmo...it's the only day I had my camera! 

Thank you to everyone who celebrated the big 3-0 with me (in person, or by giving/sending me birthday wishes), I love you all so much and each of you mean something special to me!!  XOXO

Some of my birthday cards to remind me of the blessings in my life!

*Sherwin accepted Christ in my 20's, so that's gonna be a hard one to beat. :)