beach

i totally have beach on the brain today.



i am looking forward to getting away from it all with the bf.

show

wow.

i know what you're thinking, but the answer is no.

the new abc show is not based on my crazy life.

goodness, the name sophie (and all its variations) is everywhere.

when i was younger, i couldn't find it. and i looked. my mom had to have things custom-made so i could feel like all the other girls without weird (albeit common) names. i blamed my mother for loving sophia loren and the meaning behind the name. "wisdom" what an idea to live up to - i don't know if i have fallen short, but i sure do keep reaching.

my dad wanted to name me lisa. thanks, dad.

i think i've come into my name. like many things, i've grown to love it. it's me.

day

i'm not exactly in the best place right now.

but i still get to dream about cabo.

the bf turns my dreams true.

every day.

lucerne

how lovely is this?



i don't know where and i don't know how, but someday it will be in my house.

luban

what a nice weekend.

he arrived late on friday evening, so after our dinner with k and d at the salt cellar (amazing seafood), we picked him up from the airport and went home for drinks before bed.

saturday was golf for the boys and yoga for me. in the evening we went to the roaring fork for some southwestern cuisine. we pigged out on short ribs with glazed dr. pepper bbq sauce, rack of ribs, green chile pork stew, and drinks. mmm.

the bf managed to order the rotisserie chicken. bummer because we had planned out that he would get the fried chicken and country gravy meal so we could taste. wrecked. the bf's ongoing battle with ordering against the preferred cuisine continues.

we squeezed in drinks at much loved postino before we went home for poker (unsuccessful).

sunday morning brunch at z tejas (the theme continues) before dropping our guest off at the airport.

greatly satisfying.

grr

i just pulled my neck climbing up onto the counter in order to reach the top shelf where the bf has cleverly hidden the rubbed sage.

ouch.

glass

book club last night was lovely.

we were supposed to read the glass castle by jeannette walls. it was a quick read for me, and overall i thought the book was pretty good. i just didn't find her story extraordinary (hello, dave sedaris, augusten burroughs?). the sad part is that there are many children that grow up with less than stellar parents. i am impressed by how she was able to lift herself out of where she came from.

we chatted over wine and appetizers. a great evening with the ladies.

today, i am trying to win big:



it is. so. beautiful. sigh.

mwah

valentine's day weekend was wonderful.

the bf flew me out to new york and we drove a rental to southampton to visit j + j (darling girl a and of course to meet baby l).

j + j live in an absolutely beautiful shingle-style classic hamptons home, and i love walking inside. i am greeted with dark-stained wood floors and painted foyer walls. the walls are a blank canvas and primed for decor. i just love it because i feel at home there.

friday night we had late-night pasta and j's signature martinis. mmm. went to bed happy and full. saturday morning the boys went out to run some errands while the girls + kiddies caught up. when the boys got back j and i went out to some home decor shops to look around. i bought two black urns (baby ones) for six dollars each. grin.

pizza lunch at la parmigiana. then back to the house for more relaxing. i took a nap. for dinner i made gyoza for appetizers. dinner was steak + sweet potatoes, red wine, good company. a perfect valentine's evening.

early sunday morning was a mad dash to the airport to get home. but as the bf says, it wouldn't be a vacation if we weren't rushing to the airport. right.

hope you had a fabulous heart day weekend!

pc

this little girl just kills me.

<a href="http://video.msn.com/?playlist=videoByUuids:uuids:533e05d2-9f12-4a86-bdda-efd0455fcd36&showPlaylist=true&from=shared" target="_new" title="Kylie uses Windows Live Photo Gallery">Video: Kylie uses Windows Live Photo Gallery</a>

is she not the most adorable thing? eeee!

pose

i have been doing power yoga at home lately.

and guess what? i can do this three times.*



we all need goals, right?

*disclaimer: the first time i can hold for 20 seconds. the second, maybe 5 seconds. the third, i can barely get up.

love

lusting after this poster for the guest bedroom:



we exchanged heart day gifts last night. he surprised me with an ornate black frame. every year i make him a year in review photo book. smooch. today the bf took off on a work trip so i won't see him until we meet up in new york on friday.

until then, dreaming about a house, nesting, and home.

with the perfect cup of green tea.

sigh.

trove

things i dislike about shopping vintage:

1. shag (i don't like the feeling on my feet)
2. three dining chairs (seriously, what's up with this? but i only needed three chairs! it makes me sad to think about all those lonely dining chairs out there)
3. bedpans (i don't understand the nostalgic quality - i vow never to buy anything from a seller that displays them)

i am really quirky about certain things. i like to buy decorative accessories in pairs. for instance, i recently found two milk glass compotes (two different sizes), and for $15 total, the purchases made my day. i also found a glass bird that i fell in love with even though i'm usually not into that sort of thing, but at $3.95 i felt like i had to give the little birdie a home. now i am on a relentless pursuit to find him a soulmate.

it's okay though - i figure it's the innate feng-shui compass that i have that makes me not want to buy things in singles. i'm chinese. that's enough, right?

haus

we found a house we are interested in renting/buying:






4 br, 3 ba. great location. good price. i love it.

meet

it was a stressful day.

the bf had a busy workday. i had my hands full with his mother.

work commitments meant the bf didn't stop when he got home.

i waited up for him.

we went to bed without exchanging words.

an expanse of bed separated our backs as we succumbed to a restless sleep.

somehow, in the middle of the night, we met in the middle.

and i remember thinking

i love this man, i love this man, i love this man.

in-law

(sigh)

it's been a fun, yet stressful week. interesting to say the least.

the bf's mother announced she was coming for a visit last thursday and arrived three days later. the same day the bf and i went to the fbr open and had plans for friends to join us in watching the superbowl. yikes.

note: before proceeding, please note that this is one of the busiest work weeks for the bf. i was not warned.

monday:
cocoa mint body treatment at hotel valley ho's spa
antique shopping at the antique trove
potstickers for dinner

tuesday:
shopping at chez antiques
chihuly exhibit at the desert botanical gardens
bf makes pasta for dinner

wednesday:
shopping at the antique center
lunch at la grande orange
hiking at papago mountains
dinner at roka akor

everyday was packed and lovely, but i felt more and more drained as the days went on.

i enjoyed her visit, but it's nice to be just us again.