stop

wait!

check out this gorgeous chandelier:




i am completely in love with it.

and look! only $1395.

sparkle

good news.

the pain in my thighs has migrated to my calves. ouch.

let's think about prettier things:




i am liking this weird, spearmint-aqua, blue-green color right now. delicious.

if i could only get my legs to work enough to get to the shops...

space

sigh.

it was a very long weekend.

we had fun - we did everything we said we were going to do (with some minor editing).

we didn't hike the flatiron trail - instead, we hiked camelback mountain. i was unaware of the two mile walk we would take just to get to the mountain. UNhappy. but my heart remained intact.

the hike was fun though. we had dinner at macayo's, a family-owned arizona restaurant since 1944. ugh. tasted like it too. ack.

we got a sneak peek of g and s' new condo - fabulous!

today we went to the desert botanical gardens, the butterfly pavillion, and to find some rockin' sunglasses. s is a really indecisive shopper. the worst! i love shopping, even when it's for someone else, so i dove in. we went to 8 different places before we narrowed down to two. his line: i don't really know what i want. it's up to you to tell me what i want. groan. then to in-n-out burger for the best burgers. ever. but by the time 5p rolled around, i was ready for some alone time. like, really ready. thank goodness the airline angels agreed.

spending time with a boy other than the bf makes me appreciate what the bf and i have.

and reminds me of my theory that men over a certain age are single for a reason.

sad, but true. very true.

don't try to talk me out of it.

end

lots to do today!

i need to go to the post office. and the grocery store.

we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of one of the bf's good friends from minnesota.

am also hoping to hit this today. my friend m's dad will be there with his "in stone time" booth and i can't wait to check it out (not to mention see a familiar face).

tonight i am making my specialty potstickers for dinner.

after a nice brunch tomorrow, the boys will play golf. we will see a show in the evening in tempe.

sunday will be a hiking day on the flatiron trail in the superstition mountains. a six hour hike. i am already scared.

if you don't hear from me on monday, assume my heart exploded in the desert mountains of arizona.

shudder.

mayo

and here i thought i would have nothing to write about today.

the bf and i had lunch today. we go to this deli across the street from his office and split half a tuna melt and half a grilled cheese. he gets chips. i get coleslaw, and usually take it to go (in a little plastic cup with a lid).

stop me if you see where this is going.

i usually wrap it a napkin and stuff it in my purse for later.

today i was using my big yellow slouchy bag.

today i also decided to stroll around tempe marketplace, stopping at some shops.

a mile away from the apartment, i wanted to use my phone. i reached in my bag, thinking: why is it wet in here?!

a quick sniff confirmed my suspicion. sweet mayo everywhere!

when i got home i emptied the contents of my purse, clorox wiped-everything, and laid it all out to dry. i threw my (dryclean only? i hope not) throw that i keep in my purse (for those chilly 65-degree arizona evenings) in the wash.

ugh. what a mess. a slimy, sweet-smelling mess.

but none of that stopped me from finishing my coleslaw. dammit.

2be

i bought this from blonde chick studio the other day.



i am anxiously waiting for it to arrive in my mailbox.

the text is based on a quote from marilyn monroe: "i am not interested in money. i just want to be wonderful." i don't know why, but i just love words. so expressive. and yet so simple. such a lovely idea.

i just want to be wonderful, too.

brilliant

in anticipation of this year's spring and summer weddings:











i want more color! another plus: with weddings in arizona, minnesota, and puerto rico, i can wear the same dress and never see another guest twice! that means more dress for the money. ooh!

powder

i woke up this morning with a smile.

embraced in lovely dreams last night.

of love. and a boy. and a wonderful shade of blue.

it was so nice to wake up a little bit, but not quite all the way.

i wanted to close my eyes. and go back.

instead i met the day.

comment from the bf gallery: boy, you're punchy this morning.

indeed.

aqua

omg.

i am dying to wear these shoes



with a pretty white dress.

on a beach.

in front of my family and friends.

giggle.

dry

the bf and i woke up with sore throats.

it's dry here in arizona, you know.

the bf suggested (demanded) that i look (obsessive-compulsively) into a humidifier.

i looked into all sorts of humidifiers: cool mist, warm mist, ultrasonic, air-cleaning, permanent filter, tower, blah, blah blah.

i sent the bf a text:

could you please rank the following regarding a humidifier?

cost
air cleaning
nightlight
quiet
permanent filter

he promptly sent back:

sure! good question!

quiet is #1
cost is #2
the others don't matter at all (to me)

i didn't include "design" because i knew better (read: my number one criteria when buying anything).

after some research, i narrowed down to three contenders:


permanent filter. is that better?

nicest looking. most expensive.

best reviews. lame-o style.

after way too much discussion, the bf and i decided to go with the first one. the permanent filter won us over after we found out we would have to replace filters on the other models every two months or so. we don't like high-maintenance machines.

everyone is happy!

of course, the one i really wanted:



breathtaking. $339 + s&h. out of the question. sigh.

heck

what a fabulous weekend.

post to come later.

today, i am exhausted because around midnight last night i started to get all these failed delivery notifications in my hotmail inbox. grr.

someone had hacked into my hotmail and was sending out spam to everyone in my contact list. i couldn't sleep until i felt like i had things under control.

how embarrassing.

if you were one of the unlucky ones, i sincerely apologize.

stupid spammers. come on, karma, just this once.

lug

i have been checking out hatboxes lately. i stumbled upon vintage, round luggage.

how lovely:









i think they look so chic and vintage. imagine walking through an airport with one of those boxes versus a bulky duffel! i think i like number three best. good size, great style.

i am trying to work out the logistics in my head as far as if the luggage would replace my overnight bag, in which case i would have to limit to weekend trips only, and what to do oh what to do with my toiletries. a severe editing would have to take place. perhaps toiletries could go into a larger purse then? i have no idea if that would work.

also, there is the thing with carry-on restrictions. i like my bag and purse to fit under the seat in front of me so i don't have to try like a mini-moron to shove my bag into an overhead bin.

so many questions. buy first. think later. grin.

out

waiting for the bf to come home.

we are meeting some friends for dinner tonight at chelsea's kitchen.

i love to figure out what i am going to have at a restaurant by checking out their menu online. i can be too indecisive when put on the spot, and there is nothing like entree envy or dinner disappointment (i totally made those up but you know what i mean). am i right? i enjoy eating too much to leave it up to chance or time limits.

i am going to gorge on a burger or something like that. maybe short rib tacos. i am craving protein. how romantic. arrr. (that's me growling because i'm tough and i like red meat).

should balance out the sushi i had for lunch. ah-hem. (that's me sweetly clearing my throat because i am such a lady)

should be another lovely evening. (because of me!)

hike

i am doing research on lightweight hiking shoes.

i am kind of over wearing my fashion kicks uphill (read: the concerned looks of other hikers is starting to get to me).

so far, i like that END (environmentally neutral designs) has shoes that have a sustainability mission.

nice. save my feet. save the planet.





i think i like them. and my feet will thank me.

complete

finally!

my chairs have arrived.

thank you for all your help in choosing a fabric! i decided to go with this:



sorry for the muddy mobile pic.

when we went to pick them up from the vintage shop today, the sweet lady who reupholstered them for me said that after she brought them in yesterday there were already a couple of people who were interested in them. ha! i love it.

i can totally see them here and with our future white parsons dining table. how fabulous would that be?! [insert sophie dancing with joy]

i love them! squeal!

seating

by now you probably know that i have a deep addiction to chairs.

i saw a pair of milo baughman chairs on ebay:



shipping furniture by freight ($200+) always freaks me out.

but not this time. i found out that the seller was located in scottsdale, and that the chairs were available for pickup. eep!

so even though we have a two bedroom apartment with a sectional, a chaise lounge, slipper chairs, and six dining chairs coming soon (today!), i bought them.

for $67. they are mine.*

i know, i know. it's a problem.

*after this experience, i learned not to text the bf with anything like: "don't be mad, but i might have accidentally bought more chairs." giggle.

today

i wonder

sometimes

if when you are listening

you ever really hear me.

cabo

we totally lucked out and got to stay here.



snap snap snap.

we had an amazing dinner at miguel loco's where i tried pollo con mole for the very first time. delish. i wasn't sure if i was going to go for a chocolate-based sauce, but i went for it. and fell for it. mmm.

saturday we walked into town and tried to find our favorite californian transplant, lawanda - she runs a muffin shop in the heart of cabo san lucas, and she is a witty joy to be around. we missed her and her associate told us she was in san diego. boo. we walked away with her yummy pineapple, blueberry, and apple muffins though. score.

in the evening we tried la fonda and i ordered the eggplant salad (amazing) and empanadas. fabulous.

most of the time we just lounged around. it was perfect and so great just to be away. from. it. all. just me and the bf.

such a lovely weekend - hope yours was too.

bedless

we do not have a place to stay in cabo.

good thing the bf and i work fabulously together in these situations. i like to freak out until we have a place to stay while simultaneously holding out for a stunning hotel deal on priceline. he handles the flight arrangements at the last minute.



it takes a great deal of trust on both sides.

we could be flightless and homeless on every holiday, but somehow we make it work and it works out.

here's to hammocks on the beach and drinks in our hands.

have a wonderful weekend!

gab

good girl talks in the past couple of days.

the week started off with s calling me out of the blue. our visits might be far and few, but i still think of her often and smile. we inspired each other to make positive changes, and i felt new again.

last night s and i went to true food at the biltmore. we treated ourselves to fruit juice + prosecco (mine was pear, hers was peach), shrimp dumplings, hummus, and the onion tart. mmm. no making out for either of us.

it was just a great night for talking. i don't know what phase the moon was in, but the girl in me was out and running her mouth.

after a lovely couple of hours, i dropped s off at home and called my girl e back in minnesota.

another hour passed as we caught up, laughing and ranting at the same time. we should write a book, we said, called just effing stop because she's not that effing into you, either. ugh. i am aghast at how men and women don't know how to treat each other these days. what happened to being ladies and gentlemen. effing morons we all are! grin.

just when i think i should give up swearing for lent i realize just how much i do it.

sigh. i suppose that's the point.

ugh

dear jason mesnick from the bachelor,

melissa was right. you are a bastard.

love,
sophie

new

happy new month!

today i am trying something new.

i have never made chocolate covered strawberries before, despite the surprisingly simple recipe.

lesson 1: when attempting something for the first time, do not buy the biggest of the main ingredient you can find

the strawberries were huge; it only took 13 strawberries to equal one pound. this made the dipping process quite difficult.

lesson 2: don't believe anyone when they tell you that it only takes half an hour for the chocolate to set.

it has been approximately one hour and the chocolate is still sticking to the wax paper. it is driving me crazy because i want to put them in a cute takeout container and wrap it with ribbon. it's all about presentation for me.

lesson 3: do not let the bf "test" the chocolate by patting it with a paper towel.

i threw the strawberries in the refrigerator. wish me luck.