pack-a-thon.

those of you that know me, know that i have a REALLY hard time focusing. you also know that the lure of a social engagement is often simply too much to resist. these days, this flaw has created a heightened level of stress in my life. pretty much, for weeks i've been playing instead of packing. and now, the rubber has hit the proverbial road. i'm in trouble.


i packed and packed and packed last night. and this morning when i woke up, i took a look at my surroundings and realized that i've still got a LOT of packing to do. oh man. here's the thing: i have NO TIME between now and saturday morning. okay, i have SOME time but i'll be very busy with choir practice and concert attending and general frolicking.

don't judge me. i TOLD you i had a problem. and i would consider going to therapy for it, but i can't find the time. i have packing to do.

i like to move it, move it.

it's movin' on time...again. i keep telling myself this is the LAST time! granted, i've told myself that every year for the past 6 years. but this time, i mean it.


at any rate, the next few days are certain to be a flurry of packing tape and tears as i wade through all the junk - erm, precious posessions - i've acquired over the past several years. wish me luck!

a special day for earth.

dearest darlingest earth, in your honor, i plan on seeing the following movie. oh and i promise to start reusing my water bottles. and i'll always use trash receptacles. and i'll plant a garden...eventually. oh and i'll take shorter showers. and, if i'm feelin' extra earthy, i might even consider skippin' a day...just for you.



no no, don't thank me. it's the least i can do. after all this time? seriously. i mean, you've provided years of joy and entertainment. and, let's be honest, i simply couldn't live without you. really, without you, i'd cease to exist.
so, thanks. you're beautiful. i love you.

a picture is worth a thousand words.

okay, maybe not...lemme 'splain. pretty much, the LAST place i wanted to be was in that circle. it doesn't take a body language expert to figure that little tidbit out. more than not wanting to be there, i'm almost certain i was TERRIFIED of catching the bouquet (sorry, mom).

to all my girlfriends that will be single when i get married: i promise i won't make you stand in a huddle and watch me chuck floral arrangments at you. promise.

divalicious.

love me. hate me.

i've been offered two free tickets to see miss spears at the honda center in anaheim next week. pretty much, britney spears is a dirty tramp train wreck (sorry, mama - it's the truef) but i'm thinkin' the girl can put on a good show.

don't hate.

oh how i love this lady.

my mama's in town this weekend. to say i'm excited would be the understatement of the century. i'm BESIDE myself with jubilation and anticipation. usually, my type-A-ness has the weekend all planned out to the last detail but this weekend's going to be a little different. we have plans here and there but mostly this weekend is all about chillaxin' and livin' the dream.

stay tuned.

i want you, i need you.

if anyone wants to fly me home to washington for this year's sasquatch! festival at the gorge, i'm totally down. oh, and go ahead and buy me tickets to the show while you're at it.

i'm homesick.

me too, please!

i met up with miss allie and katie at the ward activity this weekend and was introduced to sally the scooter. i've been obsessing over getting one for many moons and after our scooting adventure - and by adventure i mean that i just rode around the parking lot a bit - i just can't stop thinking about it.


so, mom and dad, if you're reading this, can i PLEASE have a scooter for my birthday? i promise i'll always wear my helmet and let you ride it whenever you want.

bonjour, my leetle friend.

the ladies of violet lantern hosted a little french themed birthday shindig for m'girl aubrey this weekend. never one to turn down a themed party, i busted out my neckerchief and borrowed a "beret" from miss allie. the results, i'm sure you'll agree, were ridiculous at best. but the crepes were delicious and the company was divine!

we want s'more, we want s'more.

so m'girls jane and kristine metcalf blogged about these little beauties recently. my mouth has been watering ever since but i haven't had a chance to check out the recipe to see how the magic is done. all that has changed and i've added a few ingredients to my shopping list.

care to join me? my place. saturday night.

famous!

okay, maybe not. but ocmco DID have a very nice article written after the concert saturday. click HERE to read it. love love love it!


the organization just keeps getting better and better! it's amazing and i'm so grateful to be a part of it all.

our next concert - goin' home - is scheduled for june 19. tickets go on sale may 1. for more information go to www.ocpac.org.

it's about time.

makes me smile.

my niece, hope, is almost four and the cutest thing you ever did see. obviously. something about that cheese-y smile just warms my hardened heart. the girl's got a sassiness about her that makes her auntie la-la (that's me!) proud.
i'm gonna go ahead and turn this into a gush-fest. my nieces and nephews are some of the most beautiful children ever ever EVER! whenever i'm home for a visit, the first thing i do is begin the life long pursuit of kissing their adorable faces off. i just can't even handle it.
it's almost enough to make me move home.
almost.

ready to commit.

i don't watch the office. oh, i've seen bits and pieces of the occasional episode whilst visiting an addicted friend or two on thursday nights. don't get me wrong, i think it's hilarious. i just haven't taken the time to set my tivo.

this little gem may have just changed all of that.



viva le tivo. sucking the social life out of you, one recorded show at a time.

it's ME, it's ME.

maireann croí éadrom i bhfad.

music term of the week: scatting

you know when there's those things that just keep coming up in totally different conversations or situations? and it's like once it's mentioned, you can't get away from it?

many moons ago, martha and i started a game we like to call scat wars. now, for those of you who aren't familiar with the term, click here.

and yes, i know this pic has nothing to do with scatting, but it is a perfect example of how far we'll go to entertain each other. get the picture? m'kay then.

so i was out with friends this week and the subject of scatting came up. a couple of friends mentioned a gem of a vocalist that auditioned on american idol several seasons ago known as scat girl.



do you remember her? i don't. all i can say is: awkward. and ella fitzgerald probably rolled over in her grave when that poor, midguided soul called whatever craziness she was doing scatting.

speaking of ella, here's what real scatting sounds like:



it gets better! i went to a rascal flatts concert this weekend and we weren't two or three songs into the set when the lead singer started scatting. i 'bout wet my pants with laughter!


again, semi-unrelated. i thought you'd want to see a pic of the ladies who gathered for the rascal festivating. good times, GOOD times!

but wait, there's more! i'm drivin' home from a most fantastic dinner with friends and i get a text from one of the scat girl enlighteners that marge is scatting on the latest episode of the simpsons! weird. and awesome.


can't wait for the next run-in. viva le scatting.

2 legit 2 quit.

'member how i told you i was going to see mc hammer and vanilla ice. well i did. and it was terrible! but there was a silver lining. we all dressed up. and when i say dressed up, i mean dressed UP!
gold hammer pants, anyone? thank you, kevin fish! crimped hair and shoulder pads? done and done compliments of miss martha ostergar.

bahston.

so m'girl and i made the trek across the country for a little fun in the massachussets sun. okay, so it wasn't really sunshiny, but we DID have tons of fun! oh man!


if ever you have a chance to visit boston, do it! you will not regret it! take time for the paul revere freedom trail and spend sometime in little italy. tell 'em paula sent you.

real men drink diet pepsi.

it's a mad mad mad mad world.

i heart tivo. no, seriously. it's changed my life. and introduced me to my newest favorite shows. i mean, if you're gonna be idle, may as well be SELECTIVELY idle, right?! here are my latest obsessions.

first off, we've got demitri martin's important things with demitri martin. hee-larious. with a dry sense of humor and the most glorious bowl cut you ever have seen, you'd do well to check this one out.



please know that his show is on comedy central, which means that he might not always be presenting kid-friendly material. just so's you know. watch at your own risk.

and rob dyrdek of rob & big fame is back with his own show, rob dyrdek's fantasy factory. it's the same old schenannigans minus rob's sidekick, big black. the fantasy factory is full of skateboard ramps and foam pits galore. each week, rob teams up with his equally stuntastic pals to attempt the ridiculous. set your tivo 'cause it's gonna be a wild ride.



how did i love without tivo for so long? seriously. tivo is my gateway drug. i don't know what it's a gateway too, but doesn't that sound delightfully dramatic?! what's on YOUR tivo?

you go, i go.

so natalie has this...talent. it's a unique talent. one that elicits fits of hysterical laughter. if your name is paula peralta, that is.

natalie didn't believe that her...talent...was unique in the least. so naturally, i took it upon myself to show her that she was indeed a very special young lady. behold, my attempt at said talent.

i choose to believe that my talents lie in other areas. areas such as movie watching and gum chewing. joke cracking and responsibility ignoring.

yes, i have my own talents. yes, indeedy.

land of oz.

calling all fans of mtv's the city. prepare to curl up and die of jealousy. yes, it is that good. you know jay? yeah, the hot aussie that seems to be a fan of miss whitney. you know the one. well, i may or may not have met him. in person. tonight. accent and all. yes, it's true. and let the records show that he is hotter in person than on tv. yum.

and his music ain't bad neither.

thank you, demitri martin.

light sox and red houses

tonight i'm off to expand my horizons in the land of tea parties and cobbled lanes. that's right...boston. it's MUCH colder than my california blood is used to but i'm hoping the excitement of exploring a new place will take my mind off the frigid temperatures. wish me luck on my adventuring!

um, yes please.

for one night only, the legends - mc hammer and vanilla ice - are reuniting for the concert of the year...in OREM, UT of all places! i still can't believe it but you bet your sweet bippie i got me some tickets!

i'd love to say i'm making a special trip but i already had my flight booked to ring in the birth of a few babies. oh but don't you think for one second that i would neglect to put this on the itinerary. this event is 2 legit 2 pass up. word.

for those cold, lonely nights.

my search for the perfect gift for...well, anyone...has finally ended. birthday? valentine's day? flag day? christmas? covered.


the web ad pretty much says it all but just in case you're too scared to check it out (c'mon...do it!), i think there's one thing you should know. something i know you've been wondering. yes, the shirt is removable...and washable. like i said, perfect.

an exercise in compromise.

although i'm not generally a fan, i was desperate enough in my search for an area rug to hit up the pottery barn website. unfortunately, i didn't find an area rug. fortunately, i found a duvet cover that i lovey love LOVE!


bright, busy and just a little obnoxious. it's a match made in heaven! unfortunately, i just bought new bed stuff earlier this week. oh, the fates! but FORTUNATELY, i didn't buy all the shams i needed. i think these little beauties will round out my collection nicely.

so while i won't get the entire bed set, i WILL get a little taste of the deliciousness that is this particular textile.

don't you just love compromise? i know i do.

first sale at sixTwenty!

it's official...i'm an etsy seller! my etsy page, sixTwenty, went live yesterday and i've already had my first sale! these brilliant blue beauties (how's that for excessive alliteration?!) called 'the vicki' were the pick du jour.


be prepared for days of shameless self-promotion. it's a necessary evil and how we do it in the biz. don't i sound so pro (that's short for professional) when i throw around slang like 'biz' and whatnot?! don't hate...come see what i create!

save yourself.

i saw this on my way home tonight at the corner of PCH and golden lantern (give or take one stoplight). naturally, it was necessary to pull over and take a picture. prankster, whoever you are, thanks for the laugh.

if you knew a zombie attack was imminent, what would you do? how would you save yourself? what IS a zombie anyway?

is this going to be forever?

coming soon: sixTwenty

many moons ago, a friend of mine taught me how to make jewelry. it's always been in the back of my mind that i'd develop the skill and have some fun with it. then i was introduced to etsy.com. the dream has now become a reality. well...almost. this week, i'll be launching my etsy page: sixTwenty. here's a little preview of the goods:


over time, i'll expand my line but i'm stickin' to jewelry for the moment. i'm hoping to have the site up and runnin' within the week. in the meantime, you can flag the domain - www.sixTwenty.etsy.com - and check back obsessively to see if i've posted any items for sale!

viva le handmade!

mooski.

isn't my little sister - ramona - a doll? she is the biggest sweetheart. it's been a rough couple of weeks for her but through it all she's been pretty cheery.

i think she's adorable. don't you?

let me call you sweetheart.

nordstrom and starbucks have each released most delightful compilations designed to celebrate that holiday we all love to hate to love.


nordie's disc is a mixture of the old classics (at last by etta james, unforgettable by nat 'king' cole). i'm a fan of lilac wine by jeff buckley and naked as we came by iron and wine.

starbucks' sweetheart album is a fantastic mix of favorite love songs (maps by the yeah yeah yeahs, i'm on fire by bruce springsteen) covered by some of today's new artists. there are too many standout tracks to name just one, but i WILL say i was pleasantly surprised by rogue wave's cover of maps and death cab's love song cover). good stuff! head on over to starbucks (or itunes), grab yourself a hot cocoa and enjoy your stay!

oh, and happy valentines day.

mayor for a minute.

i have the best nieces and nephews around. they're all so adorable and talented and fun and adorable and talented and...MINE! i love them all but every once in awhile, one of them does something worthy of spotlight.


my nephew levi lives in spokane, washington. last week, he was recognized at a city council meeting for his civic involvement and got to sit in the mayor's chair. doesn't he look official?!

super saturday.

this weekend was a trifecta of adventure. m'girls and i took a not-so-quick trip up to the city of angels for the day. we started off with a jaunt through the fashion district. safe to say, a good time was had by all. the highlights were the skinny jeans in every color of the rainbow and the now you see 'em, now you don't knockoff handbags.


after a rejuvenating lunch at cpk, we headed on over to the los angeles county museum of art (lacma). between the light poles and german automobiles out front, we didn't even really need to go into the museum. but go we did. the vanity fair portrait exhibit with most fantastic along with the hearst collection of antiquities. we wrapped it all up with a stop at our good friend tito's. he welcomed us with open arms and it was the perfect ending to a very long day.

where shall we travel next?

indio or bust.

i've lived in california for four years and still haven't made it to this festival. every year, i obsess over the website and the lineup and the coolness that is coachella. this year is no exception. i've been compulsively checking the website to see the lineup. good things come to those who obsess! check out this lineup.


i'm particularly excited about ghostland observatory, girl talk, tv on the radio, the ting tings, fleet foxes, the killers, mstrkrft and blitzen trapper. to name a few. aw, heck! i'm just super jazzed about the whole circus! who's with me?!

speaking of circus, guess who scored tickets to britney spear's anaheim concert? please. i'm not ashamed. what i am is PUMPED to see miss britney do her thing (in the center of the ring just like a circus...sorry, couldn't resist).

the technical part of technical college.

yeah, so his first joke's kinda been done and is a bit of a cheap shot, but this guy's pretty funny. like laugh out loud funny. and he's straight outta my home state. good times good times. gotta love a comedian with his own theme music.

blast from the past: auto edition

last week, m'girl tory unveiled her sweet ride...a 1991 isuzu trooper. what's so special about a trooper? well, it just so happens that my family had the exact same car when i was growing up. in fact, i believe i learned to drive a manual transmission in that car. at any rate, i was stupid excited to go joy ridin' in the trooper.


after that little adventure, i started thinking about all the cars i've ever owned. granted, there have only been four, but each of those four cars made quite an impression. many memories were made in each car and i look back on each one - ghetto as they may be - with fondness.


first up, we have ted the topaz. he was my first. what's not to love about a mercury topaz? the best part about this car was that there was an electrical issue in the ignition, so ted was known to randomly shut off at any given moment. around town or on the freeway, ted was no respecter of location. many a day, i found myself spontaneously pulling over to regroup and get ted going again. sadly, ted was totaled when a lady rear-ended me and crushed ted beyond recognition. our romance was brief but i'll never forget him.


and then came the silver bullet. my parents took the insurance money and bought me a shiny, new...geo metro. that's right, baby. that car got me through my first few years of college. it was so perfect...except for in inclement weather. as long as the roads were perfectly even and dry, i didn't have any problems. did i mention i went to college in rexburg, idaho where the average snowfall is ridiculously high? yeah...it was a recipe for good times.


as happens in large families, a multitude of licenses were acquired and it came to pass the silver bullet down the line. enter sunny the sundance. sunny was a beauty. with luxurious maroon velour interior and power windows, i was in heaven. we had a good run together...two years, i think. the BEST part was that two years later i sold her for exactly what i bought her for. so...i basically MADE money on the sundance. joy.


and here we are. my sweet ride is now a 2000 (i think) nissan altima. le said altima has treated me pretty good over the years. i've used her up and worn her out with nary a complaint from the lady. she's done me good. real good. thousands of miles later, it's close to movin' on time. but until then, we'll be alright.

what was your first car? tell me about the quirks. spill it!

one in a million(aire).

a change is gon' come.

"change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. we are the ones we've been waiting for. we are the change that we seek."

ice skating: a photo essay.

foul at the moon.

we made the trek to universal citywalk for an evening out at a dueling piano bar. it was a bucket list sort of thing, y'know. well...it wasn't EXACTLY what we expected. to say the least. after a few agonizing minutes of the most disgusting vulgarity, we did an about face and got the heck out of there. some of us grabbed dinner and some of us...um, rode bulls. not exactly what we went for, but it was a good times.

happy birthday, miss angel!

one year older and wiser, too! but none the wiser when it comes to birthday surprises. miss jeni and i orchestrated a most delightful surprise dinner. and believe you me, angel is NOT easy to surprise. either way, we pulled it off without a hitch and a good time was had by all.


the festivating continued today in the form of funny gifts and office lunches. good times, good times. and THEN, the coup de grace, was a trip to...sprinkles! miss angel had never experienced the delight, so we made a stop on the way to ocmco rehearsal. after a "mini" taste test, we decided that none of the cupcake flavors can compete with the coconut. DEE-lish!

i love my job.

but i think it's time for greener pastures. movin' on time, i mean. you see, i've received a better offer.

um...i accept?

um, can't wait.

we're klassy like that.

saturday night, brought oc's finest to angel stadium for an event unlike any other. that's right, boys and girl, le monster trucks. that's french for the monster trucks. that's right. just 'cause we're klassy don't mean we cain't speak no french.


this is only a tidbit of the delights captured on film that night. the peeps brought it that night and looked...klassy. oh, and don't worry if you missed it. gravedigger's back in town next month. bust out the chaw, bobby jean. we'll see you there.

never a dull moment at the disneyland.

friday night, we rallied the peeps for an evening of magic and mayhem at the happiest place on earth. as always, a good time was had by all while we pranced and danced through the magic kingdom.

space mountain was a bit of a downer but, after a few dirty looks, we moved on to the next ride. big thunder mountain anyone? oh! and i went on TWO new rides! i know, right? just goes to show, disneyland NEVER gets old! a shoutout to m'boy peter pan for a good time on our journey through neverneverland.

i gave her my heart and she gave me a pen.

i'm pretty sure i could watch this movie a million gamillion times and STILL not be sick of it. seriously, what's not to love?! john cusack is a total hottie and delivers some of the most hilarious lines of all time. if you haven't seen it, you're missing out! you better remedy that real quick like. word.

out with the old, in with the new.

after a few faithful seasons of the hills, mtv introduces the city. on last season of the hills, whitney landed a big job in nyc with diane von furstenburg. and the city is born. the show follows whitney as she navigates the ins and outs of a new place and new people.


i invited m'girls over last night for a viewing. they had to catch up, i got to enjoy it for the second (maybe third) time 'round. i don't know how sweet whitney will fair in the big apple but, after three episodes, one thing IS for sure...i'm addicted.

oh, and did i mention she has a hot aussie boyfriend? yeowsas!

back to the grind.

man vs. machine

my family got a wii for christmas. i don't know why, but i took like fifty hundred pics of my dad doing the wii boxing for the first time. i can't tell you why i was so obsessed with documenting the event, but obsessed i was. a gamillion photos later, behold the mosaic. you're welcome.


maybe this is one of those things that is only funny if you were there. maybe not. all i know is that i've never heard my dad talk the kinda trash he was talkin' to the video game. ever. my pops plus a wii is a recipe for pure hiliarity...not just for him, but for all involved.