Last Friday night I had the privilege of hooking up with some lovely ladies for dinner and dessert and great conversation.

We dined on puffy tacos from Elote and crepes and gelato from Mod’s. There was much laughter and the evening ended all too soon.

Jenny, Tiffany, Loralee, and Elizabeth

Thanks again ladies for a fantastic evening.

This year for BlogHer I’m trying something new. I’m going to try and pack everything into one carry-on suitcase and check no bags. Last year I paid some kind of astronomical $60 over weight bag fee on my way home from Chicago. This is probably because my suitcase is the size of a yeti and I’ve always enjoyed not carrying anything on the plane but my purse. (albeit a giant purse big enough to hold all my purse-y things as well as my camera and laptop) Oh and I like to stock up on (useful) swag.

This year though, the budget is a bit tighter than years prior. I’m looking to save a buck any way that I can. I already booked a super cheap bus/shuttle to and from the airport for a whopping $21. That’s round trip to and from LaGuardia for $21. (just google NY Airport Service)
I’m hoping that by bus they mean a real bus like one would take to and from work. And not some scary broke down old school bus full of chickens and goats and hobos who look like they’re on their way to “Cartagena”.

And now that almost every airline wants to charge you to check a bag, I’m going to try my hand at packing everything in my little carry-on suitcase.

The problem? Look at the size of my carry-on.

It’s quite wee compared to my big suitcase. I’m not entirely sure how this is going to work. I don’t want to be one of those douchebags on the plane who is really trying to carry on two bags instead of one. So I’m scaling down in every way possible. I already did a dry run toiletry packing over the weekend.  I also watched a YouTube video on how to pack light. And I found out that I totally pack for worst case scenario traveling and not realistic what am I actually going to need traveling. And even though it pains me to do this, here are the things I will not be taking.

• blow dryer – I know all hotels have them and even though mine is better and theirs are usually lame, I’m going to make do.
• shampoo and conditioner – It’s silly to pack my own and hoard all the freebies from the hotel. I should just use what the hotel puts out WHILE I’M STAYING THERE.  (it’s not as if they are going to be putting out Bliss products like The W)
• 98% of my makeup – I do not need to pack my Urban Decay book of shadows and my eleventy hundred lipsticks. I don’t even wear lipstick. I’m simply only taking what I’ll absolutely need.
• my bottle of facial moisturizer – I have dry skin and there’s no way I can even think about applying makeup if I haven’t moisturized. Lucky for me I found some L’Occitane sample packets from my last purchase.
• nail polish – I’ll have freshly painted fingers and toes when I leave, there’s no need for me to assume I’ll screw up my polish and need a retouch.
• shower gel – I just found 4 bars of soap leftover from The Westin that I brought home from BlogHer08. Yeah, I’m just gonna use the hotel soap.
• flat brush – typically I style my hair in the morning with both a round and a flat brush. The round brush is more critical and I think I can make do with just the one.
• extra glasses – I went from a full time contact lens wearer to a full time glasses wearer almost two years ago. So while I will pack a couple pairs of disposable contacts just in case, I’m not bringing 4 pairs of glasses. The ones on my face will do just fine.
• hand mirror – I use a fairly large hand mirror in the mornings to put on my makeup. I’m going to try to get by with just the mirror inside my powder compact.
• umpteen shoes – I think I packed five pairs of shoes last year. And then Crocs gave away free flip flops the first day I was there and I literally spent the rest of the trip in those. They are not that cute, but they are hella comfy. I got a pair in black and a pair in light blue/gray. I’m seriously considering only bringing these two pairs of flip flops. I know it sounds crazy. I even got a cute new pair of wedges over the weekend that I really want to take with me. But after wearing them to work all day Monday, I have a feeling I wouldn’t last more than two hours in these shoes. They are cute though yes?
• my laptop – this might be the one item I’m most worried about leaving behind. I really hate to leave it behind, but it’s just so bulky and I can check my email, twitter, facebook, and flickr all from my phone. In the past I’ve used it to burn cds and share music with my friends and roomies, but since none of those women are even attending this year, I think I’ll be ok without it.
• my bathing suit – I’ve taken it three years now and have yet to even see a pool.

There are some things though that I can’t go without. And wouldn’t even try to.

• contact cards – These are a must. Even if you don’t think you’ll meet anyone new, these are great to drop in fish bowls for giveaways and mailing lists. Plus you will always meet new people and it’s nice to be able to give them back a card when they give you theirs.
• digital camera – DUH. If you go to a blogging conference and you take no pictures, were you even really there? Plus, hello! NYC baby.
• extra clothes – there’s a fine line between packing just enough and packing too much. I’m still trying to figure that out. I can tell you though that my experience has me wearing two outfits a day. One during the day and one at night. I don’t expect this to ever change. My problem is that instead of packing 6 outfits, I find myself packing 9. Or haphazardly packing mix and match items that end up not being part of an actual outfit. I’m working really hard on my list of outfits so that I don’t end up with stuff I don’t wear.
• ipod – for the plane(s). It entertains me and keeps me from going insane. Or from having to make small talk. I hate small talk with strangers. (says the girl going to a conference where there will be many strangers with whom she will make small talk with)
• a book – not 3 or 4 books mind you. One book. To read in the airports. Reading on the plane makes me ill.
• roll on perfume – it’s brilliant really. Leave your bottles at home lest they get broken or forgotten. Buy a small roll on perfume that will last you the whole time and that you won’t freak out about if you lose it. It’s also neat because now whenever I smell VS Dream Angels all of my BlogHer08 San Francisco memories come pouring back.  (and remind me to tell you about the time I spilled a bottle of Romance in my suitcase. It was sad sad sad.)
• singles – it’s important to remember to have small bills. Don’t feel like a schmuck because you didn’t have tip money for your driver or the maid service.

I’m not planning on bringing back every piece of swag that comes my way. Far from it. Since this is my 4th BlogHer I already know what things get used and what things go right in the garbage. I brought home a lot less swag last year than years prior, but still more than I needed. You always wind up being give some kind of bag. Or nine. So I figure worse case scenario I might have to check my bag on the way home because I’ll want to lug my swag bag on the plane. And it will be worth paying a $25 bag check fee if I can come home again with awesome things like flip flops, perfume, video cameras, and flash drives. (my husband is a huge fan of the free flash drives I bring back each year, but this year I’m only bringing back the 2 or 3 that have the most storage space)

So there you go. My obligatory pre-BlogHer conference post of unsolicited advice and tips.

Oh and if someone gives you one of these, stash it away for a Dirty Santa gift. Because that’s about all it’s good for. (don’t ask me how I know)

Last night I helped throw my sister a surprise 30th birthday celebration at her favorite restaurant. Her best friends really stepped up to the plate and made awesome fans with her face on them. On the backs they wrote “I’m a fan of Dawn”. It was kind of awesome.

She was totally surprised and it was a really fun evening. I love my sister.

You can view the entire set of photos here.

And you can read an even better post about this over at her BFF’s blog.

Yesterday, right around 5pm I had an email encounter with a client that left me with spiked blood pressure and a strong hankering for a cocktail. On the drive home all I could think about was how I just wanted to get home and see my husband. His arms were the ones I wanted wrapped around me. His smile is the one I wanted to see. I knew that just going home to him would be what I needed.

And there he was with a cure for what ailed me. He listened to me vent and then he put on She’s Out Of My League. We laughed and laughed and I allowed myself to calm down and forget about my workplace woes.

Then we went downtown for the Joebot’s/Yokozuna Grand Opening event. I was given a sample of delicious iced espresso and listened to live music while we waited for a table. Once seated we were given some sake to try. It was my first experience with sake. I wasn’t much of a fan, but I hear there are many kinds and I shouldn’t write it off completely.

Then came my cocktail. My deliciously girly Hello Sumo Hello Kitty cocktail. I’m pretty sure that drinking it out of the ceramic sumo was half the fun.

Now it must be said that I do not like sushi. I never have. People always tell me it’s because I haven’t tried the right kind. Those close to me know that I have tried it on several occasions and am always left gagging and/or choking it down. (Rodger, do you remember that time we tried sushi at Tsunami? And how horrible it was? Yeah.)

Thom loves him some sushi though. He hardly ever gets to indulge because of me. In the same manner that I hardly ever get to enjoy things like lasagna or macaroni and cheese because of his utter disdain for all things cheesy and noodley. Yokozuna provides not only a full entree menu, but a full sushi menu as well. It’s a win win.

Dinner came and Thom had ordered two kinds of rolls.

-The Golden Driller Roll: Tempura shrimp, jalapeno, and cream cheese with spicy mayo.
-The Rising Sun Roll: Coconut shrimp, crab, cream cheese, and avocado rolled in soy paper and served with pineapple rum sauce.

He ate one piece of the Rising Sun Roll and this smile spread across his face. The same kind of smile that spreads across mine when I’ve just taken a bite of the most delicious and decadent dessert. He looked and me and pushed the plate my way.

“You are going to want to try this.”

I dipped my finger in the pineapple rum sauce and knew he was right. I wanted more of that sauce. And that meant I was going to need a vessel to get the sauce from the dish and into my mouth.

The lighting was not so great so I didn’t get a photo of it, but here’s what it looked like.

Image taken from Yokozuna’s flickr stream.

You guys… I didn’t gag! I ate the entire bite and enjoyed it the way it was meant to be enjoyed. It was such a triumphant moment for me. I don’t know if I’ll ever find another kind of sushi that agrees with me, but at least I’ll always have the Rising Sun Roll.

At the end of the meal my fortune cookie said to me: You have a secret admirer. Lock your doors. (gotta love humorous fortune cookies)

We saw lots of friends and familiar faces last night and the entire drive home I was just happy. Happy that Thom and I managed to turn what could have been a crappy night into a really enjoyable evening.

Happy that I have a husband who knows me. Who knows how to make me forget about the little things in life that bring me down.

There’s a song out there on the radio slowly climbing the (Christian radio) charts.

God gave me you for the ups and downs
God gave me you for the days of doubt
For when I think I’ve lost my way
There are no words here left to say it’s true
God gave me you

On my own I’m only, half of what I could be
I can’t do without you
We are stitched together, and what love has tethered
I could baby never undo

(watch the entire video here)

I may get angry at you for not cleaning out the garage. Or for never putting the toilet paper roll on the holder. These are those small things that people tell you not to sweat. And those people are right. Because at the end of the day you are my husband. You are the man whom I have chosen to spend my life with. And you are the one whose arms I run to. Thank you for being my lobster.

I remember my first crepe experience. I was young. About 8 or 9 years old. I was friends with the neighbor girl and her family was Polish. I remember spending the night and waking up to her parents making crepes for breakfast. I would sprinkle cinnamon, sugar, and butter on them and gobble them up. They were so cool and so delicious and I wondered why my own family never made them. As an adult I realize why. They are kind of difficult to make if you don’t know what you’re doing. Good thing I know where I can go if I’m not feeling up to the challenge.

Welcome Mod’s Coffee and Crepes! I’ve been saying for sometime now that downtown needs an ice cream shop. And here you move in with your gelato and coffee and CREPES! Delicious sweet crepes like banana nutella and fabulous savory crepes like baked apple and ham with pepper jack. Oh and don’t even get me started on the banana pudding gelato. Heaven.

I can’t wait to go back and try the tomato bisque. And chocolate gelato. And a latte. And the peanut butter and jelly crepe. So basically I just can’t wait to go back.

507 South Boston
918-582-MODS

You’ve been tasked with the assignment of throwing a dinner party. For yourself and 5 celebrities. Who do you invite?

I really gave this one a lot of thought. In the end all five ended up being actors.

- Michael Emerson. Even though I’ve only ever seen him play Benjamin Linus on Lost, there is just something so mysterious about him. I’m completely fascinated and I want to dig deep inside his brain.

- Michael C. Hall. I fell in love with him as David Fisher on Six Feet Under and continue to love him as Dexter Morgan on Dexter. My heart broke earlier this year when I learned he was battling cancer, but he appears to be in full remission. His resume on IMDB isn’t very long, but he acts as though he was born to do it. He blows me away. Yet another brain I would love to pick. And ok I’ll admit it… he’s a bit of eye candy.

- Jason Bateman. Speaking of eye candy… Sure I watched him as a kid play David Hogan and a teen wolf, but it wasn’t until his roles in Arrested Development and Extract that I really developed an interest in him. He so perfectly plays the average male who can’t win for losing.

- Paul Rudd. Oh Paul. I’ve had a major crush on you ever since you played Josh in the movie Clueless and then Kirby on Sisters. You are hilarious and sexy and that line in Knocked Up when Leslie Mann’s character says you only get better looking with age. That is totally true. Whether you’re playing the gay best friend or the husband of Princess Consuela Bananahammock, I can’t get enough of your laid back sexy silly go with the flowedness. You can use your Sex Panther on me any time. And don’t even get me started on I Love You Man. Seriously, I love you man.

- Aubrey Plaza. I bet you thought I wasn’t going to invite any chicks to my dinner. I almost didn’t. There’s just something about Aubrey that intrigues me so. Parks and Recreation is one of my favorite shows on tv. Her character, April, seems to be hilarious without even trying. She’s so deadpan funny and I love it. I watched her give an interview on the Bonnie Hunt show and she is very much like April. I look forward to seeing her career really take off. Even her small role in Funny People was fantastic.

It really would be the most awesome dinner party ever.

So which five celebrities would you invite?

Ahhhh, another room done. Such a feeling of accomplishment! Thom was eager to help this time. Or at least willing. Even on the step stool on my tippy toes I’m not tall enough to do the top trim. I can’t for the life of me figure out how I did it in the master. I guess this explains why that room took me so long. This color was much darker than the others so the the uneven trim just sticks out like a sore thumb. We are looking into crown molding. For reals. Despite that, I am very much in love with the way it turned out. Since this room was home to many a framed poster, Thom gets to decide what goes back up on the walls. I’ve only asked that he not put up the evil clowns or anything outright vulgar. He seems ok with this.

The color on the walls is Suede Gray by Behr. I was afraid it would be too dark, but it’s really perfect. The only problem is that the light on the fan isn’t very bright so the room is now even more dark than usual. Add black curtains to that and the room is perfect for watching movies. Or sleeping in. Or hosting a vampire.

Before:

After:

I wonder if Thom would let me hang some hot pink geese on the walls.

My father, David, is in Florida right now working with a team to help clean up the oil spill.
His brother, my Uncle Danny, is in Chile right now helping those who were affected by the earthquake.

These are two of the hardest working men I know. And I’m proud to call them family. I miss you both and I can’t wait to see you again. Love you.

I have a confession to make. I’m not one of those people who enjoys celebrating the 4th of July. Yes I am happy that we live in a free country and I know how fortunate I am to have been born in the US. I just don’t get excited to do the things that typically go along with this holiday. I’ve already been grilling dinners outside for the last two months. Dinners that get brought inside once they are done because OMG it’s so hot outside. I have zero desire to sit outside in the sweltering heat with the mosquitoes and try and fight the flies for my food.

I enjoy swimming, but unless I know you really well, I’m just not going to be comfortable sporting a swim suit around you. And since I don’t have my own pool, this pasty white girl will probably continue to remain indoors. And pasty.

I do not buy fireworks. I do not get all giddy and excited to go watch fireworks. The mere thought of the traffic and the crowds and the before mentioned heat and mosquitoes is enough to make me start twitching. Sometimes from my backyard I can see the fireworks that the nearby country club sets off. And that’s good enough for me.

Basically what I’m saying is that the only thing I look forward to regarding the 4th of July is the day off work. And this year it happens to coincide with the weekend which means 3 day weekend. And also a lovely lunch and movie date on Monday with 3 women I adore and certain vampire/werewolf/human girl love triangle. And I imagine that by Monday I’ll be looking so forward to that date because I will have spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday working on my guest room.

I decided to keep the momentum going and not skip a weekend between room makeovers because I have out of town guests coming to see me on the 9th and I want my house to look the best it can before they get here. And this will be the first time I’ve actually gotten to use this room as a guest room. The last time I had a guest she was forced to sleep in the living room because we were using the room as an office. So by the end of the weekend we should have a proper guest room. If it can be considered proper with a pull out sofa instead of an actual bed.

Here’s the room when it was an office.

Here it is right after we put the pull out sofa in there.

And lest you think I’m always that tidy… here’s what it looks like now.

It’s really sad and embarrassing that after 8 years we still haven’t taken down all the really old curtains we inherited with the house. There is just really no excuse for our laziness. Of course, buying new curtains and rods can be expensive if you’re not careful. And of course this room has two windows instead of one which means double the expense and I still haven’t put up curtains in the craft room. The craft room at least has a pull down shade that the previous owners installed. But not the guest room. Note to self: do not enter guest room at night naked until curtains have been put up.

I’m very much looking forward to the weekend. I hope you all have a great 4th and check back here Tuesday for more after photos!

I have finished another room! Well, 99% finished it. I still need to find some curtains to hang. Actually, I think I’m going to try and make some. I just need to muster up the courage to take my pretty Amy Butler fabric and try.

Here’s the before shots.

And the afters:

Next up… the guest room!