Aussie style

Australian style (good style, not those Uggs) has landed and I am all for it! Cotton On is sort of like H&M in the sense that it is thrifty fast-fashion, though Cotton On is a bit more basic and doesn't offer all of the European-esque trappings (uncomfortably worded soliloquies about fashion, strangers' faces on a shirt, monochromatic ensembles) you may stumble upon at H&M. Typo is the brand's stationery outpost and it's like Papyrus but with a more youthful and irreverent bent. What I love about both stores is that the prices never hurt, and when things are on sale, it's almost like stealing. Legal stealing.

Among the cards and magazine organizers at Typo, I picked up this fawn figurine I've been eyeing. Regularly $20, now $5! Come to mama, Bambi!

Who's a baby deer!?

Dear Mumsy was the first to tell me about the good-quality clothes with budget prices at Cotton On. The dress on the left was marked down from $25 to $15. The striped number on the right wasn't on sale but still a deal at $15, given that the stripes are all lined up at the seams and the cotton is thick enough to not tell passerby the color of your underwear.

Bonus: both dresses are long enough to walk confidently down the street. This is the cure to that infection of too-short dresses and skirts afflicting America!

date night

Last Friday was Tater and Muddy's engagement celebration, and though he wasn't invited, it was held at the Cheers-like bar/restaurant of my ex. He didn't show (amazing! he used to be there every Friday night like clockwork) but I was relieved. Until I got to talking with a few of his friends; now I have doubts about the veracity of his reasons for breaking up.

And all of this made me think of him throughout the weekend, which I haven't done since thirty minutes after he broke up with me back in June. And then I started wondering... is there something wrong with me? I know, relationship fail.

But no, there's nothing wrong with me (nothing major, anyways!) And if you don't like what I am, then get lost! And whether or not what he told me is true doesn't matter (because if it's true, he's the idiot we all know he is and if it's false, then he's a liar... don't need those in my life.)

And it got me thinking about some awkward patterns in my colorful dating history. "When is the last time someone bought me flowers?" I thought as I was grocery shopping. "When is the last time a date showed up with flowers at the door?"

February 2011. Doesn't sound like such a long time but that is six males and five first dates ago.

So I decided to take myself on a date and bought myself flowers. And a baby deer table knick-knack at $5 to make myself really smile. I cooked beefy pasta with lots of garlic, opened a bottle of pinot grigio (because matching your wine to your pasta is really not necessary,) and spread some fashion inspiration on the table. Oh yeah, get out the romantic tealight candle because tonight is the season premiere of Season 2 of Revenge and I love that shamelessly juicy saga of a girl taking matters into her own hands. Go on Emily, get 'em!

Flowers... is that so much to ask? I should've known that he-who-blows-up-my-toilet doesn't deserve me.

brite lite

All of these casual dress days at work have been influencing my friends. Exhibit A: My co-worker rocks the orange pants while I beam yellow.

say hello to my little friend

I may have missed the clinching game for an awesome baby shower but you knonw that the Giants were going to make it this year, regardless of who was at that game. Still, I know it would've been tons of fun to be there...

My Giants crew felt bad that I wasn't there but they couldn't find a single fan selling their Panda Gnome figure. So my co-worker and friend Gingy graciously presented me with his Panda Gnome.

I love the bubblegum detail... that's so Panda!

oh baby!

On Saturday, September 22, 2012, the San Francisco Giants clinched the NL West pennant. This is not an everyday occurrence.

But on Saturday, September 22, 2012, I was in Seattle for Chikorita's baby shower. Also not an everyday occurrence. Most (not all) regrets were dissolved instantly once I saw Chikorita and her baby bump at SeaTac airport. It's been over a year since I've seen that smiling ray of sunshine and she was thrilled that I flew up to attend her baby shower.

And bring her 18 month-old wedding gifts hiding in another friend's house.

This is only a part of the amazing smorgasboard we had... chicken wings were added to the table soon after. But the cake... I have already invited the baker to my birthday next year.

The important thing is that the Giants are going to the post-season and I'm excellent at whacking tennis balls with a potato.

one for one

These are the only shoes I'm buying for fall. Promise!

L: TOMS desert bootie
R: TOMS classic with pewter sequins!

I guess this makes me Dick Cheney

My "gunslinger award" for having the most not-a-bugs per 100 defects on the team. Ammo sold separately.

be the rainbow

Now that I have pants in enough colors to make the Care Bears happy, I'm sure Anna Wintour will scramble to place colored jeans in the "Out" bin.

But who cares, wear what you love!

Got me some Roy G. BPV, because why get indigo - the unwanted child of blue and black - when you can have pink?

I shall wait in a line no more!

Dear painfully hip San Franciscans, how many hours have you wasted waiting in line for Bi-Rite Creamery's salted caramel ice cream?

Despite the lighter texture and less creamy taste, I am A-OK with substituting Yoppi Yogurt's salted caramel frozen yogurt for the ice cream. The flavors are a very good imitation of Bi-Rite's and the downtown locations are way more accessible for me. Besides, even the longest afternoon break line for yogurt doesn't wrap around the block, leaving me with ample time to finish my daily crossword.

fun at tarjay

Tater and I had too much fun at Target. We originally went to check out the new Patch NYC capsule collection for the fall installment of The Shops at Target. We left with so much more.

stag cake platter 24.99
4 highball glasses 19.99
4 dessert plates 19.99

First, the much-awaited dinnerware. I love animals (big surprise!) so I was thrilled that one of the boutiques designed entertainment-ware with an animal theme. And since these pieces are in classy black, white, and gold, you don't have to be kooky like me to appreciate these furry friends.

But on to our furry friends... I can't help buying a packet or two of these Temptations cat treats whenever I pass through the pet care aisles. But I have never seen these flavors before...

L: Blissful Catnip flavor
R: Catnip Fever (chicken, catnip, and cheddar flavors)

I'm loving the choice of words ("blissful catnip") and imagery (rainbow afro on a chicken that's happy to be devoured!) I wonder if these are the key for getting Johnny Cat to warm up to the little ball of energy that is Soleil.

And to conclude our animal safari at Target, Tater and I wound up at the sleepwear section where we tried on fantastic animal-themed onesies by cutesy design label Nick & Nora. This is the shark onesie I took home:

don't you hate it when you blog from your smartphone and the photos
turn out sideways? I sure do.

This 24.99 investment in joy is soft, fuzzy, warm, comfortable, and one of the craziest cute things I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. I love the attention to detail, like how their is a strip of elastic at the ankle to keep the footsies in place and how my feet are decked out in shark finery...

Shake your tail fin, baby!

Tater purchased the striped sock monkey onesie, which is probably the one that will sell out first. I should know because they didn't have my size in store :(

However, not all of the onesies are this cute. This hot mess was left on the rack, and if anyone thinks that leopard prints are always sexy, this is how you counter:

If I could live at Target, I would!

down to the yarn

It's only 2 weeks until Chikorita's baby shower and my Peruvian flag baby blanket is about two-thirds done. Can I finish in time?

enter the panda

Last night's game was brutal. Extra innings again and despite hits by Scutaro, Buster, and Panda, the Giants lost to the D-backs.

But you know what? Not every city can claim Bruce Lee's hometown!

cue the ominous music

What a stressful game. Up by 4 in the 1st, then trailing by 3 in the 6th. The force may have ended up with the Giants but it took extra innings, base hits by the entire team, and a Jedi-worthy hit by Marco Scutaro to secure a victory over the D-backs.

My R2-D2 dress was well-received by everyone except the lady at concessions ("Who are you? Somebody get this girl some Star Wars fries!") And the Death Star baseball now sits at the front of my collection.

Victims of another N line switchback

What did that judge say? Something akin to a slap in the fscr of muni patrons.

not for everyday

But at just $5 per person, how can you resist a buffet lunch with good fried chicken? Even if it is in Gold Lounge. The lunch was surprisingly good, with huge bowls of spring salad and Greek salad, two kinds of hummus, roast beef, veggie kabobs, fried chicken, and cake and cookies for dessert. I skipped the carrot cake because I believe it a crime against stomachs but I enjoyed the coconut macaroons (not to be confused with the French cookie confection.) The view was... different but nothing awful or distasteful. After all, we are eating lunch.

I love a good work of art

Some of the evidence from the first company picnic in four or so years...

Almost ready

I could go to the ballpark as is on Monday but I'm hoping that I will find a good half hour or so to add the blue tulle. Because that's what separates R2-D2 from girly R2.

the hit streak

Redemption from last night's fiasco was earned as Madison Bumgarner led the Giants to a resounding 6-1 victory over the Nationals tonight. Madison completed the game and everyone played well... Melky, Buster, and Panda started off a hit streak in the eighth that gave the Giants they needed for a win. That's right, everyone got to bat in the eighth!

This is Buster Bunny's and my last game before Colombia, so it was extra sweet that it wasn't cold, that the $5 splash credit on my ticket worked, and that we won.

Go Giants!

that plucky droid went to the disco...

I am on track to be the glitteriest and girliest R2-D2 ever...

do the robot

So I'm not a fantastic sewer, and the addition of a sewing machine didn't aid my endeavor to create an R2-D2 costume for Star Wars night at the ballpark. But don't think that I'm going to show up in plainclothes just yet.

I have returned to good ol' craft foam! I'm still sewing the patches onto the dress but now it's by hand instead of by machine. And for some reason, I'm just not that handy with machines.

Besides, foam is easier to cut than cotton cloth and naturally holds its shape. And... I got glitter foam! A short night's work produced these quick results.

R2-D2, here I come!