Q&A

I'm proud to announce I found the blog where the Q&As from last week originated.

 I completely feel in love with her blog and the fact that she releases new Q&As each week. Thanks for the fun Mrs. Schroeder!

What is your fondest memory as a child? 

His: My father would always pick me up from school, and he would give my schoolyard chums and I “rocketship pushes” on the swing set. My dad was so strong, he would push us OVER the bar. You know you’re jealous.

Her: Late at night I’d seek into the living room and watch old Westerns with my dad. I use to squeeze into the little space between his back and the coach and pop my head up and down between intense scenes. Being one of four children it always made me feel special.

 When did you first know you were going to marry your spouse (or fiancé)?

His: I actually think it was the night we told each other that we loved one another. It was an emotionally raw night, but with a beautiful ending. I’m pretty sure I knew from that point forward.

Her: When I met his parents. He had time after time spoken of their golden relationship and the desire to have a marriage similar to theirs. Since we began dating Matt has rarely referred to me by first name and would instead insert a number of cute pet names like darling and doll face. When I heard his dad call his mom by those same names I knew that Matt had good teachers and that he deeply loved me.

What is your guilty pleasure? 

His: The Real World/Road Rules Challenge. I’ve been watching this forever and it still sucks me in every season.

Her: French Fries! I can eat them all day every day. Oh, and some silly girl named Selena Gomez.

What is your favorite television show? 

His: Of all time – The Shield. Currently running – Sons of Anarchy or Tosh.0 (depends on if I want comedy or drama).

Her: Currently I’m all about nerds and socialites thanks to The Big Bang Theory and Gossip Girl (I can’t help it).

What is your most embarrassing moment? 

His: I honestly don’t get embarrassed but have probably done things I should be embarrassed of.

Her: I was walking around a swap meet and reached over to tap my boyfriend’s butt but didn’t notice I was actually touching a very scared stranger.

If you had 24 hours left to live, what would you do and why? 

His: Skydive, try to read my Dad’s favorite book of all time (Darconville’s Cat), and have the best damn steak dinner of all time with the people I love most. Oh, and drink heavily – I’m dying, I think it’s OK to self medicate.

Her: I’d send out mass texts and Face book invites to a party I’d title “Jessica’s Last Hooray” to keep the mood light of course and go out with a bang in my favorite party dress with my favorite people.

Who is your celebrity role model and why? 

His: Clint Eastwood – he’s the baddest man on the planet, still kicking ass in his 80’s, and yet he has an artistic and loving soul. He’s the closest thing we have to a modern day renaissance man. Oh, and Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, for obvious reasons to those who know me.

Her: Britney Spears when she was bald j/k. I respect and enjoy watching Brian Cranston.

What does your dream vacation look like? 

His: I’ve always wanted to go to Tahiti. I’d eat and drink like a king, get massages every day, play in the water, and hopefully get a tan!

Her: Drop me off in Europe and I'll make my dream vacation.

If you had $1,000,000 and you HAD to spend it, what would you do with it?

His: Buy a house, pay off my mom’s house, pay for the balance of our wedding, trade up to a brand new Charger for me, and Mini Cooper S for Jess, and get Clippers season tickets. The rest would be frittered gambling, drinking, and debauching.

Her: I’d buy a weekend car, take cooking classes in Italy, and hire Blake Shelton to sing me to sleep each night. Simple things like that.

What did you do on your favorite date with one another? 

His: Well, I am partial to the time I took Jess to see the Clippers play and she finally came away actually admitting she liked basketball. But nothing can match the magic of our first date – we went to Disneyland. We were both nervous and awkward at first like a couple of teenagers, but we ended up having the most perfect weekend ever.

Her: The second part of what he saidJ

Couples Retreat

 I feel like in the past 2 days Matt and I have been everywhere but home. We've been out and about having the most amazing times with some of our favorite duos:) Now all I need is another weekend to recover from this one...

On Friday night we met up with friends at one of our favorite Karaoke bars. I really wish I could express myself through song but my vocal abilities are straight up embarrassing and wouldn't even be humored by the saddest of karaoke communities (this is one of those bars where people bring their personal CDS and mics). On the contrary, Matt sings very well and I always have fun cheering him on. Sometimes he'll even sing a song to me infront of everyone. He is quite the dish.

 The Karaoke bar happens to be diagonal from a 24 hour grocery store and like most; I tend to do silly/random/spontaneous things after consuming a beverage or two. I decided to get my mad hatter on throw our friend Ryan (born in October) a very merry un-birthday in the parking. The lady that rang me up thought I was such a doll for "surprising" my friend and allowed me ice the cake right in her check-out stand.

*Please excuse my ugly handwriting. I typically have impeccable penmanship.

Before spending 3 hours at a El Torito laughing and talking. You can't shut us and our boys up to save your life. We alway have so many stories to tell that we had to implement a story telling circle, complete with rules and counter clockwise speaking rotations.

Completely serious.

xoxo

His & Her

 

Day off outfit.

(Dress and fly away cardi- Brass Plum, Belt- Ross, and Necklaces- buy 1 get one free F21.)

 I would have shown the whole look head to toe but I literally and figuratively couldn't find the "right" shoe ( don't you hate that?) and was down a photographer...life moves on.

I stole this from Adventures of a Misfit Librarian, who stole it from another blogger. I almost spat out my water while reading the answers that she and her snarky boyfriend jotted down. I instantly knew I wanted to play too and asked Matt immmediatly when he got home. I hope you are all entertained!

What will your firstborn daughters name be?

His: Edward Roger... we're having a son.

Hers: Irrelevant we are having a boy. But if the fates grant us a daughter her first name will be Isla (pronounced Eye-La).

What is your biggest shopping pet peeve?

His: Morons who are incapable of efficiently using the self-checkout registers. You should be required to prove some degree of competency before using one of the automated cashiers. I actually once had some poor soul turn to me with a puzzled look and say "You know, they really ought to have someone help you out with these things."

Hers: I work in retail...shopping and shoppers equally break my heart.


If you could have any single superpower what would it be and why?

His: Super speed. I would then immediately declare myself eligible for the NFL draft and go on to be the white Walter Payton.

Hers: Flight. The power of flight naturally comes with speed so I'd fly faster and higher than my NFL wanna-be man piece. Besides out doing Matt I'd fly to a new vacation spot each weekend.

If you got a life-supply subscription to any magazine what magazine would you choose?

His: If we opened this up to all periodicals, the Wall Street Journal. It's the one newspaper that I'm fairly certain will never go the way of the dinosaur. But if I had to pick a magazine, I'd likely pick Better Homes and Gardening. To hide my Penthouses in. J/k.

Hers: Nylon and Vogue. I want and need both:)

What was your favorite subject in elementary school (recess and lunch don't count)?

His: Math was super easy for me, but I think I enjoyed history the most.

Hers: Art and History. I paint and draw pretty well and have always found History fun.

You just scored $5. What do you spend it on?

His: Three tall cans of Bud Light or I'd "invest" in 5 scratchers.

Hers: All about quantity: $1 nail polish, a bottle of $2 buck chuck, $1 scratcher, and a 55 cent candy from the checkout stand.

What were your thoughts when you first met your other half?

His: That Middle Eastern chick is pretty hot. (Jess is actually Mexican, hence the humor.)

Hers: That guy is cute but he's totally into himself.

If you could punch a company/business in the face who would you want to punch?

His: Bill O'Reilly and the entirety of the Fox News conglomerate. I would probably give a kidney to do this.

Hers: I simply don't harbor that much hatred towards any particular company/business.

Favorite classic Disney princess?

His: I always thought Belle was spunky and cute. But once you've been with a beast you never go back. So let's just say Ariel.

Hers: I've always loved Jasmine. Who doesn't want to fly over cities on a carpet with a cute boy?

If you could reincarnate into any animal after you die what animal would you want to be?

His: A penguin. Or, a loved and adored house cat. What a phenomenally lazy existence.

Hers: I would also like to be house cat or a rich woman's dog who would take me to get manicures with her.

Mullet Dress

Business in the front!

PARTY in the back!

I've wanted this French Connection dress for a really long time but didn't want to pay the hefty asking price. I'm so glad I didn't pay full price because I found this baby at Nordstrom Rack for a quarter of the price. Boo-ya! Holla! I honestly had the sweetest weekend filled with shopping, laughing with family, and quality time with my honey.

Life is good.

Every August my family takes a big trip to San Diego and this year Matt's mom will be joining us. We are going to the horse races and thought it was only right we purchase proper hats. 

Wouldn't it be great to wear pretty hats and dresses everday?

Dress your head

I've always been a fan of head adornments and for the past week I've been flexing my fan power with a different hair companion each day. I love clips, head bands, scarfs, and hats. They are the cherry on top of my Sundae or the gem on top of my head. Whatever works for you! Since it is a new and cheap obsession of mine I'm looking to acquire some more pieces. Let me know if you make them yourself or know of any killer Esty shops!

Vintage Barrett: Yard Sale for FREE, the woman just gave it to me.

Head Band: Nordstrom BP $18

Scarf: Gift from Laura, a blogger I met from a link up!

Head Band: Custom piece from a lady who specializes in wedding accessories.

Happy Friday morning my friends!

San Fran

{I apologize in advance for the length of this post and the amount of pictures. This is also my journal.}

What do think this mean?

Blue Mike steak

Green Eric baseball

White Chad cold

 During my flight to San Fran I sat next to a super posh woman (The kind that rather than saying excuse me will usher people away with her hands). She came equipped with fingers of fury that kept punching all kinds of who knows what into her lap top and cell phone. For some reason I didn't  mind being in key clicking hell and grew more intrigued with what she may or may not be doing. When I finally captured a glance I saw her forming a list like the one above.

My Translation: Green Eric baseball...equals...She met Eric at a baseball game and he was wearing a black shirt? I guess just because a person is outfitted like Mrs. Clever (matching cardigan, camisole, shoes, and handbag) doesn't mean she isn't as Crazy Kray Kray as the next.

Once I touched ground it was non-stop running around and cramming all the fun we could into this short adventure.

Eat amazing food-CHECK.

Shopping at Union Square : F21, Besty Johnson (now she is nearly going out of business you can buy everything from fixtures to clothes for a small chunk of change), Nordstrom (we <3 anniversary sale), Anthro etc - CHECK

Seeing the most beautiful F21 - CHECK.

Eat at Super Duper - CHECK. Eat a burger that will change your life - CHECK.

Taking in gorgeous views - CHECK.

This is view from the roof of my friend Sean's apartment. Jealous? I am. My friends and I met Sean and his friends at Knott's Berry Farm when we were 15. Both groups had seaon passes and after running into each other weekend after weekend we all became best friends. My friend Kerensa, who's Birthday we celebrated that weekend even ended up marrying one of them! We had an amazing time catching, sipping wine, and taking pictures. In the picture below Sean is acutally standing in front of the blue building that our friend Caitlin just started working at. We kept joking that he should write messages on poster boards and wave them to her while she's working...lunch?...Tanning session?...wine break?

Wine tasting in Sonoma - CHECK.

On Sunday we drove out to Sonoma to see our friends Collin and Tammy. Collin aka Mr. Wine Specialist took us to three of his favorite wineries. He is a member at all three and definitely shared his perks with us. I can't believe he gets to call this place home when others feel lucky just to visit.

The views were breath taking!

   Lesson of the weekend: Travel more!

Leaving On A Jet Plane

Saturday at 7am I’m hopping on an airplane to spend one day in San Francisco with my friends before returning right back home. Many have called me crazy, claimed I wasn’t thinking, and have asked why I would waste the money (All I hear is blah blah) because my honest answer is that I just miss being that free and don't care what you think. I have the amazing life that I have always wanted but sometimes wish for the more simple times and less obligations. Times were the girls I’m sharing this trip with shared the same town and a 5 minute commute to one another. With all the new obligations in our lives and the natural restrictions that come with them we are forced apart. This doesn’t apply to just them but to all my friends and family. The anxiety of this inevitable revolution has always been difficult for me to deal with but I never want that to over shadow how proud I am of my college graduates, home owners, wives, mothers, and career women. I love you all but wish sometimes we could be 15 again running around Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm with our season passes. 

Link UP!

I recently participated in a Link Up hosted by Jenna from " I Never Really Told You". The purpose of the Link Up Party is to meet other bloggers and send a themed gift to the person your assigned. I was given the task of sending the perfect "summer essentials" to my secret blogger Rachel from "Hidden Beauty Photography" I surfed around her blog and came to find that she is a really sweet girl who loves her friends, family, faith, and fashion.

My Package is carnival themed because to me summer is all about being outside, going to concerts, barbecues, theme parks, fairs, water parks etc.

My package included:

Treats: Peanuts, bubble gum, and of course an over sized lollipop

Bert's Bees lip balm

A stripe bracelet to rock this summer

Tiny umbrellas to pop in a smoothie

Polka Dot photo album

Stationery with a gesture holding balloons

And Lastly, a postcard from my trip to Catalina Island

My package was sent all the way from Maryland by Laura of "Fancy This". She is such a doll and made be feel so special by the amount of thought she put into my gift.

I love this quote I snagged from her blog this morning and wanted to let her know she nailed it!

"Can we take a moment to be intimidated by this please? Jessica is a California girl. I had to really think about things {and stalk her blog in the name of research} to come up with a summer essentials gift worthy of her status as a California girl. Where’s it’s practically summer all the time. No pressure."

Her package included:

 Essie Nail polish

Starbucks gift card! Woot woot!

Cucumber Facial Towelettes

Natural Ice Chapstick

Super cute head wrap

And a letter breaking down her reasoning for each item.

Thank you Laura for my "day at the beach" themed package and Jenna for putting this together!

Picking

Finally!!!!!!!!!!! After a year of talking about it I found my way to the Rose Bowl Swap meet!!

I'm a collector, hoarder, pack rat to the max, and lover of all things neat and beautiful. I've been hearing for years and years that it is heaven on earth for folks like me and I was definitely over the moon.

Eye candy galore!

I wanted everything!

I had to take a picture of this super funky mannequin. I don't know what someone would with it...conversation piece? Nail it to the wall of a TGIF?

Some of the things we snatched up:

These two pieces are called "Balcony Lovers"! The moment I saw them I knew they were mine. I'm going to hang them on the wall of one our restrooms a few inches apart. XOXO. 

Matt picked up these beer signs for the bar in our home. The one on the right is from New Zealand and could possibly be worth much more than what he paid. When he went to buy the one on the left the seller perked up and asked if he could see it. Walking into a free appraisal is always fun.

And lastly, this pretty lady was a cool 10 bucks!

I had an amazing Sunday and I hope you did too!

Stars and Strips

I'm proud to be an American and live in such a fine country. I'm thankful today and everyday! I hope you enjoyed the evening with family and friends and kept in mind what this and many other holidays are really about!

Wearing my pride.

Heals: Michael Kors $2 rummage sale, Tank: $7 F21, Purse: Michael Kors $$$, and Skirt: $9 from one of those Asian stores where no one speaks English but it's ok because they sell trendy pieces for basically free.

When you work where fashion is king you best believe everyone will be dressed to the nines in holiday spirit. We'll everyone except for the Katie (the girl standing next to me) this is her everyday get up. True story, she represents our nation 365 days a year. Gangster right? We constantly joke that she is Uncle Sam's great great great great great granddaughter, belongs in a Tommy Hilfiger catalog or sailing the high seas.

Despite being at work on a Holiday we still had fun. Double pay is always fun.

When I got home we quickly playing, cooking and eating. The coolest thing about my Jack of The Stalk condo is the super awesome roof deck on the third story. It provided us with a 360 degree view of fireworks from several nearby cities. From 9 to 10pm there was nonstop legal and illegal fireworks and I swear one of my crazy neighbors (Michael, or at least that was the name his friends were chanting) might be down a digit or two.

Life is good.

Top Ramen

Not everyday but once in a month I like to a enjoy of bowl of Top Ramen. One quarter + one dime = success! Can you taste the Sodium? It's probably the best thing you can buy with the current change jingling around in your cup holder.  I can't help that I like everything from 35 cent cubes of dry pasta to 25 dollar gourmet burgers:) Speaking of food I need some flag waving recipes for Wednesday!  Help? PPPPPPPlease? I'm all about creating new traditions with my man and I would like to make something far more exciting than my beloved TR. Save Matt. This is serious...

 

(Juuuuust kidding, I'm not that bad, I promise. I just get too excited about things once in a while/all the time.)

Oh and before I forget here is my latest yard sale find! I bought this

red leather coach thing for two bucks (It looks like a fancy bank deposit bag to me). The lady I bought it from use to work for coach many moons ago and said it an item they gave to managers.  See the pouch for business cards?

I dig it.