This week is all about getting caught up for the holidays. I'm creating holiday cards, gifts, wrapping presents and doing a whole lot of shipping. It is doubtful the budget will hold this week, but I'm going to try.
First off, I used an old groupon for Wine Insiders to order 6 bottles of wine to use for upcoming holiday parties at friends' homes. Should have my order by the end of the week. Then caught up with my buddy Joe for a hike in Fryman Canyon. I love that most of my friends are on hiatus this month and now I have so many people to hang out with during the day. Its so much fun, but it makes it harder to focus on work. Then went to Osh to pick up some Ball Canning Jars for another small project: hostess gifts. ($10.94)
That night, Jim came over for a home made dinner (I made him coffee ice cream with the coffee beans I bought the day before) and a movie (BBC's Sherlock Holmes....which I LOVE! Such a cool modern version!).
Tomorrow I really must get a better jump on my holiday stuff...cards, gifts, wrapping, shipping, o la vache!
Things that inspire me:
-Yokoo, I love, love, love this video, I want to live in her serene, little world.
-Miwa Matreyek's TedTalk. Fascinating and beautiful.
-Color Me Katie's Blog...I just know we could be BFFs!
-I feel the need to go to the Arboretum and shoot a few rolls of film after seeing this. Delightful!
Total spent this week: $10.94
Total remaining for the week: $64.06
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Monday, December 6, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 14
Ugh! I hate early mornings! And today, I had to be at USC by 9am, but since I had no idea where I was going on campus, I had to be out of the house by 8am. I was barely awake, driving there. I know that 8am isn't really that early, but it certainly felt like it.
Spent the whole day proctoring the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam at USC, which meant sitting at a desk, watching for sly examinees who felt the need to cheat. Luckily, all of my people were fairly honest and we had no problems. So I was able to read 3 magazines, cover to cover (Harper's Bazaar, Angeleno, and Angeleno Interiors) and make a serious dent in a book (Hector and the Search for Happiness). Plus as an added bonus, the Japanese Association hooked me up with breakfast (coffee and donuts...can't remember the last time I had a Krispy Kreme, I forgot how crack/cocaine-like they can be!) and lunch (Subway lunch boxes!). When the exam was finally over, and I had cleaned up my classroom and put everything back in order, I was practically jumping for joy to get outside and enjoy the remains of the day. I forgot how hard it is to work at a desk for 8 hours...I've become so wimpy.
Stopped by the grocery store, on the way home, and picked up some coffee beans and a dark chocolate bar for a random concoction I plan to make tomorrow. ($11.24)
Then had a night in, where I watched THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT...which is fantastic, you must see it! And started to watch the first season of MAD MEN, which is good, but not as compelling as its been touted. Perhaps my expectations were too high? Or maybe I just need to continue watching past the first 3 episodes?
Total spent for the day: $11.24
Total spent for week: $78.35
Total remaining for week: -$3.35
Oops! I went over this week. But, since I managed to have a bit of savings from the week before, I will use that as a pad to cover for this week!
Spent the whole day proctoring the Japanese Language Proficiency Exam at USC, which meant sitting at a desk, watching for sly examinees who felt the need to cheat. Luckily, all of my people were fairly honest and we had no problems. So I was able to read 3 magazines, cover to cover (Harper's Bazaar, Angeleno, and Angeleno Interiors) and make a serious dent in a book (Hector and the Search for Happiness). Plus as an added bonus, the Japanese Association hooked me up with breakfast (coffee and donuts...can't remember the last time I had a Krispy Kreme, I forgot how crack/cocaine-like they can be!) and lunch (Subway lunch boxes!). When the exam was finally over, and I had cleaned up my classroom and put everything back in order, I was practically jumping for joy to get outside and enjoy the remains of the day. I forgot how hard it is to work at a desk for 8 hours...I've become so wimpy.
Stopped by the grocery store, on the way home, and picked up some coffee beans and a dark chocolate bar for a random concoction I plan to make tomorrow. ($11.24)
Then had a night in, where I watched THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT...which is fantastic, you must see it! And started to watch the first season of MAD MEN, which is good, but not as compelling as its been touted. Perhaps my expectations were too high? Or maybe I just need to continue watching past the first 3 episodes?
Total spent for the day: $11.24
Total spent for week: $78.35
Total remaining for week: -$3.35
Oops! I went over this week. But, since I managed to have a bit of savings from the week before, I will use that as a pad to cover for this week!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 13
You ever have those days where you feel like you are getting a lot done, then realize it's almost 1pm, and you are still in your PJs? Yep, that was me today. I'm actually not sure what it is exactly that I thought I was accomplishing, but I know it felt like I was burning through things. Like, I made a big batch of homemade lasagna (one of my winter staples, I even make the sauce from scratch!), then read through a book on how to proctor an exam (just in time, since I have to do that tomorrow!), worked on some writing, responded to a bunch of emails, returned phone calls, and caught up on all the blogs I read, did dishes, put together my bed frame (thank you Heidi for your brilliant ideas!)....but somehow didn't even touch the stuff that is imperative I do right away. What can I say, except that I know how to be accomplished while procrastinating.
Heidi came by for lunch today (at 1!) which was why I shouldn't have been wearing my PJs much past noon. We caught up over prosecco and asparagus (I love day drinking!) and she helped me figure out the bed frame situation. (I've had the bed frame for almost 2 weeks, it was gifted to me from my pal Nancy, who found it buried in her closet when she moved in....little did either of us know, whether there would actually be a bed frame in the box or something more sinister...so I had been taking my time opening it....sometimes procrastination can be a blessing.)
Once the bed frame was built, Heidi took off for an adventure down at LA Live! And I went for a walk to the grocery store to pick up fruits, veggies, and a few other ingredients for the week ($9.58 total). By the time I made it back home, I had just enough time to get dressed and race to work for a screening of THE TEMPEST. (Which is a beautiful film, I absolutely loved the aesthetics! And Helen Mirren was amazing.), where I got awkwardly hit on by the composer, and since I am easily thrown off by unexpected flirtations, I believe I responded to him telling me he thought I was lovely, by saying, "I like black!"...What?! Yup. Not that it's a good excuse for my oddness, but I was starving, and it was just my luck that Jacqui was in her office and offered to hook me up with a bit of dinner, courtesy of her restaurant. So overall, I guess I managed to get quite a bit done today.
Total spent for the day: $9.58
Total spent for week: $67.11
Total remaining for week: $7.89
Heidi came by for lunch today (at 1!) which was why I shouldn't have been wearing my PJs much past noon. We caught up over prosecco and asparagus (I love day drinking!) and she helped me figure out the bed frame situation. (I've had the bed frame for almost 2 weeks, it was gifted to me from my pal Nancy, who found it buried in her closet when she moved in....little did either of us know, whether there would actually be a bed frame in the box or something more sinister...so I had been taking my time opening it....sometimes procrastination can be a blessing.)
Once the bed frame was built, Heidi took off for an adventure down at LA Live! And I went for a walk to the grocery store to pick up fruits, veggies, and a few other ingredients for the week ($9.58 total). By the time I made it back home, I had just enough time to get dressed and race to work for a screening of THE TEMPEST. (Which is a beautiful film, I absolutely loved the aesthetics! And Helen Mirren was amazing.), where I got awkwardly hit on by the composer, and since I am easily thrown off by unexpected flirtations, I believe I responded to him telling me he thought I was lovely, by saying, "I like black!"...What?! Yup. Not that it's a good excuse for my oddness, but I was starving, and it was just my luck that Jacqui was in her office and offered to hook me up with a bit of dinner, courtesy of her restaurant. So overall, I guess I managed to get quite a bit done today.
Total spent for the day: $9.58
Total spent for week: $67.11
Total remaining for week: $7.89
Saturday, December 4, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 12
Friday was such a random day, I had a lot of work to do, but accomplished very little. Spent the afternoon in a casting session for a sketch comedy show that I'm producing. Saw a lot of very funny people, but 5 hours of casting, is utterly exhausting. The casting director and I met with almost 30 different comedy actors, who were each asked to bring in a monologue then read one of 3 parts. Many of the monologues were actually very interesting, some were even so well-written, I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Personally, I find casting sessions to be awkward and painful, but a necessary evil in order to find unknown talent. Generally, I avoid it all together, but the director and other producer had way too much on their plates, so I offered to help narrow down the search.
From casting, I hotfooted it across town to work a screening of Blue Valentine. Although, I missed about 25% of the movie, because I had to deal with the talent and get them set up for the Q&A afterwards, what I did see of the film was amazing. Both Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams performances are thought-provoking and freak-ishly believable. I found myself thinking, "Oh thank god, I've never been in a relationship with either of these people. What a mess." In real life, both actors were delightful, charming, and gracious.
As far as spending money on Friday...well, I didn't have much time to eat or think about eating, drinking, or shopping. So other then the coffee that Jim treated me to (he's becoming my gingerbread latte pusher/sugar daddy...he has no idea what kind of trouble he's getting himself into)....I only had enough time to eat cold leftover chili and rice, and snack on almonds. So once again, $0 were spent.
From casting, I hotfooted it across town to work a screening of Blue Valentine. Although, I missed about 25% of the movie, because I had to deal with the talent and get them set up for the Q&A afterwards, what I did see of the film was amazing. Both Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams performances are thought-provoking and freak-ishly believable. I found myself thinking, "Oh thank god, I've never been in a relationship with either of these people. What a mess." In real life, both actors were delightful, charming, and gracious.
As far as spending money on Friday...well, I didn't have much time to eat or think about eating, drinking, or shopping. So other then the coffee that Jim treated me to (he's becoming my gingerbread latte pusher/sugar daddy...he has no idea what kind of trouble he's getting himself into)....I only had enough time to eat cold leftover chili and rice, and snack on almonds. So once again, $0 were spent.
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 11
Today was an excellent example of living simply. I started the morning off grabbing a quick coffee with Jim, then back to my apartment to get some writing done. I'm been terribly unfocused lately, and had to take a moment to re-examine my priorities for the next few weeks. Now that I've done that, I feel more on track with things. Although, I still have to attempt to actually focus and get things accomplished.
Spent the afternoon, doing a bit of multi-tasking. While Katie and I hiked Fryman Canyon we discussed marketing options for our Holiday Helper company. Then did a bit of door-to-door advertising, dropping off our flyers in the local neighborhoods. Crossing our fingers, we actually drum up a bit of business.
At night, Kyle and I went to a screening of Black Swan. Been dying to see it and thought it was incredibly well done. Since it was Kyle's 2nd time viewing it, he was able to better analyze some of the earlier scenes, looking for clues to the ending. I think I may want to go back and watch it again.
Total spent for the day: $0
Total spent for week: $57.53
Total remaining for week: $17.47
Elsewhere....
~Portia Munson's Installations...wow!
~Food Forward has a bunch of new picks for December. Sign up now!
~Must get ideas for Sharon's Grilled Cheese Invitational this weekend!
Ideas for charitable giving this holiday season:
~Heifer Organization: I love giving Bees and Chicks to poor people in foreign countries.
~Oxfam: I love that you can give books and art supplies to kids in need.
~Thirst Project: My new pet organization, these guys are amazing, building wells and providing clean water for people in Africa.
Spent the afternoon, doing a bit of multi-tasking. While Katie and I hiked Fryman Canyon we discussed marketing options for our Holiday Helper company. Then did a bit of door-to-door advertising, dropping off our flyers in the local neighborhoods. Crossing our fingers, we actually drum up a bit of business.
At night, Kyle and I went to a screening of Black Swan. Been dying to see it and thought it was incredibly well done. Since it was Kyle's 2nd time viewing it, he was able to better analyze some of the earlier scenes, looking for clues to the ending. I think I may want to go back and watch it again.
Total spent for the day: $0
Total spent for week: $57.53
Total remaining for week: $17.47
Elsewhere....
~Portia Munson's Installations...wow!
~Food Forward has a bunch of new picks for December. Sign up now!
~Must get ideas for Sharon's Grilled Cheese Invitational this weekend!
Ideas for charitable giving this holiday season:
~Heifer Organization: I love giving Bees and Chicks to poor people in foreign countries.
~Oxfam: I love that you can give books and art supplies to kids in need.
~Thirst Project: My new pet organization, these guys are amazing, building wells and providing clean water for people in Africa.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 10
Okay, so I'm really tired of talking about myself. Starting to feel extremely self-absorbed and cost conscience...not really a great combination, or at the very least not very interesting.
All you need to know about Wednesday is that I spent $0 and was treated to lunch at City Wok by my pal Ajax. Spent the afternoon hanging out with Siaka and Kegger (his adorable pitbull) at the park. Then Jim took me to dinner at the amazing Gardens of Taxco...which you really must check out if you haven't been there. They serve a delicious 5 course meal ("Mexico City Style"), have the best poblano mole I've ever tasted (for reals!) and an "early bird special" if you eat dinner before 7pm and bring in a coupon ($14.95 / 5 course meal...WOWIE!). Amazing!! After dinner, I dragged Jim to the Griffith Park Christmas Light show, only to find that they didn't do it this year...what?!? So we grabbed a drink at the Cha Cha Lounge instead. It was a good night.
Total spent for the day: $0
Total spent for the week: $57.53
Total remaining for the week: $17.47
Elsewhere...
-Article I wrote about volunteerism
-New Astrologyzone horoscopes are up
-The most amazing squirrel lamp I've ever seen!
-Rob Ryan's wooden keys (because I heart him so much!)
-For Natasha (a bit of fun that reminds me of East Coast adventures)
-For Jacqui (Love, Love, LOVE Yinka Shonibare and know you will too!!)
All you need to know about Wednesday is that I spent $0 and was treated to lunch at City Wok by my pal Ajax. Spent the afternoon hanging out with Siaka and Kegger (his adorable pitbull) at the park. Then Jim took me to dinner at the amazing Gardens of Taxco...which you really must check out if you haven't been there. They serve a delicious 5 course meal ("Mexico City Style"), have the best poblano mole I've ever tasted (for reals!) and an "early bird special" if you eat dinner before 7pm and bring in a coupon ($14.95 / 5 course meal...WOWIE!). Amazing!! After dinner, I dragged Jim to the Griffith Park Christmas Light show, only to find that they didn't do it this year...what?!? So we grabbed a drink at the Cha Cha Lounge instead. It was a good night.
Total spent for the day: $0
Total spent for the week: $57.53
Total remaining for the week: $17.47
Elsewhere...
-Article I wrote about volunteerism
-New Astrologyzone horoscopes are up
-The most amazing squirrel lamp I've ever seen!
-Rob Ryan's wooden keys (because I heart him so much!)
-For Natasha (a bit of fun that reminds me of East Coast adventures)
-For Jacqui (Love, Love, LOVE Yinka Shonibare and know you will too!!)
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
The Simple Life - Day 9
One of the things that I'm missing from my holiday shopping routine (and its only been 9 DAYS!!) is Starbucks' GingerBread Lattes (although, 2 weeks ago I discovered that I like the CoffeeBean version much better, but that's beside the point). So today, I splurged on a canister of CoffeeMate Gingerbread Latte Cream ($2.46). Honestly, it was a bad idea, because I'm allergic to high fructose corn syrup, and that stuff is loaded with it, along with all sorts junk that's bad for my body. But, its the cheapest alternative that I could think of while wandering aimlessly in a caffeine-deprived haze. So, I will just have to live with the cystic zits that are sure to erupt all over my face and body. Really? What was I thinking?
Other then the high fructose corn syrup dilemma, today was a great day. Jacqui and I went to a holiday party at the Capital Grille for people that work at the PDC. The food was good, cocktails were tasty, the ambiance lovely and all for free! Plus, as an added bonus the Capital Grille hooked each of us up with a $50 gift certificate for a future visit to the restaurant. Guess who is going back? Got to love the holiday season!
After a couple cocktails, we decided it was time to meet up with Ray to help pick out his Christmas tree. Unfortunately, we showed up 2 minutes after OSH had closed their xmas tree lot. But with a tiny bit of persuading, we were able to purchase a fine 5 foot tree that I've named "Douglas the Noble Fir". He is so perfect, I almost kept him for myself, instead of letting Ray take him home. But alas, this is supposed to be Ray's perfect holiday season, and with that in mind, getting a tree was only step one of our little plan. Of course when we went inside the store to pick out lights, a stand, and ornaments the electricity in the store cut out and they promptly directed us to the exits. I had always wondered what I would do in a situation like that, would I comply with the store personnel or would I start stuffing things in my pockets and run? Apparently, I have a moral compass of some sort, because I didn't even think about doing anything besides exiting the store. I guess that's good to know.
As a reward for our help and good behaviour, Ray took Jacqui and I out for drinks at the White Horse Inn. Gotta love a place that not only looks like your Aunt Mae's basement rec room, but also serves delicious snacks (microwave popcorn, cheezy chips, and Keebler cookies) to go with your beer. Fantastic!
Today's Menu
~Thanksgiving Dinner Soup (where I took all the leftover rotisserie chicken, sweet potatoes and green beans and mix them in pot of corn/pepper bisque from Trader Joes....not bad, actually it was delicious!)
~Faux Gingerbread Latte (Balinese coffee mixed with CoffeeMate Gingerbread latte flavored cream.)
~Stoli Pineapple Martinis (courtesy of Capital Grille)
~assortment of appetizers (cheese platter, jumbo shrimp soaked in ginger, mushroom bruschetta, lox and pita chips, and the most amazing coconut creme pie tartlets...all courtesy of the Capital Grille)
Total spent today: $2.46
Total spent this week: $57.53
Total remaining for this week: $17.47
Other then the high fructose corn syrup dilemma, today was a great day. Jacqui and I went to a holiday party at the Capital Grille for people that work at the PDC. The food was good, cocktails were tasty, the ambiance lovely and all for free! Plus, as an added bonus the Capital Grille hooked each of us up with a $50 gift certificate for a future visit to the restaurant. Guess who is going back? Got to love the holiday season!
After a couple cocktails, we decided it was time to meet up with Ray to help pick out his Christmas tree. Unfortunately, we showed up 2 minutes after OSH had closed their xmas tree lot. But with a tiny bit of persuading, we were able to purchase a fine 5 foot tree that I've named "Douglas the Noble Fir". He is so perfect, I almost kept him for myself, instead of letting Ray take him home. But alas, this is supposed to be Ray's perfect holiday season, and with that in mind, getting a tree was only step one of our little plan. Of course when we went inside the store to pick out lights, a stand, and ornaments the electricity in the store cut out and they promptly directed us to the exits. I had always wondered what I would do in a situation like that, would I comply with the store personnel or would I start stuffing things in my pockets and run? Apparently, I have a moral compass of some sort, because I didn't even think about doing anything besides exiting the store. I guess that's good to know.
As a reward for our help and good behaviour, Ray took Jacqui and I out for drinks at the White Horse Inn. Gotta love a place that not only looks like your Aunt Mae's basement rec room, but also serves delicious snacks (microwave popcorn, cheezy chips, and Keebler cookies) to go with your beer. Fantastic!
Today's Menu
~Thanksgiving Dinner Soup (where I took all the leftover rotisserie chicken, sweet potatoes and green beans and mix them in pot of corn/pepper bisque from Trader Joes....not bad, actually it was delicious!)
~Faux Gingerbread Latte (Balinese coffee mixed with CoffeeMate Gingerbread latte flavored cream.)
~Stoli Pineapple Martinis (courtesy of Capital Grille)
~assortment of appetizers (cheese platter, jumbo shrimp soaked in ginger, mushroom bruschetta, lox and pita chips, and the most amazing coconut creme pie tartlets...all courtesy of the Capital Grille)
Total spent today: $2.46
Total spent this week: $57.53
Total remaining for this week: $17.47
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