Friendship.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the city in Darling Harbour, there lies a beautiful quaint garden - The Chinese Garden of Friendship. What better way to celebrate me & Allison's 20 years of friendship than to take a stroll through the site! Haha!




Check out the creature that scared the &%$# out of me while I was holding a tray with dim sum & hot tea. I was so close to sitting at that table when I looked down to find it right at my feet. I don't mind lizards, I just hate when things like that pop out unexpectedly.

Down Unda Dress Up

Apologizing to my PETA friends in advance because here we are, modeling authentic Aussie designs in leather, sheep skin, roo fur & more.





Even in our twenties, we still love to play dress-up! I'm kinda diggin' that last outfit - like I belong on Indiana Jones or something.

Fast Food

"$7 foooootllllooooonnnnggggg" just doesn't have the same ring to the $5 jingle.

A Full Day in Sydney

You're going to think I'm crazy for squeezing this much in one day, but that's how I roll (when traveling and under a limited amount of time). In the past, I've been called PT (psycho tourist) because of it. I'll take that name any day, because it means I always do 90% of what I plan for when I go on vacation.

Since it's such a full day, I'm just going to list it out.

1. Wake up at 7:30am (couldn't sleep in) - get ready, grab a cappucino & we're on our way
2. Chinatown
3. Town Hall (Queen Victoria Building, The Strand - both shopping centers)
4. The Rocks
5. Lunch at the Playfair Cafe - my first meat pie experience
6. Walk the Harbour Bridge
7. Bus 333 to Bondi Beach
8. Hotel for R&R
9. Dinner on Liverpool
10. Karaoke @ Ding Dong Dang

Chinatown couldn't be any smaller. It's literally on a single strip of land.

The Strand has been around since the late 1800's and serves as one of Sydney's oldest (and most beautiful) shopping centers. The arcade remains in it's original form with it's Victorian exterior & antique interior details. It currently houses some of Sydney's most sought after fashion lines.

The Rocks - the oldest neighborhood in Sydney.

Here, I decided I don't care for meat pies.

Walking on the Harbour Bridge.

The view from the bridge is postcard-perfect.


Bondi Beach brings in the surfers, sun-worshippers & swimmers. Check out those waves.

Mike hitting Wes with a high note at Ding Dong Dang.

The Waterfront Restaurant - The Rocks

Our day started at 8am in Sydney and after several hours of being on our feet, it was time to make it back to the hotel & put in a little R&R. Soon after, we made our way to dinner at the Waterfront restaurant in The Rocks, the oldest neighborhood in Sydney. The menu was interesting, appetizers were called "entrees" and the entrees were called "mains." I decided on their local Blue Swimmer Crab Linguine topped with Caviar.

Halfway through my meal, I was stuffed. Unfortunately, they didn't allow to-go boxes. Apparently, this is common at many nice seafood restaurants due to liability issues. So much for finishing my A$32 pasta.

After dinner we all headed towards Circular Quay and the Opera House to walk off our meals. Sydney is beautiful at night.

DESTINATION: Sydney - New South Wales

After a 14-hour flight, we finally landed in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. We spent our first few hours checking into the hotel, taking a stroll to Circular Quay that started with a shortcut through Hyde Park and ended with the famous Harbour & Opera House.

From there, we took a ferry to Pyrmont Bay to get to the Star City Casino in Darling Harbour. Which, by the way, had spectacular views. Being in another country couldn't stop us from watching Pacquiao's victory against Cotto. Here, we snacked on bar food & local beers while we waited for the main event. We even made friends/had great conversations with a few Australians.

OFF to OZ...

The long awaited trip to Oz is finally here. Trip details to follow in the coming weeks!

Packing Stresses

Not sure what's going on with my ticker, but I'm not leaving until Friday night. Anyhow... I knew I would have a lot of work to get done before I leave this week, but I got a last minute project that's pretty time consuming and spent the last 2 nights in a row at work waaay past the time I normally stay in. Because of this, I haven't packed a thing.

I'm hoping to get to that now, but instead I'm wasting time looking up weather, Australia fashion blogs, things that have absolutely nothing to do with my trip and more! Blah - I hate how I get so sucked in sometimes. I hate packing. I really do. Maybe that's just me trying to avoid the inevitable.

Moving on... I'm still looking for last minute advice, tips, things to bring, places to see, food to try and more! Feel free to drop a note :)

AUSTRALIA in 3 more days (stupid ticker)!

Palasa Esthetique & Groop Swoop

A friend of mine started a new business venture called Groop Swoop and after my first appointment with Priti at Palasa, I knew that they would make a good business match. Turns out, they were able to work out an awesome deal. So awesome, I'm sharing it with you and it's only available for the next 8 hours. Forward to your local friends! If you're not local, you can purchase the offer and use it anytime between now and February.

Click here for the offer/ site --> GROOP SWOOP

If this offer doesn't apply to you, check for other spa offers daily :)

Here's my Yelp review for more:

"I'm constantly looking for a go-to brow spot & Palasa definitely has the qualities I've been looking for in one. Priti is very attentive. I've been so used to saying t I want and not getting the desired results, but she blew me away.

She really listened to my likes and dislikes about my own brows and before I knew it, they were threaded to perfection. Anyone that has the types of brows I do (light, thin, sparse hairs) knows how frustrating it can be & just when I thought they couldn't get any better, she recommended a brow tint. Of course, I didn't think it would work because my hair is so thin, but she darkened them and WOW, now I don't have to spend that extra 10 minutes trying so hard to give them shape.

Hurry & try her out while she has these special offers going on. Way cheaper than any place I've seen in this location. Oh and speaking of location, her place is VERY easy to get to. Right off of Market & close to BART & Muni."

One [Wo]Man's Trash

is another wo[man]'s treasure...

I've been searching for thrift stores nearby and was excited to spot Thrift Town on Yelp. After reading several great reviews, I decided to stop by after work the other night. I was a little disappointed that they closed the jewelry section early, but left a satisfied customer after finding a cashmere sweater, shorts & a belt all for under $8 total. Although they closed the jewelry section early, I did take a peek and found a wide selection of vintage treasures at amazing prices. I'll definitely be back soon.

[Photos coming soon]

Old Friends. New Beginnings.

I love how weddings reunite old friends. These two are definitely old faves in my book.

Is it just me or are there a ton of engagements & pregnancies going on this year? Yay for more gatherings!

Trick or Treat!

Give me something good to eat!

Few of the festive menu items I put together at my Halloween gathering:

SpiderWeb Dip
-Mix 8 oz of cream cheese with a can of chunky salsa, top it with guacamole, fill a ziploc bag w/ sour cream & create web. Refrigerate for 1 hour, serve with tortilla chips.

Mummy Dogs (these lil guys have so much character)
-Slice Pillsbury Crescent Roll dough into small strips and wrap around Lil Smokies. Set oven to 375F & heat til dough is golden brown (about 15 min). Use mustard for eyes.

Bug Juice Cocktail
-Mix lemonade, ginger ale & vodka. Add gummy worms. You can also add gummy worms to your ice trays for added fun.

All of these exciting treats and not one kid under 25! I love getting festive, even when it's just for the adults.

I really got in touch with the Martha Stewart side of me this past weekend.

Can't Read My P-P-Poker Face

Introducing this year's costume pick, Lady GaGa!

P.S. I'm apologizing in advance for Allison's non-PC costume - it was just for kicks!