Krush Weekend

Brigi had a softball tournament in Sunnyvale this weekend, which happens to be 10 minutes down the road from where I live. She, my mom and I had a fabulous weekend shopping, eating and enjoying three sunny softball games. We zoomed to the Stanford Shopping Center on Friday night, made a quick dash to the J. Crew at the Westfield Valley Fair Mall and The Great Mall between games on Saturday, and went to a huge Nordstrom Rack in Palo Alto after dinner on Saturday night. Non-stop shopping action! Oh, and babygirl and her team, The Krush, dominated. The sunshine felt awesome this late into October.

My mom is all trendy now with her Instagram app on her new iPhone. Love these shellacked pumpkins!

Yummy food at Babbo's Pizzeria at the Stanford Shopping Center.

Softball fields tend to look at little post-apocalyptic.

I cannot wait for more fun girls' weekends!

Refresh

I'm hanging this gem of a quote in my bathroom. What gal isn't obsessed with quotes to get her going in the morning? Considering I haven't invested in vinyl lettering yet, this did the trick.

Just Keep Running

I made a quick trip to the city this morning to see one of my best friends finish a half marathon! Seriously, Kimi is amazing. I made it to the finish line about 20 minutes after she finished running, and one of the first things she did was ask me how work/apartment life/Norcal were treating me. 13.1 miles looked great on her! And, Kimi's already signed up for another half marathon in January — so inspiring! Who knows, maybe she'll convince me to join her one of these days. While we waited for her sister to complete the full marathon, we had a fantastic time catching up. We may go four or five months without seeing each other, but it always feels like we're ten-year-olds again whenever we get together.



I haven't spend much time in the Outer Richmond/Ocean Beach area of SF, so I loved taking in the pretty sights.

Boo!

This is the first. time. ever. I've ever had more than a couple shelves or a desk to decorate. I have a whole apartment! Whatever your budget is, there are easy ways to maximize what you have (and what you find), to make your space perfect for any season.

Trade or Reuse

My mom was gracious enough to part with a few of her Halloween decorations that she doesn't have room for or doesn't use as much. I snagged this bowl and this pitcher from her china cabinet and gave them a new home here in Mountain View. I've also acquired a few piece of my own over the years, and was so excited to finally have the space for them. Trade or borrow pieces from your mom, aunt or friend until you build up a china cabinet of your own.

Transform

I have used this Mason jar over and over again, filling it with appropriately colored straws or confetti. This antique mirror is also a perfect accent piece any time of the year — the UCLA pumpkin was a gift from my uncle four years ago. I also have too many picture frames to put out at any one time, so I knew this would be the perfect opportunity to let my orange/earthy-colored frames see the sun (above). You would be surprised how ordinary items in your home or apartment can be transformed for the season.

Make the Most of Your Dollars

Similar to a piece of clothing you'd purchase from Forever 21, The Dollar Tree is the perfect place to buy trendy or seasonal items. The sparkly garland featured above? $1. This adorable scarecrow? $1. If you're looking for a little extra fluff or "stuffer" items, The Dollar Tree, Marshall's and even your local thrift store are a great place to start.

Dancing Deer

This weekend I made a quick trip to Moraga to visit my sister. The St. Mary's campus is SO different from UCLA; it's seemingly tucked away in a wooded, serene corner of the North Bay. Maggie sends me pictures of deer outside of her window, and we even had to quickly brake as a deer bounded into the road as we drove to lunch.

My dad used to call these "Dancing Deer" signs. Such a jokester :)

We drove to Walnut Creek for lunch at Boudin, and had a major catch-up session. I don't know if I will get to see her again until Thanksgiving, so we definitely made the most of our time together. Whether it's discussing college classes, comparing funny parental texts, or talking about the future, there is nothing like having a sister to chat with.

Isn't she cute?

This was the only acceptable picture of us after trekking around to find where I parked my car - oops!

After lunch, I turned to Mags and told her I was content.
"About lunch?," she said.
"About life," I replied. Content-ville in Bethyland right now.

We also made a quick trip to the Dollar Tree to grab a few holiday decorating supplies, some of which will be in full force soon. Even though the visit was short, it was a perfect afternoon together!

Dress Your Family in Corduroy

I have been itching to pick up a pair of colored pants, and this corduroy pair from J. Crew are ah-mah-zing (skip to 0:11). Love the texture, love the color, and love how versatile they are.







Also, I love that my "full-length" mirror cuts out my midsection. Score!

No Words

Praying for the family and friends of Steve Jobs tonight.