Things I Love: Pinky & The Brain

Well it's about that time. Time for me to fly the coop again, I mean. LA, Hollywood & Hermosa Beach I'm coming at 'cha -- OC I keep meaning to give you LOVE and I promise one of these days I will!!

It's fun being up here in the Bay; hanging with my friends and family. I feel like a kid up here -- well I pretty much am a kid at heart. I put in hours of bike riding sessions and some temporary pink hair (HAIR CHALKING: it rocks and um confirms that blondes DO have more fun -- I joke, I joke. I kid, I kid.). So I'm temporarly back to being a teenager, and that makes me DARN happy. One of my favorite things to say is "i'm never going to be younger then I am today." and I'm going to celebrate that idea every single day that I'm here on this lovely earth of ours.

P!NK:

Bike SO hard. Only used my car a couple times since this baby came into my life -- THANK YOU DAD!!

I am very excited about this particular trip to LA because I'll be one of several amazing bloggers who will be co-hosting Poshmark's first LIVE event!! And guess what? If you're in the area I would love to see your pretty little face there (just make sure to email your confirmed RSVP to: rsvp@poshmark.com).

It's going to be a blast and you know I'll be up to my typical shenanigans.

You know...rocking party dresses (can I have outfit changes?! I like those!!). Obvski. You can count on silly Photobooth action. DERF. And I'm sure I'll be sipping (and, um, SPILLING) champagne. Well, that's a given.

And if you can't join you can follow along on the Poshmark app & umm peep me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (Ambersnotebook on all three)!

You will get to see things like this there (paired with clever commentary of course):

Happy Tuesday everyone!! I hope you have something BIG or small to look forward to this week!!

And if you like cartoon theme songs...peep this mashup, it's RADish.

Look of the Day: Head Case

Sometimes there are things in life that bring you down. Hey, sometimes there are people in life that try to bring you down. For example I'm currently rendered computer-less, and man that's something that could REALLY bring me down. Yes, the new computer I just got in June, for my birthday is already in the shop. Why you ask? I managed to overload it with pictures already, so the Geniuses at Apple are fixing her up. But unforts she won't be back for 5 to 7 days!! Blogging will be few and far between until I get my little lady back sometime next week...

In any case, when people or things try to get me down, you know what I do? I make sure I'm happy and good-to-go. Things don't always go your way, and you know what? People make mistakes and (pardon my language) shit happens, duh. But I do what I need to do to keep myself calm, because I am the only person and mind I can control. Walking, hiking and rocking out hard to music all are ways I get myself in the positive zone.

But it's also a good thing I'm flying the coup or I'd go stir crazy without my computer. I'll be in my favorite place this weekend, LA & Hermosa Beach. A much needed head-clearer and extended weekend. Gazing at the Hollywood sign and the Ocean both equally calm and sooth my soul. I hope you get some soul southing in this weekend as well.

I'm a happy lady rocking my Marmot rain jacket. What do you do to clear you mind and keep yourself positive?

Be sure to keep up with my shenanigans this weekend on Facebook & Twitter.

Things That Make Me Smile: Bunny Hops.

There are some things that just make life better. Champagne, cupcakes and the perfect pair of heels all fall in this category. You know what else makes life just a a little better? Bunny ears. Hugh Hefner sure knew what was up. I'm all about celebrating life every single day and let me tell you, there's no way you can be in a bad mood if you are rocking a pair of bunny ears. And hey, it's not a bad way to meet a best friend while wearing bunny ears. Friends that wear bunny ears together, stay together.
You know this post is dedicated to you JayNay!




all images taken from weheartit.com
A search of Bunny Ears on Etsy has me inspired to make a pair of funky bunny ears. Someone out there hold me to this promise, please.

Things I Love: APPle

One thing I love about blogging is how it has connected me to some many new people and companies. I've meet some amazing people and been able to go to some awesome places because of the blog. Just this week I got to visit a company about to launch up & coming iPhone App.

I was invited to to tour their offices, meet their team and be a tester of their app. It's been fun watching the company develop and I can't wait to share the app with you when it finally launches! The ladies on the team are some of my faves and we a had blast trying on products and snapping pictures. I feel so blessed to have formed such great relationships with amazing companies in the area.

Getting my pose on.


After my time with the PM ladies I met my Dad and Rena for a bite to eat at an adorable French Bistro called Bistro Vida in Menlo Park. Such a cute area!
It was nice catching up with my Dad and Rena and I always love going to new restaurants.


I must get my bike riding skills from my Dad because was more then excited to show me his suped up bike. Just don't ask him about his stingray or how he biked from Carson City to Tahoe on a dare...
He even has an iPhone holder & a special app to track his rides. Clearly the APPle does not fall far from the tree.

It's been a nice & productive week so far. I hope your week has been going well as well!

Weekend Recap: Sundress Sunday

After being out of town the past couple weekends it was nice to have a weekend at home with my friends and family. I started my weekend on Friday with a walk on the bay with Vanessa and her Mom and their dog Buster. Vanessa's mom then treated us to lunch at Burma Superstar (thanks Sue!) I think I could eat their Tea leaf Salad everyday for the rest of my if I had to. It's a must try for sure!

After Vanessa and I headed to San Francisco and enjoyed some park time out there and then kicked I with our old friends Steph and Mandy. It's always nice to reconnect with old friends.
I ended Friday by celebrating my Friday TGIF Katy Perry style with friends out on the Town. Sometimes you just need to let loose.

Burma Super star tea leaf salad.

On Saturday I hiked, caught up on some work and enjoyed an after noon glass of wine with my Mom and Gma. Those two ladies always crack me up and I love spending quality time with them.

There was a black fly in my Mom's chardonnay...

In the evening Courtney, V and I took their dogs on a hike and watched the sunset. The sun might set everyday but it never ceases to amaze me.

I started my Sunday watching Jen play soccer. She was a soccer star in high school and it's so fun to see back on the field again! After the game I headed over see my Dad and Rena show their car in a local car show.
Then it was festival time! Jen, Vanessa, Nay Nay (Renee) and I put on our maxi dresses and got funky festival freaky. Kind of our favorite thing. The day was declared Sun Dress Sunday and we rocked it out.
I wrapped up the weekend with some quality friend time in V's backyard telling stories and just chilling. Simple friend time like that can be kind of amazing sometimes.



It was just the kind of weekend I needed.
I am so blessed to have such amazing friends and family in my life, LOVE YOU ALL!

Things I Love: Y'all

I wanted to thank everyone who tweeted, commented and emailed me. The out-pour of support I received from you all was more then I ever imagined. I can't tell you how much your words and support touched me after my "announcement post". I started Amber's Notebook so I had a place to record what was going on in my life; so I'd like to thank you for allowing me to honesty share my life and my experiences with y'all (and umm thanks for reading!!). Your support means the world to me. And the world is my oyster, so I'm going to go out there and live it. I hope you do the same with your life.
"Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope." Dr. Seuss
I'm always looking at things the wrong way, and I love the perspective.

Have a fabulous Labor Day weekend! Enjoy your time, fantasize away, and make it a reality!

How I Shop: It Will Set You Free

When I don't feel that great I do two things. Shop, and blast the heck out my music. And my week has been full of music blasting and shopping. Since I didn't want to do too much damage I headed to Forever 21 to cure my blues.

You'll be seeing a lot of these items in upcoming posts, so here's a preview of some of the goodies I picked up.

corduroy shorts

sweater
readers + funky earrings (SO KREAYSHAWN!)
rectangle sunglasses
dress
I'll be back soon with an outfit featuring some of these pieces =)

Things I love: The Glitter Guide

I am about headed out the door for LA but I wanted to share a few pictures from the Glitter Guide party on Wednesday. It was a fabulous turnout and the event was perfectly sparkly. I loved how everyone came out in the glitter gear. I started the event meeting Fashion PRSF Lindsay and Jeanne From Shop Sweet Things With Jeanne before heading out to the event.

The Glitter girls had used the space behind Luna boutique to creat the perfect party space.

The sweets were as sweet as the Glitter girls!
laura and I liked the cookies best ;)

There were so many people to catch up and to meet.




Goof-balling.



Video From Event:

It was a fabulous event and I look forward to lots more Glitter Guide newsletters and experiences!

Things I love: Summer Essentials

{Clockwise}
Stilleto Hardware - perfect for weddings or long nights out on the town, best heel pads I have tried.
Essie Tart Deco- totally obsessed with this orangey color.
Maybelline Stylish Smokes-Perfect for the makeup challenged like me, I love how it tells you where to put the colors and the liner is my fave perfect for smokey eyes.
CVS Exfoliating Nail Squares-these have changed my life, I used to hate taking off nail polish these remove it in seconds.
Dr. Perrcione MD Cold Plasma {gifted}-keeping me looking young as I enjoy my last year in my 20's
Show Stoppers{gifted}-keep those pesky dresses and sleeves in place. Also perfect when you're in the mood to be a bra-less wonder these summer nights ;)
LF Stores Sparkly Hair Ties-Need I say more?!
Clinique High Impact Mascara-Big fat brish for long and clump-less lashes -- perfection!
Revision Intellishade SPF45 Matte{gifted} tinted Moisturizer for all types - has officially replaced Bare Essentials for me. But you can through some on top for extra coverage, although I tend to keep it minimal especially during the summertime.
Ms manicure Pocket pal and Best in Toe Kit-perfect for inbetween mani/pedi sesh's. c/o Confessions of A Navy Wife

{making of a blog post}
check out videos of me making this post:

Things I Love: Summer Nights Drifting Away

Summer is here and it sure as heck feels like it. I have been enjoying poolside days and fresh summer dinners. Yesterday I went to my friend Vanessa's house to celebrate the longest day of the year. Vanessa parents made us salmon and a peach, corn, tomato, avocado salad and it was fantastic, perfect for a warm summer night. I look forward to many more nights like that this summer and many more laughs in Vanessa's backyard.

I picked this Roxy dress up in Santa Cruz a few weekends back, I used to be *kinda* Roxy obsessed (I went job shadowed the designer for my Senior Project) so it was nice to buy something from them again after all those years.

Wearing: roxy dress, forever 21 sunglasses

I'm not going to lie, Vanessa and I get PRETTY silly when we are together!

It was the perfect way to beat the heat!

Side note: what are your favorite iPhone camera apps? I use hipstamtic and Camera +

Things I love: The Day After My Birthday is Not My Birthday

Yesterday was definitely a recovery day. My Birthday was even better then I could have expected. On Monday I hit the beach with some friends to start the celebration and on Tuesday Casey and I went to the city for some shopping and lunch. I hit up my favorite store LF and got a few goodies! Then I went out to dinner with my Gma, Mom and friends. We ended the night karaoking {Afroman of all things} it reminded me a lot of the birthday I celebrated in China two years ago. It was an awesome day and make me feel super special! I forgot how much I love birthdays.

Birthday Cupcakes from a local shop.

The red velet cheesecake was out of this world.

Celebrating our flag.

Just a handful of the nicknames I have.

Jen and I.
Rocking a Urban Outfitters Dress.

Thanks for the wishes!

This birthday week is going straight to my head.

Things I Love: On a Hippie Trail, Head full of Zombie

Saturday night's '80's party was a huge success and my outfit for it came together perfectly. My Madonna-esque look came together just as I imagine -- complete with the lace bow and an '80's "perm" courtesy of Jen. We pretty much looked like we got in a hot tub and woke up at Ridgemont High. Neon, acid washed jeans, and leg warmers all were appropriately represented. The '80's music jammed and we rocked out our dance moves like it was 1982. It was pretty fun pretending we were from the era we were born in and to think how different things were back then. My iPhone seemed strangely out of place but thank goodness it captured all the fun times from the night...the only thing missing was a Vegemite sandwich.

Jem & Rockers + Madonna

You know I couldn't help but brings along some '80's treats.
Although they didn't pop nearly as much as I remember!

The Girls.

Group Shot.

June's off to a good start so far, I hope your weekend was a fun one too!