Beachy Keen

Etsy Feature - Blue Marbles

2010-10-19T09:47:00.000-07:00

Crystal: Shameless...I know....but I had to take the opportunity to promote my own Etsy shop on here since I've finally got it up and running....I have much more stock to come, but I wanted to start getting the word out, so figured I'd use the resources I had at my fingertips!! :) :) Hope no one minds!

Blue Marbles on Etsy

So my Etsy shop, Blue Marbles, mainly houses these awesome frames I've been creating...I am a photographer, so it was only natural that my products would relate to pictures...they are really basic black frames, but they're matted with some great looking fabrics which is what makes them stand out.

Brown and Pink Flower Fabric Matted Frame - $12.00

This idea started because I remember being at my aunt and uncle's home a few years back around Halloween, and they had all these cute Halloween themed frames everywhere with past pictures of their kids in their costumes. It was so festive and such a great way to remember past years every Halloween.

So I built on that idea and figured that it would be great to have this concept every holiday....Christmas,Valentine's, even summer/winter vacations, etc. I LOVE frames and I love displaying pictures around my home. I also have a short attention span and so I like to change what I'm looking at a lot...so being able to rotate my frames and pictures every month or so is such a tempting idea! And I figured there had to be other people out there who shared this little quirk of mine. :) :)

Christmas Holiday Matted Frame - $12.00

In the next week or so, I've got some more Christmas/holiday frames to post, as well as a USC frame. If you've got a favorite school or sports team you would be interested in getting a frame with, let me know so I can start hunting for the fabric! :)

In addition, I'm always going to start working on some fine art prints to post in my shop...I've only got one so far, but more will be in the future! :)

The Gap - Fine Art Print - 8x10 - $25.00

Blog Sharing

2010-09-28T01:13:00.000-07:00

Crystal: Oh my, I just came across the absolute CUTEST blog right now in my browsing-ness....you must check this out, especially if you have kids...but either way it's just so creative and fun to look at:

Crouching Mother, Hidden Toddler

Jen: These lunches are adorable! What a fun mom! I love the Muffin Tin Monday meals :)

Photo from Crouching Mother, Hidden Toddler blog

Opinion - Disneyland vs Religious Garb?

2010-08-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

Jen: So, I heard an interesting Disneyland related news story from my mom this morning. I'm curious as to what you think. A woman is a hostess at one of the Disneyland restaurants, and she's Muslim. She wants to wear her hijab, but Disneyland said no because they consider all of the Disneyland uniforms to be "costumes", and that's not part of her restaurant's specific costume. Disneyland is EXTREMELY strict about what their cast members wear.

There was someone from our high school who was a cast member, and she wore the wrong shoes, and they sent her home without pay and a 3 day suspension. So they're definitely not singling this woman out. It's just their policy.

As a huge Disney fan, I fully support the company on this one. It's all of those little details that Disney has that makes the experience. Allowing everyone to wear "accessories" of their choosing takes away from the aesthetic of the experience.

Anyway, what do you think?

Crystal: hmmm, thats a tough one. i did hear about this on the news, but i didnt hear about the whole story so didnt fully understand what was going on....but based on what you said - i think i side with Disneyland.

It's a tough one, because a lot of companies have uniforms, etc. and you have to abide by them - and a lot of places say that you can't have facial piercings, visible tattoos, you can't wear certain types of clothing, etc.....but a lot of places will still allow items having a religious stance on them.....

BUT - on the same note - because Disneyland's uniforms are considered "costumes" and they are part of the role-playing of Disneyland and walking into this magical world so to speak...so, just as an actor on a movie or tv show wears what the costume designer and director tells them to, so should a Disney cast member, right? If it bothers you or goes against your religion to abide by the company's rules, you shouldn't work there.......I don't want to wear a Hooter's shirt and booty shorts, so I won't apply there....and I don't want to wear a stripper's uniform (or lack of one), so I won't work there....and I don't want to wear a covered-wagon-era costume like they do at Knott's Berry Farm, so I'm not going to work there either....and as much as I want to wear flip flops to my current job (it's a business casual dress code), I'm not allowed to and I'd likely be sent home...so I don't. The dress code is something you consider when taking a job - it's just how it is.

So after I wrote this, I went and did some quick googling on the subject...I saw that this specific employee went back and forth with Disney on this and they were working on a compromise (offering to have one designed to fit with her costume even) - but it sounds like they were completely dragging their feet on it...........

With that piece of info - completely unprofessional of Disney to string her along for such a long time, BUT - as I work in a corporate office and am exposed to the schedules of executives and various people who are usually the "[wo]man behind the scenes", I know how hectic and busy people's schedules can be....I know that sometimes it takes months and months to have tiny decisions made simply because you can't get on someone's calendar to have decisions approved. I see both sides.....

And it appears that there are also various communications out there saying that based on anti-discriminatory laws, etc. people should be allowed to wear the hijab for religious purposes.......................which I wholly support if the only contradictory explanation is purely for bigotry reasons....but I don't feel that one rule always applies to everything and that there are always exceptions.....Disneyland is one of those exceptions and I feel that law and policy makers should leave room for these things.

Obviously this is purely my opinion, and if there are facts that I'm not aware of or considering, I'd love to be enlightened so that I can rethink my opinion based on these other pieces.

Readers...what do you think??

Article from AP: http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2010-08-19-muslim-disney_N.htm

Photo by By Jae C. Hong, AP

Jen: I also read a few articles after we talked (they all seem to leave out one detail or another, but all together I think I have the whole story now). Yes, Disneyland offered to create a hijab for her. I think that was going above and beyond, personally, but that's their choice as her employers. They have even gone through a fitting process for her, but the costume department still needs to finish the design and manually create it. They're just not moving fast enough for her. It's been 2 months. But why does she assume that her costume gets top priority and should be moved to the front of the line when that department has it's hands full already (I knew someone who used to work in their costume department, and from what she said, there's always A LOT of work to be done).

If anyone of us broke the dress code at work, we'd have consequences! And if my job's dress code made me uncomfortable, I'd leave. Isn't that common sense?

I'm feeling a little riled up here because this new "Politically Correct" world that we live in is taking things a little too far. In fact, I'll be posting something on Haute Whimsy next week regarding racial tension. I'm really excited about the post because I found someone who drives the point home very nicely.

Crystal: So I saw an interview with this lady on CNN at lunch today in the breakroom...and I couldn't help but feel like there may have been someone behind the scenes pulling her strings almost...she didn't seem like she was really moved to wear the hijab because of religious reasons....she went 2 years working there without wearing one and no complaints. When the anchorman asked her why she decided to now after 2 yrs, she just said that she "was ready"....and then on a side note mentioned that she had learned during studying for her citizenship that legally she was allowed to wear it. So at that point, I feel like she was making a big deal about this purely because she could and that the religious reasons behind it are just a supporting excuse.

In addition, the anchorman asks her if they offered her other options for work...she responds saying that they offered her a position in the back where she wouldn't be seen by the customers in the interim while they worked on a compromise (i.e., the Disney approved hijab). But she kinda just wrote it off in an ungrateful 'how dare they throw me in the back' kind of way.....which I can see being annoying - I'd rather have results vs being pushed to the back.....but it's such a large company with so many different pieces involved (legal people, costume people, human resources people, etc.) that you just can't expect results to happen that quickly. It unfortunately just doesn't work that way in large corporations.

After watching the interview today, and assuming that i know all the facts that play a role in this, then I completely side with Disneyland 100%. They were very accommodating for offering to design a hijab for her (that's above and beyond in my opinion), and they offered her another position temporarily so that she could keep a job and still observe her religious rites. I feel that they did what they could in this situation and she is being ungrateful and unmoving.

Jen: Just to be clear on moving her to the back, and so people who may not understand Disneyland to the extent that we do can get a better understanding ...

Disneyland considers every employee a "cast member", and they don't have uniforms, they have "costumes" for every position. When she word the hijab, she was altering her costume, so she was told she could:

1. Remove it and continue working "on stage"
2. Continue wearing it and work "back stage"
3. Go home for the day

I don't know this for a fact, but there's no doubt in my mind that her employment contract covered the dress code. Therefore, she knowingly broke the rules. When she was given a consequence, she continued to break the rules with no regard to the company. I see this as her creating a hostile work environment!

One reader has asked what the woman is trying to get out of this situation. It looks like a payoff. She's suing for racial discrimination. HA! Of all the companies to sue for that! Disneyland has always been such a wonderful melting pot of all races, ages and gender. They are the epitome of equal opportunity!

Sweet Bella Baby - Etsy Feature

2010-07-30T07:45:00.000-07:00

Crystal: I was browsing through Etsy shops early this morning as I saw something posted on Facebook that I wanted to check out....and then the whole addiction that is clicking on picture after picture of various Etsy items took over. I saw many, many things that caught my eye....but this one in particular I stopped at because it was just so darn pretty. I don't have a little girl, and personally I think I prefer having boys, and I'm not very into pink at all....BUT I just thought this would look absolutely gorgeous in a little girl's room....so I had to share! :)

Sweet Bella Baby - Etsy Shop

Boutique Flower Lamp

Jen: It's so darling! I love it!

(#11 - July 30, 2010)

Sucre

2010-07-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

Crystal: You know, I absolutely love finding unique gifts....stuff that isn't your usual chain items.....as much as I love Harry and David pears, and Popcornopolis popcorn, I also love sending and receiving things from little-known vendors as well....or at least little known to me and likely most of those I associate with.

So I was catching up on some old email and found some info about this yummy looking chocolate and goodies company.

It's called Sucre - what a fun name! :)

http://www.shopsucre.com/

I saw these yummy looking chocolates which really caught my eye:

Just wanted to share in case anyone is looking for some fancy gifting options. :)

Dorota Jewelry- Etsy Feature

2010-05-25T18:02:00.000-07:00

Jen: I just discovered Dorota Jewelry, a gorgeous shop filled with gemstones, pearls and crystals! Each piece is handcrafted with care.

I can think of just about a million events where I could wear this jewelry, from dinner parties to movie screenings. I adore it all!

You can follow Dorota Jewelry on Facebook and Twitter for updates and sales :) Enjoy!

(#10 - May 25, 2010)

What really mattters in life...Golf Balls

2010-05-24T12:00:00.000-07:00

Crystal: I've read this a few times before, but a friend just forwarded it to me this morning and I re-read it...and I just absolutely love it. It's just a great example and holds a lot of truth. I encourage you all to read this and really absorb the meaning behind it...there are few things that are more true than this. Pass it along. :)

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough; remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and started to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor, as the laughter subsided, 'I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things- God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. These are the things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter- like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else- the small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' he continued, 'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Play with your children.

Take time to get medical checkups.

Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

'Take care of the golf balls first- the things that really matter.

Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. 'I'm glad you asked'. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'

Image: http://orglamic.com/2009/06/15/eco-golf-balls/

Kristabela - Etsy Feature

2010-05-21T15:42:00.000-07:00

Crystal: Sorry everyone - slacking again over here....my turn for the Etsy shop feature. :)

So I'm tried out this "Pounce" thing on Etsy because I love things that are random (just another quirk about myself). And so I chose "undiscovered" and checked out what came up...

So I'm also a fan of random knick knacks and gift items...things that you don't necessarily need, but that are fun to have....so this is what I came across and would love to get them as a gift for someone! Or myself if I still had a baby around....

Kristabela (no shop logo...yet i assume)

She's only got a few things up, but I love what she does have!

These Fabric Wipe Cases are an awesome idea! I would have been all over these back when my son was in diapers if I knew about it.

And I LOOVE diaper covers....especially monogrammed and personalized ones! And look how cute her owl design is!!

And then of course, the awesome Tutu Dress....i love tutus :)

Happy shopping! :)

(#9 - May 21, 2010)

Paris Gal 56- Daily Etsy Feature

2010-05-14T17:37:00.000-07:00

Jen: I love these French goodies by Paris Gal 56 (reminds me of Department 56!), an Etsy shop fit for a princess! They sell journals, art, pots, tags ... tons of lovely items for the Paris obsessed, like moi ;)

At this time, shipping is only available in the U.S. and Canada, but they have a blog you can visit as well! They do Friday giveaways- how fun!!!
Crystal: Oh I just went and checked out their shop - awesome stuff! I love the look. It's so creative. I loved the little box with the goodies in it. I don't even know what I would do with all that stuff, but I'd still want it!
Fun shop!
(#8 - May 14, 2010)

The Mother's Guide to Self Renewal Book

2010-05-12T10:08:00.000-07:00

Crystal: An interesting book I came across today...I haven't ready it myself, yet, but from what I've seen it looks like it might hold some great ideas.

The Mother's Guide to Self Renewal by Renee Trudeau

I feel that it's really important for mothers to have a self awareness about who they are and what they want out of life. When you have kids, you tend to get so wrapped up in the day to day, that you forget what living is about. For me, having children completed my life, and everything I do in my life is in a roundabout way for them...but I also realize that for the purpose of my sanity, it's important for me to also just be me and do something for myself once in awhile...and sometimes it's hard to figure out who that isor what I want when your whole life has been repurposed for your children.

I don't know that this book is the final solution, but it's probably a good start. I read the mini review from an an Urban Baby email I received last year (that I'm now barely reading)...this is what they outline as some of the suggestions in the book...all fabulous ideas in my mind!

Go to a deli or natural foods store and pick up items for a delicious picnic. Bring your treats to a local park and enjoy your meal under a shady tree.
Head to your favorite bookstore and browse the career, self-improvement, women’s health, psychology and spirituality sections. Take note of what topics are most interesting or appealing to you. Make sure you take time to be quiet; sip a relaxing beverage. Resist the urge to turn this into a shopping trip; this is your time to reflect.
Visit an ice cream or yogurt store and enjoy a new flavor as a special treat. Maybe indulge in a sundae while you sit outside and just chill.
Take off for a relaxing walk in nature, perhaps near a local lake, river or pond.
Write a poem about your life and how it’s changed since you’ve become a mother.
Visit a bookstore or gift store and buy yourself a new journal. Take time to break it in while sipping on green tea.
Go to one of your favorite outdoor spots to relax and journal on twenty things you’re grateful for.
Visit a wine bar and have a glass of your favorite wine. Reflect — what are your three favorite things about yourself? Have they changed since you were 20?
If it’s rainy, use your imagination: where can you find a cozy, quiet kid-free corner in your neighborhood to relax, unwind and de-stress?

And if you don't have kids of your own, you could always pass this along to your own mother...this can also apply to a lot of fathers out there. :)

Jen: What a fabulous book! It reminds me of a book I have called "Snap Out of It". The whole point is to become self-aware and give back to yourself.

Mom's have it rough! I just watched the Mother's Day episode of that new show, The Middle. It showed 3 generations of mothers and daughters melting down over their pressures and stressors (in a hilarious way!). My mom really related to it, as she told me later. Maybe I should get this book for her ;)

Hold My Bag - Etsy Feature

2010-05-10T13:44:00.000-07:00

Crystal: I came across a super cute Etsy shop today...it's called "Hold My Bag" (also very cute!).

http://www.etsy.com/shop/HoldMyBag

She has some gorgeous fabric that she's used...

This little beauty caught my eye right off the bat!

Extra large Tote in Michael Miller Falling Leaves OOP fabric

Here's another one...I'm already trying to picture what I can wear with this. :)

Amy Butler Extra Large tote in Nigella Water Lotus in Forest

Ooh, and this one is super chic...love it :)

Amy Butler Tote Handbag in Wallflower in Sky and Oxford Stripes

Do you see anything you like??? :)

Jen: Wow, these bags are great! I like her Extra Large Amy Butler Tote in Lacework Brown. It feels so bohemian!

(#7 - May 10, 2010)

White Earth Studio- Etsy Feature

2010-05-05T08:49:00.000-07:00

Jen: Nancy Monsebroten's shop, White Earth Studio, takes handmade to the extreme! Not only does she create the structure of her vases on a wheel, but she then hand-forms each petal and attaches it to her beautiful pieces. I can't even imagine how much time goes into her work!

I love how these vases could find a place in a classic home, as well as a very whimsical home! If I were to own one of these beauties, I would keep it near my laptop for constant inspiration and happy vibes!

(#6 - May 5, 2010)

Doodlebugs - Etsy Feature

2010-05-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Crystal: Oops! For some reason I had thought yesterday was Jen's turn to post an Etsy feature, so I didn't post anything...but now that I'm looking back at our blog, I realized that was my miss! Sorry!!

Good thing though, because I just found this awesome shop....I'm a sucker for anything personalized....so this monogram shop is right up my alley, plus offers super cute items!!

Doodlebugs Personalized Gifts and Embroidery

Check out this adorable bib and burp cloth set for $14.00

A great gift in this personalized Travel Tumbler for $17.00

And this one is my favorite!

This beautiful photo album that can be personalized with various fabrics and lettering for $20.00...I'm fairly certain I'll be purchasing one as a gift in the near future...seeing as how I'm a huge fan of pictures!!

LOVE this stuff!! :)

Jen: I love personalized items, too! I have so many pads of paper and pens with "Jennifer" scribed on them. My grandma got me into the trend as a kid!

Doodlebugs has some really cute things- good find, Crystal! I love the albums, and for $20, not bad at all! They would make great baby books ;)

By the way, the wink was because Crystal's cousin will be welcoming a baby boy into the family in the near future! Crystal is very happy!

(#5, May 4, 2010)

Baggino

2010-04-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

Crystal: Jen - I feel like you've posted something similar to this in the past, or maybe another product from the same company? Either way, I just came across this site for Baggino, a diaper-bag-changing-pad-thatyouweararoundyourwaist-MacGuyver-looking-thing...at first I was like, wow - this is weird looking...and way overboard for my personal taste...but as I watched the video play and saw them start pulling out the items in the little pockets, I started to think that although it's completely silly looking, and I'd totally walk out of a public bathroom laughing to myself at anyone I saw wearing one of these, it actually was kind of handy.

Judge for yourself. :)

Baggino (http://www.baggino.com/CombinationDiaperBagChangingBelt/)

Jen: How funny! I actually blogged about them last year here. I love this company, even though I don't have any children yet. The owners are so sweet! I'm glad to see their business is catching on!!!

Circa Ceramics- Etsy Feature

2010-04-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

Jen: I think I want to throw out all of my old dishes and start over with a collection from Circa Ceramics! It's a two-person ceramics business that started back in 1999.

Be sure to check out their:

I love the camera collection best! What's your favorite?

(#4 - April 30, 2010)

Card Maven - Etsy Feature

2010-04-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Crystal: I think I've found my new spot for greeting cards!! I do love going to Hallmark and browsing through hundreds of cards to find the perfect one, but this shop has got some super cute options as well, and even after shipping cost just about the same as a Hallmark one (the nice ones at least!)...plus they're unique, which I LOVE.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/CardMaven

I mean seriously, look at how cute this is! And only $2.45! http://www.etsy.com/listing/45764549/butterfly-birthday-handmade-greeting

Oh, and don't forget, Mother's Day is coming up (May 9)!! Check out this one: http://www.etsy.com/listing/44624201/mothers-day-handmade-greeting-card-with

And even beautiful sympathy cards...butterflies are a beautiful symbol when faced with the loss of a loved one... http://www.etsy.com/listing/37465373/classic-thinking-of-you-a-handmade

Have fun browsing. :)

Jen: These cards are too adorable! You can tell she puts a lot of time into them. I love this vintage card the best I think!

(#3 - April 29, 2010)

Food Revolution

2010-04-28T12:14:00.000-07:00

Jen: Thanks to Alyssa Milano, who is the world's best Tweeter, I signed this petition yesterday. I fully back this movement because after working in the public school system, I can vouch for the crap they feed our kids. It's awful. You can tell by their stinky little toxic farts after lunch. It smells just like the poison "burgers" they scarfed down with ketchup colored corn-syrup. Super gross.

Jamie Oliver is a God-send, and I think he's pretty brave for standing up to Americans and challenging them to feed their kids nutritious food! This petition is meant to supplement his current TV special, "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution" on ABC. After his special is over, he's going to take the petition to the White House to prove that Americans are taking a stand against garbage food in schools.

This shouldn't be a difficult feat seeing as how Michelle Obama is all about natural foods. When she moved into the White House, she planted a massive garden and allows local children to come garden with her. To me, that's walking the walk. Food Network even had a special Iron Chef America episode where the chefs had to use fresh veggies from the White House garden as their secret ingredient!

Please take a quick moment to sign this petition for the health of our kids, and our country!

Crystal: LoL - I'm still laughing at "stinky little toxic farts"! That was a great line.

I suppose if I ate better myself, I might care more about what they serve in school....and I suppose when Caydan is actually in school and eating in the cafeteria, I'll care more then as well....but as of now, this isn't a topic that's even crossed my mind yet. But soon enough I'll have more to say about it I'm sure. :)

That is really awesome though about Mrs. Obama having the local kids come and garden with her...how awesome would that be to say you gardened with the First Lady???

Heartworks By Lori- Etsy Feature

2010-04-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

Jen: I've been a long-time adorer of Heartworks By Lori "art lockets"! What makes her work so unique is that she collaborates with other artists and turns their art into jewelry. The designs embedded in her lockets are miniature versions of paintings and photography prints!

Heartworks By Lori has worked with two of my favorite Etsy artists, A Black Apple and Irene Suchocki. To have an opportunity to buy my favorite images in print and in accessories is priceless to a fan like me :)

Crystal: Oh how fun! Maybe one day she'll want to put some of my photos on jewelry...I don't take any landscape/object pics right now, but someday I plan to branch out to that. :)

(#2 - April 28, 2010)

Boobquakes?

2010-04-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

Crystal: "Women who do not dress modestly... lead young men astray, corrupt their chastity and spread adultery in society, increases (consequently) earthquakes." - Iranian cleric Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi

Really? That quote is going to show up on some comic strip somewhere down the line...if it hasn't yet already.

I remember reading the inital quote when it was first said...and I remember actually laughing at how silly it sounded...I don't want to step on anyone else's beliefs...but it just seems like such a far stretch to somehow hold someone accountable for natural disasters...and women at that.

Then I saw this event on the news the other day: http://news.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne+News/World/Story/A1Story20100428-213019.html

"Cleavage for Science"

Basically a bunch of women standing around and flaunting their cleavage to prove that it doesn't cause earthquakes.

I find this all a little smile-worthy...although interesting as the article points out there was a large earthquake in Taiwan around this same time that the protest was going on.

Besides, if this was all true, wouldn't Las Vegas be riddled with earthquakes on a daily basis? Just sayin'.... :)

Jen: It reminds me of a conversation I had with someone recently who insisted that the Haitians brought their quake upon themselves by practicing voodoo. I mean, seriously? And you know what their argument was?! "Well, look at the name of their country! Haiti, as in Hell."

No, sir. Haiti is NOT the same as Hades.

Crystal: That conversation actually happened with someone you know??? Wow...that's a far fetch. And seriously... Haiti/Hades??...probably a good idea to actually know what you're talking about when you make such bold statements.

Photo: Daily Chili

New Beachy Keen feature!!! Daily Etsy Shop feature

2010-04-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

Crystal: I just talked this over with my trusty partner, Jen...and we think this is going to be fun! She absolutely loves Etsy and is constantly browsing through the shops....I don't get on as much as her, but when I have the time, I find myself perusing as well.

We always find such fun stuff, but don't always have someone to share these great finds with....so we decided to do a new feature on this blog - Daily Etsy Shop Feature (maybe we'll come up with a more creative title as this goes on though!).

Each day, we'll take turns posting some of our favorite items from an Etsy shop...it should be interesting to see what we post too, because Jen and I, while very similar in many things, are also very different in terms of what interests us. You'll probably notice a trend as the days go on. :)

We hope that you'll like this new feature and find some awesome new stuff for yourself from our finds as well! :)

So I'm going first - Jen will post her feature tomorrow. :)

Etsy Feature #1 - April 27, 2010
DreamspunKids
I actually came across this site yesterday as I was researching how I could make my own tutus for my photography business...I came across these pettiskirts and loved the photos.....and the pettiskirts! Aren't they just beautiful??

I love all the fluff in them...they look super soft and just completely girly. I don't have a little girl, but if I did - she would be wearing one of these just for the fun of it!

Sweetheart Pettiskirt (you choose the color) - $65.00

Check out all the colors!

And if you'd like to venture into your own pettiskirt making (which I let that idea go pretty quickly once I realized that I couldn't even keep up with the directions on one site I read)...she also sells pre-cut strips of chiffon (the super fluffy part of the pettiskirts!).

Pettiskirt Lingerie Nylon Chiffon Fabric Rolls - $17.50 for 60 yards

Happy shopping! :)

Jen: Umm, can I have one?! I'd happily clean my house in one of these! Perhaps my little niece, Zoey, will have to have one ;)

How cute would it be to have a tutu party for a little girl??? I'm keeping my fingers crossed my own little girl one day!

DWTS...fair?

2010-04-27T08:53:00.000-07:00

Crystal: So, I don't watch Dancing with the Stars at all....but I saw some highlights on Fox 11 news this morning from last night's airing....I hadn't realized that Nicole Scherzinger was on this season...isn't that unfair to the other contestants??? She's in a girl group who is pretty much known for their dancing (Pussycat Dolls)....yea, they sing too....but they're more known for being entertainers versus singers.

How do you throw into a dancing competition, a professional dancer (who is drop-dead gorgeous by the way), and a bunch of others who if anything have just done it for fun on the side. I mean, Nicole Scherzinger vs Kate Gosselin or Shannen Doherty...or Buzz Aldrin?? I guess Kristi Yamaguchi would go under the "experienced" category too, although dancing on ice and dancing on stage are a bit different.

It just seems very weighted on one end...

Again, I haven't watched the show, so I don't know how well Nicole is actually doing, but I would bet she's doing pretty well....please fill me in if I'm incorrect though.

Jen: I'm not a huge fan (my mom is!) but I've caught bits and pieces this season because I was interested in Kate Gosselin. My very first thought was that the choice to extend an offer to Nicole Scherzinger was SO wrong! This is what she's known for! That makes it unfair, but even more importantly for the success of their show, uninteresting!

Again, I don't really watch the show so I can't say for sure, but is there enough room for Scherzinger to grow to keep audiences tuned in? I couldn't care less about the show now that Doherty and Gosselin are gone.

Lisa Leonard Designs Giveaway

2010-04-08T23:17:00.000-07:00

{Lisa Leonard Designs Giveaway}

Jen: I just wanted to let everyone over here know that there's a great giveaway on my other blog until 4/18! Lisa Leonard Designs is offering a $50 gift certificate to one lucky Haute Whimsy reader!

Bernie Madoff

2010-03-25T14:10:00.000-07:00

Crystal: So I'm catching up on reading old emails, which means I'm reading emails from April of 2009, lol!

Anyways - I read this blog post I subscribe to from a friend who has some very interesting points of views....

This one was about Bernie Madoff...I don't know much about him, just that he swindled ridiculous amounts of money out of rich people by pretending to be their friend....

Your immediate thought is - he's greedy, he wanted all that money, but how on earth did he think he was going to get away with it??

Then I read this blog post by Gerry, and wow...interesting perspective...he wasn't greedy...he just hated rich people and was willing to sacrifice his own freedom just to take them all down...he wanted to see the rich housewife cleaning tables at a local diner, or similar....and going for Trump? Wow...ballsy. :)

Interesting thoughts...regardless - what a cruel, cruel man...

Check it out if you're interested in the read: http://gerrymaxeyworkshop.com/blogging/?p=596

Lost in Creativity

2010-03-16T15:53:00.000-07:00

Jen: Just checking in :) I've been uber busy preparing for my upcoming Etsy shop, and since I'm almost done prepping and can see the light at the end of the tunnel, I can finally breathe again! I should be done creating the first batch of products by Friday, and then our own lovely Crystal of Avery James Photography is kindly going to take the product photos for me!

Arrested for Doodling

2010-02-18T14:31:00.000-08:00

Jen: Wow, did you hear about the junior high student in New York who doodled on her desk and was arrested for vandalizing? She wrote something along the lines of "I love my friends" and the teacher caught her. The teacher told the principle who then called the police, and they cuffed her in front of her classmates! Now she has a record, and for what? Doodling? I know I did that as a student back in the day! I get that they're trying to set an example, but in the end I think the school comes out looking like a bunch of idiots. This punishment doesn't fit the "crime" in my opinion! Have her clean desks as punishment for crying out loud! Thoughts?

Crystal: Serious??? That's nuts! I hate tagging, and think that people who do it are dumb...but I did my share of desk doodles as well....not respectful in any way, but I was a dumb teenager and it was harmless in my eyes. I didn't do it with malicious intent....so had I been arrested for it...wow! What a change in my life that would have been.

I would have hated the teacher, the school, the police...I would have grown up with this thorn in my side towards authority and the police for sure...may have changed my whole path in life!!

Punishment shouldn't be thrown off the table....it's still wrong to vandalize property on any level...but I definitely think cleaning desks or something to teach you a lesson, without leaving a mark on your legal records, is much more called for!!

Infant Accessories?

2010-02-17T14:04:00.000-08:00

Crystal: I'm thinking about expanding, or rather starting I guess I should say, my infant accessory collection for use in my photography (Avery James Photography). I'd love to get some cute knit hats, diaper covers, headbands, blankets, those netting things to put the babies in, etc.
So I figured that the best place to start is on Etsy…I love all the handmade stuff, and I love to help out small businesses.
With that said, I'd love to get some suggestions and references for products. Feel free to pass along your own sites or your favorite sites…and if you're willing to work out an exchange or discount for photos of your products, I'm all ears. I'll even throw in a ton of advertising for you in all my various social networking avenues.
Thanks everyone!

Photo below from Laura Renee Photography: http://www.laurareneephotography.com/blog/

Valentine

2010-02-15T17:20:00.000-08:00

Jen: How was everyone's Valentine's Day? I'm munching on a box of chocolates and I write this :) I ordered this Black Apple print for Joe, and gave these Black Apple Valentines to my family. Then we spent the day at Disneyland where we enjoyed a lunch of margherita pizza and Italian sodas and a dinner of seafood and gumbo crepes! My legs are a little sore today from all the walking, but it was definitely worth it!

Rental Car?

2010-02-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

Crystal: Interesting site I just came across...it's called Vroom Vroom Vroom. You put in the city, state, date, and length of time you want a rental car for...and the results come up with a lowest to highest priced page of rental cars from all the different rental companies, all on one page.

I'm all about price comparisons....love it. :)

Jen: Haha! You're funny with the comparisons. Man, it makes me want to take a trip! Vegas perhaps? I missed the Groupon bus deal, but I think I would prefer to drive anyway. I like having a car so I don't have to depend on cabs.

Award!

2010-02-10T15:26:00.001-08:00

Crystal: So I technically got this on my photography blog (Avery James Photography), but she noted both that blog and Beachy Keen in her post…so I'm just going to assume this award for both blogs!!

Thank you so much to kateyleigh @ let.it.be for the awesome Sugar Doll Award!!

According to her post, we're supposed to list 10 things about ourselves, and then tag 10 other blogs that we would like to award this to! So like we have done in the past…I'll take 5 of each, and Jen can take the other 5!

Here goes mine!

5 Things About Me

I've been on t.v. and movies before! Granted, I was probably a flicker of color walking behind the real star of the show…but that's not the point. Most recently I remembered that I was in a Richard Simmons workout video! A salsa dancing one…in the background though…I'm gonna have to find that so I can check it out, lol.
I love notebooks…I rarely write anything in them, but I always buy them when I see ones I like…I have boxes of blank notebooks at home.
I am loving my new Kindle…and currently reading the 3^rd installment of the Twilight series. LOOOOOVE IT!!! Team Edward here.
I'm on a Tigger collecting kick right now…it, among many other things, has sentimental value relating to my first son, Avery…plus he's just so darn cute.
I'm about to attempt to make my son's 4^th birthday cake in a couple of weeks…with fondant…I have no idea what I'm getting myself into, but I'm hoping I can do it!!

5 Blogs I Would Like To Award!

Novel Vault – It's not quite up and running yet…but this is gonna be BIG.
All Things Creative – Because I like creativity…and because she posts some great pictures. I love pictures.
Art Bead Scene – Because beads are fun!! It takes me back to mine and Jen's high school days when we had our bead business!!
Bridal Bliss – Because even though I'm not in wedding planning mode yet, I love to see all the fun ideas!!
The Pink Ninjas – Seriously…just check out their stuff…scrapbooking awesomeness.

Okie doke…Jen's turn!

Jen: Good stuff, Crystal! I love notebooks, too! I found a bunch while I was setting up my new bookcases. I don't know what to do with them all!

5 Things about me:

I absolutely love Pakistani food!
I had photos of my dream home printed last month so I can finally create my dream board.
I'm a huge Disneyland fan. I've even been to Club 33, thanks to a past co-worker's membership. I would love to be a member one day!
I spend a ridiculous amount of time theorizing about Lost.
I'm a Joss Whedon girl for life! I adore everything he does!

5 Blogs I Would Like To Award!

Michelle Woo - The best anecdotes around!
Some Girls Wander by Mistake - This fashion blog is written by the Black Apple's Emily. I love her style!
Cupcakes and Cashmere - This is one of my favorite daily reads! Emily (yes, another one!) charms us with her fashion presence and amazing recipes!
A Fanciful Twist - This girl knows how to throw one heck of a blog party! She's quirky and whimsical, and a delight to visit!
Mashable! - I pretty much learn everything cool from them!

Haiti

2010-02-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Jen: The coverage on the Haiti situation has been steadily slowing, so I thought it might be nice to touch base on the topic now. I really hope that people are still donating, talking, and sharing information about Haiti's circumstances.

Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta (from CNN) are back in Haiti after a short stint here at home. I'm blown away by their compassion and dedication to easing the suffering of these people. Anderson Cooper said that being back home left him with a feeling of disconnect from Haiti, and that it felt wrong.

I used the Red Cross texting initiative to donate to the cause last month, and while it was only $10, I know it will go a long way as their antibiotics only cost a nickel! Since then, I've found other donation avenues, but my mind keeps going back to that $10. Most of us can afford that. Even my little brothers donated!

Crystal: So here's my schpeal (sp?) on the Haiti situation...

It sucks...it's horrible what happened...I feel horrible for the people and the town and everything....I wish that everything could be magically fixed....and I wish that they could have all the money they need to do what needs to be done with country....

BUT....

At the same time...I can't help feeling a little resentful, if that's the right term....it takes a huge disaster for people to start giving and be generous....and I'm completely guilty of this myself.....but what if all of that effort and generosity being put forth by U.S. citizens was put back into our own country.....think of the possibilities!

I also can't help but wonder if we all put back the same effort into our country, if it would somehow come full circle and increase the help we could give outwards.....?? A long chain effect basically:

Money, care, and help is put into the U.S. --> thousands, if not millions, of people benefit and grow, better their lives, get better educations, have better health --> less strain on the welfare systems, less strain on the healthcare systems, larger pool of competent and employable citizens, more people to create businesses that allow for additional employment opportunities, etc. --> more money flowing throughout the country in all directions --> down the line, this leads to more money and skillsets that can be given outside of the U.S. to other countries in need.....

It seems so simple to me.....isn't it????

Jen: I agree that our country needs some major revamping, but for the time being, I'm happy to help the Haitians. Again, a $10 donation buys a lot of medicine for them. What would $10 do for the US? Cover a co-pay? Perhaps, if you are lucky enough to even have medical insurance. It goes to show how inflated we really are.

Super Bowl

2010-02-08T17:47:00.000-08:00

Jen: Who here watched the Super Bowl yesterday? I spent the afternoon with my teenage brothers and tons of munchies (7-layer dip, YUM!). I was lucky in that the Saints and Colts are my two favorite teams, so it was going to be a win in my eyes either way!

I also loved a few of the commercials! My favorites were the Doritos and Google commercials! What about you?

Crystal: You know, I didn't know you were such a football fan...seriously. More and more I'm surprised by how many females like football!! I am so anti-football that I just keep thinking everyone else is like me too, lol. :) :)

I did go to a Super Bowl party yesterday though...and they had 3 football pools that we played in which makes it much more fun to sit through hours of sports...and the commercials make it better too, although they have the sound kinda low and there were a TON of people there who were loud, so I actually couldn't really hear the commercials...just watched the pictures. I'm glad you posted the Doritos commercial though because I saw that one and could imagine what the kid was saying, but it was much funnier when I actually heard it. :)

The only commercial that really stood out to me was the Bud Light commercial with the human bridge...but I didn't watch ALL the commercials, and I definitely couldn't hear them all, so there were probably some better ones. :) :)

Oh - and my new favorite party dip, while we're on the topic of 7-layer dip, is Buffalo Chicken Dip!!! OH MY...TO DIE FOR. Dan's cousin's wife made it twice now and it is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo DELICIOUS. We'll (aka Dan) make it for the next get together. :)

Jen: You know, it's not that I'm a huge football fan (I'm a basketball fan!), but over the years boyfriends subjected me to it enough that I chose the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" route. I do love football movies and TV though. I'm a huge fan of Friday Night Lights!

Buffalo Chicken Dip sounds amazing, by the way! I love dips, and I love buffalo sauce, so I'm in! I'll have to make Pizza Dip for you sometime, too. So good!

Crystal: I just recently started watching Friday Night Lights!!! I haven't gotten through the first season yet as I don't get time to watch it much...but I'm about halfway through it and I love it. I'm totally caught up in the story line....I don't get the football scenes at all, but I still feel the happiness when they win. :) :) :)

Time…where does it go??

2010-02-02T15:11:00.001-08:00

Crystal: So weird…I was sitting here trying to think of what to write my blog post on, and the thing that's been on my mind all day is Caydan's (my son) birthday party at the end of this month…so I was going to see if anyone had any fun suggestions for games or party favors or anything…..then I realized, wow – I remember writing a similar blog asking for party game suggestions LAST YEAR for his birthday…..which means that Beachy Keen is over a year old already!!! Serious?!?!?

Where on earth does the time go…? That just blows my mind. It seems like yesterday we were scheming our usual schemes…what concept to run with next, how to develop it, our logo, etc.
I have high hopes for the future of this blog though! We'll be making a Facebook Fan Page soon, which I hope all of our readers will join!! Facebook is a great way to post a quick update or be able to say a quick HI to everyone.

Looking forward to 2010 and all it has to offer.

Jen: Time sure does fly! It was such a surreal feeling when Haute Whimsy hit its one year mark back in October. And I really didn't realize that Beachy Keen was already a year old, too!

We started started strong on this blog, focusing on trending topics and controversial conversations, with the goal of generating great involvement from our readers. But, as it tends to go from time to time, life got in the way.

Dear readers, in case you haven't noticed, Jen and Crystal always have a lot on their plates at any given time ;) We love living this way, but need to be better about stream-lining it to our blog. My resolution this year is to share my life here if I get too busy to concentrate on trending topics. Beachy Keen deserves our attention, regardless of the topic :)

I think that our upcoming fan page is going to be a great success, and I sincerely hope to see you all there on Facebook! Our readers are the best!

Planning a Disneyworld vacation...what I learned

2010-01-17T18:17:00.000-08:00

Crystal: So we just got back from our much awaited Disneyworld vacation last week...and I figured that I would take my newly found knowledge of what to do, and what not to do, and share it with our readers. :) :) There are definitely some things I'm taking and using for our next trip (we're hoping Jan 2012!!).

P.S. This is SUPER long...but will come in handy if you're planning your own trip. :)

Readers - feel free to add your own tips too!

1. Dining Plan: If you stay in a Disney hotel, then you can purchase one of their dining plans. There are different levels...we purchased the Deluxe Dining (3 table service meals and 2 snacks per person, per day)...I would NOT recommend getting this plan.
As nice as it was to have fine dining everyday for breakfast, lunch, and dinner...it felt like everytime we were done eating, it was time to turn around and eat again. And you get sooooooooo much food!! Each table service gets an appetizer, entree, and dessert per person...way too much food, especially at lunch time when you just ate 1-2 hours before.
Plus, we never had time to use our snack credits because we were always too full from our other meals! So at the end of our trip we had around 29 snack credits that we just went and used for lollipops and other snacks to take home to family.
I DID like having all of our meals paid for ahead of time though, and knowing we didn't have to worry about food....and I also LOVED having breakfast in our room one morning when we were overexhausted (costs 2 table-service credits for room service, and not as much food).
Because of this, I would highly recommend getting the lower level meal plan which consists of 1 table service meal, and 2 quick service meals, plus 2 snacks per day per person (which after talking to another family that had this was also too much food, but still more reasonable than our plan).

2. Reservations: If you do decide to get the Deluxe Dining plan, against my advice, use caution when making dining reservations. We ended up having to live by our reservations the first half of the trip and it cut into our park time a lot...plus we were getting back to the hotel late, and then having to wake up for 8am breakfast reservations on the other side of Disneyworld. It was REALLY exhausting. Towards the end of our trip we ended up skipping meals and reservations, and wasted some of our dining credits because we just couldn't keep up.
During the busy season, you probably need reservations ahead of time for everything, but we went in early January and half of the restaurants we went to weren't that busy, some were impossible to get into without reservations, and some just required you to wait about an hour.
Lunch and dinner in the parks was usually pretty busy. Lunch and dinner at the hotels weren't too bad. Breakfasts were pretty busy all around.
Don't plan breakfast every morning...at some point you're going to want to sleep in and get some extra rest.
And plan for about an hour and a half to 2 hours for table dining (from the time you arrive, before you sit, to bringing the check out and paying)...dining can take awhile.

Where to eat: I highly suggest eating dinner at Ohana at the Polynesian resort at least once during you're stay...the men in your party will thank you. I also highly recommend getting reservations for this place way ahead of time (you can make reservations up to 90 days in advance I think it is). Dinner is served family style, all you can eat, with salad, bread, noodles, veggies, potstickers, and wings as appetizers (all very delicious), and then steak, turkey, and shrimp cooked over a wood bbq inside the restaurant is brought around by the waitstaff on a continual basis. Very fun atmosphere, fabulous food, and the dessert was delicious!
The restaurants at the resorts are much tastier in general than the park restaurants. The breakfast at the Grand Floridian was probably my favorite breakfast. Dinner at Ohana's was definitely my fave. And Teppan Edo at Epcot was great for the atmosphere (it's like Benihana's).

Here's a quick run-down of the other restaurants we went to and my thoughts:

Boma - dinner (Animal Kingdom Lodge): It was ok...especially if you're adventurous with your food. African influence...not my cup of tea, but others might like it.

Donald's Safari Breakfast (Animal Kingdom park): All the breakfasts are pretty much the same...buffet style...they each have something slightly different...this one had donuts. The main draw was the characters, and Goofy dancing around the room.

Yak and Yeti - lunch (Animal Kingdom park): Pretty yummy asian food. I can't remember what I got right now, but I remember the food was decent.

Kouzzina by Cat Cora - dinner (Boardwalk resort): Mediterranean food...fancy stuff....if you're into that, then you'd probably like it...we didn't like it much though.

1900 Park Fare - breakfast (Grand Floridian resort): my favorite breakfast...buffet style...they had an omelette station. And the hotel is gorgeous. Plus Tigger and Pooh were there, along with Mary Poppins, Alice, and the Mad Hatter

Turf Club Bar and Grill - lunch (Saratoga Springs): interesting atmosphere...the kind of place you'd expect to see a bunch of older gentlemen sitting around smoking cigars (although there weren't any!). The resort was gorgeous. Food was ok.

Ohana - dinner (Polynesian Resort): loved the resort, loved the restaurant. Definitely the busiest restaurant we went to. Excellent food.

Cape May Cafe - breakfast (Beach Club Resort): this was a pain to get to as the park we went to in order to catch the bus didn't seem to have a direct bus there...long story, but able to overcome....food was ok...nothing special.

Teppan Edo - lunch (Epcot): food was ok, but you come for the entertainment. Same concept as Benihana's...although not quite as tasty.

The Garden Grill Restaurant - dinner (Epcot): pretty neat place as it rotates in a big circle to show part of one of the rides....Chip and Dale come visit you. Dinner served family style...so you gotta like what's on the menu. I wasn't super fond of the food, but I was growing to love the family style dining that they have at Disneyworld...and I liked the rotating room.

Chef Mickey's - breakfast (Contemporary Resort): same 'ol breakfast...they had mini pancakes (most restaurants just have the Mickey waffles). buffet style. Goofy and characters did a little song and dance.

Whispering Canyon Cafe - dinner (Wilderness Lodge Resort): another of my favorites for dining...food was ok, but the atmosphere was fabulous. The waitstaff is very loud and obnoxious...but on purpose. If you call for them they'll respond with "What do you want?!". They throw straws and napkins at you, they eat your birthday cupcake, and if you ask for ketchup they'll yell it out to the whole restaurant and you'll get about 15 bottles of ketchup brought to your table from another party. Plus they have stick-horse rides for the kids around the restaraunt. :)

Liberty Tavern - breakfast (Magic Kingdom): Neat place...family style breakfast with an interesting take on french toast....not quite sure if I liked it or not. But the restaurant was cute and right inside the park.

The Plaza Restaurant - lunch (Magic Kingdom): Was NOT impressed...food wasn't great...restaurant was boring. Other than the kid's cookies and milk, I didn't find anything good about this place.

Tony's Town Square Restaurant - dinner (Magic Kingdom): food was good, but I was unimpressed with their hosting staff. We waited 40 minutes past our reservation, then found out that they had somehow seated another group in our place...we missed the fireworks show and I was mad. But our waiter was super nice and helpful and the food was good.

Hollywood and Vine - breakfast (Hollywood Studios): Same 'ol breakfast, but they had the Little Einsteens and JoJo characters to dine with.

Sci-Fi Dine in Theater - lunch (Hollywood Studios): Food sucked, but I might go again just for the atmosphere. Easily the coolest looking restaurant as you sat in "cars" that had tables, and it was set up to look like a big drive-in theater. The hosts were on roller skates and the kitchen was in the back made to look like the snack counters at a real drive-in. And they showed old 50's commercials on the big screen. Tables were super small though...but it was a lot of fun.

Planet Hollywood - dinner (Downtown Disney): Good food, super fun atmosphere, loud music and videos playing, lots to look at...they aren't specific to Disney, but worth a visit if you have time.

Nine Dragons Restaurant - lunch (Epcot): Neat restaurant...but the food wasn't great. Chinese food...disappointed to find out AFTERWARDS that my kung pao chicken was all dark meat. Delicious raspberry tea though!!

3. Fantasmic: The Fantasmic show is at Hollywood Studios...and if you eat at Mama Rosa's or the Brown Derby restaurant (I think...double check on that second restaurant though) during a certain time, you'll get special seating for the Fantasmic show.......BUT, what is failed to be mentioned is that Fantasmic is ONLY on Thursday nights......so while we had our reservations, there was no Fantasmic...and we ended up leaving the park anyways.

4. Timing: We went Jan. 5-13 and the timing was awesome...it was COLD, and we overlapped the annual marathon that added a headache to the bus system, but there were hardly any lines everywhere we went...we'll definitely go back during this same time period in the future.

5. Ground transportation: If you're staying at a Disney hotel, definitely take advantage of the Disney's Magical Express which picks you up from the MCO airport, gets your bags for you (although they won't get to your room til a few hours later), and also allows you to check in to your flight as well as your bags from the hotel when you return. It's a free service. :)

The Disney bus and monorail system is pretty competent for the most part. Most of the time the buses were quick and we hardly waited at all...we had a couple mishaps with buses not showing up or being late, but only a couple of times...the biggest issue is that the buses do not go from resort to resort...so if you want to eat at another resort and are going from your resort (i.e. breakfast in the morning or returning from dinner at night), you have to take a bus to a resort (that's open!) and then catch the bus from the resort to your hotel. Late at night you only have the option of taking a bus to Downtown Disney in order to catch your bus back to your hotel...this can be a pain as it adds a lot of time onto your transportation plans.

6. Leftover snack credits: If you happen to have a bunch of leftover snack credits from your dining plan, as we did...I recommend going to Downtown Disney and Goofy's candy store to use them. They'll explain what you can get there, but most of the stuff out of the bakery/dessert display are valid (marshmallow crispies, chocolate covered marshmallows, peanut brittle, etc.).

7. Planning: If you're like me, you want to make the most of your trip...so you plan on going to a park every day, having breakfast bright and early, and having dinner late to make the most of your park hours.....DON'T DO THIS.....it is draining and overwhelming and leads to grumpy people. :) Plan at least one day in the middle of your vacation to sleep in, relax, eat whenever you want, go to Downtown Disney and do some shopping (they have tons of neat stores there! Lots to look at).

8. Disney vacations: If you have any interest in the Disney Vacation Club - plan for time to take the tour while you're there...they give you $100 for attending their meetings. FYI - The DVC is only good for 50 years unlike timeshares that you actually own for a lifetime.
There is also a notice in your room about saving 30-40% on your next vacation if you pick a date before you leave...so if this is of interest, think about dates before you're too exhausted when you're there.

9. Animal Kingdom Lodge: This is where we stayed...and loved it. We had a room with the balcony overlooking the areas where the zebras and giraffes, and a bunch of other animals, all roamed around. It was really amazing. We didn't have a whole lot of time to enjoy it, but we did do room service for breakfast one morning which was an awesome opportunity to just watch the animals from our room. The downside about the AKL - it's the farthest hotel from EVERYTHING....if you look at a map of all the resorts, you'll see what I'm talking about...so it takes longer to get to and from everywhere else.

10. Random thoughts:

a. Disney Hollywood Studios was my least favorite of the parks...maybe because I'm spoiled with Hollywood Studios here in Southern CA...but there just wasn't much to do there. They do have Tower of Terror though which is my favorite...and I hear Rockin Rollercoaster is awesome, but we didn't get a chance to go on it. When we went, everything seemed to be under refurbishment or broken.

b. Epcot was probably my favorite. So much to do there...we went 2 days and still didn't do everything we wanted to. Great for window shopping too...they have all the different countries and the shops and restaurants are just like walking into the country...very neat. Plus you've got to check out the Nemo ride and the aquarium at the end....super cool. :)

c. Epcot has a Kim Possible scavenger hunt which is pretty neat. It's pretty easy to accomplish and more for the younger kids...but entertaining all the same.

d. I was unimpressed with the Space Mission ride at Epcot...it took everything in me to not get sick...it's basically like those spinny rides at the carnivals where you can climb up on the walls because you're going so fast...except I think this one makes you go headfirst based on how I felt...it was horrible.

e. Definitely utilize the Fast Pass services...they're set up much better than Disneyland (where you still have to wait forever even if you have a Fast Pass...DW you actually get to go to the front of the line...some even have a separate line altogether).

f. Although there are a lot of the "same" rides at DW as Disneyland...they're still all different...most are actually better....the only ones I would say are not better would be Pirates of the Caribbean (it's way shorter at DW), and It's a Small World (also much shorter and doesn't have the Disney Characters in it). Snow White is much cooler at Disneyworld, as well as the Pooh ride, and I'm thinking maybe Space Mountain...the seats are only one person to a car (kinda like the Matterhorn seating) and adds a whole different effect to the ride.

g. The Safari jeep ride at the Animal Kingdom is awesome. Make sure to get a Fast Pass for it early as it fills up quick...but this was one of my favorites...you get to actually drive THROUGH the habitats, and not around them. The animals are all just walking right around your car.

h. The Lion King show was probably my favorite (at Animal Kingdom)...definitely catch this show while you're there.

i. We almost didn't get into the Nemo Musical show...the line was ridiculously long and filled up the first time we tried to...then we barely made it in the 2nd time as it was also full. Get there a good 45 minutes before the show to get in line.

j. Take advantage of the extra magic hours (extra hours for those staying at a Disney resort) - they check for your hotel room key when you go on rides, so have them handy. It's definitely less crowded the later it gets at night.

k. If you're short on time at Hollywood Studios, skip the backlot tram tour...it's kind of a joke.

l. The Car stunt show at Hollywood Studios though is pretty neat...get there right at the beginning though because that's when the action starts.

Alright, I think that's all I got for now....I'm sure there's more, but I think I've been typing forever now!! I hope someone finds this info helpful...I know there's lots I would have liked to know ahead of time. I'd love to hear your comments. :) :) :)

Disney Awesomeness

2010-01-06T13:10:00.001-08:00

{Disneyland Retro Goodies}

Jen: In honor of Crystal's Disney adventure that she's on right now, I thought I'd post a couple of neat Disney related things that I stumbled upon today!

First, did you know that Lost fans are petitioning to have Disneyland turn its Tom Sawyer's Island into a Lost Island? It actually makes sense since Disney is the parent company to ABC. Tom Sawyer's Island kind of went downhill for me once they added the pirate things. It's just not cohesive anymore. And seriously, how cool would it be to run from smoke monsters and discover Jacob's cabin on the island?! I think it's a fantastic idea!

I also found out that Disney is releasing retro merchandise for its 55th anniversary this year! I saw some of the stuff and absolutely love it!

2010

2010-01-04T18:28:00.000-08:00

Jen: Welcome 2010! I'm really excited by the start of this year more than I have been in years (or possibly ever)! I have a laundry list of resolutions, and none of them I dread. I have some exciting news to share within the next month or so, and I know that Crystal's photography business is going to bring us lots of happy posts in the months to come :)

Crystal will be gone for the next 9 days on her exciting Disney World adventure, but I'll try to bombard Beachy Keen with lots of posts while she's away. She'll have lots to catch up on when she gets home ;)

I'm back!!

2009-12-17T14:49:00.000-08:00

Crystal: OMG Wow...it's been awhile since I wrote on this blog! I have been wrapped up in tons of photoshoots, editing, burning cds, marketing, not to mention my full-time job that has kept me swimming in work the past few months, my family whom I have been desperately trying to make time for outside of all of the above, and my sanity which has been definitely lacking lately....

but now, I finally have a little time to breathe. I can actually say that i've been a little bored lately ::gasp!!::.

So I wanted to get back on here and say HELLO! to everyone, and that I hope to get back into the blogging mode if Jen is up for it. :) :)

For those who remember my post awhile back about Disneyworld...the countdown is on...19 more days til we go!! We've gotten our luggage tags in the mail, coupons for goodies, tons of emails with tips from friends, maps with our must-see's marked on them, a spreadsheet with restaurant reservations for 24 different restaurants (we are going to be fat and happy when we come back!), a new point and shoot camera to take along so I don't have to carry around my giant camera...and I think we're just about ready to go!!

Christmas next week, Avery's birthday the following week, New Year's Eve as well, then the next week it's time to go!!! I can't believe it's finally here. :) :) :)

Jen: Here *raising my hand*! Welcome back! I know it's been busy for us both, but I'm hoping to make more time for Beachy Keen, as well as Haute Whimsy. I miss them both!

I'm so excited for you guys! Disney World is going to be amazing! I can't wait to live vicariously through your vacation photos ;) By the way, what point and shoot did you choose? I just got one, too. It's a Sony Cybershot.

Crystal: I got the Canon Powershot. So far it's good...I've used it a bit - hard to not be biased when I'm so used to using my nicer camera, but I think it's good...my eyes are trained differently now, so things that I previously thought looked nice, don't look so great anymore, lol...so it's kinda hard for me to say! But it's the baby blue one which I LOVE, and it's tiny, and fits in my purse....and I'm just so happy to always have a camera handy now instead of just my iPhone! :)

Work has been a bit slow with the holidays here and some big meetings that takes my boss out of town...so I finally got to catch up on work and have a little bit of downtime...I'm hoping it continues so i can blog more, but I'm not sure....will have to play it by ear and hope for the best! :)

Jen: It really is nice to have a small camera that's always handy. I really miss my lost Nikon. Joe bought me a newer Nikon for my birthday, but it took TERRIBLE pictures, so I got the Cybershot last month. It's not my old Nikon, but it'll do :)

Frantic Holidays

2009-12-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Jen: Happy December everyone! Who's glad that November has come and gone? *hand raised* It was a hectic month around here with NaNoWriMo and family, birthdays and work. I'm not sure that I have much to show for these past 30 days, other than a look of utter confusion! Hopefully, December will be a little more under control.

Disgruntled Farmer

2009-10-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

Jen: Apparently, farmers in Brussels are not too happy about falling milk prices. They protested at the European Union's headquarters by burning bails of hay and squirting officers with milk straight from their cow's udders! I had to laugh when I saw the photo!

Disneyworld

2009-09-25T15:41:00.000-07:00

Crystal: OK I'm motivated now. :) :) I'm gonna book my Disneyworld vacation tonight!

Does anyone have any tips for me on anything Disneyworld related????? :) :) :)

Jen: Yes! I hear tale that somewhere in Epcot is a grapefruit cake! Erin, Joe's brother's girlfriend, has been to Disney World more times that I could ever count, and she brought home the recipe! It's absolutely amazing!

Where Are They Now?

2009-09-18T21:36:00.001-07:00

Jen: Crystal and I are having a bit of a Beachy Keen dry spell, so I thought I'd stop by to explain why :) If nothing else, you'll at least have a little insight into what makes Beachy Keen's authors tick these days!

I have been incredibly busy with a new job, home hunting (still unsure if this home will come in the form of a house, apartment or condo), and intense work over at Haute Whimsy. I've been taking sponsors and doing giveaways on that blog, and while it's great fun, it's also a lot of work!

I'll give Crystal a nudge and get her over here to give her side of the story ;)

Crystal: Sorry! I've been on an ad hoc hiatus lately....there's a LOT going on in the world of Crystal...catching up on 20+ photoshoots from August, organizing a huge fundraiser for a local school, moving to a new apartment, my 40hr a week day-job, and my regular day-to-day upkeep (bills, Avon selling, etc etc etc).....it just seems never-ending right now....I think once I catch up on my backlog of photoshoots, everything else will be a little easier to catch up on as well....plus the move is tomorrow, so once that's behind us then I don't have to worry there either.

There's a light at the end of the tunnel, it's just not here yet. :) :)

Poor Beachy Keen blog, I will reunite with you soon!!! :)

Nobody Puts Baby in the Corner

2009-09-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

Jen: Just as so many others, I am heartbroken about Patrick Swayze's passing :( I grew up crushing on him, and my crush turned into unconditional respect as I watched this gentleman do good for the world, love his wife madly and fight his cancer with grace and dignity.

I was constantly amazed by his calmness and positive thinking throughout his battle, even while the disgusting tabloids headlined his impending doom week after week. It's humbling to witness such humanity. I think we're all very lucky to have "known" this man.

Crystal: I never considered myself a "fan" really of his...I didn't dislike him by any means, just wasn't really aware of a lot of his work besides Ghost I think. I never watched Dirty Dancing (gasp!!) and I think that's where a lot of his fanbase grew from, at least from what i can see....

But, I did see an interview with him a year or so ago, along with his wife, and was also amazed at his positive thinking. He was so sure he was going to come out on the other side of this, even though I don't think very many people, if anyone, do....I was also highly impressed that he made a whole tv series while in the midst of chemo and whatever other treatments he was on...that is AMAZING.

I didn't know much about his type of cancer until a friend/co-worker's step-father was diagnosed with it about a year and a half ago or so...she would come to work telling me about the disease and how severe it is, and how quickly it takes hold of the body and ultimately kills people. From the time her step-father was diagnosed (on a routine doctor's visit I think) to the time of his passing, it had been less than a year I believe. It just came through like a freight train and took over his life, and then took his life. It's such a horrible disease and it breaks my heart to know there's not a cure. :(

Rest in peace Mr. Swayze.

Question of the Week 9-15-09

2009-09-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

Crystal: I am completely slacking...sorry! I was out of town last week and have been playing catch-up ever since at work...and my after work schedule is a whole other story....I'm just BUSY. I need another word for "busy" because I'm tired of saying it to everyone.

Anyways - question for this week (this is for all of our readers as well!):

What book are you reading right now?

Me? Surprisingly I am reading a book right now...usually my "busy-ness" doesn't allow me the room, but I started reading it on the plane last week and now I need to finish it! So I am currently reading Dean Koontz' Velocity. I love Dean Koontz' books...I've read quite a few to date...although there's many more to read still! I love the mystery books, and his usually entails a bit of supernatural along with the morbidity of human capabilities. So they're half realistic and half "out there"...and a whole lot of 'interesting'. :)

Whatcha reading Jen?? Readers??

Jen: I still need to give Dean Koontz a try. I keep saying I will, but I always forget once I enter the wonderland that is Borders!

I just started reading Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain! I don't know if you watch his show "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel, but he's awesome! Crass, controversial, politically incorrect and hysterical- I love him!

From my understanding, this book is what put him on the map. It gives you a low-down and dirty backstage pass to what really goes on in high-end restaurants. "A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute cuisine."

I Can Hardly Wait!

2009-09-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

{via Michael Hogan Photography}

Jen: I'm writing this from my newly rearranged living room, and this is the first day that I've been able to work from home since the fires in my city here in California! It's so nice to feel the drop in temperature and to smell clean air again!

I'm incredibly excited about the Fall season this year! October has always been my favorite month because of my birthday and Halloween, but this year I'll also be celebrating my niece's first birthday! Between carving pumpkins and eating pumpkin scones from Starbucks, I'm going to have to say that October also brings the best culinary options for me. I recently discovered a salad at California Pizza Kitchen that has some amazing Fall ties, such as baked and chilled acorn squash, dried cranberries and dates in a light champagne vinaigrette- yum! I'm definitely going to be making that throughout the season!

Crystal is on a work retreat right now (lucky her!) but perhaps when she returns she'll be up to sharing some of her reasons for looking forward to Fall this year!

Crystal: I'm afraid I don't share your love of fall. Maybe because I'm a June baby and so summer is therefore my month. :) :)

To me, fall basically means that summer is over. :( :( I don't like the drop in temperature...I prefer the lovely, warm, heat. :)

But, having a child, Halloween is much more fun for me. While I'm not big into dressing up at all, it's so fun to see how happy my son gets when trying on a Halloween costume, saying "trick or treat", and getting all kinds of candy. This year we'll be going to the Disney Trick or Treat event again at Disneyland California...we loved it last year, so we'll be returning....next Friday actually. :)

And I believe we've narrowed down his costume to Peter Pan. We couldn't find one that I liked, and I did find this adorable knight costume from the Narnia: Prince Caspian movie that i loved...but Caydan didn't like it. He wants to be Peter Pan. So we're just gonna go back and get the one from the Disney store as it was the best quality one...but I didn't like the color of it. Oh well, he'll be a cute Peter Pan. :)

Other than that though, fall means football to me....which I am not a fan of, but my fiance is...and he spends most of his time watching it - which means I can't watch my t.v., and we have to base our schedules around game times....this does not make a happy Crystal. :)

Happy Labor Day!

2009-09-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Jen: Happy Labor Day! What is everyone doing today? I'm heading over to my mom's house for a small family BBQ, doing laundry, and then coming home to plan my birthday shenanigans for next month. Low key and relaxing :)

Question of the Week 9-1-09

2009-09-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

What makes for a perfect vacation?

Jen: I love getting away more than anything! I don't look for relaxation though (I can do that on my couch). I want adventure and sights, shopping and dining! I love visiting the downtown area in every city I vacation in.

Crystal: I think I'm exactly like you. My vacations usually end with needing a vacation to recoup from my vacation. Even though we use our timeshare places a lot lately, and they're gorgeous with full amenities - the type of place you go to just hang out at the resort and relax...we usually don't spend much time in our rooms or on-site....we usually get in, drop off our stuff, then go to our first destination.

For me personally, I like to plan my dream vacations around amusement parks. I'm a huge amusement park person....and my lifelong dream vacation has been Disney World.......luckily, that dream is FINALLY coming true....28 years later! This December we will be taking a really nice vacation there...sparing no expenses....it's gonna be a blast. I'm so excited. :) :)

Ablaze

2009-08-30T23:56:00.000-07:00

Jen: Los Angeles has been having its share of summer wildfires. Last year, San Diego got the brunt of it; the year before was San Bernardino's turn. This time, it's close to our Beachy Keen home :(

One of the two recent/current fires hit my city, and soon to be Crystal's city. It's unnerving to be told by the news and authorities to get your prized possessions and animals ready for a possible evacuation.

Sadly, the current fire further in Los Angeles is still raging, and the lives of firefighters are being lost :( We have a constant reminder of the dire situation in the form of this surreal white cloud-looking smoke that can be seen for hundreds of miles.

Question of the Week 8-25-09

2009-08-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

What is your favorite restaurant and dish they serve?

Crystal: LoL...I notice a lot of our posts commonly revolve around food. :)

My favorite restaurant would probably be based more around my favorite dish than vice versa....I go to a location for the food more than I do for the ambience, lol. :)

With that said...On the Border is one of my favorites because I LOOOVE their beef empanadas. They are right up my alley and I was so bummed to find out the one nearest me at the Howard Hughes center closed down....

My other favorite might be Chili's because they have the best chocolate lava cake that I've had to date...I'm always looking for some runner-ups...but I haven't found any that top Chili's yet. :)

Jen: I love Claim Jumper for the atmosphere, mainly because I tend to celebrate random accomplishments there! My favorite dish would have to be the Whiskey Chicken- chicken with a whiskey applesauce, mashed potatoes, stuffing and a biscuit with honey-butter. Yum!

I also love their Lemon Drops and carrot cake. In fact, they have one of the most fantastic drink menus ever!

Groupon

2009-08-19T16:02:00.000-07:00

Crystal: OK, my new favorite website right now is http://www.groupon.com/

This is the absolute best thing to happen to big city, coupon-lovers since the Grocery Game and Google. :) :)

The basis of it is that a vendor can offer a coupon on this site (usually for 24 - 48 hours) for a deep discount (usually at least 50% but varies), and they can do this because mass amounts of people purchase it and it makes it all worthwhile for the vendor in terms of marketing and repeat business.

Some of the things that have been up there are like - pay $25 for $50 worth of food at xyz restaurant (usually more upscale or never-heard-of restaurants)....I bought two tickets to a wine tasting for $50 and it includes the wine and appetizers at a cute little winery in downtown L.A.

They also have coupons for massages, activities (I got one for a rock-climbing facility called Hangar 18), headshots for actors, sporting events, and the list keeps growing.

I'm definitely going to do something for Avery James Photography through this company in the near future...I just don't have the bandwidth in my life right now to take on any mass amounts of clients (or that's what I'm hoping will happen at least!!).

Bottom line - AWESOME deal financially, and you get to explore new places you probably didn't know about!

They have the program in several big cities...so if it's not in yours yet, just keep checking back. :)

Jen: So it's one sponsored coupon per day?

Crystal: Correct. Every day they have a new vendor with a new offer...although it depends on your city - some of the newer places they have this program for don't have enough offers to do it every day, but the L.A. area definitely does...and I think it originated in Chicago so they have tons there.
And then on the weekends they don't have any - so Friday's offer is extended through the weekend (obviously a better day to your ad because you get 3 days of advertising!)...

And you can subscribe via email so the new offers pop up in your inbox first thing in the morning...it's a great thing to wake up to :)

Question of the Week 8-18-09

2009-08-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

What has been your biggest hair horror story to date?

Jen: I've had quite a few, but I think the whopper was when I had red hair and I told my stylist that I wanted to go back to blonde. She actually whined about how much work it was going to be, and when she turned me around to the mirror in the end, it was brown! I asked her what happened and she said said decided to go brown because it was easier! The worst part was that it was actually slightly green, too. I left the salon completely mind-boggled. I mean, who does that??? I let my hair rest for a few days and then marched back in there and made her fix it.

Crystal: You have definitely had some of the craziest hair horror stories...I know that much....that one is pretty bad though - the nerve of that stylist! How dare she call herself a stylist actually....

I don't have many hair horror stories...I did my fair share of dying my hair when I was young, but I played it pretty safe for the most part...I do remember something about doing streaks (maybe it was with you??) and having this giant white-blonde streaks in the front near my face and it looked horrible on me (blonde is definitely not my color)....and the last time I got highlights I said I wanted a light brown color and they were orangey-white....horrible.

I don't dye my hair anymore though. :) I'm just gonna keep it au naturale. :)

Theme Stores

2009-08-17T13:30:00.000-07:00

Jen: I went to a restaurant called The Stinking Rose over the weekend. It is a garlic themed restaurant in Beverly Hills, from their drinks to their food and even to their dessert! As you go to leave the building, you'll find a little store that sells fun and garlicy souvenirs to remember your unique dining experience by!

It got me thinking about other randomly themed stores, such as the Purple Store at Ports O' Call Village in San Pedro, CA. Purple was my favorite color as a child, so this was a dream come true for me!

Do you know of any quirky stores?

Crystal: That sounds sooooo yummy! I love garlic! Although I don't know about garlic dessert...that doesn't sound so yummy. :)

And I've never heard of the Purple Store! I'm gonna have to go check that out though considering my love for purple. :)

I can't really think of any themed stores off the top of my head...just the popular ones, like the M&Ms Store in Las Vegas...LOVE that place!

Hmm...that's a tough one! I'll come back to this if I think of one. :)

Jen: I have no idea if The Purple Store is still around. I remember it from my childhood. As for M&Ms, blec! It's one of my least favorite candies! I have fallen in love with Palmers Candy recently, though. They always seem to have knock-offs of the popular brands, so maybe they have an M&M-like treat! If only there was a Palmers store!

Crystal: I'm not a fan of plain M&M's, but I love the Peanut M&Ms and i LOOOOOOVVVEEEE the Peanut Butter M&Ms.....they are heaven. :) You should try them if you haven't already. :) :)

I haven't a clue what Palmers Candy is though...it doesn't sound very tasty to me though, lol. I all of a sudden got an image of the grandfather commercial with the butterscoth candies...Werthers I think...lol....don't know why, that's just what came to mind. :)

Question of the Week 8-11-09

2009-08-11T19:35:00.000-07:00

Crystal: Better late than never I say :) :)

Hopefully by the end of this week and then for the next couple of weeks I will be able to keep up on this blog a lot more than I have been!! I should have a little more downtime....I'm looking forward to it!!

So the question this week is:

What is your favorite Etsy shop and why?? (Yes - it can be your own!)

Mine...currently, besides Jennifer's lovely lomo shop, is BeeLoveLee. I just got my pouch in the mail the other day and I am in love with it!! I use it for my makeup and it just makes me smile when I pull it out of my purse...I posted a blog about it before, but I hadn't seen any of the products in person til now...not to mention her prices are absolutely affordable!!! :)

Jen: I love The Black Apple shop on Etsy! I adore the art and they have periodic sales that keep me coming back for more!

This shop has had over 24,000 sales, so I'm not the only fan!

Crystal: Wow - that's a neat shop! It seems like it's right up your alley in terms of style. It reminds me of those books...uhmmm...what are they called???? The 3 little kids with all the bad luck or whatever....oh! A Series of Unfortunate Events....yea - the style reminds me of the art in those books. Very neat! :)

Cravings!

2009-08-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

{Chicken Tikka Masala}

Jen: I've been craving Pakistani food for weeks now! I love the creamy curries and baked naan for dipping. Tandoori oven-cooked meats and honey based desserts. Yum! Joe and I are planning on picking up a huge order this weekend and stuffing ourselves until we never want to eat again (yeah, right!). What is your favorite "ethnic" food?

Crystal: So I'm confused...I didn't know that was Pakistani food...I thought those were all Indian foods...? Or are they similar and am I an idiot? I know that a bunch of us went to this Indian restaurant in downtown El Segundo a few months ago, and I was encouraged to try the chicken Tikka Masala, which I did...and it was sooooo yummy! I didn't think I'd like it, but I really really did.

And - because of that experience, last week I went to Fresh and Easy to get something for lunch and decided to try their chicken masala dish (pre-made, you just heat it up) and it was FABULOUS! And I typically get weird about microwaved chicken, but it was really good quality, not gross at all, and super yummy! I'm starting to crave it now actually! :) :)

My favorite ethnic food...hmmm, well I love anything teriyaki...I actually LOVE the Korean BBQ Beef at The Loft in Torrance...it's Hawaiian food I think, despite the Korean name being in it...?? It's soooooo good. And I love Kung Pao chicken from PF Chang's....and I loooove looove looove Mochi Ice Cream....yummm. So I guess my greatest influence and love is for Asian foods...although I think the ones I like are pretty American-ized...so not so ethnic....but I'd like to think they are. :)

Other than that, I'm not very adventurous with ethnic foods...if I didn't grow up eating it, I probably won't try it...........unless it's a pretty safe dish.

Oh - I just remembered, Carmen makes this absolutely wonderful Peruvian dish - I think she said it's called Chicken Pudding....it's basically a thick, chicken sauce/cream with bread and pieces of chicken in it with Peruvian spices....it is to die for!!!!! :) :)

Jen: Yum! Carmen's dish sounds lovely! I love anything saucy and dip-able. In fact, I bamboozled Joe into picking up Al Noor on his way home tonight!

Pakistani food is basically Indian food, just slightly spicier from my understanding. Indian cuisine also seems to have a sweetness that I don't care for too much. I've noticed that they use a lot of raisins.

Question of the Week

2009-08-04T17:29:00.000-07:00

What is your most ridiculous and irrational pet peeve?

Jen: I hate washing cheese graters. Hate with a passion! Nothing will get me muttering under my breath like a crusty grater!

Crystal: That's a good one! I don't own a cheese grater - but I have in the past and I remember them being horrible....kinda like a colander if you get pasta pieces stuck in it or something - I always feel like I can never really get it clean and then I'm grossed out by it!

I have many pet peeves....a ridiculous and irrational one though...hmmmm....

Well I was talking about this recently, but I HATE to do things twice or backtrack at all...goes for everything whether it's telling a story to 2 different people (why I love facebook and blogs because i can post it once and just refer people to it), driving somewhere and then having to backtrack on the same road to get somewhere else - sometimes I'll purposely go the longer way just to not have to drive on the same road again...writing an email or blog only to send/post it and receive an error and then it's lost!! Most times I just won't rewrite it...I'll give up because I can't stand to write the same thing over again!

This probably bugs most people, but for me I think it's a little more extreme in terms of how it affects me, lol.

And another quick one - I hate when cars stop at a light and leave a whole car's length or two in front of them....for whatever reason it bugs the crap out of me...just move up! You're not gonna hit the car and you're already stopped, so I don't think the car length rule applies here!!

Jen: Backtracking seems like a pretty normal pet peeve, but with you I know it's different! Going the long way just so you don't have to take the same road twice is a little extreme- or OCD, lol! Isn't it funny how we're all crazy in our own wacky ways?! I embrace the crazy, though.

Different, but the same?

2009-07-31T02:03:00.000-07:00

Jen: I've been delving into my heritage a bit, so I thought it would be fun to do a post on our nationalities this week!

I have a few key relatives who are great at maintaining family trees and are willing to do the research, but even more who are clueless. I've had a difficult time finding a starting point in my search, but I've recently been able to find out that I have quite a bit of Native American in me- specifically Cherokee and Chickasaw/Choctaw!

I've always been curious as to where my eye shape came from because it doesn't quite match anyone in my family. In fact, I've had countless people ask about my heritage because they say my eyes look "ethnic". Perhaps the Native American came into play there.

What has always cracked me up is how when our hair color is similar, people say that Crystal and I look like we could be sisters. I look at them like they're total loons and ask if they realize that I'm Caucasian and she is half Japanese?!

Crystal: Yea, I definitely look Japanese in that picture. :) But normally I don't look as Asian as that....and I love that people think we look like sisters! They must just be able to sense that sisterly love we have :) :) :)

And that's awesome you have some Native American in you...nothing like some diversity to make beautiful people. :) And you say Choctaw and I immediately think of Tim McGraw, lol......country music lovers will know what I'm talking about :) Other than that though I guess I've never heard of Choktaw.....cool all the same!

I'd love to do some genealogy research and find out my history....I think I know my nationality....half Jap and Half Irish/German....but with those European backgrounds they tend to be pretty mixed and everyone ends up just saying they're Irish/German unless they really know, lol. :)

It'd be fun to see if there's any famous/historical people in your history!! Sounds like a lot of work though! :)

Question of the week

2009-07-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

Crystal: So i was sitting here trying to come up with another blog topic....major blogger's-block right now....and I decided to google 'question of the day' and see what came up....

And just to give credit where credit is due, this is one of the sites that popped up: http://questions.vox.com/

And the first question says: If you could eat only one cereal for the rest of your life, which one would you pick?

So I'm thinking maybe we start a question of the week post...? And we'll come up with (or find if our minds are being blocked by the unknown) an interesting question every Tuesday (??) and post it for our answers as well as our reader's answers :)

So here's mine:

I'd have to say...Honey Bunches of Oats. It's one cereal that I never seem to really get sick of....I usually go on trends where I'll eat boxes of one cereal for a couple weeks, and then I'll get sick of it and switch to a new one, but then eventually switch back to the original one...........but I think Honey Bunches of Oats is ALWAYS good. :) :)

What about you Jen?

And our readers??

Jen: I love the "questions of the week" idea, and Tuesdays work for me!

If I could eat one cereal for the rest of my life, it would have to be Frosted Mini Wheats (preferably the brown sugar variety)! I never get tired of them!

Starbucks

2009-07-21T12:43:00.000-07:00

Jen: How do you feel about Starbucks? I ask because today they are giving away a free pastry, and I have Starbucks on my mind! I enjoy the convenience of having someone else make my coffee, and tend to like the ridiculously fattening additions that Starbucks is known for.

Many argue that the price is practically a crime. I agree- to a point. When you go to Starbucks, you're going for the experience in addition to the coffee. Soccer moms and execs alike love to be pampered and have their name written on the famous green cup before it's filled and handed over.

What are your thoughts on this, Crystal?

Crystal: Perhaps I'm not the best person to ask about this....I don't particularly like coffee....actually, I just plain don't like it....I think the only times I've drank it were mainly because I was bored and just wanted to get something that was free to drink, or I was sleepy and have heard these rumors about caffeine keeping you awake - yet it does nothing except make me sick.....

So in my mind...paying ridiculous prices to get a cup of coffee at Starbucks when you could go next door to 7-Eleven or McDonald's (who I hear has very good coffee) for a fraction of the cost - just seems silly.

With that said though...I find Starbucks to be a fantastic meeting spot. I've had a couple of business meetings for my photography company at a Starbucks before, and I've even had job interviews in the past that took place at a Starbucks...with that said, buying a cup of expensive coffee is paying more for the venue (kinda like a rental fee?) and is more worthwhile.....

...and while I never buy coffee from there, I do buy frapuccinos (java chip...yummm!) and I find those very much worth the money that I pay for them.

Jen: I know that some may want to throw stones at me for saying this, but I think that the McDonald's iced coffees are vile! 7-Eleven, on the other hand, rocks my socks off!

Crystal: I tasted the iced coffees at McD's once because it was free and it was disgusting - but that's coming from someone who doesn't like iced coffee...Dan liked it.
But when I said McDonald's coffee above I was actually referring to their original hot coffee...not the McCafe line......I've heard their coffee is good....??

BeeLoveLee

2009-07-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

Crystal: I talked about posting this Etsy shop ages ago for one of my photography clients and I just got completely sidetracked and forgot....so I just looked at her shop right now and was blown away by how gorgeous the fabrics are that she chose for her pouches...and super cheap too!

I thought you might like the cupcake designs she has. :)

I think this might be my favorite though - Birds of Norway

And I don't know if Blanca is reading, but she might like this one :)

Here's the link to her whole shop: BeeLoveLee

Jen: I love it all! I would probably buy the Birds of Norway for myself, but everything is adorable! And yes, I think that last one is perfect for Blanca! It's awesome to see so many of our readers comment with their love of these products and the BeeLoveLee shop!

Honest Scrap Award

2009-07-09T13:28:00.000-07:00

A huge thank you to Carole at Art Plus for this award! Crystal and I are going to combine our blog picks for this award and each choose a few. As usual, mine (Jen) will be in red, and Crystal's in purple:

We are suppose to select seven of our favorite blogs and tell you why we like them, so here goes:
(Presented in no particular order)

Let Them Eat Cupcakes- This blog is full of fashionable goodies, and has a Marie Antoinette theme, which completely speaks to me!

Sarah Says Awesome- Sarah has an unrivaled amount of sass and spunk that keeps me coming back for more!

Circling My Head- Renee floors me with her timeless posts about her amazing (and large!) family. She takes me out of my world and places me in her's with such ease that sometimes it's jolting when her post comes to an end and I find myself back in my reality. I love it!

A Fanciful Twist- Vanessa sees the world in colors we can't even imagine! To step into her blog is to step into another world, full of whimsy and delight!

The second requirement to accept this award is to tell you things about ourselves:

1. Thriller was my favorite video as a very young child!

2. My favorite fairytale is The Twelve Dancing Princesses, closely followed by Rapunzel.

3. I'm 27 years old and my wisdom teeth are just starting to bother me. It sucks. A lot.

4. I'm afraid of clowns. I thought that this was an irrational fear until I discovered photos of me (that I obviously blocked out) at a pumpkin patch with the scariest looking clown I've ever seen! Poor little me looked absolutely terrified as I bit my nails and was bending as far away from the "creatures" as possible. Oddly, pumpkins are amongst my favorite things.

5. I always seem to have panties in my purse, but it's because I lug my laundry to my mom's house and a pair always tends to fall out of the laundry basket into my backseat. I will notice this a couple days later and stuff them into my purse to put away when I get upstairs. And then I forget! And then I rediscover them at the most inopportune times!

And now for my (Crystal) favorites :)

Haute Whimsy - not just because she's my bestie...but because she is full of talent and creative and amusing thoughts...I am constantly entertained when reading her blog. :)

Palos Verdes Daily Blog - As a photographer I started checking out this blog to find some new interesting locations in my local area...and then found myself so amused at all the different things that are right around me that I didn't even know about! :)

Five Moms and a Blog - Well I really just ADORED their blog banner....but the blog itself is very well written and quite interesting!

Just Add Glitter and Stir - Another blog with a fantastic banner...and I LOOOVE the blog name. But over all of that she has some great craft highlights! :)

Now...5 things about me :)

1. I can be a bit obsessive. I like to collect and attain EVERYTHING...from collecting figurines and coffee cups to insisting on watching every single movie and tv show that's available on Netflix.

2. I get very frustrated very easily when things don't go as planned...but I am a solution seeker as well

3. I am an entrepreneur at heart...I've been devising money-making tactics since I was a wee-one. :)

4. I am a geek...I was a thespian in high school, I'm a member of Toastmasters here at my work, I love computers, the Internet, and the Sims or anything similar to the Sims....and I love fantasy stories/movies like Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings, etc. :)

5. I love macaroni and cheese and will order it at any restaurant that serves it regardless of how high class the place is. :)

So - Jen...I think we're supposed to tell the people we awarded that they got it right? Did you do yours already? I'll do mine shortly....

Jen: I didn't realize we could post each other's blogs! I amend my list by adding Avery James Photography! Beautiful photos and anecdotes written by the famous Crystal Henning!!! And yes, she really is famous! She even has an imdb page (although it only has one thing listed and needs to be filled, ahem!)

EasyBloom

2009-07-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Crystal: So I've developed this great love for plants and flowers and just anything that grows over the years....as some know, we redid my grandfather's backyard and memorialized it as "Avery's Garden" about 3 years ago. We dug everything up, replanted grass, flowers, trees, shrubs, etc.

Unfortunately, the soil at my grandfather's house isn't great, it gets really hot in the summer and really cold in the winter (for Southern California standards at least) and my fiance and I know know little to nothing about plantlife....so more than half of everything we've planted has died, including the grass :(

I just came across this awesome product which I will hopefully some day own...it's not a huge investment, but on top of everything else we NEED right now, this is towards the bottom of the list...but eventually..........................I sooooo could use this product:

EasyBloom http://www.easybloom.com/buy/overview.html

You basically stick it in the ground where you want to plant something, leave it there for a day or two (gotta read the directions), it measures the air temperature, moisture, drainage, etc.....then you plug it in to your computer and it tells you what kind of plants to grow there based on your location and the data it collected...and I think I even read somewhere that it alerts you when you need to water!

How handy is that....? I might never kill a plant again with this thing. :)

Oh - unfortunately for our global readers, it says it only works in the U.S. :( But maybe there's something similar already out there for your country....

Jen: I think this is about the best thing I've ever heard of! I'll pull out the handy cliche and say it might be the best thing since sliced bread!

It's funny that I should read this now, because I'm currently watching my mom through her window as she's trying to salvage her garden. One of the downsides to living 5 miles from the beach is that the soil is very sandy- not a good growing environment.

Easy Bloom sounds like something to put on your Christmas list ;)

P.S. I just found this from one of the founders of EasyBloom:

Hi,
I’m one of the founders of Easybloom. I wanted to answer your question about working out side of the United States. One of the thing that the sensor does, is ‘normalize’ lighting conditions based on cloud cover. For instance a cloudy day might look very “shady” to a plant. So if the sensor detects shady conditions, but it is actually in the middle of a field, then the reading would be inaccurate. For that reason the website checks the cloud cover for the area where the sensor was in the ground and ‘normalizes’ the data based on actual cloud cover.

We do not yet have a feed of the cloud cover by postal code in Europe, which is why it wouldn’t work well there.

I hope that this helps.

Best,
Matt

Sears Tower

2009-07-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

Jen: Could you do this?! I think it would be a really cool experience, but I was clenching my fists so tight while watching the video that I actually hurt my thumb! I'm somewhat afraid of heights, but not enough to keep me from something like this. I'm more afraid of being high up without enclosures- bungee jumping, bridges, etc.

Crystal: I can't see the video...it's just a blank box :( But from the sound of your post, I'm doubting I would do it...I don't do anything scary and definitely not things that involve heights.......what is it???

Jen: Hmm, I guess the video was removed. Basically, they created an enclosed glass box at the top of the Sears Tower, much like a balcony. You can step inside and feel like you're floating x amount of stories above ground!

Katherine Plumer Fine Art

2009-06-30T15:58:00.001-07:00

Crystal: I just came across this link on another blogger's site (alis grave nil) and was just checking it out and I'm amazed by how nice this product looks....

Katherine Plumer Fine Art: http://www.katherineplumer.com/index2.html

She can draw a picture of your pet by hand...with either colored pencils, graphite, charcoal, etc. depending on what you want, and it looks so realistic and beautiful...price doesn't look too bad either although it's priced per square inch and my math ain't so great....so maybe it's more than I think....but either way, an artist's work is invaluable. :)

I don't have any pets (nor do I want any) but it would make a great gift for someone who does have a pet...or maybe someone who lost a pet as she'll draw them from a photograph....

Jen: I was just about to give you grief for not wanting pets, but then my cat hacked up a fur ball, so I guess I get it ;)

This woman's artwork is phenomenal, but I just can't see myself paying $350+ (starting price!) for a portrait of my pet. My digital camera works just fine ;)

Crystal: I didn't do the calculations...that is a bit hefty, but for an artist's time I think it's reasonable. :) I think of it like the portrait of Avery that someone had commissioned an artist to do for me....a drawing, painting, etc. is so much different than just a picture....it just adds a different element to it. :)

Plus, if your beloved pet has passed away, you can't take any more photos of it...so like the drawing of Avery...it kinda just gives you something new to look at, even if it is a rendition of an old photo. :) That in itself is priceless. :)

Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett

2009-06-25T15:18:00.000-07:00

Jen: I'm stunned after hearing about Michael Jackson's passing. I can't believe this happened the same day that we lose Farrah Fawcett. It truly is a sad day :(

Crystal: It's starting to sink in a little more now...the MJ thing at least. I wasn't as familiar with Farrah's work and so I don't think her death affected me AS MUCH as MJ's....

Dan and I were talking about it as we drove to the Palm Springs area this past Thursday as we were on the road and heard about MJ going to the hospital and then kept up on TMZ on my iphone to see the latest because I figured he was going to pass based on the reports.....this was basically like the Elvis or the Beatles of our generation....this was going to be one of those things 20 years from now where someone goes: 'where were you when Michael Jackson died?'....well we were driving to Indio, CA. for a vacation in the sun.

The one benefit from this whole thing is that I have re-fallen in love with so many of Michael's songs that I just haven't heard in ages. The whole weekend in Indio we watched videos on tv and listened to him on the radio...he was truly talented. I'm mostly disappointed that he will not be able to continue to make beautiful music for the world to hear...and that his children will grow up without a father...

...but otherwise, I feel that he lived a life that was filled with both good and bad....and that in his short 50 or so years he lived more than most of us....whether all of it was good is probably not the case, but perhaps he is happier now where he is. :)

Jen: Joe and I played his albums all day on Sunday, and I was a little surprised to find how much I still loved his music! I kind of figured that it was a phase when I was younger, but apparently not! I even tried my hand at Moon Walking (and failed!), and it hit hard that MJ was so very much like Elvis. Funny that he was married to Elvis' daughter!

What's truly sad was his horrid relationship with his father- the man who so obviously turned him into the idiosyncratic person that he was. It disturbs me that reports say his father was there when he died. I mean, MJ didn't even put him in his will, and that's coming from a VERY giving man! And now his father is using this publicity to plug his new record label. It makes me sick.

Crystal: LoL I would have loved to see you trying to moonwalk! :) And Dan said the same thing about his music...when we were listening to all the songs and videos he said he forgot how much he really liked MJ's music...he had thought maybe it was just a couple he liked, but then realized he liked just about every song being played. :)

I did find that really coincidental that he was married to Elvis' daughter....although a strange relationship and some think it was a publicity ploy...but who knows...she said it was real.

The whole father/son relationship between MJ and his dad is a strange one...I don't know what went on between them two...I've heard stories of abuse or just stage-dad drama....but sometimes I wonder if it went further than that just based on the way MJ was and his personality (what we could publicly see at least)....very strange, a little disturbing...mysterious, and we'll probably never know the true stories unless someone in the family publishes a tell-all memoir on their deathbed someday..............

Gumdrop Cookie Shop

2009-06-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Crystal: OK these are ridiculously expensive for someone of my status, but for those who can afford it or just want to splurge, these are absolutely ADORABLE...

The online store is called Gumdrop Cookie Shop...they also have cookies that the kids can decorate with edible marker colors called "Van Gogh Gumdrops".

The cookies are about $40 - $45 depending on what you get....but they are so darn adorable and great party favors! :)

They even have a couture line....gorgeous

Here's their link: http://www.gumdropcookieshop.com/

Jen: I am usually not a fan of these types of cookies, but the couture line is super cute! Definitely a fun party favor, but I wonder how they taste.

Crystal: Yea..not so sure about the taste...it might be one of those things better left to look at than to eat....but I can never eat things that pretty anyways! :)

And to some of the commenters...yes, they are definitely not cheap....for most of the U.S. population in this economy they're not even affordable....but based on their portfolio and business cookies they show, I don't think the average consumer is their target market. They're likely aimed towards the higher end clientele that can afford to pay $5 a cookie or whatever........that isn't me, but I sure wish it was. :)

Alice in Wonderland

2009-06-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

Crystal: So I'm guessing if you've been on AOL today you've seen this already...but just in case, pics from the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie with Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter have been released. :) :) Very Tim Burton-esque.

Link: http://www.usatoday.com/life/l090623_alice_in_wonderland/flash.htm?gid=1057

Link: http://www.examiner.com/x-13447-Hartford-Horror-Movies-Examiner~y2009m6d22-Tim-Burtons-Alice-in-Wonderland-new-photos-released

So are Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter going to be in every Tim Burton movie going forward or what? I like the trio, but I'm starting to think it's getting a bit old...I'm not a huge fan of Helena's either....

What do you think?

Jen: I am thrilled about this movie! I feel like I've been waiting forever for its release! It love Burton and Depp, and am okay with Carter (although she looks dreadful in this Alice adaption)

Check out this fan-made trailer:

Busy Weekend

2009-06-19T15:41:00.001-07:00

Jen: I'm pretty sure I can speak for both of us when I say this weekend is going to be complete chaos! Tonight we're going to Macaroni Grill for my brother's birthday dinner (he's bringing a huge group of friends, so I'll be surrounded by a hoard of teenage boys- earplugs please!). Tomorrow we're having a family BBQ at my mom's house. Then Sunday is Father's Day, so we'll be occupied then too! All of the events revolve around food, so I think next week is going to be a diet week ;)

Crystal: I love events revolving around food...I actually realized just recently that I think my whole life revolves around food. My sister is visiting from PA right now and we have been trying to figure out what to do in the evenings....and all I can keep coming up with is that we could go to a restaurant to have dinner...we could go to BJ's and get a Pizookie, we could go to Pinkberry and get froyo, Starbucks for Frapuccinos......and that's about the extent of my imagination. What else is there to do around here? lol

And busy doesn't quite explain my life right now. There needs to be a word that emphasizes something beyond busy. I'm about 10 photoshoots behind in editing, I have my sister from PA and Dan's daughter from PA both visiting, we're going out of town to Indio Thursday through the weekend and then I come back early Sunday for a photoshoot, not to mention I work a full time job during the day....then next week is Avery's angel anniversary and the 4th of July which I need to plan for..........

Yea.

Jen: Hmm, what to do ... what to do. Well, of course there is Hollywood and all that jazz. See a movie at the El Capitan? Downtown Disney District. Universal City Walk. Hollywood Park. And you have to take her to Venice Beach to see the "talent", lol. Have you checked out UCLA and USC to see if they have any events going on while she's here? Those are more like weekend events though.

Is she a mall rat at all? Ooo, and what about Redondo Pier? I'll keep thinking :)

Most importantly though, she MUST go to Sprinkles for cupcakes while she's here!

Crystal: She just hasn't seemed to be too interested in sight-seeing...I think she's more interested in boy-watching and making friends. She found a new friend...my sister's friend's sister and her friends....and she's been hanging out with them going to the beach and the mall....typical teenage things. We decided just to let her do her own thing and she can let us know if she wants our help.

I haven't even been to Sprinkles myself!! Although I have had one of their cupcakes at Blanca's bachelorette party when Carey brought some :) They were delish!! :)

Freaky

2009-06-18T13:50:00.000-07:00

Jen: Okay, I have this issue that's freaking me out. I think I have sleep paralysis! I always thought I was a "DILD" lucid dreamer, but now I'm thinking it's sleep paralysis. Nearly every sign fits, and last night was the third time this year that it's happened for sure. You can read about it here.

I have always argued that I start to dream as soon as I fall asleep, even though experts say that it takes 30 minutes (I think) to hit the REM stage and start dreaming. Now, I find out that there's a correlation between sleep onset REM and sleep paralysis. Crazy!

Anyway, it's just about the scariest thing you can experience, and last night was the worst of any I've experienced thus far. I'm going to need to make some lifestyle changes and hope that it fixes this- a real bedtime, maybe some rearranging for a less chaotic ambiance, more exercise and maybe yoga.

Crystal: Uhmm...thats a bit scary....have you seen a doctor about it? Are there any risks or anything with this besides that it's really scary?

Jen: I haven't seen a doctor. They can't do anything unless it happens at least once a week, which it doesn't. There aren't any side effects though, so it's just a fear issue. And once you know what it is, it isn't so scary.

Lakers Parade

2009-06-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

Jen: We've been pretty lax about discussing issues lately, and have gone product crazy on Beachy Keen. Let's bring it back to the debate floor for a post!

California just spent 2 million+ on the Lakers victory parade, and now Californians are angry because our state is in dire straights. They don't feel that our money should have been spent on a parade.

I'll hold off on my opinion and let you go first! What do you think?

Crystal: Well first off....I was a bit annoyed with the whole situation intially....but then I heard on the news that the Lakers were putting up half of the cost ($1m approx) and then there were a couple of private donors who donated a total of around $800K or so....I'm sure I don't have the numbers exact, but it was around there....

So in the end, the city still had to put up some money, but not as much as originally expected....so initially I'm thinking - well that's still ridiculous. We can't pay teachers but we can put up money for a parade....

BUT - then you think of what the money is going to....we're not just putting up a couple hundred thousand dollars so that we can give Kobe some extra pocket change....it's going towards the police force, vendors for decorations, the port-a-potty vendors (lol), trash pick-up people, etc. It's still going towards our local and/or national businesses and workers...it's keeping several people in work, it's paying our police officers overtime, it's stimulating our economy.

On top of that - it's bringing hundreds of thousands of people (aka customers) to the coliseum area where they will inevitably eat, buy souveniers, pay for parking, go shopping, etc.

This is a huge city stimulus that both gets money rotating in the economy AND raises morale in the city (minus the rioting and looting)...so in the end, yes - the teachers are losing out because what are they gaining? But there are many other people in our community that are actually benefiting from the government's spending which in the end doesn't turn out to be that much.

Your thoughts Jen?
Our readers thoughts?

Oh - and I wanted to add - I think there were like 90,000 people at the coliseum or something like that....if they would have just charged $5.00 to get in - I'm sure people would have paid the 5 bucks as it's not much, and the city could have made $450K!!! Uhmmm, this event would have paid for itself!!

Jen: Excellent point on revenue that the event itself brought in. I hadn't thought of that aspect, as I was focused on what the team brings to our community year round. At first, I was quick to jump on the "pissy" bandwagon because my mind couldn't wrap itself around spending that amount of money on a party while our state is struggling. My question was "why isn't the NBA paying for it's winning team to celebrate?" Shouldn't that fall under the umbrella of their responsibilities?

A minute or so later I allowed myself to backtrack because it dawned on me that the Lakers as a whole bring our city and state an incredible amount of money with ticket sales which are taxed, as well as all the merchandise sales which are taxed, not to mention the tourism that they generate.

Think of the hotels and restaurants that profit off of tourists, the airlines, etc. And look at the training facility that they use in El Segundo, and the Staples Center ... lots of jobs generated from there.

So if this team creates opportunity for our local businesses and citizens, then is it really so bad that we support/praise this commodity??

Disneyland

2009-06-17T17:49:00.000-07:00

Jen: I just wrote two posts over on Haute Whimsy (6 Years and Disneyland/California Adventure) about my anniversary trip to Disneyland over the weekend. Originally, we were just going to go on Monday, but we ended up going on Sunday and staying at the Disneyland Hotel.

Sunday was spent perusing Downtown Disney, and then we went to the actual parks on Monday. I know you were going to Disneyland on Sunday. How were the crowds? They were a nightmare on Monday!

Crystal: OMG the crowds were horrible when we went on Sunday....the Pirates line was all the way lined up by the water area...I've never seen it so bad. We got fast passes for a few things, but basically just tried to find the shortest lines at the best times and sucked it up and waited....

Normally we wouldn't wait for any rides if the lines are long - we would just walk around and trade pins, but we brought Emily this time and it would be the only time all summer she could come, and it was going to be the last time we would go til probably next year since we're blocked out all summer and expire in August and probably won't renew til next year.....so we wanted to get some good rides in.....we got to ride a lot still :) Emily and Dan rode a bunch of the big rides together and me and Caydan rode the little ones. :)

Jen: Did you know that they have a monthly payment plan for annual passes now? I'm thinking of doing that next year so I can get the premium pass. They keep raising the prices and it's so ridiculous the amount of money you have to spend.

And here's something crappy: in the past, if you had a pass and went on a blockout day, they would charge you $25 to get in. It's now $40!!!

Crystal: I think I remember you saying that it didn't cost much for the blockout pass - but I had remembered reading it somewhere and it was expensive (i.e. the $40) - which is why I thought it shocking when you guys were going to go on a blockout day awhile back I think...i can't remember the situation now.....

And I did consider the monthly payment plan....but I said that when i renewed i wanted to get the deluxe pass...and the monthly payment for that is like $35/month or something similar....which for 2 of us is $70/month....thats still a LOT of money.....I think i feel better about passes if I pay one big bulk sum, get it out of the way, then feel like i'm going for free the whole next year....vs paying every month and feeling like i NEED to go every month to get my money's worth. Takes the fun out of it. :)

Jen: Haha! I crack up at the mental games we play with ourselves!

The Story

2009-06-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

Jen: Here's a little Jen and Crystal history ...

I went to Denker Elementary K-the beginning of 3rd grade, then switched schools. Crystal started Denker in the 3rd grade.

I went to Casmir Middle School. Crystal went to Magruder Middle School. Our schools were rivals!

Crystal and I met at North High School our freshman year in our Algebra class, and quickly became best friends. Odd, right?

Well, listen to this!

Both of our moms were single moms. Our dads lived out of state. We each had 2 younger siblings. Our siblings were the same ages!

Although our siblings started out at different elementary schools, they did attend the same middle school and now high school. That means that Crystal and I get to share in all the graduations together!!!

{Crystal and Jen @ Liz and Johnny's middle school graduation}

{Johnny and Lz}

{Jen and Crystal @ Joey and Michelle's high school graduation}

{Joey and Michelle}

I wish I could find Joey and Michelle's middle school grad pics. Do you have any, Crystal? And the last set will come in 2 years when Johnny and Liz graduate from high school!

Crystal: LOVE this post :) :)

And I definitely have pics from Michelle and Joey's middle school grad....that was when Avery was still here so I know I have them somewhere...I'll have to sift through my files and post them from home. :)

I love our friendship....and I love that we get to partake in so many family-type things...not just going out and having a drink or whatever....but the real stuff that matters. :) :)

Tooth Fairy Kit

2009-06-17T16:23:00.000-07:00

Crystal: OK, how cute is this??

http://www.fawnandforest.com/categories/203-notion-farm/products/1920-notion-farm-tooth-fairy-kit

A tooth fairy kit for your child's first lost tooth.....talk about convincing your child that there really is a tooth fairy....

adorable. :)

Jen: This is so awesome!!! I've actually seen kits before, but none this extensive! I was obsessed with the Tooth Fairy when I was little. I always left her a note asking for her to leave me a photo of herself.

One night, my request was filled! I woke up next to a drawing of her, colored with my very own markers, and a note saying that I should tell my mom that I needed new markers! I was ecstatic!!!

Once I had that "in" with the Tooth Fairy, I thought I'd get a picture for every tooth I lost. Not the case! I wonder what ever happened to that drawing ...

Crystal: That is so cute...your mom is the best, seriously. And I love the comment about getting new markers! Did you get some???

You should totally find the picture and scan it and post it here...that would be awesome. :) :)

Twitter

2009-06-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

Crystal: OK - I'm trying...but I still don't quite get it.....for those who use Twitter as a marketing tool, can you please give me some tips on how best to utilize it...??

Do you "follow" any and everyone...? Or just people that do something you're interested in? Or just people you personally know? or....? What's your strategy?

Do you actually read other people's tweets?

What's the best add-on programs you've come across that help the twittering experience?

How often do you tweet? What do you tweet about generally?

How has it helped your business?

I see people who are following thousands of people and I don't know how you could even attempt to read all their tweets....but if you're not reading their tweets, and everyone is just following everyone to get more followers, then who's actually reading tweets??? What's the point of posting tweets if no one is reading them???

I just don't get it...........help....?

P.S. if you follow me, I'll follow you :) :) :) My twitter link is on the right side of our blog here (Jen's too).

Jen: I started my Twitter account because I wanted to keep up with my friends and favorite bloggers. I soon learned that these bloggers were inputting their blogs into their Twitter accounts, so I followed suit. It was a great way to reach out to new readers as more and more people start to follow you.

Then I fell head over heals for Etsy, and I began following Etsy shop owners to keep up with their new creations. Now, some of those people are following me, and have become new blog readers of mine!

Twitter is GREAT for networking, but the problem is that many people use it to sell, sell, sell. They are spamming their followers without giving them anything substantial to read. My rule of thumb is that for every "ad" you place in a Twitter update, be sure to tweet 3-5 personal updates as well. The great thing about Twitter is that you can learn so many interesting things and meet so many amazing people!

Waterstone Jewelry gave great advice in the comment section for this post- "There's no way to read every tweet. I read what's on the page when I pull it up and respond to a few" I do the same! But because I started my Twitter account to keep up with my very favorites, I make sure I add an update of theirs to "my favorites", so I can easily find them at any given time.

Panera

2009-06-12T15:06:00.000-07:00

Jen: I love Panera SO much! It's a bakery specializing in bread, but they also sell fabulous soups in breadbowls and amazing sandwiches. It's one of my favorite places to spend time, although Joe really doesn't care for it. I rarely go there now :(

My favorite thing to order is the Broccoli Cheddar Soup in a sourdough bowl, with a Dr. Pepper of course! They seem to have the best Dr. Pepper in town!

Another perk is that they have wifi, so you'll always see customers slaving over keyboards while stuffing bread in their mouths. It has such a great vibe!

And although I still haven't been, Crystal and I are lucky in that our local Panera is directly downstairs from Burke Williams spa, so a great massage is only steps away!

Crystal: So I am really not a sandwich fan at all...I do like Subway, but only Subway Melts pretty much....I like anything that's warm and has bacon on it. :) With that said though, I don't know how I feel about Panera......

I haven't been there yet, although I always see them around....I would probably like the soup bread bowls....but I don't know that I would ever make a special trip somewhere just to get soup.

Perhaps I'll try it sometime....maybe when my photography biz lets me work full time and I can leave my real full time job, then I might take advantage of the free wi-fi....but for now, working at the office and at home is enough for me without needing to go working during my lunch or dinner. :)

Burke Williams on the other hand.....that I do like. Costs a pretty penny, but oh so worth it....the only time I've gone was the day before Warren and Blanca's wedding....Blanca was going to relax and de-stress so I decided to join her.....we were a bit rushed since we went close to closing time....but I LOVED all the face products they had for you to use and sample, and I just loved the ambiance of the whole place.....I definitely want to go back. Special occasion type place though (unless I hit the lottery or something!) :)

Survey - 1 word

2009-06-10T15:57:00.001-07:00

Crystal: I know you had mentioned doing more surveys...and I wasn't super fond of the idea just because I don't think people would enjoy reading them....but as I'm still trying to catch up on my old email I have a few from you that I never responded to....so I'm gonna put yours here and fill it out for me....maybe it'll bring back some memories since it's from December '08. :) Then you can go ahead and fill it out again.......

AND...for our readers - if you would be so kind as to fill it out yourself in our comments section, that would be grand. I'm assuming blogger allows unlimited characters, but if it doesn't - perhaps you'd like to repost in your own blog and leave us a comment to let us know you did so. :)

Here we go :)

Jen's responses from December '08

TYPE ONLY 1 WORD. IT'S HARDER THAN YOU THINK!!!

1. Where is your cell phone? Kitchen
2. Your significant other? Joe
3. Your hair? Wet
4. Your mother? Sue
5. Your father? Jerry
6. Your favorite thing? Creativity (good one!)
7. Your dream last night? Strange
8. Your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
9. Your dream/goal? Worldly
10. The room you're in? Livingroom
11. Your fear? Stagnancy
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Traveling
13. Where were you last night? Mom's
14. What you're not? Conformed
15. Muffins? Banana
16. One of your wish list items? Scarf
17. Where you grew up? Torrance
18. The last thing you did? Blogged
19. What are you wearing? PJ's
20. Your TV? Off
22. Your computer? Awesome
23. Your life? Happy
24. Your mood? Bored
25. Missing someone? Joe
26. Your car? Fixed
27. Something you're not wearing? Socks
28. Favorite Store? Borders
29. Your summer? Lame
30. Your favorite color? Orange
31. When is the last time you laughed? Today
32. Last time you cried? Yesterday
33. THREE OF MY FAVORITE FOODS: Al Noor, Mexican, roast
34. FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW: Disneyland, Big Bear, Vegas, Santa Barbara

And now for Crystal's responses:

TYPE ONLY 1 WORD. IT'S HARDER THAN YOU THINK!!!

1. Where is your cell phone? Here
2. Your significant other? Dan
3. Your hair? Scraggly
4. Your mother? Mom
5. Your father? Dad
6. Your favorite thing? "Stuff"
7. Your dream last night? Gone
8. Your favorite drink? Hotchoco
9. Your dream/goal? Happiness
10. The room you're in? Office
11. Your fear? Loss
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Home
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. What you're not? Thrillseeker
15. Muffins? Blueberry
16. One of your wish list items? Disneyworld
17. Where you grew up? SouthBay
18. The last thing you did? Blogged
19. What are you wearing? BizCasual
20. Your TV? NotHere
22. Your computer? Slow
23. Your life? Content
24. Your mood? Blah
25. Missing someone? Avery
26. Your car? Superb
27. Something you're not wearing? Jacket
28. Favorite Store? Target
29. Your summer? Busy
30. Your favorite color? Black
31. When is the last time you laughed? Today
32. Last time you cried? Recently
33. THREE OF MY FAVORITE FOODS: Pinkberry, Habit, MacandCheese
34. FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW: Home, Disneyworld, Hawaii, Canada

Jen: I'm a sucker for these! I remember doing them as often as possible back in the day with my friend Chris. That was way before Myspace, so they were hard to come by! I always love reading other people's responses :) One of the great things about these surveys is that they give you great gift ideas for your friends and family. You always learn the most interesting facts, likes and dislikes!

Cheese Please!

2009-06-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

Jen: Kudos to Emily for this amazing find! Crystal, you are going to flip!!!

Good Tastes is meal delivery and catering company that offers a variety of rich and decedent foods. Everything looks amazing, from their Lemongrass and Ginger Pork Burgers to their Buttermilk Chipotle Chicken. I was also pleasantly surprised by their meal prices! I think their chicken was less than what I would spend at a fast food restaurant.

The bummer: they are based in Boston. If you want to order dinner, you'll have to live in Boston's North Shore.
The perk: They have a Mac & Cheese of the Month Club that ships all over the US! Is it pricey? Yes. Is it worth it? Probably!

I'm tempted to join simply because of the October selection: Pumpkin and Sage Mac & Cheese. Mmm!

Crystal: OK - that picture you put on this post alone is enough to make me drool like a mad woman, lol! I am a mac and cheese FANATIC and this sounds like it was made for me (besides it being expensive and my being a cheap skate!). :)

Sounds like a good gift though :) :) Too bad they're so far! I'm always ordering meals for people at my work and always looking for new places so they don't have to get the same things all the time. We use LA Bite a lot now which delivers food from local restaurants...super pricey though...I wouldn't order through them except on a company budget.

Jen: Joe and I have used LA Bites for dinner a few times, but it is pretty expensive. We use it on especially hard days at work at Sony! I'm not a full-time domestic goddess, so Joe enjoys ordering out when he can!

Maghound

2009-06-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

Crystal: Another interesting find I just came across in my email that I wanted to share...I love things that let me pay monthly...for whatever reason I feel like I'm getting a deal and also feel less guilty about purchases if I'm able to make payments on something instead of paying in one big chunk....
PLUS - I like things that allow CHANGE...I get bored of things easily so I need variety and I love to be able to create my own variety at the drop of a hat....

So this site I just came across called Maghound is pretty neat-o.

It's like Netflix for magazines basically...you pick your tier based on how many magazines a month you want to purchase, pay the monthly fee associated with that amount (starting at $4.95/mo. for 3 magazines), and get your chosen magazines in the mail.

The best part is that you can change your magazine choices online whenever you want...so you've already received Cosmo for a couple of weeks and decide you want to try some Elle instead...just log in to your account and pick a different mag...voila! So you don't have to purchase a whole year's worth of a magazine...you can pay as you go for the mags you want and get them cheaper than at the grocery store...plus you get them delivered to your door right when they come out.

Sounds awesome to me. :)

Only catch is that the "premium" magazines (such as People - one of my faves) cost extra.

According to their FAQs - eventually they will start allowing mags to be shipped to different locations, so at that point you could even split the cost with a friend.

Whenever I get through my mountain of magazines I have piled up, I think I might try this out. :)

Jen: Haha! That's the difference between you and me! You like change; I like collecting! I've saved each and every Harper's Bazaar that I receive and I'm oddly proud of that fact! I want a consistent and complete set of whatever it is that I like.

While I love Netflix because I can quickly watch and get over the "crap" I don't end up liking, I'll still go out and buy my favorite TV shows on DVD because I love having the complete series all to myself. Like Buffy and Angel! It gives me warm fuzzies to look up at my shelf and see every season.

Crystal: Oh but I do love collecting very much....but for some reasons magazines never made it to my list of things I like to collect....kinda like books and movies, I like to "collect" them in my head (translation - I like to read and watch all of them and collect the information in my head) but I know I won't ever go back and read/watch them again (I hate repetition) and so I have no need to keep things like that once I'm done with them....and I also don't have a need to read complete collections of magazines....I prefer a variety of magazines as I get bored with the same ones all the time (unless they're gossip mags like Us or People!)...

But I do like collecting just about everything else.................where on earth do you store all of your magazines??? They take up so much room!

And you could also utilize Maghound by subscribing to one or two of your faves, but then using the 3rd subscription to try different mags every couple of months. :)

Jen: I've been giving Maghound more thought, and I was thinking the same thing- subscribe to 2 of my faves and dabble with the third selection. Like I said before, I have to have Harper's Bazaar. I also like Vogue! But I would love to try out some photography magazines, or even enjoy a month or two of Rolling Stone!

As for my growing magazine collection, it's driving Joe insane! I'm even at the point where I can see his gripe. Not that it changes anything ;) I do need to get some magazine holders though. I plan on putting them in my closet on the very top shelf.

Crystal: LoL - good luck with the magazine storage issue....all solutions are only temporary though, you realize...? Unless you start renting a storage facility, at some point you will run out of room.....sorry to break it to you. :)

I have probably near 100 magazines sitting in a pile in a cupboard at home....I read one cover to cover (even if it's not interesting to me, I feel like I should just saturate my brain with an array of topics regardless of its appeal to me) and when I'm done I throw it away. I'm a few years behind on my magazines (sounds like my email!) so I read articles that are really old....which actually serves as kind of a nostalgic thing, lol. But right now I'm reading an Entertainment Weekly with a collector's cover from Heroes...and I'm so tempted to keep it....but I just don't want to start collecting more "stuff" that I don't have room for. I'd rather save the "room" for something I am more fond of...like figurines, pictures, albums, frames, clothes, etc. :)

SYTYCD

2009-06-05T11:10:00.000-07:00

Jen: I know I just asked you, Crystal, so I know that you don't watch So You Think You Can Dance. But wow, you should! I'm not a fan of American Idol at all, but I love SYTYCD even though it's the same setup. I believe that it's the passion and art of moving one's body that draws me in. Singing is cool, but it's not as personal to me as dance.

Anyway, in case you're interested, here's this season's Top 20! I love so many of them already!

Crystal: I think that if I still had a DVR, then this would be on my record list (it actually was when I used to have a DVR)....but since I don't, I just don't have the interest level to reserve time each week to watch. And I also think I prefer singing to dancing.....although I do like both. :)

I didnt even watch American Idol this last season, and I do love that show....I watched maybe 1 whole episode and portions of a couple other ones....but not having a DVR really does change your viewing habits! Lost was the only show I would make time for each week. :)

MotionBox

2009-06-05T10:21:00.000-07:00

Crystal: So you know how much I love pictures obviously.....and I love things that can be personalized...and I'm always looking for unique gifts......and so I came across this company in my old emails today that I was going through (I'm still in early December for email reading!) and it sounds pretty awesome!

MotionBox

So basically, you upload a short video clip (15 sec.) and they make it into a pocket flip book for you....you know like those old school things I remember from when I was a kid where they'd have the Mickey cartoons on a flipbook and it looks like they're moving....pre-Pixar and all. :)

Super neat idea and super cheap as well (on sale for $7.99 right now!).

If anyone orders one, please let us know how it is when you get it!! :)

Jen: That is such a neat idea! Too bad my anniversary is just around the corner, otherwise I might order one for Joe. How cute would it be to have a flipbook of a date night?!

Etsy

2009-06-04T16:43:00.001-07:00

{join}

Jen: I've done a bit of dabbling with Etsy.com and have my own little shop selling my lomographic prints. I think that this site is absolutely wonderful! I've found the most amazing handmade and vintage items while browsing on there, and my home is slowly but surely coming together thanks to Etsy!

Another thing that I adore about Etsy is how helpful they are with their virtual workshops and sense of camaraderie (I bet you didn't know that you had an Etsy team in your community!)

I encourage each and every one of you to check it out and see if it's for you. You can sell your art, or buy someone else's handmade scarves. Your options are limitless on there!

If you do own a shop and would like to advertise with Beachy Keen in our sponsors section, leave us a comment here and we will send you our rates.

Crystal: I did a little browsing recently on Etsy....very interesting things on there. I didn't see anything I wanted for myself, and couldn't really find anything for an upcoming birthday....but I can see the draw of finding unique and vintage gifts for those who are into that.....I really like the handmade aspect as well............................I'll have to keep checking back to see if I find anything that appeals to me though :)

Awards

2009-06-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

Beachy Keen Awards

(Thank you to everyone who thought of us!)

One Lovely Blog

{given by JoMo of peaceofpi}

Honest Scrap Award
{given by Carole of Art Plus}

Sugar Doll Award

{given by Kateyleigh of let.it.be}

Child Quotes

2009-06-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

Crystal: I know I haven't responded to any of the other blogs yet (and I will) but I wanted to document a couple of quotes from Caydan last night because I just don't want to forget them (I need to start compiling these somewhere!)....
FYI - for those unaware...Caydan is my 3 year old son :)

(Scenario: We are at Disneyland for my bday and Dan, Michelle, and I want to go on the Tower of Terror ride...since the park is almost closing they let Caydan go in line with us and we do a child swap at the ride itself instead of waiting outside...so he sees us get on. The whole time in line he's talking about how scary the ride is, etc etc....when he sees us get on the ride and that he has to stay behind with Dan he gets REALLY upset and starts crying and says he wants to ride...which obviously he can't because he's too little!
When I get off the ride I go to him and tell him that he's too little and that he has to grow taller so that he can ride it....)
Caydan's response: But I eat all of my tacos!!

This one is just so sweet it made both Dan and I cry last night:
(Scenario: Dan received some extremely upsetting news last night from his family back in Pennsylvania....he was really upset and crying for quote awhile....Caydan would keep going to him and just sitting with him and being really quiet...we went to bed after awhile and Caydan was sleeping with us...I turned out the light and when it was really quiet Caydan says...)
Caydan:Dada, I'm sorry I was a bad boy

::tear:: he had definitely NOT been a bad boy...didn't have anything to do with him...but he thought his dad was crying because of something he did...... :(

Jen: Awww, that last one made me tear up :( I'm sorry about the bad news that Dan got last night. I hope everything is okay. And poor Caydan! It's always so interesting to see how kids interpret situations. People sometimes forget that children are just smaller people, capable of analyzing situations just like us. It's so impressive to me because they don't have the knowledge base that adults have, and yet they still "get it".

And that is way cute about Caydan wanting to ride Tower Of Terror with you! Just keep eating those tacos, Caydan!

Crystal: Since so many people have been asking....there was an emergency with Dan's mother and she was taken to the hospital...she had emergency surgery and as of now (6/4) she is stable...but we don't know what's going to happen yet....hopefully everything will be fine....but things like this that happened in the midst of an otherwise great day at Disneyland for my birthday, just remind us all how fragile life is....and that life doesn't care if it's your birthday, or if it's too soon, or if it's "bad timing" or whatever....things happen and there isn't much we can do about it besides hope and pray for the best.

On a happier note...we are now able to convince Caydan a tad bit easier that he needs to eat all his food on his plate so he can grow big. He's convinced everytime he eats that he is now "big enough" to get on the ride....although he still has about 4 inches to go, lol. :) We told him we'll check when we go back to Disneyland next weekend. :)

Jen: I am SO happy that Dan's mom is stable now. As I said in our e-mail earlier, his entire family is in my prayers.

Sometimes life just sucks out loud. You're right that it doesn't matter when or where- stuff happens. I'm sorry it happened on your special day though :(

On the bright side, I have a gift for you! I know it's a few days late, but I figured it wouldn't be wise to bring it to bring it last Friday while we were out dancing! Maybe I can bring it by this weekend?

P.S. Is Michelle going to prom? (Michelle is Crystal's sister. She goes to school with my brother, who's the same age!)

Crystal: Awwww a gift :) :) Soooo sweet of you :) :) I don't know what we're doing this weekend yet but feel free to call if you're in the area and check and see if we're around. :) :)

I don't know if Michelle is going to prom or not....for some reason I'm thinking she's not...maybe she told me that or Lizzie did...I don't know though. She's just not into the whole school activity social stuff. Is Joey going??

Jen: Joey is, but with a group of guys. I don't think they even bothered asking anyone- they just wanted to go and party. As the older sister, I'm just happy to see him dressed in a tux and going :) He refuses to take pictures though, which irks me.

Dr. Pepper

2009-06-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

Jen: I've learned so much about Dr. Pepper recently!!! It has always been my favorite soda, but it wasn't until this past week that I learned there is a Dr. Pepper museum, tons of Dr. Pepper jewelry on Etsy, and even a recipe for Dr. Pepper fajitas!

Crystal, do you remember the ham I made a few years ago for our "Friend's Thanksgiving" dinner? It was also made with Dr. Pepper!

Crystal: I do remember your yummy Dr. Pepper ham!!!! I thought you were crazy, but I was willing to try it! It was pretty darn good :) :)
And how exciting...I want to go to the Dr. Pepper museum! I have been holding back so much lately though on soda...trying to lose weight and all...but I'm always feening for some DP....once in awhile I'll give in :) :)

Jen: I've been much better about my Dr. Pepper intake! I soda'd out after a Costco trip a few weeks ago and am now glad to be rid of the sugary vice! For now ;)

Celebrate!

2009-05-29T16:59:00.001-07:00

Jen: I know this is a little early, but since we're celebrating tonight,
I want to wish Crystal a happy birthday!

I love you like a sister and am so thankful to have you in my life :)

*cheers*

Crystal: Thank YOU for being such an awesomest friend :) And thanks for celebrating with me last Friday at Sangria's in Hermosa Beach!! :) :)

Burt's Bees!

2009-05-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

Jen: I'm a huge fan of Burt's Bees products! I especially love their original chapstick because of the intensity of the minty flavor. And I received a Burt's Bees gift bag for Christmas, which was awesome! It included the tinted lipgloss in 3 colors. What products have you tried?

Crystal: I don't think I've really tried any products from them yet...I remember I was at the OC Fair last year though and they had a Burt's Bees booth that I checked out...you got to go in and get a free quick hand massage using one of their lotions or something like that....it smelled heavenly though and made my hands super soft....whatever it was :) :) :)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer...or not?

2009-05-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

Crystal: I was super excited when I saw the headline on AOL today - 'Buffy Reboot in the Works'....until I read the story: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i666afabc28491e6a5d5861d83ae30855

So....it's another Buffy movie...but not? So...they're not using the same characters...possibly not even Buffy herself...has nothing to do with the tv show...but yet they want to use Buffy the Vampire Slayer as reference just because the same people who OWN the rights want to make a new movie...I feel like they're just playing with us loyal Buffy fans and taking advantage of us by throwing the Buffy name around but in the end just making another vampire movie.....right?

Or am I misunderstanding this?

I do get that you shouldn't ruin a good thing by taking the tv show and making it into a movie...especially since they're not even using Joss Whedon to make it...but it should still have some of the same basis around it....right? Otherwise it's not Buffy.

Thoughts?

Jen: I heard about this yesterday :( You know what a massive Buffy fan I am, so I'm sure you already know my feelings on this! PUKE!

Aside from being a Buffy fan, I'm a Joss Whedon fan. Poor Joss gets screwed in every project he takes on it seems. He's an absolute genius and the networks put him through the ringer, show after show. And in the end, what you have is a new cult following for every one of his endeavors. I honestly don't think he's ever had a single failure, so why is he excluded from his own creations?

On a happier note, his new show that premiered last season, Dollhouse, is awesome and has been picked up for another season! He had a long battle to get the show up and running (as always) because of the network and them wanting to change everything about it, but in the end he won and it's a hit! Hopefully he'll change his mind about this being the last TV series he ever works on, because everything he does is golden!

P.S. Crystal, I remember you making a comment before about how maybe Joss has a crush on Eliza Dushku because she's his leading lady in Dollhouse and being a big character on Buffy, but as it turns out, they created Dollhouse together- he didn't just choose her! She's actually the producer!

Tomodachi

2009-05-25T14:20:00.000-07:00

Jen: Crystal and I went to high school with a very artistic friend, Kevin Karasuda. He just launched a zine called Tomodachi-zine (Tomodachi means "friend(s)" in Japanese!) It is basically a compilation of reviews and articles on movies, music, fashion and Japanese animation. There is, of course, much more to it- but at a glace it is a place to go for an entertainment outlet!

Tomodachi was kind enough to reach out to me for sponsorship, so you can view Haute Whimsy Lomography on their creative corner this month :)

I hope you enjoy the zine! All comments are welcome, as I'll be forwarding them to the zine headquarters later this month!

Hermosa Beach Festival

2009-05-22T14:32:00.000-07:00

Crystal: To keep in line with our Beachy Keen world...I must blog about the importance of going out to the Hermosa Beach Festival this weekend!!

It only comes to town on Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend....and as of yet, I don't think I've missed a year (I think)...

It's a great place to be....down by the beach, music playing, vendors selling all kinds of stuff everywhere, petting zoo and rides for the kids, beer garden (which I've never actually been in yet)....and the BEST part of all...the food vendors! In particular - the Philly Cheese Steak vendor!

The Philly Cheese Steak vendor there is pretty much the main reason I go. Their prices have gone up every year...last year I think it was almost $9...but sooooooooooooo worth it!!

One year I'm going to get me a booth there to set up....they're just so darn expensive and have such an extensive application process....I'm just not ready yet....but I will eventually. :)

Are you going????? We'll probably go either Saturday in between my two photoshoots or on Monday I think....

Link: http://www.fiestahermosa.com/

Jen: I've sadly missed it the last 2 years :( This weekend has been so busy, and Joe has to work tomorrow. Next time Gadget!

Recess...

2009-05-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

Crystal: So...my work can be pretty awesome sometimes....they're on this health/exercise kick right now throughout the company and so our office decided to do a "recess" for us....just like back in the day when we were kids....

They are bringing in a big blow-up obstacle course...something similar to this:

A bungee trampoline...something like this...

batting cages of some sort......and a basketball free throw contest with brackets and all!

And then for food....corn dog cart, pizza, and snow cones....

I haven't been outside since they put everything up yet, but I hear it looks like a carnival out in our parking lot.

Fun stuff :)

Jen: Umm, can I work with you?!?! I'm always amazed by what your company does for you guys and by the way they seem like a second family. I seriously can't count how many company events I've heard of you participating in! Let's see, there was the Kat Walk fundraiser, the retreats, the picnics (I'm pretty sure!), Christmas parties ... to name a few. I think it's incredible!
Crystal: There's always something going on here....it was tons of fun too....I made quite a few baskets in the free throw competition...one the first round and almost won the second round...but I did pretty good :)

The obstacle course definitely gave me a run for my money....I was EXHAUSTED after racing through it....it's tough!

And I tried the trampoline bouncy spinny thingie....it was a bit scary. I realized that if you don't jump just right and really commit to your spin, you'll fall flat on your face....which I almost did...but didn't. :)

Fun stuff :) :)

Take Care

2009-05-18T15:38:00.000-07:00

Jen: This is pretty much the most wonderful idea- in my opinion :) Walgreen's offers a "retail clinic" in selected stores where you can get a quick check-up with a nurse practioner. The best part is the price. It's either covered by insurance, $59 if you don't have insurance, or free if you've lost your job and qualify! I've been reading great reviews from Take Care patients and they love the convenience of this quickie check-up option for colds, flus, etc.

You can view detailed info in this video HERE.

Shaky Shaky

2009-05-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

Jen: Last night we here in Los Angeles suffered through a 4.7 earthquake! That's actually not too big, but we were incredibly close to the epicenter, so it felt like a good 6. It sounded like a huge *boom* and then everything began to shake like we were right next to a freight train. During the 15 loooooooooooooong seconds of this episode, the glass to my entertainment center exploded and my cabinets flew open in the kitchen. My wine and champagne bottles fell to the floor and even my BBQ out on the balcony found it's way to another spot!

Crystal, how was it for you guys? How did little Caydan react?

Crystal: Since you wrote this, we have now had 2 earthquakes! We were at home during the first one just watching tv...it was a bit scary...a couple of pictures knocked over, figurines knocked over....but that was the extent.

I immediately jumped up, grabbed Caydan, and went to the doorway (that elementary school training kicked in I guess)....Dan jumped up and went straight to the flat screen, lol. You can see where out priorities are. :)

Dan then started freaking out because he said that he had "seen" this whole scene happening earlier that day in his head...like a premonition of sorts....so he was wide-eyed and a little crazy sounding at this moment...and then told me that we had to go out to the street because that's what happened in his vision......I started grabbing my jacket just to humor him and because he was a little scary at that moment....but then he changed his mind and said not to go...I think he realized that whatever he was thinking wasn't actually going to happen...........

Then Caydan says that it was "like a tractor pushing the house"...I love the child's way of describing something. :)

So cruddy about your glass shattering....can you even have that fixed??

Oh - and the second one, which I guess was a large aftershock of this one, occurred on Tuesday when I was at Disneyland with some co-workers...we were waiting in line for the Roger Rabbit spinny ride and then they came over the loudspeaker saying everyone had to exit the building. We didn't even feel it though. Then we heard about the earthquake and realized that they shut ALL the rides down.....weird - being at Disneyland with no rides operating...just thousands of people out walking around aimlessly................

What were you doing when the second one hit? Did you feel it?

Jen: I was at my mom's, on the computer, in front of her HUGE sliding glass door! It was pretty close to the size of the first one, but without the freight train rumble (just the rolling like they're supposed to be). It was just a fraction of the length of the first one though, so it wasn't too big of a deal.

Actually, we had a small quake yesterday too. A 2.something that we didn't feel. That makes 3 days in a row. It's crazy! The specialists said that there is a 5% chance this is all a precursor to a much larger quake. Slim, but still a chance. My fear is that the fault line that's been rocking is so close to us and the ocean.

New Look

2009-05-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

Crystal: Soooo...I'm diggin' our new blog look!!! It just looks so....US :) :) :) I can't wait to personalize it even more. :) :)

We'll have to get an updated picture of us at my birthday celebration in a couple of weeks... :) :)

Jen: Last night was so much fun, and way needed! In a perfect world we wouldn't need to set aside time to catch up the way we do, but since we can't spend as much time together as we'd like, it's great to have our CSI nights!

And I'm so glad we finally made a banner for this blog! It has inspired me to get my butt in gear and spruce up Haute Whimsy! I still need to do that shoot with you ... probably after I get my hair done! I'm thinking blond again, with bangs (perhaps).

Lost: Season Finale

2009-05-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

Jen: Where to start?! I watched it not once, but twice in a row (thank you DVR!) to process every little detail! Did you watch it?

Crystal: I only watched the first half - I couldn't keep my eyes open through the second half though - so tired......soooo - I refuse to read any of the comments on this post until after I've watched the whole thing! I'm scared something said will ruin it :( I'm going to try and watch it early next week sometime on the computer...

What i did see of it though was very interesting!!! :) :)

I'll be back after I've watched it :)

Crystal: OK - I watched it finally!! And it was pretty awesome. :) :) :) I can't believe they ended it like that!! I can't possibly wait to find out what's going to happen. And the way Lost is, they might actually kill characters off....so anything is possible!

And I was really liking Jacob!! He seemed so nice.....but his comment to Ben "what about you" kinda showed that he might not really be all that nice....it reminded me of a story or something from my childhood...about all the "gods" playing a game...and they were betting on silly things to pass the time...and the stakes were like Earth or something like that....this doesn't make sense - but what I'm trying to say is.....these gods were just thinking of humans and their lives as a game that they could bet on and risk and they really didn't care what happened to them....like humans playing with bugs or something....

So anyways, that's what popped into my head I guess.....things are starting to make sense though....although I didn't know next season was the last!!

And I am surprised by one of the comments here about the writers not really having a direction with the show.....it kinda seems like that at times - like they're just adding on to the story, but don't really have any idea what the end result is going to be.......BUT - at the same time, I had read an article a couple years ago about how the whole show's storyline was already written out...which is why there were so many unanswered questions in the first couple of seasons - some of which wouldn't be answered until the show was just about over.......sooooo...maybe they have the outline of the show, but the writers are now just filling in the blanks...?

Family Pets

2009-05-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

{Doyle- Main Coon}

{Veruca- Devon Rex}

JH: I've been researching pet insurance all day, trying to find some sort of dental plan for my cats. A lot of pet owners don't consider this aspect of having an animal in the family (me included until Veruca came along), but regular cleanings are super important for the health of your furry friend.

Doyle has never shown any sign of funky teeth, so I never would have thought twice about dental care (I mean, dry cat food is marketed as a tooth cleaner for goodness sake!) but my little Devon Rex has unnaturally horrible breath. And after all the research I've done, I can see her dental bill costing me $1000+.

The lame thing is that pet insurance seems really shady when you get to the dental coverage. They'll cover claims for accidental death and running away before dental work! If anyone has any tips on how I can best go about this situation, please let me know! It would be really helpful to hear your experiences.

Crystal: Sorry Jen :( I got nothing for you on this one :( :( My work offers pet insurance - maybe Joe's does?

Good luck :(

Jen: Your work offers pet insurance?! That's awesome! Talk about a family oriented company! From what I've been gathering, pet insurance really isn't worth it. They are incredibly selective on what they'll cover, and you have to pay for the treatment up front- then wait and hope for reimbursement. All the while paying those monthly premiums. I think it's good if your pet ends up with cancer, but other than that it seems more like a scam than anything.

A Little About Us...Crystal :)

2009-05-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Crystal: I figured I would post a separate post for mine - the coding was getting all screwy when I tried to do it in the same one :) :)

Here I go!

1. What is your current obsession?
I obsess over EVERYTHING...but I guess I'll go with Disney Pins. :)

2. What are you listening to?
The sound of a quiet office....tapping on the keyboard, staplers stapling, bits and pieces of phone conversations, the hum of the computer...

3. What is your favorite food?
Mmmm...if it's carbs, then chances are I'll like it...mac and cheese is up at the top - some good BACKED mac and cheese especially. Otherwise - I'd have to go with a BJ's Pizookie...heaven :)

4. Favorite smell?
Baking cookies :) And Ralph perfume :)

5. What are you wearing today?
typical work clothes...black pants, blue shirt, nothing spectacular. :)

6. Why is today special?
Every day that I get to spend another day with my son, family, and friends is a special day. :) Other than that - looking forward to dinner at The Melting Pot tonight :)

7. What would you like to learn to do?
sew clothing...take better pictures...scrapbook more creatively...Photoshop to its fullest

8. What's the last thing you bought?
A bunch of lunch food items from Target last night...along with diapers, wipes, a planter pot, and other misc stuff :)

9. What is your most challenging goal right now?
To get my photography business soaring enough to carry me into a full time career....but it's a challenge I have faith that I can overcome. :)

10. What's your must have piece for this Winter?
Just a jacket :) I like the coat I have now, so I'll probably just stick with that one. :)

11. What would you like to have in your hands right now?
My beautiful son, Avery :(

12. What would you like to get rid of?
negative energy in my life...i hate it.

13. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?
Disneyworld :)

14. What are your plans for the future?
To have a full-time photography career and to go to Disneyworld this December :)

15. Who do you want to meet right now?
Can't really think of anyone....I have everyone I need in my life, and don't really have any "heroes" of sorts....??

16. Who is your favorite model(s)?
I remember when I was younger I just thought Nikki Taylor was soooo gorgeous...currently I think one of the most beautiful models is that Victoria Secrets model...don't know her name, but here's a pic :)

17. Favorite label/shop?
I would love to be able to 1. Afford and 2. Fit into Guess clothes....I am in love with their ads and their window displays :)

18. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet?
My beautiful, long, black and maroon dress :)

19. Describe your personal style?
Pretty basic on the clothing end....mainly solid colors, lots of blacks, greys, dark colors...but I like to throw in a splash of purple, green, blue once in awhile...I'd probably wear jeans more if I didn't have to work in an office...but I normally wear skirts and slacks...heels or boots.....accessories is my thing - LOVE big earrings and pretty necklaces and bracelets. :)

20. What are you going to do after this?
Get back to work :)

21. What would you love to see come back in fashion?
Well I'm not too sure - but I'd like to see the 80's go away....I'm NOT liking the clothing selections at my usual stores.....way too teen directed. Usually I can find juniors clothes and styles that are still work appropriate....but not lately. :(

A little about us ...

2009-05-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

Jen: I found this awesome little questionnaire on Loveology and Birdy & Me, so I had to bring it over here to Beachy Keen! I would love to see your answers, Crystal! And readers, please feel free to copy this and do one on your blog! We would love to get to know you!!!

1. What is your current obsession?

Cupcakes!

2. What are you listening to?

My little iPod shuffle ... right now it's on Coffee and T.V. by Blur, which just so happens to be my and Joe's song :) I fall in love with him all over again every time I hear it!
{sappy-sappy, I know!)

3. What is your favorite food?

Pakistani cuisine! I think I could eat it for each and every meal and never tire of it!

4. Favorite smell?

Jasmine

5. What are you wearing today?

An old Snow White t-shirt from Disneyland

6. Why is today special?

Erin kicked it off with the best video ever, and then I followed that up with jasmine tea and graham crackers- how could today be bad?!

7. What would you like to learn to do?

Play the piano and/or sitar

8. What's the last thing you bought?

The cloches and cupcakes for Mother's Day

9. What is your most challenging goal right now?

I've vowed to sell every print in my Etsy shop before our anniversary mid-June.

10. What's your must have piece for this Winter?

I want new boots this coming Winter, but since it's Spring, this is what I want right now:

11. What would you like to have in your hands right now?

A gift card to White House Black Market and/or a hotel confirmation printout for Caesar's Palace in Vegas!

12. What would you like to get rid of?

CLUTTER

13. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go?

Connecticut for a countryside bike ride (I've been obsessing over this idea for days)

14. What are your plans for the future?

I hope to do what I want, when I want ... meaning that I hope to make it as an author and spend my profits frolicking through life (and blogging about it, of course!)

I also plan on settling down with an amazing husband and enjoying motherhood to an extreme :)

And my super-down-the-line plan is to be the greatest grandmother ever!

15. Who do you want to meet right now?

Neil Patrick Harris

16. Who is your favorite model(s)?

Kate Moss and Heidi Klum

17. Favorite label/shop?

Urban Outfitters, White House Black Market

18. What is your favorite piece of clothing in your own closet?

All-time: brown velvet tank top that I've had since I was 15

Current: little grey dress

19. Describe your personal style?

Jeans and tank tops out of convenience, but preferably a mish-mosh of classic/girly/bohemian

20. What are you going to do after this?

More laundry

21. What would you love to see come back in fashion?

Ooo, dangerous question! I am a child of the 80's you know ;) But I'll have to say 1920's fashion!

CH: Oh the cloches are sooo pretty!!! I want to buy all kinds of pretty kitchen stuff that I don't need and will never use :) :):) I just don't have the room :(

And you should consider doing one of those bike rides through Solvang or something :) :) That could be the first step to CT :)

And I can't say I'm a Kate Moss fan....just never saw what on earth was so pretty about her....??

Haha - I think I remember your brown velvet tank top!! I can picture it in my head, lol.

And sorry to go against your 80's fashion...I'm just not a fan, lol. :)