Hello world!  I broke my promise made in my last post to blog more consistently and often, and after a few months, I’m feeling a bit rusty.  So please forgive me if the next few posts seem to ramble on or not make much sense. 

Work has kept me super busy the past few months, but fortunately the majority of things that kept me away from blogging are over, and my personal life won’t have to take a backseat anymore (at least until next year).

I don’t want to blame my job for everything, though.  Something happened that ensured my life will never be the same going forward….

There’s a blurry picture of me, excitedly showing off the results.  I don’t know if anyone can tell, but I was still in a state of shock when this picture was taken.  I was so sure that I wasn’t pregnant that  my response upon seeing the test was, “see two lines – not pregnant!” 

I’m in the beginning of my second trimester now, ready to share the news with the entire world now that my family and friends know.  The gruesome details on my severe morning sickness will come soon. 

Now I can start blogging about baby stuff without sounding like a crazy person!

I couldn’t help smiling after seeing this post on Eat Drink Chic juxtaposing McDonald’s menu items and iconic design houses for Fashion Week.

Yes, I’d like a Burberry Big Mac and a small order of Hermes fries, please.

With work picking up and an intro photography class that I just started, not to mention fighting off general laziness, taking time to write and post something has been tough.  However, I was suddenly inspired after seeing a lot of ads and blog posts about Valentine’s Day, mostly pertaining to gifts, DIY ideas, and general musings.

I’ve never really been one to take Valentine’s Day very seriously.  When I was younger, I bought the typical supermarket Looney Tunes/Alvin and the Chipmunks cards and passed them out to my classmates along with sweets marked “secret admirer” for the boys you had a crush on.  The chalky taste of those little pastel-colored heart candies always transports me back to my elementary school days.  I still get sad upon hearing about the unpopular/socially awkward kids who only received a few cards. 

Anyways, flash forward to the teenage and adult years, and I honestly can only remember a handful of times (mostly during my 20’s) actually going out to celebrate.  Each time was marked by annoying waits at restaurants despite a reservation, bad service, and mediocre/expensive food.  The husband and I decided to cook a nice meal at home on the actual day instead of venturing out, and it’s worked really well for the past 3 years. 

So maybe it’s just me being a buzzkill, but I find Valentine’s Day to be a bit overhyped.  Sure, it’s nice to go out to dinner, receive flowers and chocolate, and celebrate with your significant other, but how’s that day different from any other day?  Can’t you do the same thing on an anniversary, birthday, or even just a plain old regular day of the week?  I mean, don’t get me wrong, I won’t turn down any of these things when I do receive them, but I won’t be devastated if my husband doesn’t come home on February 14th with an armful of roses marked up 500% to take me to dinner where the food tastes like something from a mediocre wedding. 

I know the above rant makes me sound like a big grouch (maybe it’s because I’m hungry)…but I think I’ll be content staying in and watching a DVD that night 🙂

Since January 1st, I’ve been part of a “Biggest Loser” contest with 5 friends/family members, with the winner taking an $1800 cash prize (we each put in $300 to participate).  Normally, I’d be watching the Food Network while cooking dinner, but to get my mind off hunger, not to mention forbidden items like chocolate, bread, pasta, etc., I decided to treat myself to shopping instead.  Zero calories, but tough on the wallet! 

I’ve been living on a diet of these:

Okay, I haven’t been THAT extreme to the point of denying myself anything remotely delicious, but it’s definitely not very fun.  However, I’m determined to win the $1800, so excuse a little grumpiness and delusional ramblings until January 31st when the competition ends.

The whole point of this contest is for us to have a motivating factor to jumpstart healthier diets and regular exercise, but given the amount of money at stake, I know we’re all going to partake in a little cheating (sauna, master cleanse…any other suggestions?)  the last few days of the month.

So far…I feel a little lighter and less bloated from consciously watching what I eat (mainly less carbs) and trying to exercise regularly, but the scale is still reporting very few pounds shed.  I gotta kick it up a notch since we’re almost at the halfway mark!

There’s an interesting article in the New York Times regarding the risks and benefits of turning a hobby into a full-time job.  Specifically, they interviewed a number of Etsy sellers, who to the outside world, seem to have hit the jackpot – having transitioned a side job or hobby which they loved into a full-time, profit-turning business. 

However, many sellers tempered their enthusiasm with what seemed like sheer exhaustion.  Doing what you love and being an entrepreneur seems like the perfect situation, but as with anyone who owns their own business can tell you, the amount of sweat equity one puts into it can be enormous, far more than a typical 9-5, 40 hour/week job.  Calculate into that the time spent thinking about new products, ways to improve your business, and a million other items and one can easily spend 90% of their waking hours on their business, not to mention shouldering a ton of anxious, sleepless nights and tremendous amounts of stress.

Of course, many people will tell you that the gratification that comes with being your own boss and doing something you’re passionate about far outweighs any of the downsides associated with it.  I’ve thought long and hard about taking the risk to start my own business, but realized that it’s easier said than done, and that it will take more than just a good idea to make it successful – am I willing to make my job my life?  Yes…but only for something that I truly enjoy and I’ll be willing to put 110% of my effort into.  And at the end of the day, that what it looks like some of these Etsy sellers are doing.

To read the full NY Times article, click here.

I’ve had to bring out my winter scarves and coats now that winter has arrived in LA.  Anyone who lives in um, less temperate climates than us are probably laughing their heads off when we complain about 50-degree weather and a thunderstorm.  Despite catching a cold and feeling a little woozy from medication, I love this weather because it finally feels like winter and the holidays.  It’s simply not the most festive feeling when you see your neighbors putting up christmas lights in shorts and flip-flops and sunglasses.

I’ll be heading up to Seattle this weekend to visit relatives up there, and I hear temperatures are below the 30’s at night, so I better pack up puffy jackets, earmuffs, and mittens in excess to stay warm! 

The days are getting shorter..it’s barely 4:30 in the afternoon, but the sun is already starting its way down the horizon…

I hope you had a wonderful and festive Thanksgiving!  We had a joint family lunch yesterday and I seriously think I gained about 5 lbs. from eating nonstop for 6 hours.  There are some terrific cooks in our family, and everyone brought a couple of dishes to complement the turkey and glazed ham…yummm!

This is going to be my new desktop wallpaper at work.