Weekend Recap (Apr 16 & Apr 17)

You know how when some one asks you if you want the good news or the bad news first? And you always respond with bad news first in hopes the good news will help buffer the pain cause by the blah news (no? Brave soul you!)? That's kind of how my weekend was, but I wasn't asked which I wanted first. Fortunately, I'm glad I got the bad news first because I would have hated to end my weekend/start my work week on bad news. *shudders*

Bad (might qualify as horrible) news: Friday was a rough, rough day y'all. Firstly, I had to wake up at 2am because the hubs forgot to bring some things to the shop and forgot to leave some things I desparately needed at the house so naturally I had a major small stress meltdown. After taking lots of deep breaths, I packed all my things necessary for work that day (e.g. work clothes, hair straightner, etc) along with the things the hubs forgot (e.g. suit, dress shoes and socks, etc.) and drove 45 minutes to the shop. Work day commenced as usual. Then, on the DART ride home, I was stuck IN a TUNNEL. for 2 flipping hours!! 2 frucking hours in the flipping dark!!!! Really? Sigh. When we finally were moving again, we experienced 2 more delays prior to reaching my stop - the last one on the line. Total commute time for a normal 40 minute commute - 3 hours. What a Friday.

= Not my friend that day{source}                          

With bad news, comes the good news right? Right!

Good news: We went over to a friend's house later that evening to celebrate Cambodian/Thai New Years and our dear friends Sopie and Ly were going to reveal the sex of their second child - with cupcakes!! Yum! How? They bought 2 dozen cupcakes (1 dozen red velvet, 6 strawberry shortcakes, and 6 chocolate passion) from

{source}

and one of the cupcakes was injected with a colored cream filling indictating the sex of the baby!! We were so excited about digging into the cupakes to look for the pink or blue icing, I totally didn't take pix! Boo! With all 24 cupcakes distributed and tore in half, the filling could not be found! WHAT?! Someone's holding out and we were all yelling with frustration and excitement as to who holds the special cupcake. Not cool. Not cool at all! Turns out, the filling wasn't in the middle. It was an itsy, bitsy, weensy squirt of icing underneath the mammoth cream cheese icing. It looked like this, but with the dap of icing inside the cupcake.

Pic from here, dot added by mwah

Yup. The dot literally was that big under all that icing! Who would have known it was there?! Natural assumption is in the middle right??? Tell me this is what you thought too? Common sense right? Any way, luckily someone noticed before devouring their cupcake. And as my awesome dot indicated above, they're having a girl! Perfect because their first born was a boy. Aw... perfection at its finest don't you think? I think so even if you don't!

More good news: Saturday was girl's day while the boys went fishing and shooting! For us girls, girl's day means eating. all. day. long. non. stop. while shopping. I literally put on 2 more pounds this weekend (d'oh!!), but all the delicious food was soooo worth it. That day. Now I have to workout 4x as hard so back to the grind. Tomorrow. Ha! Having quality time over yummy food all day with the girls is always worth it though. Always!

Even more good news: The hubby took me to the mall on Sunday and I got a mini shopping spree! Yay! Thanks hubby! In 1.5 hours, we found me a dress to wear to a wedding next weekend, panties at Victoria's Secret because I'm a coupon queen, and baking/counter mats from Crate and Barrel with their new Wedding Completion discount. Which means.... dum dum dummmm! I forsee baking cookies (as in different types of cookies) in my very, very near future. YES!

How was your weekend? Happy Monday everyone!!!

Happy Friday!!

Yesterday was an uberly busy day. First off, I completed the EA Sports Active: More Workouts' 6 Week Challenge. Yay me!

Ending result of the challenge? Minus 3lbs and I am feeling awesome!! I hit the cringeworthydespisedupon weight loss plateau, so I'll really need to kick it up about eating healthier versus me working out just to eat like a pig and devour whatever I wish unsensibly and without nutrition in mind. I'm going to do the 6 Week Challenge again, and I'll let you know how round 2 goes!

At corporate job, our Montreal co-worker was in town and we hired a new contractor so the Senior VP thought it'd be perfect to do a full day of training on various topics, in which I presented on one. That went on from 10am till 4:30pm. Can someone say Starbucks Tentra please? And stat! We ended the hectic day with dinner at Rafain's with a good glass (or two) of Merlot. With all the crazy busy stuff going on at work, the get together was just what we all needed - awesome food, delightful drinks, and tons of stories that result in belly aching laughter (the alcohol might or might not have been a slight factor in what stories were shared).

And for the first time in a long, long time, the sleep gods bestowed upon me 8 hours of serene sleep. I woke up fully refreshed and might have hopped out of the shower breaking into a slight song and dance. Maybe. Ultimately, it reminded me that good company over some drinks is therapeutic for the soul.

What's your technique to unwind and relax? Happy Friday everyone, and have a fabulous weekend!

Weekend Recap (Mar 19 & Mar 20)

One thing I absolutely love about my corporate job - my manager is super flexible! When I ask my manager if I can leave work a few hours early here and there, it's never been an issue. Last week was Spring Break, so the bride-to-be, Hany, her MOH, and other bridesmaid took advantage of the open schedule and drove up to Dallas from Houston to go wedding dress shopping!!! I asked my manager if it was cool to take off around 2pm on Friday and he said, go for it! No questions asked. Sweeeet!

Thankfully, the bridal salon Hany picked to check out was only 2 train station stops and a 10 minute walk away! Once everyone arrived, we got to work on pulling dresses and finding The One for our bride. The bridal consultant was completely useless. Sorry! She never came to help us pull dresses off the rack and put them in the dressing room, never the less help us identify dresses we were looking for and help the bride in and out the dresses. Um, I know my wedding wasn't that long ago, and I'm pretty sure that's part of their job! Hany tried on about 12 dresses in less than an hour and has a major contender for The One. Yay! 3 bridesmaids and 1 bride make things super efficient! :) This was the first planning event I was able to participate in so I was super stoked! Simple mind, simple pleasures, I know.

After wedding dress shopping, we decided the shopping extravaganza shouldn't stop so we headed a mile North to Northpark Mall to grab a bite at La Madeleine (I totally heart this chain French Cafe).

Top left and clockwise:

Chicken Friand, Potato Galette, Croissant with Chicken

Salad and a side of pasta salad, and Spinach Pochette

After burning some calories at the mall, we headed over to Krispy Kreme. Lilli has major love for this donut place. The girl shrieks when she sees this sign lit up half a mile away for goodness sakes! haha! And yet, she still skinny as a stick! Totally jealous.

{source}

Saturday morning was working at the shop and since I was still on a shopping high from the previous day, the hubby was kind enough to take me to Allen Premium Outlets on the way home. Normally, we only hit up 2-3 stores (4 max) because we're so darn tired after a grueling 10 hour shift at the shop, but we took advantage of the gorgeous weather (85 degrees) and walked the entire mall. Best purchase: a pair of jeans and three shirts at Banana Republic for $25, for the win! WOOT WOOT!! I also stopped by BCBG Max Azria in hopes of picking up a dress for a wedding we're attending in April, but that was a fail. :(  The hubby did pick out a really nice dress, but my not so nice body denied it with a quickness. Super sad!!

Me sucking in hardcore to see "what if"

I lost enough weight by then... It was

still exposing all the wrong curves! Fail.

Meanwhile, this shopper was also checking out dresses at BCBG:

Tshirt with running shorts, panty hose/tights

with Ugg boots? I know I'm not fashionably

inclined, but does anybody else think this is

a fashion breach?!

Sunday was more working at the shop in the morning then a dinner fiasco at a Hibachi and Sushi buffet since I didn't have lunch (I woke up STARVING and that rarely ever happens). I've been on a sushi kick lately despite what I've recently learned about the potentially deceiving wasabi being served! Oh well! Hi Serena from Big Apple Nosh!

Pigging out - wasabi and all! Ha!

They serve shaved ice here! Unfortunately,

the complimenting condiments were eh.

Papaya! Totally good for your digestion

and moving things along if you're um

struggling in that particular area!

Chocolate fondue with an assortment of

fruits. Tomorrow - back on the healthy

wagon I go!

We're also dogging sitting for my former colleague for the next 10 days. Say hello to sisters, Calle and Scout, y'all!

How was your weekend?

P.S. I get to wear my contacts again today. I can't flipping wait!! Eeeep! No more glasses suckas!

Weekend Recap (Mar 5 & Mar 6)

Weekend was eh. Saturday was stopping by Toys R Us (I think I need to start investing in their stock because that's two posts in 2 weeks about them!) to buy gifts for the hub's cousin's son who turns 1 and running errands for the shop aka a Sam's run.

The dad said he likes balls and to chew on things

{source}

Who doesn't love ball pits, until they made scary news

about them. And the little girl in the picture gives me

the chills *shudders* Anyone else?

{source}

Saturday evening was spent with our favorite foodie friend - Van!! She and her fiance made yummy pho, raspberry bubble tea, and 100 eggrolls (which was taken down like a champ by 8 of us)! YUM!!!

Elyssa being a total ham.

Photo taken by Van

Sunday was more errands (ugh) and then to the hub's cousin's son's above mentioned birthday party (try saying that five times fast!). I hate ending posts on a blah note so here's some exciting news - we were voted the town's favorite donut shop for 2010! Don't believe me, check out the local paper yourself!

Don't see it? Here, let me help you!

Tiny print on a computer screen in a

big ass picture not working for ya?

Fine, let me zoom in - shesh!

See it now?

 If not, let me point it out again for you! :)

How about now?

If you notice, the category name is on the left followed by the winner's name (e.g. Best Fast Food - Quick Check), therefore, our shop's name really is Best Donuts, not Donuts and the category name is Best Donuts. Well, the category we won really is called Best Donuts, but it also happens to be our shop's name also! Confused? Don't worry about it, just know we won k? Good! Yay us!! Oh, and we assumed the shop's name when we took over so don't ask how we came up with it because we didn't. And if you're wondering why we didn't change it, have you ever looked into the price of replacing a neon font size 300,000 sign in front of a store runs? No? Google it, or just trust me that it's "drop your jaw to the floor are you flipping serious" price. Plus, it's fitting for us no?

How was your weekend?

Weekend Recap (Feb 26 & Feb 27)

Fridays = YAY and Mondays = BOOOO! Funny how that feeling never goes away as we age.

Our foodie friend, Van, text us if we wanted to hang out after work on Friday since we haven't seen her in ages. Technically, two weeks, but we see each other on a weekly basis so two weeks seemed like FOREVER. Dramatic much? Nah. Plus, she was feeling poopie so even the more reason to meet up right? She even brought us cupcakes from her work - she's such an awesome friend!

Left: Vanilla bean red velvet swirl with whipped cream cheese frosting

Right: White chocolate macadamia nut with white chocolate frosting

We even had a guest of honor for the evening - Elyssa!! We picked her up at her work place and we had to take a small detour to Babies R US. While en route to said place, dinner needed to be decided!

Van: "I've been craving something for awhile, but it's kind of far..."
Moi: "Where?"
Van: "Umm. Okay, I'll spell it. B!!!"
Elyssa and the hubs, simultaneously: "A!!!!" (with Elyssa demonstrating the letter with her arms - it's the former cheerleader in her coming out. Meanwhile, I'm completely loss. How in the world does Elyssa and hubs know?!)
Hubs: "B!!!" (Me: B.A.B - still no clue!)
Van and Elyssa: "E!!!!"
Van: "apostrophe and S!!!!" (me: ohhh. got it! Damn I'm slow!)

Babe's Chicken it is!! Yum!!! You pick your meat from a select menu and as much mashed potatoes and gravy, creamed corn, green beans, salad, and biscuits you can devour!!! *drool*

Waiting outside

Elyssa packing it down - JK

All the meats ordered minus half that was already eaten.

We take food very seriously!!

After a fulfilling dinner, Van needed an evening topper so we drove down the street to The Londoner Pub for a shot!

3 red headed sluts with a side of patron

After 3 hours of sleep, it was to the donut shop we go! We were spent by the time we closed so we took a quick nap then headed to dinner at Woo Mee Oak with Tara, Veraya and her hubby, Mike! Veraya took our engagement pictures and we instantly hit it off. She's currently 30 weeks preggers and we haven't seen her since she announced the news so dinner was absolutely necessary. Remember the Babies R US trip the previous day? Makes sense now? *light bulb* And because we're food savages, I once again forgot to take pictures! DOH!

This time, we got 4 hours of sleep (woot!) before the alarm screamed at us to get our asses up for the shop again. Just like Saturday, we crashed after the shop for a quick nap prior to the funeral viewing for Sid. We tried to be strong for Sid's wife, Mary and his son, Steve, but the closer we got to Sid, the harder it was to fight the waterworks. Mary was being super strong and didn't shed a tear. We paid our respects and cried it out on the ride home. This isn't going to be an easy week. We'll miss Sid dearly.


*all pics are taken by me except for the cupcake one. That's by Van!

...And a better tomorra!

Town population: 3,200
Location: 42 miles NE of Dallas, TX

GOOD MORNING! HOW ARE YOU TODAY? WHAT CAN I GET FOR YOU? That's how I 100% of the time greet my customers and yes I literally do shout it when they first enter our store. Why? Um, because I do? So judgemental! And when they leave, I calmly express my appreciation for their business with "thank you very much, you have a great day today!" *insert BIG smile* Repeat! Being in a small town you get to know everybody and their biz and vice versa. I mean, the entire town has the hubs cell phone number for goodness sakes. And no, I'm not exaggerating when I say the whole town does. He's kind of a local celebrity - the high schoolers even have a song made up for him!! Then again, who can't love him. He's such a social butterfly (unlike hermit crab moi).  On the up side, getting to know all the locals has helped us establish a large, loyal customer base and we love catching up with them and going to dinners/rodeos/get togethers with them. Mike and Lela are the hubs and I's inspiration as a couple. They are so much in love with each other even after 50+ years of marriage. The way Mike looks at Lela and gets all jello and teary eyed... *cue unanimous awwww* On the bad side, getting close to the locals is hard on us. We become very involved in their lives through their ups and downs. We've put in a good mileage at a few hospitals the past few months unfortunately. I'd rather rack up those hospital visitation mileage than to hear the unforgettable news of a dirt nap. Sadly, we lost one of our good customers turned close friends, Sid.

Sid was one of the first customers I got close to and has a blunt but hilarious sense of humor. He always orders an apple fritter, and almost didn't make it to our wedding. He was a tough cookie and recovered well enough to attend. We were ecstatic to know that his presence will preside on our big day. When I pipe out my farewell line at the shop, he always responds with, "And a better tomorra!!" It never fails to make me smile from ear to ear and giggle. Now, I will never hear his response at the shop again nor see his smile and hear his crazy sense of humor when we visit him on an off day. Sid - thank you for being a part of our lives and never failing to make us smile when we see you. Rest in peace our dear friend.

Taken by Colorband PhotoArtisans

Cropped by me