Tag Archives: I want to go to there

Ah Gay Puree

Ten points if you get that reference. My mind is flooded with thoughts of being in Paris. It doesn’t help that my friend Mia is spending her birthday with her family in Paris and I’m taking a French class with Leslie at the end of this month. I already planned to take Liv to Paris in 2013 but that was before I decided that I wanted to buy a new house and I calculated the tuition for Olivia’s Preschool *which I was shocked to discover they are a year round school, hence no summers off, which means 3 extra months of tuition* Long story short, my priorities have changed, so my budget too must change. We could make it happen in 2014 if I save strictly *snort, we’ll see* I got an email from Daily Candy about Paris yesterday. Daily Candy always seems to know what’s on my mind, I get emails from them precisely at the time I am thinking of it.

Anywho…here’s what they sent me…

Visit Paris

Which after some navigation, led me to this

Le Petit Paradis de Paris

Now, first I was firmly set on staying at the W Paris – Opéra *to fill my Life List quota #18* but the bad news is the W is ridiculously expensive and then you add on the Euro conversion and it’s over 2 grand! Now this Petit Paradis *The Studio Flat* is looking like a winner. What is more FABulous than staying at an authentic Parisian flat overlooking Notre Dame?

 

The pros are outweighing the cons. Perfect location, the price is half of the W, without those pesky hidden hotel fees, parking *if we rent a car* internet, tips. The flat has a mini kitchen so we could prepare Liv’s food. The only con is…it’s not the W!
Here’s some other things I’ve been daydreaming about for our Parisian holiday:
Buy macarons at Pierre Herme
Saint Ouen Flea Market *how would I bring home all my lovely stuff?*
Eat a ton of delish goodies at the Rose Bakery
Skip rocks Amelie style at the Saint Martin Canal
And drool over this amazing shop
So fucking rad!!
The only thing that sucks is there is no Anthropologie in France. There are a couple in London. Hopefully they’ll open one by 2014?
Bonne Nuit Lovelies!!

Less than 12 hours countdown!!

Until my Prince William will be married away from me!!

I have been fascinated with UK royalty ever since I was a kid *come on, I am named Elizabeth and I’m a bit of an Anglophile* I was 4 years old when Diana & Charles were married in 1981 but over the years I have always dreamed of being a part of that lifestyle. I love the formality, the tradition, the grandeur and the stiff hoity-toitiness of it all. Last time I was in London, we skipped out on the changing of the guard *well, Antz and Aimee overruled my idea of waiting in front of Buckingham Palace for hours to see the ceremony* but I did talk them into visiting the Crown Jewels at the Tower of London. Seriously, the funnest, most rad time of my life!!
As close as we got!

There was a strict no pictures policy inside the Crown Jewels but I did manage to snap this pic. See how my camera mocks me by flashing out the Henry the 8th crest *the camera curse has been lingering around for awhile*

It’s funny because when I asked to take a photo with these “Bobbies” the guy in the back chose not to be in the picture…jokes on you buddy, you made it.
So you can see this was pre-digital camera era *shocking I know kiddos* but I vow to return and take a bajillion photos and finish all the cheesy touristy stuff I couldn’t convince the gang to do the first time.
Eat at an Indian Restaurant
Take the Jack the Ripper Walking Tour
Ride on a double decker bus
Eat fish & chips at a proper pub
Cruise the Thames
Ride the London Eye *even though I’m terrified of heights*
Take photos at Postmans Park as seen in one of my favorite movies, Closer
Stay at the W London, obviously!
I also must heckle a British guard a la Lucy Meets the Queen.
I won’t wake up at 3am to watch live but I am DVRing the coverage on CNN all day. My friend Mia suggested we post pics of our daughters wearing their royal tiaras to celebrate so when Antz gets home we are going tiara shopping *don’t gasp, at Target!!*
CHEERIO SLAGS!!
I’m back…we went to Target and found the ugliest kiddie tiara’s ever *Dora the Explorer tiara’s, barf!!* so we decided I can make her one with my handy dandy sewing machine. I wanted to make her a Union Jack crown *since I kick ass at making Union Jacks* but I got carried away and didn’t measure her head so it ended up being huge so I fanagled it into a flag. I did make her this to wear tomorrow
taa-daa…
She’s asleep so I can’t test it out but I’m hoping fits. YAY CRAFTINESS!!

I’ve got the Golden Ticket!

Yesterday on a whim, I played lotto since I needed change to pay my gardener. I always play my same numbers, 6 for June the month Liv and Antz was born, 18 the day of our wedding anniversary, 20 is the day of my birth, 24 is my Mom’s birthday, 27 is Antz and his Mom’s birthday and 8 is always the mega, it’s our lucky number and represents August the month of our wedding. Then I usually play a quick pick as a back up. I play maybe once every 3 or 4 months, and the most I’ve won has been $7. This morning I checked the winning numbers not expecting much when my heart started palpitating…I saw 3 of my regular numbers and the mega was 8!! I was sure I just won a cool grand but I saw my prize was $50. Yippee!!

Sounds like it’s pedicure time for Mommy.

I talked to my Mom on the phone for almost 4 hours this morning. We were discussing everything from travel plans, our plans for the future, Liv’s school, politics and me selling my house in this economy. We both want to go to Hawaii *neither of us can believe that with our combined travel, we’ve never been* but I really want to go next August for our 10 year anniversary #15 however, I have so much going on financially…

I need a minimum of $10k to remodel the kitchen next March.

Liv starts nursery school in Spring so we have tuition to pay as well as dance classes/music lessons and any fun weekend events. Then there’s saving for the new house, my goal is to have $20k saved by 2015, I have to stick to a strict budget to meet this goal. And my good friend is getting married in 2012 too! Hawaii is not cheap. My dream vacay would be to stay at the new Disney resort Aulani but I am certain the room rates will be astronomical. I checked out Celebrity cruises to Hawaii and that’s well over how much I want to spend. My problem is I want to travel 5 star on a 2 star budget. I really need to go to Vegas and play some roulette!!

Yikes, this was the only photo I could find of me in a casino…this must be in the late nineties and my tackiness is at an all-time high!!
I just got my saltwater sandals in the mail today… I know I am a total copycat of Liv’s style!!
*see, I do need a pedicure!!*
Love them!!!

We’ve got a screamer!

Yesterday Olivia decided it would be fun to shriek at the top of her lungs at a restaurant during dinner. The folks sitting around us tried their best to ignore her shrilly screams but I saw their body language. We weren’t dining at a 5 star place, it was Alcapulco’s so I didn’t feel that guilty for her outbursts but I did feel the need to apologize to the people around us. They were very gracious as I told them she had found her pipes. They joked she’s a singer-in-training but I am bummed that we will be those people who has an annoying loud child that the parents completely ignore as the peace is being shattered by the little screamer. I love that Liv is being more vocal, I in fact, encourage her silly noises however this has to be dealt with when we are in public. We tried our best to quiet her and bribed her with refried beans yet she has no understanding of inside voice.

Here is a taste of her new found screamversation.

We bought these babyproofing nubs to prevent her from hurting herself and she has decided they make a much better teether than any toy I give her. D’OH!!

On another totally different note, I have been debating the idea of taking Olivia to visit her relatives in my MIL’s hometown of Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. The main reason I really didn’t want to go is the occurrences of Americans being kidnapped or even killed by drug cartels. That is way too scary for us to drive around in a rural country in a rental. Mexico has never been a travel destination I’ve been interested in. It could be that it’s so close that I don’t feel like I’m travelling internationally. I tried to research her hometown and there is zero info on it *what place doesn’t have a wikipedia page??* I think it’s the food. I know, don’t give me that look! Who doesn’t love Mexican food? ME that’s who! My ideal Mexican food is Acapulcos and Taco Bell. I greatly dislike any foreign food that is actually authentic. I like my food as fake as possible!! Well, I have completely changed my mind! What could have made me reconsider the American tourists kidnapping, or the poor drinking water and food smothered in onions? Two words…

Villa Amor

I found this gem while browsing Off-Beat Bride and I was swooning over a beautiful destination wedding at this resort when I noticed the town was Sayulita, NAYARIT, Mexico!! I shouted to Antz, OMG, I WANT TO GO TO THERE!! I really said that. It didn’t dawn on me we could stay on the coast *which is near Puerta Vallarta* at this luxury resort and then drive to Tepic and visit the family for a day. I wouldn’t have to endure sitting around while everyone speaks Spanish as I nod my heart with a lunatic smile on my face. I wouldn’t have to sleep on a couch shared by 10 of people *like we did when I spent Christmas with his relatives in Tijuana* no gross food being shoved in my face that I have to pick at while pretending I love it. Most importantly, I would be in an American run hotel with mod-cons like wi-fi, our own private pool, room service, mosquito netting and…

she is lovely, si?
The best part is August is considered their off-season *it gets pretty hot and rainy, although I love hot weather* so this villa would be dirt cheap. We could go for our anniversary *heavenly* I think when Liv is 3 we will go, problem is most of Antz relatives get together for Christmas so if we go in August they’ll be hardly anyone there. Also Antz Mommy is terrified of flying, so we will have to convince her to fly with us *I found a great rate with Alaska Airlines* We may have to drug her to get her on the plane. It’s only a 3 hour flight to Puerta Vallerta. One of my friends said she stayed at the hotel for a cousin’s wedding so I have a review from someone I actually know. I think it’s meant to be!!
¡Viva la México!!

I Want it all!!!

That is MY problem. I can’t go half-assed. I can’t give up one thing for another. I have no idea how to balance. I was so proud of myself when I made the difficult decision to forgo our trip to the 2012 London Olympics. I made even more progress paying off a huge portion of our credit card debt and finishing our bathroom DIY. However…I am still itching for a European vacay, and with 2 weddings *one of which I’ll be officiatin’* in a span of 3 months, I’m sure I’ll be using our credit cards again. I am living a ridiculously vicious cycle! I cannot resist spending but now would be the best time to SAVE!! In less than a year we’ll be paying for Liv’s nursery school and if I want my 5 year plan to work, I have to stop the madness!

Of course it’s never that easy.

I seem to exist in chaos…I know our house won’t sell for enough to cover our loan and yet I am wanting to buy a house in Atwater that is well over our budget. I just feel like moving out of a starter house *2 beds/1 bath* and moving into another one is senseless. I need a minimum of 3 beds/2 baths and must have a guest house, preferably with a bathroom and kitchenette. I keep debating if we should buy a place that already has a pool *which thins out what’s available in our ideal area down to 6 homes* or just find the perfect house with a yard large enough to put in a pool down the road *like when Liv graduates college* I found these 2 beauts but notice the hefty price tag. Neither have a pool so lets cheerfully add another $40-$50k on top!

This home is in Silverlake but it has reservoir views and a giant backyard. I also am completely charmed by the Post & Beam architecture and the separate space downstairs. It makes me forgive the realtor for adding the smooth grooves soundtrack to the virtual tour *when will they stop doing that?*

This gorgeous home is in Atwater Village *although not on the street of my choice* but close enough in walking distance of all the action. I am annoyed that the realtor went through all the trouble to create a wonderful slideshow, only to not feature the bedrooms or the backyard, which are more important to me than 15 photos of a water fountain.

As Antz reminds me constantly, I have expensive taste. I am trying to adjust my mindset into finding a great house with good bones that needs love and fixing up but the turn-key houses always appeal to me. I honestly have no idea how those folks on HGTV buy houses and then plunk down another hundred grand in renovations. We make decent money but let’s get real, we have a KID…she will be squeezing us dry well into her 20’s!! This is why I get so pissed when someone asks me why we don’t have more kids. I am terrified I won’t be able to afford this one, living in this house let alone, a new baby, a new house/mortgage, new furniture, more toilet paper, blah, blah, blah!

ARGH!

Point I’m trying to make…I want a new house, BUT I want to travel. I want Liv to go to a very expensive French school, BUT I want to completely renovate and furnish our new house. I want to save money and have no debt, BUT I love to shop and be social. Obviously, I could be practical and focus on whats really important but I HATE not getting my way. I feel like I take one step forward and then two steps back *OH FUCK, now I’m quoting Paula Abdul lyrics*

This rant has officially ended!

Sprinkle some Valentines Day LOVE

Yesterday we picked up Aimee and went to our fave spot Sprinkles. As I excepted, it was packed…
like, a line around the block.

All those bags are preorders. Sprinkles is making a killing…$$

this is just a 10th of the line!

We pre-ordered so we walked right in and out, VIP status.
So we drove back to her house, put Liv in her stroller and hit the boardwalk *eye roll, I can’t stand the Venice boardwalk, full of bummers, weed peddlers and annoying tourists* but I digress, we were delivering cupcakes to Mr Big who was playing at the paddle tennis courts.

Aimee *who looked adorable* gave him his cupcakes and informed him, he was her Valentine. Mr Big was grinning ear to ear!!

OMG, I know, I should call him Mr Huge. He is the sweetest guy ever. Liv is a big fan of his.

Yep, Aimee is dating a Sparten from Belgium!!

We hung out and tried our best to cheer him on during an intense game *but who were we fooling? we were lost at who was winning* however Mr Big won and Aimee got a kiss on the cheek because they are PG13 like that. I need to make up my mind what to do for my birthday. I would like to double date with them but choose a place we can take Liv.
I am still sicko and it appears to be finding its way to Antz. Last night he was coughing and his throat is dry, BOO! Nonetheless we had a sweet Valentines night, understated but perfect for us. I am thinking of trying this restaurant this weekend in Eagle Rock called Larkins. The owner also owns Mac & Cheza but to be honest, I didn’t love the food so I am apprehensive about trying Larkins but the place is so cute and I’ve read quite a few good reviews about them on yelp *despite many warning that its overpriced* We can see if our niece and nephew want to check it out. Speaking of them, they got their PeaceCorp assignment
They are going to PARAGUAY!!!

Umm, hello Iguazu Falls *nominee for a Natural Wonder of the World* SCORE!!! And guess who happens to be right next door in Peru?

Machu Picchu
I couldn’t be happier for them! We will Skype them all the time and hopefully visit *just another place to add to my endless places to go list*
Now I’ve got a vanilla cupcake with my name all over it! Lates

The Dub-ya

As I have mentioned about 400 times, I would like to stay at all 50+ W Hotels around the world #18. This is quite the accomplishment because I somehow continue staying at the same W, multiple times. In this case, it’s the W San Diego.

We stayed there in April 2008 to see a Lily Allen concert *which was fantastic*

I am close to booking again for Liv’s 1st birthday yet I hit a snag when I was informed that my preferred membership wasn’t being applied to my online booking. Gah, I had to call customer service and am I glad I did. I was originally going to pay $339 per night for 3 nights with the 4th night free *the benefits of preferred membership* but the agent told me I can get the same room for $191 per night with the 4th night free. Bollocks!! why am I always getting the shitty deals? Well, as much as I wanted to go ahead and book over the phone, I have to wait until Friday when we have our tax appt. so I know with 100% certainty we are going to San Diego. The rate is prepaid and non refundable so I have to proceed with caution. I was also trying to see how much the rates would be if we booked a room during Comic Con *I’m attending this year with Antz as his guest* so I expected the rates to be sky high being that it’s the biggest convention and it’s in July but she told me nothing was available at all! Sheesh, the tickets just went on sale last week. Boo! I thought being a preferred member would have gotten me a little bit of clout but all she had was a nearby Sheraton for $399 per night. Well, maybe we’ll book it or maybe we’ll just do one day at the show and drive home that night. Either way it’s still not adding to my list of W’s!! Maybe we could go to San Francisco for Liv’s birthday. We did stay at the W Silicon Valley but I haven’t stayed at the Dub in SF and the San Francisco zoo is pretty rad *we went in 2005*.

I really miss SF, when I worked at JetBlue we would go all the time. However, that would bump up the birthday budget because we would have to fly and rent a car, sigh! What really inspired me was this post of Maggie’s sponsored trip to Restaurant Week in New York with the Travelocity Roaming Gnome

Our gnome, Henry is quite jealous!!

I have been so indecisive lately. I am second guessing everything because I want to stay true to my Scarlett O’Hara pact “As God as my witness, I’ll buy a house in Atwater Village before Liv starts kindergarden.” so I’m trying my hardest to chill on the expenditures. I already want to spend a fortune on presents…

 

 

 

 

So many awesome options! That’s not including her convertible car seat *which I’m sure we’ll have to get in the next few months* and new clothes. Whatever W we end up at, I’ll thank my lucky stars, it’s been 2 years since we took a real vacay and I am itching to get out of town. I am still mourning our trip to London but I keep reminding myself it’s for the greater good. Well, keep your fingers crossed I will have a prosperous appt with Gail and snag the cheaper rate. I’ll have to order her Radio Flyer wagon before June so she can use it at the zoo and Sea World. Tonight, we went to the mall to pick up an outfit for Liv for D-land. I really wanted these shorts from BabyGap

But sadly they didn’t get the spring line in store yet *the salesperson told us to come back tomorrow* but we got a cute outfit and a pair of shoes that will be terrific for the photo shoot *Antz made me promise to stay mum until the photos are done* so of course I’m itching to blab! He took me to the children’s stores he has been getting really cute stuff from lately but I didn’t see much I liked. Well, I started this post at 10pm and it’s already past midnight so I’m ready to hit the sack.

Nighty Night Lovelies!!

Vacation all I’ve ever wanted

Yep, it’s a Go-Go’s Tuesday jam session and this song is making me want to pack up and get on a plane! I cannot believe I renewed my passport in 2007 and don’t have any lousy stamps so far. We have to take Liv on a trip soon. I can’t wait until San Diego for her birthday in June but I want to travel internationally *well, Europe* so bad it hurts!

I am craving a buttery croissant at a sidewalk cafe in Paris…

Or steaming in the Blue Lagoon in Reykjavík

I add to my own misery by watching House Hunters International and last night’s episode was in Morrocco. Holy Shit, I am not a fan of apartment type living but the buildings they looked at were INCREDIBLE!!
HH Morocco
And Fiji, OH-EM-GEE! Story grew up in Fiji and they way she describes it sounds like Shangri-la! But the ultimate was Bali…I have wanted to go there forever. It is definitely on my list of places I’d love to move to when Antz retires.
HH Bali
It really bugs me that you can take $400k *our house’s current value* and move to a tropical paradise and buy beachfront, brand new, luxury, fully furnished, 3 bedroom 2 bath, with a swimming pool and huge acreage without any problem. Yet in LA, you have to be a millionaire to buy into a decent neighborhood and you would only be able to afford a 2 bedroom 1 bath fixer on a tiny lot, paying close to $10k a year in property taxes. I am becoming so cynical *LAME*
Maybe we’ll take a mini road trip this weekend after we go to the birthday party of our friend Aura’s daughter.

 

This post was inspired by my new Blogtress crush, Kristina
*isn’t she adorable?*
I am so smitten with her blog, Kris Atomic and her photography!!

Giving up the Olympic Dream

In reflection to yesterday’s post, I was quite aware that when I made my resolutions, they would come with some level of sacrifice. I had to pretend I was a grown-up, and even remember, I am someones Mother, so I have an obligation to Olivia’s best interest. So, alas, the decision has been made. I shall forgo our big trip to the London Olympics in 2012 in an effort to save for our Dream House. As painful as this may be, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

*Mind the Gap, in London 2003*

Cons *the sucky part about not going to the London Olympics*

Duh, missing out on one of the most historic summer Olympic opening ceremonies.
No longer Fulfilling #23 & #5 on my Life List *lame*
Not being able to travel internationally with Olivia *I am so very desperate to fill my empty passport before it expires in 2017*
I really wanted to stay at the W London – Leicester Square, another goal on my Life List #18
I would like to give Liv a well-travelled childhood *similar to my own*
I’ll miss out on all the lovely photos of our family in London *one of my favorite cities*
It may be a hard pill to swallow, but I’d take getting into a better neighborhood for Liv over anything!!

Pros *let’s look at the brighter side of forgoing the trip*

I can save the money for a down payment for our Dream House *see, I am looking at the bigger picture*
London is terribly expensive *the trip would cost $7000 anywhere else but it’s over $15k in GBP*
It will be ridiculously crowded with annoying tourists
Liv will be too young to remember the trip *not like this has ever stopped me before*
I checked the London2012 site this morning and the opening ceremony price is £995 each *converted into USD that is $4,773!!* also, these tickets are only available to British citizens, I would have to buy tickets through the US National Olympic Committee and I have no idea how expensive or if I would even get tickets.
We can always travel to London at another time *less expensive + less crowds = better vacation*

I think that alone shows my commitment to my New Year’s Resolutions. The money I was going to spend on booking our hotel in March will now fix our *badly needed* plumbing. I am pretty bummed about it, but the Olympics are every 4 years, so in the future, when we’ve moved to Atwater Village, I can look back and say I did what was necessary for the long term. Now, for paying off that credit card debt….

Happy Christmas 2010!!!

660 days until our trip to London!

I know that sounds like a long time but it’s 1 year and 8 months away. #23 on my bucket list is fast approaching. I was checking the status of the W London and finally there is an opening date: 2/14/2011 for all you sweethearts!! I was so excited I almost booked the room…until I realized duh, I was booking for July 2011 NOT July 2012. I have to wait until 180 days in advance which is December 30, 2011 to book our room. Did you know 2012 is a Leap year?? I am also happy because I am finally able to check the hotel rates *although they are in GBP* for July. I am keeping my fingers crossed I can confirm the 2011 rate since I’m sure the 2012 rate will triple for the Olympic crowds. The good news is, at the current rate we can afford to stay 7 days instead of 6!! I am vigilant about checking with the United States Olympic Committee to get tix for the opening ceremony. I don’t want to miss out because I hear some folks were shelling out $10,000 for the Vancouver Opening Ceremony! We are looking good for my current budget but it sucks having to constantly change the amounts because of the currency exchange rate. It was almost double last summer but now it’s about $10 less than double *not like that helps*. I remember when we first went to London in *2003* everything was super expensive. We were so broke back then we shared a Dairy Milk chocolate bar for dinner. We did pig out at Yo! Sushi and I intend to do so again this time.

I am going to give Indian food a try *hated it when I had it with Story & Chris* but I have heard it’s the best in London *since there’s so many Indian folks living there. I want to try a place I saw on the Travel Channel called Tiffin Bites. I am hoping I’m much braver in trying new food arena because the last time I was there I totally had a brat attack. I would only eat at American restaurants *TGI Friday’s was terrible and McDonalds*. I was so picky when it was time to eat that Aimee and Antz wanted to leave me at the hotel. *sigh* I really want to try some of the meals as seen here. That looks yummy in my tummy!! I have been checking Virgin for airfare deals but again,

there’s no booking until 180 days in advance but I have an idea of what premium economy will cost *I refuse to fly economy or coach on a transatlantic flight ever again!* I am still puzzled if we need to bring Olivia’s booster seat? With my tendancy to overpack, souviner shopping and me bringing my own water *I will only drink Aquafina*, we are going to have too much to lug around. I feel like I may need to bring it because although we are renting a car and can just rent one I have no idea what condition *or how filthy* the rental seat may be. I usually love the planning process of a trip *I must have been a travel agent in my former life* but this time I’m so worried about the obnoxious crowds, and horrendous traffic, I am not feeling the fun 🙁 What would be the mega rad would be if we could stop off on the way home in Reykjavík, Iceland and see Björk perform *#3 on my Bucket List!!* It’s only a 3 hour flight from New York to Iceland and we’d be going that way anyway…