A space to live in

I always like to think about what my future living space is going to look like. I really enjoy watching shows on HGTV and TLC about decorating spaces. I especially enjoy Design on a Dime, Decorating Cents, Color Splash, as well as those decluttering shows like Mission Organization and Clean Sweep. I suppose there is an interior designer trapped inside of me somewhere. Could be something worse.

I have big dreams, thoughts, ideas, and if I had an unlimited budget the world would really be my oyster. I've always wondered where that came from. I could Google it. But then, of course, I get a reality check and just keep building my savings in the meantime. That doesn't mean the stream of ideas has to stop. I'm fascinated just walking into IKEA. Some might call that sad, but I call it fun.

We've redecorated our house one room at a time for the last 5-6 years. One year we did the kitchen, when I still had free summers, and refinished the cabinet doors and painted the walls and hallway. Another year we painted the bathroom a whimsical undersea mural. Two summers ago, I scraped the ceiling of the dining room, retextured, and painted the walls. Amazing what a coat of paint will do to spruce up a room.

Last summer, I acted on a whim, went to Lowe's, bought some deep sea aqua paint, and painted about 2/3 of my bedroom. Unfortunately, in order to paint the rest of it, I would have to move some furniture, so my room continues to be 2/3 painted. At this point, who knows if it will ever get done. Earlier this year, having been inspired by the closet organization system my parents bought for the pantry, I designed and bought a wall of shelves for my room, courtesy of The Container Store. Thank you annual Elfa sale.

Now I'm looking towards my future abode whether it be an apartment, condo, or house, here or there, wherever, ideas springing from my head. I'm definitely not a white/eggshell wall type girl. I need color. I'm not scared of color. Those who are scared of a little paint need to face their fears. There are definitely worse things than a can of paint. Once I get into a place of my own, or by the time my boyfriend does, the cans of paint will start rolling. His place will get a nice spruce, whenever that is.

I especially like this room that was redone on Design on a Dime. The shelving area surrounding the headboard is a nice use of space that normally would be neglected. The walls are a nice shade of light yellow, with a nice accented geometrically pleasing bedspread.

Can't wait for a space of my own!

Co-Worker/Cubicle 101

This is where I work. Well, not really, but I am a cubicle monkey. I've accepted the fact that I'm stuck in a cube with no hopes of an office in sight. I've made my cube a home, and it's not so bad.

Anyway, over the last couple of weeks there's been a slew of new hires. And thus, a slew of training the newbies into settling into the cubicle sort of lifestyle. I have to admit, there are a lot of systems to learn and nuances on the job that never really come up unless you point them out. Then again, I suppose you become accustomed to the ins and outs of everyday work life.

Something that I've learned since joining the cubicle brigade about a year ago, is that there is a certain pecking order that is unspoken, but everyone tends to respect. Until someone new comes into the mix. Someone "oversteps" the boundary too soon. It's not that I'm a firm believer in hierarchies within the workplace, but I do think that one should respect the veterans who've been through it all. Let me explain.

One the new additions to the workplace falls into a distinct category -- annoyingly eager with an overly sweet superiority complex. She has this certain quality that just grates on your nerves. I've tried over the last few weeks to keep an open mind. Considering that I don't work directly with this person, the interaction is minimal and brief at best. However, this person has also proven herself to be especially bothersome. She seems to believe that her role is to be our boss. Granted, she is the assistant to our managers' manager, but that doesn't make her our manager for goodness sake! Given this state of mind she also thinks that we will adjust our schedules at the drop of a hat. Excuse me, but only my direct manager can ask me to do that. On top of that, I'm not going to look for a replacement for me to train anyone, that's her job! I don't know, but it just feels like she's now trying to run the place, and she's only been an employee for 3 weeks. Talk to me when you've been here at least 3 months. Even then, my colleagues and I with a much longer tenure will still have knowledge authority over her.

On the other hand, the jury is still out on the other two new hires. One has been pretty easy to work with and catches on quickly -- I really like that quality since I abide by it. The other one is soft-spoken and quiet, and seems a little stressed. Then again, it's only their first week. I have no negative opinions on them. They've been really easy to train so far.

We shall see where all of this goes...

Wedding Obsessed.

So I've decided that I'm now wedding obsessed. I'm not even talking about my own wedding, but weddings in general. I think it probably started when I started to meet more and more people who are engaged.

I started to check out things on The Knot, the so-called authority on everything wedding planning related. It's interesting to see pictures of brides and grooms celebrating their big day, seeing different design ideas for the invitations, reception decor, and favors. It's really great for anyone interested in design, and of course for brides-to-be. It has helpful articles about getting started planning, and etiquette guides. It also has a budget-maker, guest list tracker, and honeymoon ideas.

My coworker got engaged in October, and I've seen her go through the process from dating, to engagement, to her upcoming nuptials on Sunday. She is the first I've met to go through the whole process. Then she started blogging on WeddingBee. I'm a notorious (to myself) blog reader, especially when it comes to people that I know. I have this sense of curiosity, and I like to be on the up and up. And now I'm a regular reader of WeddingBee, reading about the upcoming weddings of people that I don't know. It's fun and it's like I'm getting the inside scoop on a subject I don't know much about so that I can be prepared sometime in the future. Hmm, if I were a WeddingBee... I'd want to be Miss....

I don't have any close friends who are married, let alone engaged, so this is a new chapter for me. I have two other married coworkers, and two engaged. The others are in my boat, dating, and of course there are some singletons. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I'm actually quite disturbed that so many people define their happiness based on their relationship status. A relationship does not necessarily equate with happiness; you make your own happiness, no matter the source. And one should never have to feel pigeon-holed into a category. Personally, I never thought that I would be thinking about wedding related events at this point in my life. Considering that it's uncharted territory, it's just fun thinking about it.

Although, it's shocking and scary that the average wedding costs $27K. That's my salary post-tax (more or less). That's a new car. That's a nice down payment on a house. That's four years tuition at a state university. That is a lot of money. I'm definitely in the budget-conscious camp, and I hope to spend no more than $15K on my someday wedding. I don't want a huge affair, just my family and close friends. Let's just say that you'd better be worth $50-$100/person. Haha. It's an interesting way of thinking about it, but true and to the point. I'm really glad that I can get an inside look into the world of planning a wedding. I'll have an upper hand on the do's and don't's and hopefully be a lot less lost than I could be...

I need a vacation.

I can't wait to go on vacation. While my vacation destination doesn't quite look like the picture above, it will be a fantastic getaway from all the hustle and bustle of the workplace. My boss has been on vacation for three weeks, and while it's been a blast, I've also had to fight some fires without her. I've had to answer crazy and stupid questions from people who should know the answers. I've felt "in charge" or "next in command". I never had this feeling in my previous job. And for all the stress that I have experienced, it's been great.

I would love to go to the Bahamas. Lavish in the lap of luxury at this resort -- The Atlantis. Or anywhere in the Caribbean really - Bermuda, St. Lucia, Virgin Islands, Antigua, etc. Beautiful locale, lush vegetation, and fabulous beaches. It's been a couple of years since I've been to a really nice beach. The most recent beach adventure was in 2005 in Mazatlan. Before that was in Hawai'i on the Big Island in 2000. I'm overdue. Maybe I'll have a beach getaway sometime in the near future.

I'm excited about going to the East Coast. New Bedford, Massachusetts and New York City. Woo hoo. We'll go Yankee watching and see the fantastic 4th of July display in the Big Apple. Hang out with the cousins and catch up on the family gossip. It will be great! I can't wait!

The Gig

I was looking around on CNN Money for some tips on where to stash some cash that would earn a good return. I contribute to my 401(k) which apparently puts me ahead of the game of a lot of people in my age group. Then I stumbled upon The Gig blog by Nadira Hira on the Fortune Magazine section of CNN Money.

She wrote a so-called field guide to Generation Y titled Attracting the twentysomething worker, part of a series called Gen Y at work. I can't help but agree with a myriad of things she noted. Including the fact that we're multitaskers. Constantly on the move with two, three, four different things going on all at once. What can I say, we were born in an era where we were told that we could be anything that we could imagine. I think we aspire toward that. Whatever the "it" may be. Growing up, I was a habitual multitasker. Watching TV while doing homework. Listening to music while reading. And now, I find myself busy at work, with 6 or 7 tabs in my Firefox window, iTunes humming, and carrying a couple of conversations on Google chat and AIM. All the while, doing my work, and finishing it early. And those who question how I can do it, I question - why can't you?

However, I won't go as far to say that I need to be coddled or have my hand held to get through the real world. I would not want my parents to accompany me to a job interview or first day of work. Now, really, who does that? Where's the independence? That's what college is supposed to get you to simulate at the very least. Sure you can live off the of the dining hall food, and go weeks without doing laundry, but really, one should be able to live on their own, having gone through the university system. Granted, I still live at home, but that's for mere economic purposes. I live in one of the most expensive areas of the country, and trying to rent a place would be a waste of money. Luckily, my parents are awesome and haven't kicked me out just yet. They encourage me to save my money, and one day soon I can put a down payment on a piece of real estate.

Alas, this is the digital age. If you want to keep up with we Gen Y'ers, better get some skills in multitasking activities.

Adventures in Eating.

I had first spin in Ethiopian food last night at Cafe Colucci in Oakland. I had always heard about Ethiopian food, a majority of good things, and I figured that I should at least give it a shot. Who wants another burger and fries?

I let my friends choose from the menu since they were better versed in what was good. We were served a nice tray of an array of foods. It included beef, chicken, lamb, and vegetables, covered in different kinds of sauces, and wonderful mix of spices. It was served with a type of bread, which to me resembled a salty crepe, called injera for eating with your hands. That’s one way to save money! No flatware.

The food, to my pleasant surprise, was fantastic. The mix of flavors was unlike any other that I’ve had. It was very reminiscent of Indian food, Mediterranean, Moroccan, and Greek, but still uniquely Ethiopian. It was fun eating with my hands, totally sharing amongst the five at the table. My only concern was that everyone needed to wash their hands before digging. Being that there was a boyfriend at the table, I was a little worried, but not overly anxious about it.

I was feeling just fine that evening after dinner. Unfortunately, this morning was a different story. My stomach felt like it was in knots all day, and I found myself constantly dashing to the restroom. It would have been better had I been at home. I was at work. I particularly dislike small public restrooms for this reason. You don’t have much privacy in your most personal matters. I personally loathe being in the restroom when someone else is having intestinal issues, I would think the same in the reverse situation. Luckily, I was able to track down some Pepto Bismol chewables. While these aren’t the greatest, it was better than suffering and having to hurry to the restroom in hopes of making it all the way into the stall.

Thankfully, the stomach pains and restroom visits have subsided. In spite of this negative experience, I’m still open-minded about Ethiopian food. Either it was the lack of someone washing hands or we received a bad batch of something. I would definitely try it again.

Saturday Afternoon blah.

Summer is here, just about. And, since my sister and dad are both out of the country, not to mention that my love is also out of state, I'm left to fend for myself while my mom is at work. I was motivated enough today to make it to the gym for a Turbo Kickbox sweat session. But now, I'm sitting at home watching some lame tv, with not much to do. There are some things that I could do, but I'm not very inclined. Ha. I thought that the gerbera daisies at left shows the signs of summer.

Even though I don't have too much to do, I am excited about my summertime activities. In two weeks I'll be heading out to Massachusetts to hang out my cousins. We're going to NYC for the 4th of July. It's supposed to be fantastic. After a 10 day stint on the East Coast, I have a couple weeks until I go to Salt Lake City for a Statistics Conference. While that doesn't sound so exciting, I will be seeing my boyfriend on the way there and the way back. It's going to be great.

New Purse, New Ring, and Money

I'm happy again. I was able to exchange my purse at Macy's without a problem. Even without the receipt. Even without the tag attached. It was a good thing that I didn't pay with cash. On my way out of the store, I stopped by the jewelry section. It just so happened that on Wednesday, it was Macy's "One Day Sale". The entire stock of Sterling Silver jewelry was 50% off. And the ring that I bought happened to be 75% off. The picture here isn't quite what it looks like. I think mine looks better, but this is similar to the style. I purchased the ring for $20. It was $80 originally!! I would not have paid $80 retail on it. Woo hoo for finding a great bargain!

I feel like I've spend to much money in the last few weeks. I have, but I've also saved a lot too. I just need to finalize what I'm going to do with those savings. I need to find the right account to stick the money in. I want to earn some interest on the funds, and of course if I keep letting it sit in my savings account from my bank, I'm only going to get a couple of cents here and there. So, I need to make a decision soon. I have a Roth IRA, and I want to set up a Money Market account that is liquid, but will still earn interest. Alas, it's all about making the leap of faith.

I've been reading some financial self-help books -- David Bach to be specific. I picked up "Smart Women Finish Rich" on recommendation of a coworker. It was a great motivational tool. And one of the quickest reads. Of course, I still need to act on what I read. I'm so easily distracted sometimes. I also am reading "Start Late, Finish Rich" which I didn't like as much, but probably because it's aimed more at the older population who are, as the title suggests, starting late.

I'm ready to fully plan for the future.

The missing receipt

Of all the times to lose a receipt, it had to be this one. I bought a new, fantastic purse that I fell in love with, and what happens? The zipper strap breaks. And of course, this had to be the one time that I lost the receipt. Great. Just great. I think that I was really excited about my new purchase. It was the first time that I splurged on a purse. I love handbags, but by no means will I spend too many pretty pennies on them. However, this time, I did some research and found this nice, black leather bag. I bought it this past Saturday.

Yesterday I brought it to work. I was so proud of my purse that I totally wanted to show it off. It's no Dooney & Bourke or Louis Vuitton, but it suits me. I was sitting at my desk, and I was opening the top zipper using the strap. And, pop! The strap was in my hand the zipper no longer had an ornament. My face and demeanor flopped. I was so upset.

I immediately looked at the manufacturer's website hoping to find some good news. There was! There's a one year workmanship guarantee. This was definitely a workmanship issue. All I had to do was send in the purse, the reason, and the receipt, plus $8.50 for S&H, and it would be looked at. Then I got worried. The style of the purse was no longer on the website, leading me to believe that it had been phased out. Next option: the store I bought it from – Macy's.

I was so distraught over the purse that I left earlier than usual. As soon as I got home I scoured the house for the receipt, thinking that I knew where it was. I found the tag, but no receipt. My last recollection of the receipt was that it was on the kitchen table inside the Macy's plastic bag. The plastic bag was nowhere to be found. I continued to freak out. Ironically, I found every other receipt that I could have hoped to have found, but no Macy's receipt for a $118.00 purse.

I got online and searched for the phone number of the Macy's that I went to. I dialed immediately, punching through the different number-activated menus, and finally getting to a human. The woman who answered was very cordial, and you could tell that she was smiling on the other side of the phone. She reassured me that even if I didn't have the receipt that a return or an exchange could be made if I had the card which I used for purchase. I do! I'm glad that Macy's sticks one of those little tracer stickers on the price tags when they sell merchandise. I'm guessing it is a locator number for such occurrences. My spirits were slightly lifted.

Today, my quest is to go back to that Macy's and find out what I can do. I will update when I find out.

It MUST be June.

This entire weekend, I felt like I was being bum-rushed with wedding stuff on TV. It started off on Saturday morning. I was cleaning up some clutter in my room and I turned on the TV. It so happened that the last channel that I was on was WE. The show was Platinum Weddings where couples who spend ridiculous amounts of money and contribute to the $25 billion-dollar industry. There was a bride who insisted on having celebrity everything, and made sure that whoever she hired had a list of clientele to back up their reputation. There was another couple who was having their wedding in Malibu, dropping $30K on the tent alone that would house the event. I don't think that included the site fee. The bride was fitted in a custom gown that the bridal consultant priced between $18-20K. You could get an education on that kind of money. And I believe their grand total must have been well over $200K; you can buy property on that money! Maybe not in California, but you could easily buy 4 cars on that amount. It just seems like such a waste of money to spend that much on one day. Then what do you have to say for yourself if you break up?

On top of the Platinum Weddings morning, nearly every decorating show that I watched on HGTV had a wedding special. I watched two shows where they threw a small wedding in the homes of the bride and groom for $5,000. A rarity in today's wedding market. I also watched an episode where they mimicked a wedding that would have cost $100,000+ with all the bells and whistles, for $8,600. Much better. Finally, I DVR-ed What Not to Wear's Stacy & Clinton's Wedding Spectacular, where they chose 3 bride-to-be's and gave them each a consultation and $5,000 for spending on their dream wedding dress. From perusing the wedding world here and there, it's easy to spend $5,000 even with a simple dress. These shows were more along my speed. I'd rather spend something under $10K for a simple, elegant ceremony and fun party celebration. I think labeling something with the word "wedding" in front of it, automatically makes it more expensive. Figures as much.

Then, of course, I switched to the notorious Bridezillas on WE. There was a marathon. I can only stand to watch that show for about 20 minute increments, but it's still entertaining. Some of those future wives are real pieces of work. I wonder what they think of themselves once the wedding is good and done with, and they can replay themselves on their "best" behavior, and so can all of America. They probably don't notice anything if they act like that on a regular basis. ¡Que horror!

It must be June, the most sought after month to tie the knot. Note to self, no June nuptials.

Mmmm. Cake.

I was watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay, where his challenge was wedding cakes. He was up against an up and coming Wedding Cake artist from New York City, who also graduated from the same culinary school. Bobby was getting nervous as he's not exactly a pastry chef.

I was observing Bobby struggling with making a wedding cake, especially since he'd never built one. But I felt like I came to a conclusion about my some-day wedding cake -- I want buttercream icing. Forget fondant. While it may be pretty and totally moldable, no one really eats it. I want a cake that when people see it, they want to dive into it. Head first. Mmmmm good. I'm not that into fancy and elaborate, but I am really big on cake. Simple, basic, but rich in taste.

I'm also not the type to spend an exorbitant amount of money on a cake - wedding, birthday, etc. I feel like I'd have a hard time eating something that costs upwards of $3,000 or similar. Then again, it's not like the cake will last forever. Thus, I'd rather go simple on the cake - there are still so many things you can do with the cake that it will still look elegant, but not cost too much. Plus, I'd much rather enjoy a less expensive, quality cake, than a fancy, elaborate, "I'm scared to touch it" kind of pastry creation.

I really like the style and simplicity of these two cakes in the photos, courtesy of the Knot. Funnily enough, they are both from weddings in San Diego, where I went to school Of course, I am no where near planning my wedding, need an engagement for that to happen. I haven't even attended too many weddings. I do have a good handful of coworkers who are getting hitched or have already tied the knot. I don't feel pressure to do so myself, although, I have started to think about what I would want my wedding to be like. According to a report on CNN, today's average wedding costs $27,000! This is around my salary after taxes and other deductions. I definitely do not see myself spending that kind of money on my wedding. Granted, I may receive some assistance from my parents and his parents, but nothing of that magnitude. After talking to one of my coworkers whose nuptials are in about 3 weeks, she told me that she is spending about $25,000. However, her in-laws are footing most of the bill. But she's not even having a cake! I consider that blashphemy! Just kidding. She doesn't care much for cake. I, on the other hand, will definitely have cake!