New MONTH Resolutions...

Last year I decided to give New Years Resolutions a spin.  That was my first  time messing with those tricky little devils and I was comically unsuccessful at both "saving money" and "learning to play the banjo".  I ended the year adding those unmet goals to the "Great Failures of 2011" list I seem to have started in my head.

A big part of me would like to resolve to not resolve to do anything this year; however, I can recognize a need for increased discipline in my life... 

A few months ago, when I finally recovered from the mononucleosis that had me out of commission for months, I kept telling myself I would get back to my pre-mono running routine.  This has yet to come to fruition and my emotional and physical wellbeing have suffered as a result.  But over-arching year long goals are not the way to go for me.  I've decided to make monthly resolutions instead.  I am hoping that by doing this I can focus on promoting positive habit making and instil some order into my naturally chaotic personality.

This month I think I am appropriately ambitious without going overboard. 
Here's what I've got in mind:
1) Run at least 3 days a week
2) Days I don't run will still have exercise in them
3) Bring my own lunch to work EVERY DAY (oh how I will miss my falafel salads from across the street!)
4) Make my bed everyday. (I have a BEAUTIFUL bedscape.  It's a shame to keep it in shambles.  A shambled shame I tell you!)

If I keep up with my New Month Resolutions I will eat nutritious lunches, be excited to get into my beautifully styled bed and thus sleep more???, and be that much closer to being in marathon shape again!  Wish me luck!

{with Lizzy and Alison after finishing the SF Marathon in 2010}

{Cheryl and me after the Disney World Marathon almost a year ago - yeah I was a little tired at the finish}

Weekend Photo Diary. All pictures. No needless words.

K.I.T.,
Amanda

A Delicious Idea...

Last night my traveling companion Tanya, my childhood friend Rachel, my sister Courtney, and myself headed to the boonies of San Francisco known to some as the Outer Sunset to dine at a small corner cafe called Outerlands.


The journey and subsequent wait (1 hour!) were totally worth it. The food was delicious and the ambiance even tastier (to the eyes, ears, and nose!) I'm not a food critic and will not pretend to be one in this post. If any of my Bay Area friends are reading this, though, run (do not walk) to Outerlands and order the delicata squash.

While we were eating I kept thinking about how rarely I ever eat anywhere "special" in Seattle. Now, I'm not saying the weekly Pho date that I take myself and my book of the moment on isn't special...



Pho Viet Ahn and I have a good thing going on. When I say "special" I mainly mean that I haven't been to the restaurant so many times that I don't need to see the menu to know what I'm going to eat.

So today, after an afternoon on Alcatraz Island, I decided I would start having a few more "special" meals in Seattle. (A quick aside: How many times can I write "special" in this entry? Special. Special. Special.) The deal I made with myself is that every pay day (so 2 times a month) I will choose an eatery that I've never been to and go there. If nobody else wants to go with me I will go by myself.

Pay day is tomorrow and so I decided that Tuesday I will take myself on my first "special" dining experience. My first choice was to go to Nettletown in Eastlake. Click on the link to Nettletown. I dare you. Oh yeah, that's right, it's closed! Oh the humanity!! It took me awhile to recover but it did happen and so instead of Nettletown I decided I will dine at The Walrus and the Carpenter in Ballard. Foodies flock there to taste their Oysters and so I, along with a good friend, shall put on my best foodie face and have a very "special" dinner!

Return flight is beginning the descent now. Hope everyone's weekend was splendid and sunny (mine was! mine was! mine was!)!

SF Day Uno

I called my mom, known to some a Ca-Ray-Ray, at 10 am this morning. The conversation went like this:

Me: I think this trip might have been a bad idea.
Ca-Ray-Ray: *sounding genuinely concerned* What? Why? What happened
Me: I just had the best hour I have had in a LONG time just walking around the park! I don't know if I can go back to Seattle.

It is a glorious day in the Bay Area. High 60s and oh so sunny. I could feel the vitamin D fixing everything little thing that's wrong with me and a drive up 101 to the Lagunita's taproom and brewery sent me soaring! Other than basking in the delights of sunny weather and beautiful surroundings there isn't a ton to report other than a couple random thoughts I've been thinking:

• I'm staying at my sister's near the Golden Gate Park pan handle. When she lived in Seattle she lived in utter disarray. Her place here is charming and tidy. She is much more organized than I ever suspected and certainly much more organized than I will ever be. Perhaps that's why she's going to be a doctor when she grows up and I'm going to be... ... ... ... ... TBD.



• It's the worst when you're trying to get out of your parallel parking spot and the owner of the BMW parked behind you is in car. You can't use your bumpers for what they're actually made for... bumping... lest the owner of the vehicle you "gently" tap gets perturbed.

What's in store for funtivities tonight? Off to the "Helper's Boutique" near Ghiridelli Square, dinner with 10 of my nearest and dearest at the Thirsty Bear (SF's first and only organic brewery... not sure if that's a good thing or not), and then hopefully to the Wayfare Tavern

Pictures to follow... obvi.

Have fun wherever you are!

I'm On a Plane

So I'm 30,000+ feet above ground right now. If you know me, which most of my readers do, then you know I'm not a huge fan of flying. I am, however, a huge fan of going places and so here I am hurdling through the air in a giant aluminum tube. The good news is within 40 minutes I will be touching down in San Francisco.

I am taking time out of my nail biting flight anxiety to update my readers on my quest for a colorful pout. The verdict is in. I'm pretty pleased with my finds and fairly confident in my ability to sport a stylish lip.

I marched to the drugstore after work yesterday and after 20 minutes of waging an internal war over shades I finally decided on 3. I know 3 might sound a little excessive considering my trepidation around lip color but Bartell's was having a 30% off sale on any Revlon lipstick. I really had to acquire the goods while they were so cheap! I ended up getting the Revlon Super Lustrous in "Love That Red", "Wild Orchid", and "Stormy Pink". I think "Love That Red" is my favorite in terms of how it wears but it's pretty shocking in terms of shade. "Stormy Pink" is my favorite color but it is matte finished and I think my lips are a little too dry to pull this look off.

Since starting this blog I've been trying to take more pictures of myself for the sake of posting. It appears that blogging requires one to take themselves a little more seriously than I am accustomed to. Every time I edit these pictures for posting I feel ridiculous with my stylization and "me-me-me"-ness of it all. But despite my embarrassment here is a look at some iPhone shots I took while modeling my newest beauty purchases!



Okay! There they go telling me my electronics need to be shut off! Turbulence in the landing forecast. DRATS!

Ciao! Chow!