An Open Letter to Ted

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Dear Mr. Baker,

Did you not get my memo about the budget crisis? No, not the California budget. I'm talking about the TC crisis - the one where I'm not supposed to spend money anymore? You see, I've got dreams and a future to save for. That is why you cannot open shop in Santa Monica next year. I know it's a whole year away, but by then I'll be broke. If you seriously go through with it, I will be forced to stand outside your windows to stalk you. You'll have to mop up the drool from the floor. No, don't bring your gorgeous prints and flattering cuts to my neighborhood. You know I love you, sweetheart, but I can't afford to live with you. Please don't get the wrong idea when I stalk your website, we need to remain internet buddies and nothing more beyond it.

xoxo,

Tracy

What We Inevitably Learned From Duncan

I think as adults, at any age, we tend to think that we have it all down. We know everything, we know what we want and how to get it. You've heard me time and time again mention the dog that we wanted to adopt, and just couldn't wait for. Well guys, you win. We give up, at least for now anyway.

We spent the full weekend dogsitting for our friends. His name is Duncan, and Duncan took over all 814 square feet of our humble abode. He took away our sleep every night - growling through night #1, crying through night #2 and topped it off with the weirdest growl-cry (aka dog language) I've ever heard on night #3. Yes, he is a puppy and was sore for attention the entire time. He wasn't happy with just being in the same room with us while we were sleeping, no sir. You had to play with him constantly. And when I tried to sneak off for a nap Saturday afternoon, he sat outside my door crying, and wouldn't even play fetch with my parents. Loyalty and devotion is adorable, but only to a certain extent. Beyond that point, it's just stalker-status. Duncan = stalker.

As you can see, the bf was exhausted by Sunday morning. I was in the kitchen cooking up simple syrup (cuz I had to have me some booze later) after the 6:30a walk with Duncan.

Aside from learning that we never ever want to get a puppy, we've sworn off long-haired dogs. White fur? Get outta our way! After only 2 1/2 days with us, Duncan was looking like a bum. Luckily, he behaved during his bath...

For his good behavior, I rewarded him with a nice helping of peanut butter. Apparently it was too big of a helping. He had the craziest sugar high. Hopefully these pictures capture just how insane the game of fetch turned out to be.

He looks like a siberian husky here, but he's totally not. He's just a hyper mess.

After a crazy morning of super fetch and 2 1/2 days of not sleeping, we exhausted Duncan. He knocked out Sunday afternoon, leg twitches and all.

In conclusion, no dog for us. At least not now.... We couldn't shed the feeling that not having any privacy and alone time would be a big strain on our relationship. I love the bf, and it's our private conversations that make me love him. So in the end, we couldn't commit to something or someone. We're going to look into fostering instead. We still want to make an impact on a shelter dog's life, one way or another.

Lace Never Looked So Good

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Check out this cute lace necklace! It's nothing short of delicious.

One Man's Treasure, Is Another's....

Yep, I picked up all these great finds at garage sales this weekend! Keep your eyes out for their debut in my Etsy shop soon. It's amazing what great vintage treasures there are.

Oh, and that first picture? It's a beautiful ceramic bowl that we'll be using as a dog food dish. You know, for our non-existent doggie. I'm pathetic, I know...

Talk About a Cutie

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I love this guy, his name is Jin, and he is looking for a permanent family to love. He's currently residing at Lange Foundation. The bf and I did some volunteering on Sunday and took him for a fun walk. He looked so cute and innocent in his kennel, wagging his tail and looking up at us with the sweetest eyes. Boy was he a different story once I opened the kennel gate! He's so funny and curious. Unfortunately, he's got too much energy to be cooped up in our little condo. Everyone should visit him now and play tug-o-war with his ducky toy!

Random Tidbits About Me

The weekend is upon us, and I'm so excited! I thought I'd share a few random facts on my mind right now:

> I got my very first Macbook 7 months ago, and I love it. It is so pretty! I don't think I'll ever go back to a PC again. Oh, and it terrifies me. Confession: I have no idea how to really use it. In my defense, I never really understood my PC that well either. Mac does get major bonus points in my book for having no viruses (so far). I <3

> I can't wait to adopt our very first dog. We're looking at an October time frame. We have been so patient, I swear. Yes, we stalk our favorite dog adoption sites in WLA EVERYDAY, but we've managed to hold back since May. We wanted to be in the right situation to make sure that the newest member of our family got the proper attention and care he or she deserves. We've fallen in love with so many dogs at first sight, and then watched them disappear from the listings. It's torture. It's like watching that perfect pair of shoes for weeks, only to find that they're out of your size. We're also on the lookout for a dog carrier and playpen on the Los Angeles Craigslist board, because if we're gonna do this, we have to do it the green way.

> When you become a homeowner (or in my case, step-homeowner as the condo does not belong to me rightfully), you realize that no place is perfect. The recycling bins fill up by the second day after collection. The hallways are dim. There's a possible roach problem in the building as of this week. However, it's great to have an HOA that is so on top of the issues. I love coming home to a warm and inviting place. Our neighbors are great, and when I forgot to roll up my windows to the car and left it there for days, it was still there! No one took anything, damaged anything, and my awesome brown hoodie was still there. I love that I can take the Big Blue Bus to work everyday. Not having a lot of homeless people on my line is a major plus too. Despite the fact that the bf dominates every single closet in the condo (seriously, shouldn't it be the other way around), I still love everyday we spend together in our home.

> I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again - yoga is amazing. When I first started a couple years ago, my hands barely reached down to my ankles. Now, I am so close to laying my hands flat on the floor. I no longer need to go to Dr. Cooper to adjust my back, although I'll miss his friendly chatter. OK, and the fact that the awesome Eilat bakery was just downstairs from him and I can no longer get my challah fix taken care of. I just need to fix my old lady knees.

> We've now spoiled ourselves so much that we can't eat store-bought tortillas or pizza dough, or even granola. There's so much satisfaction in knowing exactly what goes into the food you put into your mouth.

> I love food blogs, but they all make me so hungry when I am at work. Like right now, I am imagining how the peach & goat cheese rustic pizza will taste when we test it out Sunday night.

Today's Pretty Find

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Loving this butterfly mobile!

It's all in the details - wreaths

When I was a kid growing up, I always thought of wreaths as decoration you only pull out around Christmas. Leave it to a band of creative geniuses (not to exclude Ms. Martha Stewart, of course) to turn it into a decor element fit for a wedding. I love the look of them hung on tree trunks, pews and doorways. Without further ado, here are a ton of examples:

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