Something to Ponder

"No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted." - Aesop

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

I know that typically this blog is largely humorous and light-hearted. My life is complex, but I choose to leave the heavier topics for private conversations. Believe or not, there is quite a bit that I keep close to the vest. This is one instance where I'll take a break from the regularly scheduled programing.

A few months ago, I registered for Blog Action Day. This year's topic is Poverty. I initially thought. Geez! This is a tough and heavy topic. What could I say that would remotely make a difference. I thought I'd talk about the working poor and welfare reform. However, I don't know nearly enough about those topics to speak with authority or eloquence. Then, I was reminded that the even the smallest actions can make a difference. I decided that it was about time I made good on one of my New Year's resolutions. I registered as volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.



I chose Habitat for Humanity because they seemed to have a tremendous impact on families that are trying to elevate themselves. Additionally, I wanted a tangible way of being involved in my community. Thankfully, I have spent many summers helping my dad repair and remodel my parents' rental property. Although, I am bit nervous about signing on for this because my constructions skills are rusty. I also signed on to help with office work and graphic design services. Here's hoping they're going to call on me more for the latter rather than the former. Either way, I'll be sure to share my experiences.

Not to be left out, Rob will also be volunteering his cooking skills to a local non-profit that works with the homeless. The details haven't been secured. So, I won't name the organization just yet. Although, he is adamant that I mention that he is not volunteering during the holidays. Not because it's hectic, but because we both feel that non-profits are more than covered during that time of the year. It's easy to remember "those less fortunate than us" around the holidays, but what about the rest of the year?

So, in the middle of your hectic life, give volunteering a thought. Because the little things make a difference and sometimes a little perspective never hurt. If you want to find something closer to where you live and your skills and abilities, check out www.volunteermatch.org.

Okay, I'll step off of my soapbox now.

More Girly time

I've been swamped with design projects. I am definitely not complaining about it, but this means that I've neglected all kinds of stuff like... oh... personal grooming. After getting my hair cut, I looked closer at the mirror and made another realization. I looked a hot mess. I had been tweezing my eyebrows and doing manicures and pedicures at home. I am not the girliest of girls. So, let's say just say I looked like my 10 year old niece gave me a makeover.

So, I called in the heavy artillery - my mother-in-law. I am a very fortunate woman. My mother-in-law (MIL) and I get along like girlfriends. She had Rob when she was very young. So, she is young and doesn't act her age. The extra plus is that my MIL is a former cosmetic esthetician for Fred Segal who went into business for herself. I made an appointment with her at her Santa Monica studio.

We went to grab breakfast at Cinnamon, a Vegetarian Restaurant near our respective homes. It was terrible. The service was slow and the food was poorly prepared. The highlight of it was our "coffee", which tasted like warm milk with cinnamon. Maybe that's how they got their name. Either way, a Vegetarian Restaurant in Highland Park will probably be short-lived. The upside is that it made for some good laughs.

When we finally made it to her studio, my MIL gave me a disapproving once-over. She confirmed it... I was a hot mess. She then proceeded to wax almost every inch of my body. No, she does not give me bikini waxes. I have to draw the line somewhere. She also soaked, scraped and massaged my very beat-looking hands and feet. This wasn't totally without a price. She took the entire time to lecture me about personal grooming. I was a little embarrassed, but in the state I was in I had it coming. If that was the only price I had to pay, I'd gladly take it. Two and half hours later, I felt like a new woman.

In an effort to move outside my box, I selected dark nail colors. Here are some bad shots of my hands and feet.

OPI - Eieffel For This Color


Chanel - Blue Satin

As a parting gift, she handed me this.....

A bag of unused samples from her make-up artist friend!!!

I really am a lucky girl. Now, if I could just remember to keep up my appointments, life would be gravy;)

Snip, Snip

I finally got around to getting my haircut. I had been putting off and putting off. Then one day I looked in the mirror and realized that I looked like a middle-age soccer mom or Rapunzel. Either way, my look did not say chic and fashion-forward.

For a hot minute, I was trekking all the way out to Huntington Beach to see the Sam who did my hair and make-up for my wedding. She is talented, but not talented enough for me to spend $$$ on gas. HB is 36 miles from my house. Prior to Sam, Chuck in Pasadena cut my hair. I loved Chuck. However, the moment he realized I was a technology nerd and Mac cultist, he turned my haircuts into technology advice session. He gave me discounts on my cuts in exchange for my advice. This did not compensate me for the time I lost while sitting in his chair. We're talking hours, people! I would go for a trim and not come home for 2 hours. I looked fabulous, but I felt like I had the life sucked out of me.

This put me on the hunt. A few of my friends and acquaintances have gone for the post bridal-chop. I asked for the names of their respective stylists. I ruled many of them out because they were too far away or they were out of my budget.

Examples of digital perms

So, I turned to Yelp.com. I searched for Digital Perm in Los Angeles. Don't throw tomatoes at me. It's not a Jersey girl perm. It's actually a perm that produces hair that is more wavy and has body. My hair is bone straight. I wanted to try something different. As much as I love short hair and the Victorian Beckham cut that is abound, I wanted to somewhat work with the length I had. After all, I have spent the last 2.5 years growing out. My search yielded Kim Sun Young Salon in Koreatown. They had a fair number of good reviews and the name Robin camed up several times.

Kim Sun Young Beauty Salon
300 N Western Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90004 (323) 467-4247

www.kimsunyoung.com

I made my appointment for Wednesday AM. I was impressed. I received great service. More importantly, Robin turned out to be a very honest. She talked me out of a digital perm and into just a great cut and color. She took 3-4 inches off the bottom and put red and burgundy high and lowlights in. She did not try to push one of the salon's other services on me. No massages or additional hair products. Just a cut and color. I am so glad that I ditched the soccer mom look.

Here are the results.

I took these using the camera on my iMac. Please excuse the quality. My hair is actually MUCH redder than the photo shows.

Ok, I'll play along...

I was tagged by Melissa. My instructions are to list 6 random things about me.


1. I went to a Montessori preschool. It's a very interesting method of teaching. One of the things I learned was geography. When I was 6, I could name all 50 United States and their capitals, countries in Europe (before the fall of the Soviet Union), and the countries in South America. My parents pulled me out of the school before I learned the countries in Africa and Asian:(

2. I took piano lessons for 12 years. At one point, I played piano competitively and composed music. I even briefly considered going to a music conservatory. I quit playing when I was 17 when it became more like work. My parents were so mad that they got rid of my piano the next week. I haven't played since.

3. Some people are chocoholics. I am a caramel-holic. If it has caramel in it, I will devour it and I won't share. I think this stems from my childhood where my Grandma used to make caramel from condensed milk.

4. I am not fan of pink. When I was a kid, my mother used to dress my sister and I in matching outfits. I wore pink and she wore yellow. I didn't escape the pink madness until I was in Jr. High. The closest I'll come to wearing pink is fuchsia. That only passes because it's not that far from red.

5. I love athletic shoes. More specifically Pumas. At one point, I owned 24 pairs of Pumas in a variety of styles and colors. Because I'm trying to move outside my box and be more lady-like, I have traded the Pumas for high heels. At present, I only own 5 pairs of Pumas, but that doesn't stop me from eyeballing more pairs.


6. With Apple and Microsoft commercials, it's all about Mac or P.C. I am definitely a Mac. In fact, I've been using a Mac since 1994 when I convinced my then-boyfriend to buy a Mac. I discovered them in the Art Department and fell in love. I got my first Mac in 1997.


The "rules" of the game are as follows:
1. Post the rules on your blog
2. Write 6 random things about yourself
3. Tag 6 people at the end of your post

Now, I tag these folks....

- Ali
- Jordana
- Neleh
- Natalie
- Nita
- Nina

{Wow! I have a lot of people with "N" names...}

All about nothing

It's been brought to my attention that I haven't been blogging as much lately. I'm in the middle of a few projects and have been quite busy. The main reason for the blogging drought is that I have nothing useful to say. I am assessing a few things and the choices that lie before me. Once I figure something out, I'll be sure to share.