Barbie Gets a Tramp Stamp?!?!

Wow- so for Barbie's 50th birthday she's getting tatted up!!!! I'm not sure how I feel about this. I don't think it's a very good message to send young girls but then again has Barbie ever really been about promoting a good image for young girls? I suppose tattoos are less taboo than some iconic Barbie outfits and quotes... I'm sure this will receive some buzz!!

Tomorrow's Closing Day!!

Our New Home!!

Boyfriend just found out that he is able to close 5 days earlier than anticipated. I can barely hide my excitement!!! I'm sooooo stoked. I just hope he's well enough to enjoy this fabulous moment! I've been placed under strict instructions that he will not read my blog if I continue to blog about his "personal information." There fore all I can say is homeboy's been sick and it hasn't been pretty. But that's ok because tomorrow we're buying a new house!!! Lovely:-)

People's 50 Most Beautiful People

Here's the list. I was so happy to see Christina Applegate named this years most beautiful person. She has been so open an honest talking about her struggle with cancer and her proactive approach to beating the disease! Hats off to her.

A few of this years choices were fun surprises like Melissa Rycroft and Tristan Wildes. A few choices I didn't understand like Ciara. She hasn't done much in the last year career wise and she took an au natuaral no make-up picture which I give her credit for but she does not look to great in the pic. Another surpise is Christina Agulerra. I think she's looked like a hot mess this year and her imaging seems to be heavily borrowed from Lady GaGa.

I'm excited to see the rest of the list!

Puppy Fever

I saw this picture of Kristen Cavallari in US magazine and it gave me a case of puppy fever! Boyfriend and I have gone back and forth about adopting a puppy. Maybe it will happen sooner than expected! Besides I'm pet sitting for my cousin's super cute shih tzu Sam this weekend. I bet that will help clarify things.

On a side note- I'm kind of excited for Kristen Cavallari's new role on The Hills. That is such a clever move by the producers. She was everyone's love to hate girl on Laguna Beach. I wonder how she's changed since those days. I remember when she trashed The Hills and their cast insinuating her fame and talent had extended far above that level. Karma's a biatch!

Dining Out For a Good Cause

Dining out for life is a great cause that is easy to contribute to. On thursday April 30th select restaurants will be donating 30% of the cost of your meal to fight AIDS. For a list of participating restaurants check out www.diningoutforlife.com . I've tasked boyfriend with choosing our restaurant. I love a surprise and a good restaurant!

Movie Review

This weekend I took one of the girls I used to mentor at RDCC to see the new Beyonce movie. I would give it a solid B-. It was suspensful and engaging yet predictable and had some suspect acting. Beyonce gave a decent performance. There was one intense fight scene she had with Ali Larter's character and I half expected her to bust out in dance choreography! Idris Elba is fantastic. Surprisingly, the worst actor was Jerry O'Connel.

I really liked the messaging of the movie. Beyonce plays a strong woman who takes care of the problem without the help of a man. I liked that she wasn't the innocent helpless wife waiting for her husband to come to the rescue. I also liked the portrayal of a strong successful african american family. Absent were the expected cliches about race and the taboo nature of a caucasian woman and african american man.

Tales from our Trip - Day One

"Wow that's a lot of cheeks!" - Our first travel day was awesome! We arrived in LA early and we were picked up by Boyfriend's mom and aunt. They were really nice and drove us back to the house where boyfriend grew up. It was so fun seeing his old bedroom with posters plastered to the walls and his collection of G.I. Joe's. A bunch of boyfriend's childhood friends stopped by and it was great to meet them for the first time. We all went out to lunch and then his mom and aunt dropped us off at the ship port.

The ship was one of the largest cruise ships I've ever been on. The first thing we did was hit the buffet... Maybe not the best idea as reflected in the pics! This picture is from the mandatory life jacket "titanic" moment they prepare you for. That night we saw the cruise show which featured two comedians who were pretty funny, although they were not as funny as the Princess Cruiseline Dancers! The dancers had ferocious jazz hands which kept us laughing pretty hard.

Viva La Mexico

About a month ago I began to feel some stress creaping up. Slowly and steadily that feeling of stress has increased and built up and at this point I've hit the wall and it's come at the perfect time because tomorrow I will be leaving on plane and taking a nice relaxing cruise to Mexico with Boyfriend. Oh my goodness, am I looking forward to this. I have the feeling I have not been the most pleasant person the last two days... Recharging my batteries with a fabulous book and my fabulous boyfriend are just what I need. More details and pics when I return!!!

An old friend, old show, and sushi

Last night I met up with Meghan who's an old friend from high school. She's a super positive chatty girl who I really enjoy. Meghan's training to run the innagural Rock N' Roll half marathon in Seattle. Listening to her talk about training was very inspiring. I think Boyfriend and I may sign up to run that race at the end of June. About a year and half ago I attempted to run the Disneyland half marathon with my good friend Court. I finished but it wasn't a pretty finish. I would love the satisfaction of finishing and running the entire way. I remember how empowering the training felt and I'd really like to feel strong and healthy again. By golly... I think I have a new goal!

After a delish spider roll I headed home and watched an episode of 90210. This may sound cheesy but I was very impressed with the way last nights episode tackled bipolar disorder. I've always found mental health and psychology fascinating and I love when mainstream media humanizes these very really and serious disorders. Now if only that show would address eating disorders and body images, or increase their craft services budget. Those actresses could use a cookie... even the one who's preggers!

Thai Food and The Hills season Premeire

The weather has been so beautiful the last few days. Yesterday I left work a little early and boyfriend and I walked through Queene Anne. It's so fun to enjoy our neighborhood before we move and begin exploring our new neighborhood. We had dinner at this little Thai Restaurant called Orrapin Thai Cuisine. They have the best pinapple fried rice. It's super delisious! I'll miss seeing this view outside my apartment. Boyfriend and I stopped and watched the boats after walking home for the restaurant. Nothing beats Seattle in the summer!

Later I met up with Tay and Kim to watch the season premier of the Hills... I was a little skeptical about what this final season could deliver. However, I was pleasantly surprised! I'm so over Spencer, Heidi, and Audrina but I heart Lauren and Lo. Last night Taylor's Dave busted out the juicer and treated us to homemade juice that was delish!

Northern Exposure

Saturday boyfriend and I made the treck to Anacortes to visit my grandparents. It was a lot of fun and they really hit it off. My grandpa force fed boyfriend lunch and called him a chicken when he couldn't finish his shrimp! We were all laughing and had a great time.

After lunch we met my great friends Mandy and Lee at my favorite Thai restaurant in Bellingham. If you ever have the chance visit On Rice. They have the most amazing peanut salad dressing and pad thai. Scrumptious!!! It was great catching up with my old friends. I miss them greatly.

On Sunday I headed to Gig Harbor to visit my oldest friend in the world Ashley. We grew up together and were best friends in kindegarten all the way through 8th grade. She's been doing absolutely amazing things traveling the globe with her super nice friend Daniella. She's spent the last two years in visitng some countries I had never even heard of. It was so great to see her and catch up!!! I'm so proud of who she's become and her accomplishments. I look forward to seeing her a lot this summer before she leaves for grad school!

Great Weekend

Everyone once in a while I have one of thas fabulously perfect weekends. This weekend definitely qualified. On Friday night I went out with some of my favorite people. My girlfriends surprised me with a celebratory trip to West Seattle bowl. We had such a great time and authentic bowling experience. I saw mullets and women in tight leopard print. We drank a lot of cosmos... sometimes they were served in beer glasses! All in all it was a fabulous time. After bowling we back to Kim's house and played Rock Band. Taylor and I dueted to Allanis Morrisett's "you outta know." No one was impressed with my vocal abilities. General consensus is it's a serious case of tone deafness!!!

The Boys

The Girls

The Drinks

Amazon's Recommended Reading List for Me

I was browsing through Amazon looking for a few good books to take on my trip and I was a little suprised by the book recommendations they had waiting for me. A part of me was in awe of how they are able to generate these lists and another part of me questioned if I should be offended. Here's the list:

That's quite eclectic!

Poor Little Girl....

I imagine Miss Madonna may not be the most hands-on mother but I'm sure a life with a family, siblings, education, and healthcare would be much better for little Mercy James than an orphanage. It seems like Madonna's fame overshadowed what would really be best for this little girl. Sad...

A good freind of mine sent me the following story and I thought it was so cute I had to share!

A Dog's Purpose? (from a 6-year-old). Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker 's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why.'' Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live. He said,''People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?'' The Six-year-old continued,''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long.''

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like: When loved ones come home, always run to greet them. Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride. Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy. Take naps. Stretch before rising. Run, romp, and play daily. Thrive on attention and let people touch you. Avoid biting when a simple growl will do. On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass. On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree. When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body. Delight in the simple joy of a long walk. Be loyal. Never pretend to be something you're not. If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it. When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently. ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

April Fools!

I heart April Fool's day. Not only is it my anniversary (no irony intended) but it is also a fun day that is designed to make me people laugh out loud. So today I came to work super excited about my April Fools joke. I asked two of the sales guys at work if they would call boyfriend at his office and pretend to be radio DJ's. They were supposed to say, "We have your girlfriend Ivy on the line and in order for her to win these coveted Britney Spears tickets we need to you to sing your favorite Britney song. On the count of three... one, two, three...."

Well there were a few glitches in my perfect plan. First of all our sales team was involved in meetings all day. So I had to ask the IT dept. ummm they prefaced my request with, "Sure but I don't have any people skills" and "I'll need a script of everything I'm supposed to say." Needless to say boyfriend caught on and didn't fall for my trick.

That's ok though. I can still imagine him singing, "oops I did it again" in his little office. That makes me laugh!