The official day of awesomeness

http://dayofawesomeness.com/
Check it out!

Wedding photos and more!

We had a very productive weekend, FINALLY switched out the tired white frames for lovely black with a white mat.  I love how this looks in our bedroom.  $8.00 for all three to be developed - incredible value, thanks Costco!

We also put up the fabulous find from the vintage flea market.  I think its in the perfect place (the breakfast nook).  As you can see this is an old window (complete with tiny spider) and some clever pixie thought it would be a wonderful canvas for a vinyl decal of a chair.  You cant see it so well in this photo but the vinyl actually has the image of old classified ads - its very cool

I also squeezed in time to color/cut the hair - this is about the shortest I have had it in a while but I kind of love it....here's another crazy picture of myself to show you

How was your weekend?

40

I dont know if you are aware of this dear reader, but this kiwi is turning 40 this year.  I've decided what I would like for my birthday and here it is:

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

Very excited for the hubs.  He just won a gianormic award at work.  This is great news for him and his career (he's one of only 4 people in the whole company to receive this award - and they have almost 300,000 employees). ***QUEUE APPLAUSE*** .....but who would ever have thought that his mail order bride would benefit from said award?   SO EXCITED that part of the award is a all expenses paid trip for 4 days to Terranea Resort and Spa in Palos Verdes California!!!!!  Check this out:

Its situated on a penninsula that juts out into the Pacific Ocean...and the suites are quite lovely

here is where I am hoping to spend the majority of my time when Mr Big is in meetings with the executive team, thank God I am only 5ft 2in, this tub looks big enough for a gnat



they have all manner of spa treatments available :

Invigorating ritual to promote circulation and relaxation. A warm mineral bath increases body temperature followed by a vigorous body brush and cold-water rinse to exhilarate. An energetic hot oil massage and Swiss shower completes this pampering treatment

Not for me, I dont want my bod to be vigorously "brushed" and then shocked with cold water

Accelerating cleansing and detoxification, this ritual uses a heated body wrap, cooling ice friction scrub and Swiss shower to promote deep cleansing. A sea clay application and cold water revitalization are the finishing touch

Again..."cooling ice friction"?  I think not

Utilizing the power of the ocean, this treatment begins with a seaweed wrap and saltwater bath, followed by a rhythmic massage and oils derived from the ocean to mimic the relaxing melody of the Pacific

Yip, this sounds nice.  120 minutes of this, glory.

(All photos borrowed from http://www.terranea.com/ - cant wait to be there)

Hello Pretty Lady!!

As all of you know, I'm effing beautiful.  So it came as so surprise to me today when I caught a gentleman's eye pulling into the Panera Bakery parking lot to get a bagel and coffee.  I stepped out of my car and here's how the convo went
HIM: "Hey pretty lady"
ME: "Good Morning!"
HIM: "Wanna swap rides for the weekend" He said, motioning to his garbage cart..and looking at the toaster..
ME: queue hair flip and girlie laugh "hahahahaha"
Yes, I was being flirted with by a hobo/garbage picker upper - but still....you got's to get your compliments when you can.

Breathe in, Breathe out

Thank you Aurajoon, this is just beautiful and the perfect thing to be reminded about in this moment

Sunday

OMG - Really, Sunday, where did you go?

You started with a delightful delightful luncheon with Team Sheets (Doug and Dianna) at The Cheesecake Factory.  Ok, I'm ashamed at this confession dear reader.  But I love The Cheesecake Factory.  Yes there are creepy neo-egyptian faces and weird paintings, yes its awkward that you can scarf down an entire platter of their goodies and borderline disgusting that you still order a slice of cheesecake "to go" (aka to eat in the car as soon as I get in it).  But oh, the glory.  That's why I am sad to report that though the coffee and cheesecake (A happy union of carrot cake and cheesecake) was wonderous, the Baja Chicken Hash sucked eggs....but the hubs meal choice (Monte Cristo Sandwich) looked other wordly good AND we got to see two lovely friends.  I made them have a photo even though it was positively artic outside.  Who needs a wind machine and a lighting crew when you are in Renton, in the wintertime?  I think Doug's hair looks utterly glamorous

A recap

HI FRIENDS!! As you no doubt know AkeeweeGirl has been under the weather - but glory of glories, I am better.  In fact, the betterness train started on Friday afternoon, just in time for an awesome weekend. 

I think it all started when I wanted to make my tootsies a little cozier and donned the only pair of socks I currently own -

Depending on your level of awesomeness you may or may not recognize these stylin socks as SANTA Socks (PS - only 298 sleeps till Christmas).  Even Miss Lucy wouldn't come anywhere near me with these on.  But mission accomplished.  My tootsies were warm.  But this was the beginning of everything good - next stop was the discovery of yankee style snifters.  Snifters are up there with Jaffas as a New Zealand Iconic candy, sadly no longer produced...anyhoo, if you want to taste a snifter run, don't walk, to Trader Joes and buy yourself some of these sweet treats.

Also on Friday we heard the INCREDIBLE news that Adele (whose sold out in 30 minutes for Showbox) actually moved the show to the Paramont Theatre which meant KABOOM more tickets.  Rather than waiting in the warmth of Castle Allen we decided to drive 45 minutes to the Paramont Theatre and wait in tropical weather (27 degrees with windchill) for an hour with 100 of our closest friends. 

Imagine our surprise after an hour of waiting in line for the box office to open when an employee popped out to advise "Folks..see the sign, the box office isn't open on Saturdays" queue collective groan.  He recommended scooting around the corner to the "kiosk" aka automated ticket booth - which we all did, just in time for the tickets to go officially onsale.  We had Tadpole on the phone at the same time trying to get tickets online and wouldn't you know it.  After an additional 27 minutes in line, and 27 minutes after the official sale opened, she was sold out. SOLD OUT.  There was nothing else for it - down the hill to the House of Hong we went.

Here is Mr Big with some of our favorite dumplings, shrimp balls, hum bow, and shu mai with hot chili sauce.  Hot Dog I love me some dim sum.

Plus, what a positive message!  Thank you cookie fairy!

After lunch it was time to go pick up our new car.  In the snow.  Good times

Ain't she perty?

We were no sooner home than it was time to head north to friends Tadpole and Ronnie, once they were scooped up it was off to a Japanese Steakhouse for dinner - I was quite excited about this because I'd never been to one before.  If you have never been to Teppenyaki before you should think about going, the food is delicious and the show is very fun.  This is an action shot of Paul doing his "grand finale" with the salt and peppershaker.  His right hand actually doesn't look like a hand in this photo, more like a hoof...

Click on this link for a little movie of what we saw...http://kyotobellingham.com/

Paul says you can ask for him, Gary and I were a little sad we didn't have a Japanese Chef, but Ronnie and Tadpole were glad we had Paul because he was quite a little sugarlump.

This is where you might think our adventure would stop.  No.  Still more to come.  Next stop was Mt Baker Theater http://www.mountbakertheatre.com/venues/main-stage to see "I love you, you're perfect, now change".  The hubs and I had low expectations set for this but we were blown away - hilarious comedy, wonderful singing and the venue was phenom.

The lobby, first - wow.  Its filled with all manner of antiques which Mr Ronnie was quite reverent about

and look how regal my lil beauty looks

There were pictures of the hubs and I too -  - I don't know why but I must have forgotten to hit save.  Let me tell you if they were here you would be just aghast with how beautiful I looked and how much of a sexy studmuffin I am married too.

Moving on.

Time for.

THE CASINO.

Honestly, after 4 days of lock down and mucusville I was ready for a smoke filled room (not).  I didn't think I would last long...and I was right.  Only long enough to win $300!!  Tadpole did good too!

Wow - a great night had by all!

Sick

On Monday night I started to feel like I was getting the crud.  By Tuesday morning I felt like my throat was closing over and a few hours after that I had to leave work early because customers were having trouble understanding me (yeah yeah - everyones a comedian "they never understand you - you have an accent" very funny), I came home, changed into owl PJ's and basically the rest was a dayquil/nyquil/c-monster blur till this afternoon.  Feeling sooooo much better than I did AND....VOICE. IS. BACK. 

Also, other exciting news to hand, my new glasses arrived.  In my fast approaching old age I have become much more dependant on my spectacles than I originally would have hoped for - I have a pair at the office, and am fearful of bringing them home.  Reason being if I forget to bring them to work I basically in a word would be screwed.  But now, at home, I am finding I need specs here too!  New year = new health benefits and $200 benefit for glasses.  Picking new frames is usually a difficult process for me.  I'm a very picky kind of gal - I like what I like you know?  Anyhoo, one day after shopping at Costco for one of their very tasty rotisserie chickies I thought I should stop in at the optical area.  My friend Mollie purchased glasses at Costco and she's a princess, and whats good enough for Mollie would certainly be good enough for a kiwi girl.  That said, I was sceptical and didn't exactly expect to find anything I wanted.  But what do you know, BETSEY JOHNSON decided to do her own line of specs AND Costco carries them!  So friends, while I was sick Mr Big, being the great hubs that he is, picked up my new specs.  Today, finally feeling better I donned make up and took these self portraits (remember, the theme this year to star in my own life)...with the new specs for you to see

Though the camera doesn't really show it, they are apple green (my absolute fav hue) with deep green/brown frames on the front.  I'm in lurve with them, they may have to travel to work with me and at $143 including everything...I salute you Costco!

The weekend

We had a fun weekend.  It started well actually - on Friday. Very lovely chat with my sissy Shona. 

Here she is with her hubs Les.  Anyhoo, it was good to talk to her.  I've really missed her.  Over the past 12 months we have gotten alot closer than we have been in years and that's been such a blessing.  It's been the usu for us to have long email chats - she's a very good writer....but she's just taken a new role on (she works for the NZ Airforce in a civilian role) and she's been so busy.

So ... a good start to the weekend.  Saturday we got up early (we being the hubs, the ss Elliott and moi), the idea was to have a yummy breakfast (check, blueberry waffles and red grapefruit) and be in Monroe for the Rust and Ruffles vintage flea market at 9am (fail)... we ended up chatting with El about "the future".  I can hardly believe he's going to be 17 this year.  SEVEN TEEN.  Incredible where the time goes huh!  One of the things we have promised each of our three is that upon ontime graduation we will take them individually to New Zealand before they start college/work/other chosen thing.  So we started having a discussion about this and ended up youtubing a bunch of things..finally at close to ten we got out of the house!

I don't know why, but the boys were as excited as I was for the show!  They have all kinds of things that you never knew you needed.  Case in point - this clipboard.  I had no need for a clipboard, till now - isn't this wonderful?

and who would have thought about using old tape measures to make a pendant, but I j'dore!

and don't you love these tiny shoesies? 

I don't know what any of this crap is but it would be wicked in Castle Allen

I touched these about 70 million times thinking about having them, they seemed a good value only $27 for the carrier and 4 flagon bottles - but what would I use them for?  So I left them

DARN, I should have got them, just suddenly thought of what to use them for!!  Full of lemonade at a summer gathering, or full or hoochie punch at a party.  DARN IT

I think this is the best use of a bicycle Ive ever seen.  So cheery and you don't need to get sweaty

I really loved this little cup of joy, it was only $8 but sadly, this store only took cash, of which I had zero so I had to leave him behind

 I really loved this store - it had a whole lot of stuff that had absolutely no use at all, but I know some clever person will make something spectacular out of the bits and bobs.  Don't you love this calling card from Mrs Ernest Mortiz with the message on the back "may life's best joy be yours" ... that's beautiful!

 she had everything here from buttons to scrabble tiles and more!

the hubs and ss (get a haircut dude) and unknown man in the daffodils

I know this is just cray zeee but I REALLY wanted this mannequin head, sadly NFS

alot of the ladies dressed for the occasion including this woman.  Her outfit included gloved that she had trimmed with flowers and she pulled a little shopping cart that was all lined and trimmed also.  Some might say she was a little crazy, but I have to say she was like a ray of light (and I told her so)

and outside - the universe was in full glory.  This is a completely UNTOUCHED photo - check out the blue sky

I finally got around to finishing up a few pro jays about Castle Allen - one was the following.... this is a carriage clock ($4.99) with the clock taken out and its gold base painted Churchill Vanilla.  Its the perfect container for a treasure...like this dandelion captured in resin.  Its a paperweight and I balanced it on an etched vintage glass - and et voila - lovely kitchen spring time display, the first spring display I have this season..

I also finished fixing up the bird cage (the hubs has always wanted one).  This was $9.99 at Goodwill and was filthy dirty, obviously had lived its life outside and was covered in vines when we got it. SHAZAM - spring time display part deux

and guess where we went for lunch.  Eddie's Trackside for burgers.  I only ate half of mine but it was a sensational half and perfect bite of meat, bacon, cheese and pickles...and who can knock a tot?  In the forefront is El's bbq burger, or barf burger in my opinion...onions suck.  Who's with me on that?

Toes up

I sure how this birdie will recover soon, this is how I found him in the bathroom

Finally, she succumbed

My friendly Hay Hansen has never been a fan of my favorite candy - ALTOIDS

I know what you are thinking and you are right - WHO in the right mind would'nt enjoy a curiously strong peppermint treat?  I'll tell you who, HER.

It was somewhat of a running joke between her and I that I would offer her one (even though she's shunned them repeatedly in the past) and she responds "NO, thank you", and then we break down in fits of laughter.

Guess what happened today.  We were at work, I opened my Altoid tin and sadly saw only two left - course I had to ask Hailey if she wanted one, she declined and I THREW the candy in the air and she caught it and promptly popped it in her mouth.

As we speak, she has fresh minty breath and is a soon to be altoid addict like I.

It just goes to show - being persistent pays off.

Guess what we are doing Saturday?

if you would like to join us the show is 9am - 4pm on Saturday and here is a little $3 off coupon

More Friday

I have to share a picture of the delicious pie I made last night, its innards are Chicken and Mushroom and friends, good golly, this thing was scrumptious.  I was a bit sad to cut into it because it was so pretty - but it was a delicious delight.

I like how the milkglass looks in the background too.  I don't know whether you knew that I collected this - particularly wedding boxes that you can see there.  I love those things, they are so pretty.

I was expecting snowmageden when I awoke this morning but bittersweet - it was bright blue skies, puffy white clouds and sunshine instead.  Point one for joy.  Mr Big is still at home sick but needed the car for later in the day for pixie transportation so he drove me to work.  I made my blueberry waffles (only 190 cals for 2) and we headed out into the sunshine together.  I love riding into work with Mr Big - its just another chance to spend time with him.  Point two for joy.  And then something amazing happened  - feast your eyes on this as I queue the angels singing:

No friends, this is not a piece of stained glass, this is a blueberry eggo waffle with the sun streaming through.  Ain't it perty? Point 3 for joy.

But then...something odd happened 5 minutes from work.  The car stopped accelerating.  When we stopped to see what was up this is what we found

the pedal somehow completely dislodged from its normal hanging out place.  Subtract joy point.  10 minutes late for work (thanks for rescuing me Brumfield!).... I'm sure the day will improve from here.