How to Enjoy Rain

Happy Monday everyone.

How was your weekend? I hope it was filled with lots of fun adventures. Even if you stayed home I hope you were able to relax, sit back and enjoy a wonderful October weekend. As for us, we went away for a few days. We met up with the in-laws, and enjoyed a full weekend filled with wine-tasting, beer-tasting, pet-cuddling, and sunshine! It was needed. I miss having pets, so cuddling with dogs and cats was incredible. There is so much love given by a pet, it is the {almost} best feeling ever.

This weekend was also the weekend I had no computer, hardly any cell reception and just one book on me. It was relief and pleasure not to be connected with anyone at all times. I unplugged and it felt phenomenal. If you have ever done this you know this feeling. It's just pure, refreshing, and perfect - at least for one long weekend.

Now that we are back home this week will be busy!!!! Paperwork needs to be sent in {then we just wait}, my favorite person's job interview is Wednesday, some early Halloween fun will be part of this week as well as us going to San Francisco to meet a friend of ours. Cannot wait. I am so glad his work schedule is steady now and he gets Sundays off. He always worked on weekends and it wasn't fun. I could never plan anything. Last week his work finally gave him the okay to get a more steady schedule which allows him to balance school, life and work at once. Also, rain is in the forecast. Rain!!! I don't even remember what rain feels like, let alone temperatures that make you feel like fall. This week is going to be exciting, busy, fun-filled and hopeful.

So, I am enjoying rain...or just the thought of it looking forward to some drops falling onto the car today!

Happy Monday! I am ready for this week, are you?!

How I Spent My Weekend

Our weekends usually start on Friday early afternoon. My favorite person chose Friday as a school day {who in the world does that?} and so he doesn't get out until 1pm. For weeks he had been bugging me to go find a massage place because his back had been killing him. I am not a huge fan of anything chain related {except Starbucks} but would not know of any other well-known company that offered massages and wouldn't charge a super fortune. So, we got us both appointments for Friday late afternoon and oh boy, it was just what we both needed.

I knew I was stressed and therefore tense, but apparently I was more tense than I thought I would be. Moving to another area, trying to adjust to a whole different lifestyle up here {I miss Los Angeles and Orange County, let me tell you}, the heat, the problems we have had with our apartment/TV set up, the many things I have to work on in order to make it happen here in general, our whole new life together, and the heat...it's peanuts but they all add up and they all cause pain. So, the massage was needed. Next month I am going back. I felt so much more relaxed and happy afterwards. Best Friday Date ever!

Saturday and Sunday we pretty much just chilled. He had to work and I was trying to find new recipes. Also, since moving up here we both have been dealing with allergies. We have always had allergies before and after a few weeks they'd go away. Not here. Anything we have been taking works only a few hours and then we are right back to where we started. Crying, sneezing, more crying, swollen eyes, you name it. Many people suggested to go to a local beekeeper and buy local honey sticks, or honey. Saturday it was our turn to stop by and get some honey because I was tired of the constant sneezing and watery eyes. The honey is amazing, and hopefully after a while will help us get adjusted to the area.

Other than that it was a boring weekend.
I am hoping for some more fun ones. I miss my girlfriends and brunch dates, or just coffee dates. Hopefully I find a way to enjoy these fun moments up here as well; with or without my friends. Hahaha. I will have a Selma-by-herself Brunch weekend update coming soon...let's hope that will never happen.

Happy Monday everyone.

Sending you warm hugs, literally.

xoxo

P.s. I am linking up with Leeann and Kimberlee for Monday Morning Gossip. You should, too.

Monday Morning Gossip - Animals, Music, OTH, and Pool included

This week, I'm joining Leeann again and her Monday Morning Gossip.

I'm also using her awesome linkup as a quick weekend recap because I'm sure most of you were wondering what I was up to and where the heck I was since well, my posts lately ended up being almost non-existent.

If you are following me on Instagram you might have seen these... and if you are lucky enough that I let you be part of my facebook, then you know even more. Aside from that, here's what I was doing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday:

Friday, all day, one of my best friends M. and I went to the Pet Expo 2013. We almost adopted all kinds of dogs and cats. She even held a spider and I almost screamed. Cannot stand spiders. We had a blast though, worked on our tan while walking through this gigantic area, and enjoyed receiving information on certain breeds, food, training, and whatnot. It was a well-spent Friday. AND, it was a girls' day out. No guys or husbands or whatnot allowed. Just three girls (her fun mother-in-law came too) and many many animals. I really wanted a dog...but having already two in the house, a third one right now is not an option. :(

But I cuddled with "Stella" from Modern Family. She's definitely a cutie pie!

Then Saturday...besides organizing and preparing a birthday BBQ for a friend of mine, the main goal was to end up at the Troubadour and enjoy a concert. And, we did.

Oh you wanna know who we saw?

Brett Young, Wakey! Wakey!, and Tyrone Wells.

Loved all three performances. We had Lounge Seats upstairs so we could see it all. I preferred that since standing for about four hours isn't really my thing anymore. Besides, if we didn't have those seats we would not have sat next to the executive producer of One Tree Hill (and you know how much I LOVE this show), and saw James Lafferty and Stephen Colletti. So, it was definitely worth it. No?

Yes, I know I'm short. Let's just say he's super tall?! Thank you. 

If you don't know who he is...it's Mike Grubbs from Wakey! Wakey!

Sunday was mainly a relaxing day. Friends from Ventura County came down to our lovely OC area and we basically spent it eating, chatting, chilling, and sunbathing at the pool. Could not complain at all. It was a fantastic day. I think I definitely ate too much, but one can never have too much Sushi, and Chinese.

Hope your weekend has been grand.

This week will be busy...a take-home exam, a weird essay, and wedding preparations. Don't worry. Not mine. I would announce something like that on the blog at some point and not drop this topic accidentally a few days before the event. Just saying. 

Happy Monday everyone!

Monday Morning Gossip - Weekend Recap

Good morning! Can't believe another weekend passed. It was a good weekend even though I had to study and endure enjoy birthday parties. Parties can be fun, but sometimes they are also pretty exhausting. Ha! I still enjoyed being around friends. Best part? I went mini-golfing for the first time in years. Yay. I missed doing this. Best night ever! So here it goes...my Monday Morning Gossip with Leeann...talking about my weekend.

Friday night we went out for Sushi. Woohoo.
As much as I love Sushi I was dreading it...Sushi means wasabi and soy sauce. Both are awesome. Soy sauce is a huge No No when it comes to a gluten free diet. So, you'd think most places have gluten free soy sauce by now but no. So, what did brave Selma do? She ate her Sushi without the wonderful brownish sauce. BUT, spicy tuna and spicy whatever else don't need soy sauce but it would have been so much better. {no photos, sorry...I was too busy eating}

There was cake, too, but again, I couldn't eat that one. I would have loved to...but oh well...what aren't we doing to feel and stay better??!! Sacrifices.

One of the best parts from this weekend was the birthday brunch I attended.

Sapphire in Laguna Beach is where we went to, and my nice bubbly and delicious Miso Salmon Salad were just superb. My dressing had to come on the side...just because. ;)

I love Laguna Beach.
I also love the fact that this photo is mystical gorgeous...where the heck did I take that photo? I don't even remember. Note to self: take your pills Selma...your memory is slowly deteriorating. 

What do normal people do in order to have fun on a Saturday night, when they feel the need to compete and act like 12-year-olds? Yes, mini golf!! Plus, they also see a bunny and wanna cuddle with it, and then, they pose for a quick photo.

We posed. I clearly can't smile. Never mind my friend's see-through shirt, it's supposed to be that way. If you saw what we stood on...you'd be surprised. I'm not as tall as I am in this photo My friend M (the birthday girl) is much taller than me. Those of you that know me know how "tall" I am. ;)

Happy Monday Morning Gossip everyone!!
Don't forget to link up!

xoxo

Monday Morning Gossip - Update from moi

Today is the first day of Leeann's new weekly linkup and I'm super excited for her. I know, I can be over dramatic sometimes. We can blog about our weekend, what we are excited about, or anything else that we feel like sharing (as in "other gossip that's going on"). And yes, I'm okay with all of that. So, happy Monday Morning Gossip to all of us!

For today I chose to update you on my whereabouts and all...since some of you probably noticed that my last post was about Valentine's Day. As you know I don't like that day. Period. To top it all I had spent it at school. Luckily, my so-called "Valentine" was my friend M. She was joking saying her husband gave her permission to spend the day with me. Then again, we both had school so we were kinda forced to spend it together. It was fun though. In'n'Out was our hang out for the afternoon. 

As you can see, we went protein style. Why? Well, M is gluten intolerant and I decided to go gluten free for Lent. Crazy? Maybe. But you get to enjoy different kinds of foods and explore a little bit with what you can and cannot eat. It's exciting so far...and yes, I'll be writing about it soon. I hope. 

Hiking was part of my weekend. I enjoy being outdoors. I don't have to run or go nuts outdoors but just being out and enjoying the sun and the views and whatnot makes me happy. Peter's Canyon was where I went. It was fun and it was HOT. Yes, finally the heat returned to southern California. Unfortunately, it left us as fast as it arrived! 

And for the evening well, Laguna Beach can be beautiful...do I have to say more?
Ignore the benches. It was gorgeous and these photos do not even come close to the beauty I encountered.

Luckily, I found palm trees. My pictures don't fully say the truth about my weekend but I'm keeping it positive. It got brighter when I saw palm trees. And yes, I'm fully aware that this is all crooked. That was not an accident. I really wanted it that way.

I'm off on this holiday today.
I am hoping I can watch the Castle Marathon today but if not, I might as well work on homework. I really hope I can sit in front of the TV...I really need to just sit back and relax. Yeah, I know. I know. ;)

Don't forget to link up with Leeann and say hi!

Happy Monday!

xoxo

Weekend Update

Hey everyone.

I know it's been a while. I have been busy. In a very good way. :) Can't complain.
So, I thought I'd update you all on what I have been doing. Besides last night's Super Bowl Game I have been watching TV, reading ridiculous books, watching movies, and trying to keep my life afloat. ;) 

This weekend...well this weekend was mellow and oh so good.
I finally got to see my friend Erin again. Some of you may know her from her blog. Unfortunately, she's sometimes so busy it's hard for her to keep up with her lovely blog. Understandable. I miss her writing though. So hopefully one day she'll get a chance to update and inspire us with food pictures, outfits and what not again - or with something completely different. :) 

 gloomy day in HB...but we liked it nonetheless

But yes, I digress as usual. I finally got to see Erin again and we both headed to Huntington Beach. She was one of the brave ones out there getting her running bib so she could participate in the half-marathon HB had on Sunday. I'm so proud of her. Luckily, when you run you also gotta eat...and that's what we did. 

The Kahlua Pork Sandwich was amazing at Na Ko Oi. Best thing ever I had in a long time. WOW.

Aaaaannnnnddddd....remember the gum I mentioned a couple of weeks back? I found its sibling. Equally as yummy and oh so addicting.

And I had to get some refreshments for Sunday...they came in handy when the lights went out. :)

Other than that...I cleaned, I read, I did laundry, I taught some English, and enjoyed watching the Super Bowl while my roommate took a nap. I may not be into sports but heck, I have to watch the Super Bowl. 

My weekend sounds so incredibly boring. But it usually involves sleeping in and watching TV. Yes, I do want to explore and go out but sometimes it's just not possible. Besides, it gives me a chance to save up money for something bigger later on in the future. :)

If you were wondering what I was watching...Godfather, Paperboy, 10 Years, Ted, and Premium Rush. Any suggestions on what to watch next weekend? Hit me up. 

*And if you haven't noticed or changed it yet, my URL changed. So whatever I was once linked to does no longer work. My button changed too (the link specifically) so it would be nice if you could change/update it all. Thank you. And I am myself constantly changing settings and all so it's all updated. It's not a big deal but it throws many people off at first...so I just keep mentioning it for a little longer!*

Linking up with Leeann today.

Have a good Monday.

xoxo

Week{end} Update...

Well, I have been slacking off a little lately...so I thought I'd update you not only on one weekend but possibly also two. And probably show you that I'm still around, still care, still read but hardly find time to comment. So....be prepared for some picture overload.

So here it goes...

Thanksgiving weekend first:

This is not me in this photo...I had to tug someone in and pretend the pillows were a blanket. That is what I was told. Her new and probably favorite word is "pretend"...so we pretended to be asleep and use pillows as a blanket and all that...it was the cutest!

Ignore the wrinkles...but I wanted to share my Thanksgiving dress with ya! :) I love it a lot.

And Thanksgiving, or any other holiday needs to have something "weird" going on...look at the following photo...

And yes, that'll be me...with my new girlfriend... ;) No idea who stood behind me...but the dog loved me and this photo was captured right after she tried to kiss/lick me a billionth time.

 

I love Candy Canes...I just do...and photos that I took at 1 or 2 in the morning...while shopping!

And yes, I went to Black Friday Shopping...but as stated earlier...I wasn't going to get crazy and go all over...we did not stay in line, or fight for whatever. It was a chill morning. Loved it. We didn't even wanna buy anything just see how crazy it all was...and we were lucky, it was not crazy at all. Yay. 

And now this weekend....or this past week so to speak...all via my Instagram.

First Advent...I just love the Christmas season!

Hope you had a fantastic weekend.
It was so gloomy here in southern California it was just perfect!

Three more weeks...I can do this!

xoxo

P.s. Yes, linking up with the lovely ladies of the Weekend Update LinkUp.

Weekend Update

Hello lovelies!!

I have been sick.

Not the best way to start a weekend update but hey, it's my second weekend having been sick and it just plainly sucked. But, on the bright side, I am getting better. I have to. Thanksgiving is around the corner and being sick cannot be happening on Thursday. No no no!! And besides, my google reader is screaming at me...I have been neglecting it for at least two weeks. :( I feel bad.

So, my main update for this weekend is...

...yes, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't counting down the days until November 16. Ha! Let's just say that much...I loved it. I have to be honest here, when the books came out and then the movies I wasn't at all into any of those. Could not stand them, at all. Let alone that pasty face of a vampire in the film I am not gonna name here because some of you might be lusting over him. All on good terms. I just couldn't stand them. But I was once bored and started watching the first movie, then the second, third, and well now these two parts and oh boy. I'm glad I did!!!! :)

Have you seen it? Let me know what you thought!

Happy Monday!!

xoxo

P.s. Yes, I'm linking up with Leeann, Sami and Dana for the Weekend Update

The time I almost cried over my lost data...

...remember a couple of weeks ago when I told you I had lost my whole essay? That problem I solved by writing the whole damn paper again. Not that it was 300-pages long but no matter how long a paper is it is a hassle to write it all out again and to remember what was cited where and how and why. 

I did it. 

Well, on Thursday in the middle of some reading and studying I decided to update my phone and link it to my computer and was told that something went wrong. 

My phone and my computer did not recognize each other. 

Both were plugged in, both were functioning but they seemed to hate each other. 

Then I got an error message.

 I swallowed hard. 

Deja-vu is an understatement.

I was about to throw a fit.

I was done.

I looked at the dogs. They thought I was crazy.

I looked at the screens.
Nothing.
I freaked out.

Out of nowhere I got dressed...

(not that I was naked, but I wore my PJs in the afternoon - don't judge!)

...and headed to the nearest and dearest Apple Store. 

I had no appointment.
Who cares.
I had a problem.
My phone was dead, and my laptop didn't recognize the device.
I wanted help. Pronto!!

And help arrived.
We had to restore everything.
LITERALLY everything.
My phone was empty.
iCloud didn't work.
Yes, it was installed.

It just decided to hate me that day.

I handled my loss quite well.
I mean, ten months were literally erased from my phone.

Can you imagine that?
Can you?
Because I could not at that moment.
But I handled it gracefully.

 

I walked home trying to look at my empty, brand-new looking iPhone.
No contacts.

No texts.

No emails.

No notes.

No music.

No real apps.

And most of all...

...NO PHOTOS.

I died on the way home.

And yes, I was walking.

Again, I handled it with grace. 

I think.

I didn't cry.
I didn't yell.
I didn't scream.

I just walked.

The second I got home I updated the WIFI connection.
I set up my email accounts.
I set up my alarms.

I downloaded apps I used to have on.

I literally punched in all phone numbers I could remember.

And...

I stared at my blank photo stream.

I stared at my laptop.

I stared at the dogs still thinking I was a lunatic.

I had a brand new phone.
Empty as hell.
My whole past ten months erased.

Great.
Terrific.

I needed a drink.

Never thought I would feel so weird about it.
I mean I thought I was okay...

...but turns out I was not.
We have become so dependent on these little gadgets it's incredibly scary.

Honestly I didn't really care about losing stuff because I'm not that materialist.
But it still felt like I was punched hard in the face, or the body or the brain.
I felt helpless.
I was mad.
I was devastated.

So I drank wine.

Just a glass don't worry.
I never go overboard, I still want to enjoy it all.

And then I was like...

...screw it.
I'm alive.
No one died.
It's just a phone.
It's just photos that might have meant something...

...but it's a higher power telling me I should pay more attention to whatever else there is in life.

Probably.

Whatever.
I was still mad.

So, Friday comes along...

...I'm still working on school work watching my favorite shows online.

I'm ready to link my phone and my laptop again.
I have to.
The guy at the store said so.
I'm dreading it.
Literally.
I'm so scared.
But I'm doing it.

It says it's not recognizing anything and needs to be restored again.
Awesome.
Really?? 

Why????

So, well, what can I lose at this point?
Nothing.

So I restore it all.
After all...I have no photos on my phone.

And those phone numbers I punched it the night before...heck I can do that again.

It gets restored.

Funny.

ALL of my photos are back.
Every single darn picture I took over the past ten months.
Not sure why.

All of my contacts are double now.
All of my apps are back.

All of my music is back.
Heck, I don't care why but I'm stoked.
I had to drink a glass of wine again.

Could not say no to that.

Don't judge!

I was beyond happy.
I cannot even tell you how.

Can you imagine losing all of your data?
All of your info?
Yes, most of us have experienced this.

One way or another.

I was just beyond excited to see funky looking, almost scary photos again.
To see all of my lovely contacts and email addresses again.
I wanted to dance like Ellen DeGeneres does on her show.
I wanted to celebrate.
Really.

And so, I hugged my laptop.

I also hugged my phone.
And the glass of wine of course.

Lesson learned?
Not sure.
I mean, I did everything right.
Not sure what went wrong...

...but even the backup to computer whatnot we are all promised may at some point fail on us.

So, moral of the story is...

...if you think you are automatically backing up your precious photos, contacts, apps and whatnot...

well, think again!!!

Because it may not be doing it.

Even if it says it is.

Trust me.

My weekend was just fabulous...at least it started "fabulous". :)

Happy Monday!!!

Yes, linking up with Leeann, Sami, and Dana.

*I am fully aware of that fact that there are people out there having nothing, and having lost a lot thanks to Sandy, and other natural disasters or just have more important things to talk/write about than lost data. I am fully aware of this.

 This post does not mean I don't care. This post does not want to rub it in either. 

I care.

Regardless of what people go throw and have to face now after disasters, after health issues, and whatnot...there has to be time for all of us to go throw "fun" moments.
I could write a sad story about how we need to come together and help out and whatnot...

...it wouldn't be unique. It would basically be redundant because we all know we have to.

A fun, quite dramatic post was needed.

And after all, this is my blog. :)
Just saying.