Tuesday, September 30, 2014

glasses are for nerds.

 

Here's another fun fact you didn't ask for. I am exceptionally blind and in desperate need of corrective lenses. I tend to wear my contacts most days because 

1. My lenses are thick and constantly slide down my nose, probably just from their weight alone.
2. I literally have almost no peripheral  and can only see clearly through the actual lenses
3. Because I have no peripheral, I feel limited and get headaches.
4. I also lived through an entire childhood of glasses = loser = nerd stigma and the second I got contacts I never looked back

Except that glasses are cool now! Frames with or without actual functional lenses were all the rage for a good while, it just feels like a lot of effort for me. I am literally so sight challenged, that I have an extremely difficult time putting on my own eyeliner evenly without my contacts in. But anyway, I slept with my contacts in on accident (which is a terrible, terrible, thing to wake up to) and decided it may be best for my eyes to breath a bit. Perhaps Lasik or something along those lines will eventually be in my future and then I can wear fake glasses like the cool kids.


No, really though, I never understood the fake glasses thing.
If only that was around when I was younger. I would have been one of the cool kids that already had glasses and kids would be wearing fake ones to be like me. UGH. 

Another fun fact: When I was in elementary school, I used to desperately wish I had a retainer. One time, I bent a couple of paperclips in the a shape that would fit my teeth and I put them on to see how cool I would look if I had my own pair of retainers. WHAT A LOSER, am I right?





Alyssa:
Glasses - Derek Cardigan via CoastalContacts.com
Teal leather tote - (old) Banana Republic
White Tee - F21
Mid-rise Skinny Rockstar Jeans - Old Navy
Leopard Slip Ons - Steve Madden at nordstrom Rack (also available here)


Monday, September 29, 2014

night game.

I have to admit something to you guys.
I am from Southern California and I am a Giants fan.

www.ninaparks.blogspot.com

Apparently this makes me a traitor. While we're on the subject, I've never been a Lakers fan either. Sorry folks! My entire family is comprised of die-hard Dodger/Laker fans so it's been a pretty tough thing to accept. (No, seriously. I used to go to church services where we would pray, as a church, that the Lakers would play well and win.) But here's my thing: I didn't change allegiance along with my zip code, I just never really liked the Dodgers or the Lakers. So I don't think that counts as a traitor-like behavior. Perhaps I was just never a good So-Calian. Meh.

I will admit that my love for all teams Bay Area (Giants, Warriors, and 49ers) truly stemmed from my time with Mark. I was never a huge pro-sports fan (I used to watch a lot of college football for a while) until we got together and I will most definitely attribute it to his "all SportsCenter all the time" addiction. It is literally the first thing he watches in the morning and last thing he watches at night. So after some time of 24 hours sports coverage, you start to pick up on a few things.

So anyway, here we are, a Giants fan couple that has passed on the Giants fan-ness to our son. Makai has been to a couple day games already, but Friday night was his first night game! And boy, oh boy, was he excited.





Although the Dodgers clinched the division, we thought we'd enjoy ourselves a night game with some family to see if the Giants could make it to the playoffs. Normally, Makai's bedtime routine starts at 8pm, but this game started at 7:15pm, so we were in for a long night! We figured it was worth it since Krish's son Khalil was coming too, so we felt like it was worth the bonding time. (I told you! Sometimes you gotta break the rules!)


It also happened to be Khalil's VERY FIRST Giants game! So it was kind of nice that we all got to share that with him.


So I don't know about all the other kids out there, but when Makai is too tired, he either gets really loopy or he gets crazy mad. Luckily, this night was a loopy kind of night. At one point, when everyone was quiet, Makai kept screaming "GIIAAANNTTSS!! GOOO GIIANNNTTSS!!" It was pretty stinkin' cute. He could definitely feel the vibe out in the bleachers, clapping, cheering, and high-fiving like a pro. 


It was a beautiful night, a great game, and super fun bonding time. Ultimate success.

To end the night, the Giants won and Makai knocked out the second we drove out of the parking lot. PERFECT.







OH! And did you notice the new URL? www.TheTrikeDiaries.com YAY! It's official!




Makai:
Giants home jersey - gift
white thermal - Old Navy
Giants hoodie - gift
Marled beanie - Shawn White at Target (available here)
Slim fit jeans - Levi's fit 511 (available here)
Nike Diamond Turf shoes - gift (available here)

Mark:
Hat - Giants Dugout
Orange/black/grey flannel - Banana Republic
Sleeveless Hoodie - no idea. (but similar here)
Skinny jeans - Gap
Nike Blazers - old (similar here)

Alyssa:
Giants baseball tee - JCPenny (but I should have worn this)
High waisted skinny jeans - Gap
Shoes - Converse


Thursday, September 25, 2014

"Kai." - a self titled work

So my son is basically an artistic genius. Last night he drew his first self portrait. May I present to you his self titled work:

"Kai." by Makai Apollo


Afterwards I made a request and asked if he would be willing to draw Mark and me. I was lucky enough to pose for him but Marks portrait was straight off of memory. I mean.... amazing right?


The likeness is uncanny! I feel like through these drawings, you can really see how Makai looks like us. (And in case your wondering, the dot in the middle is a nose.)



Here is a collection of some of Makai's earlier work. As you can see, he's got a pretty good handle on many different mediums.




















































Please feel free to make requests if you would like to pose for a sketch. Price upon request.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

rompers & me time.

Let me tell you, I LOVES me a good romper! Except when I have to use the bathroom, then it's a nightmare. The idea of getting half undressed in a stall is just not that glamorous. But at least I feel cute at all other moments! :]

 

As I sat and had lunch with a couple of coworkers today, we found ourselves having some typical girl talk (dating, men, etc.). At some point, as they discussed their recent dating history, I found myself with very little to contribute. haha. But while we were finishing up, I noticed a couple people outside eating lunch by themselves and enjoying the view. I envied them a little as I thought about my unwavering fear of eating by myself out in public. I don't know exactly what it is, but I find the idea terrifying. Really, anything recreational that involves meandering or moseying I can't really do by myself. I am completely aware that this is a personal problem and that people do it all the time without dying or being made fun of. In fact, I hear that it's a little liberating and probably very healthy for your mental/emotional well being. Perhaps it's the youngest child in me? I'm just used to always having people around? Who really knows? What I can tell you is that now that Makai is in the picture, I am almost never alone anymore. While I don't know if I'm ready to go to a restaurant and ask for a table for 1, I do find myself with a new yearning for alone time once and a while. I look forward to the time when Makai is asleep in bed and Mark is out playing basketball all night with his friends. It's the only time I get to watch some admittedly TERRIBLE terrible television, bust out my mani pedi set, and put on a facial mask. Mark and I have been together for over 5 years now... but I'm still not trying to look like The Swamp Thing in front of him. Unshaved legs and a scrunchie? ALL DAY. Swamp thing? No.

A topic I've been thinking about a lot lately is "mommy guilt." Because really, I should probably be having a little more alone time then the couple hours late at night at home with the kid in bed (which isn't actually alone). But something about my mom guilt makes that difficult for me to do. Now that I am working so much more, I feel like any of my spare time should  be spent with the kiddo or my partner. It's true to an extent, but I need to remember that I should by added to my own list. I need to spend time with Mark, Makai, and myself. I know I'm not good at it, but I think it's something I should work on. I need to shed the guilt and figure out how to have some me time, even if it was just more time at the gym (which we can all agree I need). Or maybe I'll pretend that I need to schedule a regular Mani-Pedi every month or so. It's for my own well-being, right? :]

In the mean time, I do really enjoy always having a little partner in crime!




Alyssa:
Black roll-sleeve romper - Ann Taylor Loft (available here)
Shoes - Shoedazzle

Makai:
Black graphic tee - Old Navy
Skinny jeans - Old Navy
Nike Free 5.0 - Nordstrom Rack

Sunday, September 21, 2014

football investment.

Now that football season is upon us, Sunday afternoons are now reserved for all things 49er related. This usually includes some sort of BBQ, and last Sunday, included some of Mark's cousins. Mark and I love playing host/hostess so we saw the opportunity to entertain and feed and ran with it.


Mark fired up the grill and we served up fresh crab ceviche, grilled salmon, sautéed lobster and shrimp, kale, zucchini and squash kabobs, and a costco rotisserie chicken. (no really, Costco chickens are legit). Mark's cousin Krish brought some of her famous garlic noodles and everything was complete. Not to toot our own horns, but it was all pretty delish. (toot toot)

Of course, the highlight of the night was the quality fam time :] Makai and Khalil kept themselves busy running around, giving Mark and I just enough time for 2 whole conversations with people our own age. It was magical. Although, most of the night looked like this


Family time is good time is messy time, I say. Said. Once. Ok, I said once

And really, this time may have just been more messy time than anything else.

As we get older, I've realized how much more effort it takes to keep in touch with everyone. But what about social media and the amazing advancements in technology that allows you to keep in touch with everyone, you say? I mean, yeah, but I'm talking quality time together. Not just a text or instagram post. It's nice to get together with people for no partcular reason just to see whats going on. Especially family. Things used to happen so organically and out of convenience, because really, how much else did you need to worry about? But now people are getting married, having kids, buying houses, and working like crazy just to spend it all on bills. Who has time for quality time? It's tough finding time for people that don't already live in your house, but it's definitely worth the investment. So this is me, trying to make the investment.













Friday, September 19, 2014

#tbt - old toys

This weeks #tbt is dedicated to makai's long hair, and mark's old toys.


While parental hoarding can get a bit out of hand sometimes, I have to admit that I love rummaging through some junk and discovering an artifact from the past. An old toy from when you were 6, or a forgotten mix cd, or an old photo of a friend with a handwritten note on the back is so fun to find! Just something to remind you of what life used to be like and how much you've grown, you know? It's fun to reminisce.

So when Mark was able to find his old race track, dust it off, and play with his son, I thought it was such a cute moment for them to share. I know it's just a toy, but it's nice to be able to pass along all the fun you had when you were a kid. Plus, It gave them something to bond over for an hour and that's  all you can really ask for.






Makai:
Solid white tee - old Navy
Hoodie - from Cabo San Lucas
Skinny jeans - old navy
Camo hi-tops - Vans from nordstrom rack

Mark:
Black crew neck sweater - JackThreads
Camo Slim Fit Pants - Banana Republic
Black shoes - (old) Nike


Racetrack - Aurora AFX (available on ebay here)









Wednesday, September 17, 2014

#shareacoke




Yesterday, Coke stopped by my office!

They came by with these giant kiosk/vending machines to celebrate the release of Coke at our Old navy stores! So employees were allowed a turn to personalize 2 cokes per turn. And let me just tell you, some people were really serious about their cokes and got in line enough time to end up with 18 cokes (let's all do that math here, folks). INSANE! I, on the other hand, did not get as crazy and took one turn but sweet talked my way into 4 cokes :] I may or may not have batted my eyes.


It's always fun getting personalized things, especially with a name like Makai. It was pretty tricky to get his name on the can. The "coke guy" had to do some crazy magic pin number thing a few times to approve his name. Added plus: I got to use this as an excuse to get away from my desk and not work. Love it!


Speaking of work, I had a bit of a milestone! Well, I don't know if it was really a milestone per se, but I was still pretty happy with myself at the end of it. My manager found herself needing to leave work early, so I unexpectedly had to present at our working session with our marketing team. I think it went pretty well! There was no yelling and nothing ended up in flames, so I count it as a win overall. Oh yeah, and now I work for the Men's department of Old Navy Online. Excuse me for not updating you sooner. Yeah, I'm still a Merchandise Assistant under contract, but they had my switch divisions because Men's needed some extra help. While it is a lateral move, I do think this is good for me career-wise. I'm a little bummed out because I don't have any product development in this role, meaning I don't work as closely with our designers to create items for the line, but Men's is a much larger division with more visibility, exposure, and opportunity. Plus, if I'm successful here, I think it will help show my flexibility and ability to adapt and hit the ground running. Here's hoping that it'll help me get somewhere!





PS: don't forget to enter my giveaway!


Tuesday, September 16, 2014

leopard & leather

Mark is the worst photographer. (also: I really, really hope he doesn't read this)

exhibit A:

exhibit B:

exhibit C:

I may just have to stick to my iPad and timer app from now on. That, or I'll stop trying to put myself in posts.

(in case you're Mark and you are reading this - please disregard everything stated above. looooovee yoooouu :] )




On a brighter note, I just hit 2000 page views (excluding my own views)! That's a fun number! 

 



Alyssa:
faux leather dress - Target (TopShop version here)
leopard slip-ons - Steve Madden at Nordstrom Rack (also available here)

Sunday, September 14, 2014

stealing is bad.


So Mark's bike got stolen yesterday. It was pretty lame. Right from out of our garage, where there are a slew of other bikes that belong to different neighbors. Were any other bicycles stolen? No. Just Mark's bike. His was defiitely the coolests looking bike, so we get it, but it still sucked. What's frustrating was it happened within the 2 hours that we left the house to run errands. We had even thought about going for a bike ride earlier that morning! *sigh

Since Makai was with us, and because they stole the bike that had his child seat attachment on, we needed to explain to Makai what happened. 

Makai: Where's daddy's bike?
Me: It's not here. Someone was very mean and took our bike without asking. They stole it. They took something that didn't belong to them.
Makai: Stole? Took daddy's bike?? Bike not here?
Me: No hun. They took it even though it wasn't theirs. They did something very mean to us and now we're sad. That's why stealing is bad. 
Makai: Aw man. No bike. 
Me: Yeah, I know.

So there's $400 down the drain.

Also: Makai brings it up pretty often. 

Makai: Where's daddy's bike? Find it? 
Me: No babe, we didn't find it. Whoever took it isn't going to give it back. 
Makai: Aw man.
Me: Yeah, I know.

It's a little bit like pouring salt in the wound, but what are you gonna do? Haha. Hopefully this is an actually lesson and stealing will never be in his repertoire. 




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