I just came across this cute photo of Duchess and wanted to share it with you all! This was taken on November 12, 2011, the day Duchess came home from the airport. She was only 9 weeks old and now she is almost 9 months old! This was such a special day and I was so happy picking Matt up from the airport with this ‘lil bundle of joy! She fit in his carry on bag and they got to sit together (if she didn’t fit he was going to drive up from San Diego). Her name was Diva when we found her and boy does that name fit her! 
Boxer puppies are by far the cutest
A beautiful Memorial Day weekend
I am finally getting to sit down and take a breath after this busy weekend. I had a great time hanging out with friends, family and got some much needed R&R. Friday was spent with my other half and his friend and his fiancée who was in town from LA. They hadn’t seen each other since high school and it was great seeing them reconnect and hear all of the mischievous and wild stories of their high school days! We showed them around San Pedro Square Market and had a nice night reconnecting over dinner and drinks. Before we knew it was almost 2am and the Old Wagon was getting ready to shut down!
Saturday was a beautiful day and we were able to take a stroll with all three dogs and enjoy the spring weather. The weekend continued and I made my way down to the Morgan Hill Mushroom Mardi Gras. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the amount of mushrooms that were there. And funny thing-I don’t even like mushrooms but I had this image of fresh mushroom stands, mushroom ice-cream (gross, but I hear they do it at the Gilroy Garlic Festival), mushroom pies, and just crazy unique recipes! The closest I got was fried mushrooms and I ordered them just because.
On Monday I had another great day with my other half and we went to our favorite breakfast spot in Los Gatos, Sweet Peas. If you are ever in the area you must try this place as they have the world’s best CREPES! They are sweet and savory and we always get one of each. I recommend the Chicken Pesto savory crepe and the Strawberry Nutella sweet crepe. Yum. I am getting hungry just thinking about it. After breakfast I enjoyed the sun and took in some Vitamin D while laying out at the beautiful pool at Axis. The rest of the weekend consisted of movies, catching up on the DVR and naps! What a perfect three day weekend that was much needed.
Blogging at Work and Loving it
I have been working on the Social and SEO team at Tiny Prints for over a month now and I love it! I am mostly working on the Wedding Paper Divas brand (it’s high season for weddings right now) but occasionally get to focus on Tiny Prints. I am working with a lot of different bloggers and have been able to put my writing skills to work more recently. I realized how much I love to write and express myself creatively and really missed it. Here is an example of a post I put together while working with the blog Modern Day Moms. The topic, births, was a little out of my comfort zone, but it was a breeze once I knew the direction I was going to take. I hope to write many more soon so stay tuned!
My Love for Mason Jars
My newest obsession is mason jars. I am having so much fun decorating them and creating cool items for the house. Here is my most recent DIY project-a spray painted mason jar vase! Visit my DIY page to learn more about my projects and view what’s for sale at my Etsy store! 
My obsession with flowers
Well my obsession with flowers continues to grow (no pun intended). Now is the time of year I to start to brighten up my patio and that is exactly what I have done. Last year I planted some flowers on my patio in the spring and they lasted a long time but eventually wilted up over the winter. The only one that made it is my pink hibiscus plant. They aren’t fully bloomed yet but I will post some pictures when they do. The flowers make me feel like I am in Hawaii and are just gorgeous.
I think as I am getting older I have a deeper appreciation for my condo and making it look beautiful. And hopefully as I get older my green thumb will materialize because it is lacking!
Can’t wait to go back to the nursery and buy more flowers.
My daisies and sunflower pots. Can’t wait for the sunflowers to bloom!
Gracie and my lavender hydrangeas! These are my favorite.
Doggy Daycare: Part II
What a weekend I had! Apparently last time I fostered a dog from Doggy Protective Services one wasn’t enough. This time I wanted to make a zoo out of my condo. I fostered one puppy, babysat two Boxers and of course have my own! Four dogs were a bit much. I had to call in for help Friday night because I couldn’t handle it. My girlfriend came over to help me with all the dogs and keep them from tearing down the house.
The dog I fostered this time was Snoopy, a one year old Beagle mix. I really didn’t like the name and apparently he didn’t either because he never listened when I called him. He was such a good boy though. He was very timid and was awfully scared of Duchess, the 6 month old female boxer puppy! Poor Snoopy would run to a corner to try and hide from her. I felt so bad at first that I brought him into this situation but by the time he left they were best buds. I was happy to see that the next day he loosened up a bit and couldn’t stop playing with Duchess. This experience was great for him because he was socialized with other dogs and I think it will help him get adopted.
Halo, the older white Boxer, even tried to get in the mix but it was really just Duchess’ game. I can’t even explain how hard it was. This must be what it feels like to have kids. Every second I was running from room to room to keep tabs on all the pups. I couldn’t leave Duchess alone because she would tear something up or have an accident or pounce on Snoopy. And I couldn’t keep my eyes off of Snoopy because he was a jumper and also liked to try and sneak out of the house. And he actually did- twice. I was terrified but finally caught him.
I dropped off Snoopy the next day at the adoption and wished him well. I found out he wasn’t adopted and was sad to hear that but I know there are more adoption events and I am sure someone will bring him home. Until next time…
Snoopy on the couch
- The Welby Zoo. Halo, Gracie, Duchess & Snoopy
- Look at her little tongue! They were so cute fighting for this bone.
Trying to wear out Duchess with a game of fetch. It didn’t work!
The Power of Positive Thinking
Cover of The Power of Positive Thinking
A few weeks ago I read Think Like a Champion by Donald Trump and at the end of the book he recommended some great reads. One of them was The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and I was intrigued. I ordered the book and it just came in the mail. I read the first chapter and it is great so far. I always knew about the power of positive thinking and believing in something and it will happen aka The Secret, but never fully committed. I guess before I didn’t put much effort into this because this time it is working! I started the book on Monday and Tuesday I got a job offer (out of the blue) and Wednesday I got another (a job I was interviewing and working on for over a month)! Not to mention I am doing great at my new job at Tiny Prints! What a wonderful week. It is a somewhat difficult decision with all of these opportunities but I will doing some ‘soul searching’ and make the right decision-and by tomorrow! I can’t wait to finish the book and see what else is in store for me!
Spring is in the air
I love everything about Spring! Well except for one thing-my allergies. They have been so bad lately from all the pollen. But my favorite part of Spring is all the flowers that are in bloom. There are the prettiest Cherry blossom trees right outside my house and they are gorgeous. When the petals fall to the ground the sidewalks are covered in baby pink hues. I just love it! I decided to go to Trader Joe’s this weekend and stock up on flowers to brighten my home. Every time I walk past them I just smile and I just love the smell of fresh flowers!
Here are a few photos of my tulips, lilies, roses, daffodils, and more! I will have to update this with the cherry blossoms too so show you how beautiful it is this time of year in San Jose.
My Experience As a Foster Mom
I had such an amazing and enlightening weekend. My favorite part was becoming a foster mom for the first time for Doggy Protective Services (DPS). I came across their posting for volunteers online and thought this would be a great thing to try! I love dogs and really just want to help out as much as I can with rescue dogs (I rescued Gracie from the San Jose Animal Shelter) and signed up immediately. DPS rescues dogs from shelters that have been there for too long and are likely to be put down. I am pretty sure they also just rescue dogs they like and want to help train and take care of. The pound can be so depressing and I am so thankful these amazing people are out there helping all these dogs. They keep all the dogs in foster homes across California and do not have any kennels.
Best Friends
I went to Pet Food Express Friday night to visit all the dogs that were in town for the adoption on Saturday morning. As soon as I put my hand down in the cage Huck ran up to me and licked my hand like I was his long-lost Mom. His personality was so playful and kind and I couldn’t resist his cute little under bite. There must have been about 15 dogs there waiting for their foster parents. Just to get a better sense I walked Huck around the store to see how we did together and we hit it off! I filled out an application and we were off. I had signed up to foster him for the evening and then bring him back the next day for the adoption.
My dog Gracie just fell in love with him too. Huck is about 8 months old and is a Shih Tzu terrier mix which is very similar to Gracie. It was so amazing to see how fast Gracie and Huck connected. One minute I turned around and they were rolling around together and playing like best friends. They did this all night and chased each other around my living room for almost an hour! I even spent some time training him to sit and he got it but soon forgot. Huck is such a cheerful and affectionate puppy and it is safe to say he kept me up most of the night with his kisses.
Right after I picked up Huck
I really became attached to him in less than 24 hours and contemplated adopting him myself but it would have been just too much. It is already hard with Gracie and my work schedule and although I think it would have been nice to have them home together in the day time playing and sleeping, but I didn’t do it. I was so sad when I dropped him off the next day but knew he would find an amazing home! I haven’t heard confirmation that he found his fur-ever home but based on the tweets from @DPSRescue, he was “a hot commodity.” I look forward to speaking to DPS and find out where he ended up. Maybe Huck and Gracie can have a play date soon. If anyone is interested in fostering these dogs check out Doggy Protective Services. I will definitely be doing this again!
Dropping Huck off at the adoption
Think Like A Champion
Cover via Amazon
Before today when I heard the name Donald Trump I thought of his epic hair/toupee and his great quotes from The Apprentice, such as “You’re Fired.” I never really knew much about him other than he is a billionaire developer and creates amazing buildings.
A few Easters ago I was with family friends and met a woman who was Meredith McIver’s friend. (Meredith is Donald Trump’s co-writer on his most recent book Think Like a Champion.) The woman, whose name has escaped me, was the Easter party and had a few signed copies of the book from Donald Trump. I was able to get one and since then it has been sitting on my bookshelf! Today I was inspired to read it and I am so happy I did! I actually wish I had read it as soon as I got it but never made the time to do so.
I am feeling SO INSPIRED today! Donald Trump is such an amazing businessman and provided so much great advice for anyone interested in learning more and becoming successful in the business world.
I will briefly list my favorite advice from the book and encourage you to read the book if you haven’t yet. The book is a fast read and every chapter is about 2.5 pages- each a short essay focusing on one specific topic. I am so excited because I start my new job tomorrow at Tiny Prints and am amped up!
- The importance of Being a Team Player-always help out everyone around you. And don’t expect anything in return
- Learn to Think on Your Feet-very important and I learned this at Cinequest while running the PR Campaign. Be ready to expect the unexpected and have Plan B ready!
- The More You Learn, The More You Realize You Don’t Know
- Confronting Your Fears-“Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
- My Favorite essay-KEEP IT SHORT, FAST, AND DIRECT-I also learned this at Cinequest. We are all busy. Get to the point-and fast! This also reminds me of another thing I learned: Don’t come to me with a problem. Come to me with a problem AND a solution. Think it through first! It saves everyone time.
- Momentum is Something You Have to Work at to Maintain-find your tempo and stay consistent. Your team will learn this and pick up the pace to work at your speed
- Keep the Big Picture in Mind-focus on the details but always keep the big picture in mind
- Winners See Problems as Just Another Way to Prove Themselves-I really enjoyed this essay. I like problem solving and a challenge so this really resonated with me. If you can work under pressure and think on your feet you will be successful
- Think Positively-seems so basic and cliché but some people really forget how important this is
- Set the Standard-set a standard for yourself-personally and in business and stick to it. People will appreciate this and as you are building your brand you will become more credible and one day people will believe in your products based on your name. ie: Trump
- Know Your Audience-I think this is really important as well. Find that common ground with your business partners. It can really turn a dry and/or painful meeting/presentation into something more natural and fluid. Connect with your clients and partners!
Post your comments and tell me what you think is most important for becoming successful!
live.learn.love 
