it sounded different in my head...

The Quick & Easy Guide to...

2008-06-23T15:06:00.000-07:00

I recently auctioned off my Samsung Blackjack II, which I had used for a short period of time. After posting a glamorous auction page, and a itty-bitty return policy, I had sold it within a few hours. Three days later, a packaged arrived and it was, indeed, a return. Long story short, a dispute was filed, and (as it usually happens), I lost the case. SELLERS: PayPal has no mercy on you!

This post is written with reason, and experience. They say the best way to learn is from your mistakes, and...I have. I hope that any of you who read this will take this advice and apply it when selling online, whether it be Craig's List, eBay, or the Facebook Marketplace (yes, it exists). Selling online is an easy way of making a little money on the side and can be a hobby, too!

Selling Online - 5 Quick tips

1. Be honest. Buyers are already weary about purchasing online, so the last thing they want is an item with a scratch on it that was originally claimed in "perfect" condition. Give a clear item description so that there is no dispute about what the buyer expected.
2. State a specific return policy (e.g. "Postmarked within three days of receving the item"). Make sure to include one so that potential buyers feel confident in purchasing with you. Note: On Craig's List it's assumed that if the buyer doesn't want it, they will just refuse it at the meeting point.
3. Be cautious. If you are selling on eBay, you have the right to refuse selling something to a buyer who has a less than great feedback record. Find out if they have been complained about in the past, and for what reasons. There are scammers out there, you know!
4. Do your research. Find out what the price point is for the item you are selling. Specifically, electronic items lose value quickly; just because you spent $300 on your item two months ago doesn't mean it's still worth as much. There's not really a mathematical equation for this either, so check out what the demand for the item is and what others are selling it for.
5. Contact your buyer. Make sure you are constantly checking your email (or phone) to see if the buyer has any questions or concerns. This will make for a smooth and friendly transaction. Thank the buyer, and invite them back to doing business with you.

All set! Now, go digging for that old jewelry box your aunt gave you...who knows? Maybe someone out there is dying to have it!

Love, me.

Footprint

2008-06-09T23:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, talk about not writing in a long time. People have been pushing me to write again so I think it's about time.

I've recently been really aware of my environmental impact through my daily routines. I realized how much thriftier I could be in terms of energy usage, and leaving a footprint. On the Footprint Network website, I took a fun quiz that actually calculated my footprint through a series of questions regarding my lifestyle. My footpront resulted in 4.4 worlds. That means if everyone lived like me, we would need 4.4 earths to keep up with my lifestyle. I think the top two things that increased my resource usage was shopping for apparel, and energy usage. Here's what it looked like:

If you want to take the quiz click here! It only take a couple minutes

What I did really well on was the food usage, and mobility. Since I don't eat any meat, and very minimal dairy, I have a smaller impact than many. Anyhow, four worlds is jsut not acceptable :(

Here's my green list..ways that I've been "green" lately!

The Green List

1. Not taking bags when shopping (putting the items in my purse, or using a previous shopping bag).

2. Using a reusable Starbucks cup--not only does it reduce waste, but I get 10 cents off my purchases there!

3. Driving the speed limit, and not speeding up right away when the light turns green.

4. Staying vegetarian (see entry: Skinny Bitch)

5. Turning off the lights as I leave rooms, and turning off the faucet while brushing teeth/washing face.

Sometimes it feels like I'm just one in 8 billion, and "what the hell does me turning off a faucet do?", but what if everyone helped just a little? That's what we've had to do in the past (WWI & WWII--victory gardens!), and that's what we're going to have to do now, especially with the drought. It feels good knowing that I helped just a little, and a little goes a long way.

I hope I didn't bore you with my green talk but I just had to put it down on paper! er-screen?

Love, me.

Two in the AM.

2008-04-04T01:39:00.000-07:00

It's almost two in the morning and I'm a bit tired.
Let me explain why I'm still awake. Tonight after work I bought The Sims Open for Business. Do I really need to explain more? One word: addicting.

Anyhow, I'm seriously considering a trip to Hawaii at the end of May to wrap up school. Birthright still hasn't called me so I'm getting a bit worried since my supposed trip to Israel would be in the beginning of June...

I already looked up a bunch of tickets and there's a ton of good deals right now. Ugh. Decisions...

Okay I'm tired now. Pictureless entries 2x in a row...

Gotta get on that...

Love, me.

Chunky Strawberry Cookies

2008-03-31T12:11:00.000-07:00

A few years ago Rachel's mom made me these amazing strawberry cookies to which I never got the recipe.
Last night, I looked up a few recipes and ended up with an original recipe. My first! They turned out to be delicious! I accidentally put in too much sugar (Bryan was chattin it up) but nonetheless, they were so yummy. You can also add chocolate chips or raisins for really sweet cookies.

Chunky Strawberry Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup applesauce

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, or to taste

3 cups of old fashioned oatmeal (no substitutions!)

1 3/4 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, cute into pieces

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare a large baking sheet with baking spray (NOT oil/margarine/butter).
In a bowl, mix the applesauce, sugars, and honey until smooth and fluffy.
Slowly add in eggs and vanilla.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, oatmeal, and salt.
Now, slowly combine wet mix into the dry bowl.
Important! GENTLY fold in strawberries and walnuts so as not to harm the small strawberry pieces.
Spoon balls of mixture onto baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes or until bottom browns and top is dry.
Enjoy!

I bought ovenware for creme brulee today :) I need to buy a kitchen torch! I think I'll browse eBay...

Love, me.

Avocado Sushi

2008-03-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love sushi?
Today I decided to make some. Seeing as I made a huge Asian style dinner last night, I decided to be cheap and go with vegetable sushi. I sliced up some avocados, cucumber, and carrots to be placed in the sushi. Then I prepared some sticky rice & roasted seaweed (Nori). Recipe here.

They say that women can't make sushi because unlike men, their hands are too warm and that will ruin the fish or fillings.

Basically, I proved them wrong.

Love, me.
P.S. When I finally ran out of sticky rice, I found smoked salmon and cream cheese in my fridge. Shit.

Mmm...Hot Springs

2008-03-27T11:16:00.000-07:00

For this spring break, Katherine and I decided to take a day trip the Calistoga where they have several hot spring pools. The nicest one out there is a pool/hotel called Indian Springs. Usually, you have to purchase a spa treatment or a room, but we got in for free :)

It's basically one huge pool, with noodles and floating beds to sun bathe on. The water is pool from the local geysers. Theres also a steam room, sauna, a lounge, and a pond area. It was so beautiful! It was warm out so we mostly just laid out in the sun.

After that, we went to another pool/hotel called Calistoga Hot Springs where they have four different pools: a jacuzzi (110 degrees), hot pool, warm pool, and a cold kiddie pool. Again, all the water is provided by the natural geysers near-by.

Later, we got a sweet tooth so we went to a local ice cream shop where they have all these crazy sweets!
And to top off our day, we headed over to the Calistoga Day Spa where we got facials. :) It was only $40, and my masseuse ended up giving me a back and neck massage! It definitely felt good after driving for so long.

I definitely want to go back, probably with Bryan. It's such a great day trip! And this is definitely the best time to go, because once it gets to hot, you can't really swim in the water.

Love, me.

Spring Break

2008-03-23T09:49:00.000-07:00

I am so damn excited for this week :)

Today, beach and then dinner at Bissop Baobob for Bryans super late birthday dinner and Mike's late birthday dinner.

Tomorrow, Calistoga with my girls.

Tuesday, modeling & then shopping with Corina.

Wednesday, Six Flags! Magic Kingdom!

and then iono :D.

Okayokayokay. I have to get back to work!!

Love, me.

Happy Purim!

2008-03-20T22:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Purim :)
Tonight was so much fun, I got to hang out with Brooke all day which was so much funn <3. Later all me, Brooke, Katherine, Sasha, Avi, Ashley, and Lolita went to a Purim party, which ended up being so much fun & entertaining.

It was weird. I got this feeling back that I haven't felt in a long time. When someone used to ask me about myself, one of the things I'd say is that I'm the type of person that just never wants the night to end. Even if everyones tired and pooped, I'd still be dying to do something.

And that is exactly how I felt tonight.

Love, me.

Anna's Hummingbird

2008-03-18T16:03:00.000-07:00

On St. Patrick's Day, my dad & I found a little itty bitty bird on our doorstep. It was just chirping, and sitting there -- so cute! So we gave it some water from an eye dropper, and watched it struggle to move around. It was ADORABLE! Its size was about the size of a small kiwi. :)

It was trying soso hard to fly! Look:

I called a bunch of veterinary places, but none of them took orphaned animals. Someone suggested I take it to the Lindsay Wildlife Museum where they have a hospital for orphaned/abandoned animals.

They said that it's hummingbird season and that they had already gotten about three that day. My hummingbird's species was Anna's Hummingbird, and that it was still a baby. They're going to treat it and then release it again. I was happy to hear that they weren't going to cage it up.

And, just for bringing him/her in, I got a free pass to the museum! Awww, fun.

Later that day...

I met up with Brooke, Irene, and Julia to go to Galin's house for a St. Patrick's Day party. It was a lotta fun mainly just because we all got to be together, and Lolita also came. It was so good :)

LASTLY! I said that there were more pictures to come from my shoot, so here they are! <3

You can see more of Kelsey Winterkorn's pictures here. She's amazing.

Love, me.

Earth Hour

2008-03-16T20:54:00.000-07:00

So on March 29th, 2008 the World Wildlife Fund is encouraging the entire world to shut off their lights between 8:00 & 9:00 PM. I'm trying to get many people to sign up! Its just turning off your lights so its an easy way to support a project.

Click this link! Sign up here <33

They won't spam you, send you mail, or emails. Just show your support :)

Love, me.

P.S. Global warming sucks.

Pumpkin Muffins

2008-03-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

So I had a day off today, and decided to make some pumpkin muffins (recipe). :)
They turned out to be a little to spicy but they're still so yummy!! I made almost 100 haha, so I made Jessica take some home.

I replaced the white flour with whole wheat flour, and the white sugar with brown sugar to make it a healthy snack. I wanted to pipe sweet cream cheese frosting inside, but they wouldn't last as long if I did so i did without it, and added a butter & sugar topping before popping them in the oven. The next time I make these, I'm gonna cut the spices in half for SURE.

Hmm what else is newww. It's so pretty out & I really wanna do something today! It seems like everyone is busy on Tuesdays and Thursdays when I have a day off. Jessica came into town though and I'm so happy I got to see her. She comes back for good in May! :D

On top of that I'm SO excited for summer! This weather is killing me. Its time for some tanning & sunshine.

Speaking of. I need to go to the gym =\

Love, me.

P.S. Yes my amazing camera takes these amazing pictures of my amazing baking creations. :)

Too Rich for Her Own Good!

2008-03-12T19:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had a wonderful shoot with photographer Kelsey Winterkorn, wardrobe stylist Adrian Lubowski, and makeup artist Rachel-Ann Holtz. The weather kind of pooped out on us, but nonetheless the shoot was great :)

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. More to come...

Love, me.

Human Biology

2008-03-08T22:39:00.000-08:00

Carrot Cupcakes

2008-03-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday I went into Williams-Sonoma in Walnut Creek and picked up a commercial sized mini cupcake tin because I decided it was about time to make some cupcakes.

Annd I bought a new tip for my mechanical piper to pipe on thinner designs.

Got home, and found a recipe for Carrot Cake (which I decided to use for my cupcakes, since it doesn't make a difference). Okay, seriously, I made like 60 cupcakes and ALL of them were simply amazing.

I gave away about half of them away already and have gotten nothing but compliments! Seriously, amazing.I was planning on coloring the icing orange & green to pipe on carrots...And then I went to sleep because I realized I was baking at 12:30AM.

This weekend I want to make Spring themed cupcakes. I. Am. Such. A. Nerd. If I had a bakery I'd name it "Crumbs". But that would be wrong because that name is already taken even though I think it's really cute :)

Love, me.

Three Years

2008-03-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

I just realized.

It'll be mine & Bryan's three years in July. Holy crap.

:D I can't wait.

"Whens the wedding? Whens the wedding?"
stop it stop it stop it! i dont know!

Skinny Bitch Week 1

2008-02-28T12:23:00.000-08:00

So I've decided to track my Skinny Bitch diet of a weekly basis.

2/21
Didn't track

2/22
banana
fruit juice
salad, soup, fruit
salad
brown rice

2/23
1 cup Kashi cereal
6 inch Subway sandwich (Veggie Delite, 220 cal)
Apples
Trail Mix

2/24
1/2 cup Kashi cereal
small apple
1.5 slices spinach pie
1 cup cabbage salad
16 ounce fruit smoothie
piadine with side of hummus
minestrone soup
napoleon, cream puff

2/25
fruit salad
passion tea lemonade -unsweetened
banana
pear
whole wheat bread with sugar free jam
medium salad with light dressing
veggie patty (grilled) with zucchini, & brown rice

2/26
banana
pretzel
small green salad
hash browns & fries
banana

2/27
1/2 onion bagel with cream cheese
tangerine juice
mixed veggies
3 small dolmas
Nature Valley bar
steamed potstickers
veggie stir fry with vegan beef
salad with light dressing
piece of Ahi Tuna

2/28
apple
Fiber One bar
Didn't track!!

2/29
banana
Fiber 1 Bar
trail Mix
cup of beans
quinoa
salad

I think I've lost a couple pounds, maybe. I haven't had a chance to weigh myself just yet!
I definitely feel more energized than usual, but I think the change in diet is taking a toll on my stomach. I'm sure it'll adjust within a couple days.

When I had those oily hash browns I DEFINITE felt sick for more than a day after that. It's funny how all of a sudden your stomach can react when you eat such unnatural things.

Week two, here I come.

Love, me.

The Skinny Bitch Diet

2008-02-25T17:04:00.000-08:00

Wow. In the last week, everytime I hear the word "diet", "weight", or anything of that sort, I have unstoppably mentioned the amazing new book I have discovered. I know, I know why the hell am I reading a diet book? I need to lose 10 pounds. The end. No questions.
Anyhow, the book isn't necessarily a diet, but more like a guide to a healthy, progressive eating lifestyle. The authors, who are actually a former model, and a former model agent, tell you what's good, what's bad, and in the end you can make your own decisions.
They stress a vegan diet very much throughout the book, and upon finishing the book, I vowed to stop eating meat (see "Vegetarian" post). As for dairy, I've given up milk, most butters, and cheeses. It's just hard to go against it, because dairy is used in so many dishes, even slightly. Anyhow, I'm avoiding it as much as possible.
I never thought I could just go cold turkey like that, but this book is seriously motivating and convincing.
Since I read the book last week, I've been doing really great. I've also noticed that eating less junk food has actually made me less tired and has curved my appetite. For the most part, I've been eating a lot of fruits and vegetables like soups and salads. I've also had whole wheat pasta and fiber-rich cereal.

I have a feeling I'll be sticking to this. But, I have a confession to make. Last night, I had a creme puff and a piece of a Napoleon. =\ I felt horrible afterwards. No dessert for a while, that's for sure.

I have yet to weigh myself, but I think I'll do so once a week so that the progress can really show.

If anyone is reading this & you're looking to diet. BUY THE BOOK. It's amazing.

Love, me.

Jane Eyre

2008-02-22T15:03:00.000-08:00

This book [Jane Eyre] is amazing. I seriously can't put it down.

Two more weeks till Jessica comes home!
Aghhgh I miss her all too much.

My heads gonna explode from all this stress.

Okay, I gotta go get ready for lunch! (I had to sneak this entry =P)

Love, me.

Vegetarian

2008-02-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

I think I might actually go vegetarian. Seriously.
I eat meat like once a month anyhow, and after watching this video I'm just gonna give it all up.
Disgusting, and inhumane.

I can't believe I ever told people that Kosher meat was healthier and more humane. Bullshit. The largest GLATT kosher slaughterhouse is entirely inhumane and dirty.

Definitely, Maybe

2008-02-21T08:54:00.001-08:00

This movie was too cute. Ashley & I saw it a couple days ago, and guess what! Irene was behind us the whole time. It was so weird, considering we were like the onlyyy four people in the theater haha.

Anyhow, I haven't ACTUALLY updated in a while.

I just recently got back from working in Las Vegas for MAGIC 2008, a fashion and apparel convention. Here's a photo recap:

Yah, I got SOOO much free stuff. I can NOTT wait for fall!!
Anyhow, I just bought two books:
'Skinny Bitch'
'Jane Eyre'

I never finished Baby Proof. wtf.

My schedule these days is all messed up & it definitely stresses me out. I'm trying to book all these shoots but every week something else comes upp. I can't wait for summer. I'm just not feelin school this semester.

So I made my final decision about Stern College. It's a no. For now, at least. I just want to work, save money, get my head straight, and then I can move accross the country. I really want to spend the summer in NY and work in Great Neck like my aunt suggested. We'll see. I still have to finish applying for the Israel trip.

See? Walk in my shoes for a day and you'll fall over.

Love, me.

Busy

2008-02-19T10:32:00.001-08:00

If only my life wasn't so busy, i could actually post on this.

To Do Today:
Go to the bank
Go to the post office
Gym for at least 1 hour (I ate chinese food last night)
Catch up on emails
Do HOMEWORK (ohh yah that thing called school?)
Clean room
Organize my life
Make appt. at hair salon
blah
blah
blah

this is stressing me out.

love, me.

Bally's

2008-01-21T14:59:00.000-08:00

I ACTUALLY WENT TO THE GYM.
HORRAH!

Ninah Sings

2008-01-20T21:34:00.000-08:00

My adorable Ninah has been known to sing for quite some time now. It's about time I post a video of it. Wait like 20 seconds in to hear her start singing. She had to warm up =)

Love, me.

Macworld Expo

2008-01-18T11:02:00.000-08:00

Wow, I definitely haven't updated in a while. As soon as Macworld came around it was like crashBOOM.

SHARONVAK'S MACWORLD MEMOIR

Day One
Ethan, Avi and I set out to Macworld. Thank you Andrew Mager for the discount code! I really had no idea what to expect considering I had never been to one before. Let me just say WOW! After a few minutes we already saw iJustine =D She was SososoOSosoOSosoO nice. I even got a picture :)

After that we basically toured all of the booths. Amazing things! It was irritating though because it seemed like everyone and their mom is making iPod/iPhone/iTouch cases. How do any of these people stay in business? The only unique case booth was one that carried Swarovski crystal cases. Yum!! At the South Hall, there were lots of Apple Booths & fun stuff like this:

AND OMGOSH I WANT ONE OF THESE FLASH DRIVES!!

And for the Google booth...Speechless. We ended the day extremely exhausted and ready to head home.

Day Two
On day two, Bryan and I went to Macworld again. There were WAY more people this time.

We got to take naps in these weird things (see picture) that are supposed to give you power naps instead of making you sleepy. Let me say...it worked!! I was way more energized than before. But who know, maybe it was all in my head. The software is called Pzizz & they are multi millionaires off a recording at say "Calm down...breathe...forget all your troubles of the day.."

After the West Hall, we got lazy and ditched the South Hall. We headed over to Bloomingdales where I spotted the perfect pair of Betsey Johnson studs =) My boyfriend is amazing.

Day Three and Four
On days three and four I did sales/promotion for a booth called TopXNotes. It was fun =) & Krystyl kept me entertained for quite sometime. She even brought these people from Maclife that were doing some kind of a quiz show. I didn't know anything and according to Steve Jobs, I'm probably an idiot. Check out the clip, I'm about halfway through: http://www.maclife.com/article/the_mac_life_quiz_show. She also brought me GOOGLE FLIP FLOPS. I'm allowing you to be jelous right now. It's okay.

Overall, Macworld was fun. But it's Sunday night and I'm STILL exhausted from the week. Next year, I vow to either work at it or visit it. Not both.

Love, me.

Happy Playoffs

2008-01-06T14:19:00.000-08:00

So Bryan's watching the football game, and I'm super bored. I also hate posting MySpace bulletins, so here it goes...a survey.

EIGHT lasts:

8. last kiss: Bryan!
7. last beverage: Water?
6. last phone call: B-ROOKE
5. last text message: BrOOKE wins again!
3. last BUBBLE bath: a loonng time
2. last time you cried: not suree
1. last time you hugged someone: today =D

SEVEN have you’s:

7. have you ever dated someone twice?: yesireee.
6. have you ever been cheated on?: nope
5. have you ever kissed someone & regretted it?: never
4. have you ever fallen in love?: yes!
3. have you ever lost someone?: yep.
2. have you ever been depressed?: who hasnt.
1. have you ever had a heartbreak?: duh.

SIX things you did in the past three days:

6. Went to school: Hello, winter break!

5. Went to work: Yup
4. Colored: No, actually =\ But I read a lot!
3. Got drunk: Nope! Anyone?!
2. Slept: Apparantly not enough! I'm so tired.
1. Hurt yourself: No =D

THIS YEAR…

Made a new friend: Quite a few.
Fallen out of love: Nu uh =D
Laughed until you cried? haha so much
Went behind your parents back: not necessary
Met someone who changed your life: Meh
Gotten close to someone: Very much =D

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF..

1. Bush: he's a damn disease.
2. Gay marriage?: let's not get into that...?

ABOUT YOU:

4. Straight, Gay, Bi?: straight.
6. Do you believe in love at first sight?: maybe for some people, who knows those kind of things
7. Is there something you want to tell someone? not really, they'll figure it out
8. What kinda shirt are you wearing? haha still in my bby shirt!!
9. How many kids do you want to have? three or four =D
10. Do you have a good relationship with your parent(s): veryveryvery good
11. Do you want to change your name? i used to! but nope
12. What did you do for your last birthday?: good question? haha i REALLY forgot
13. What time did you wake up today?: 9:10 AM!
14. What were you doing at midnight last night? wtaching The Kingdom with Lita Clay & Bryan.
15. Name something you CANNOT wait to do?: i'm pretty content with how everything is right now.
16. Last time you saw your father?: this morning
17. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life? absolutely nothing.
18. Which hand do you like better? neither.
19.What are you listening to right now? the stupid footie footie football game.
21. Have you ever talked about someone behind their back? who hasnt???
22. What’s the last piece of clothing you borrowed from anyone? Boots!
23. Who’s getting on your nerves right now?: no one!
24. Most visited webpage? facebook, google (everythinnngg)
25. Coke or Pepsi?: if i had to choose? coke.
26. Do you have a crush?: DUH.
27. Have you kissed or been kissed by anyone in the past week? yep
28. Do you disagree with a lot of things going on in the world? yes, but i also agree with a lot.
29. Do you think there’s some models/people out there that should gain a couple pounds? meh if its a part of their job then so be it
30. Do you enjoy your friendship with your friends? mmhM!!

Starbucks - coffee, music, charity, and film?

2008-01-05T16:38:00.000-08:00

Today Brooke and I (yes, Brooke, I'm blogging about it!) grabbed lunch. Our meeting point was Starbucks, where our mutual friend of ours works. We then grabbed lunch, headed back to Starbucks (where I purchased a tea) and went over to Victoria's Secret. On the way, my cup was getting too hot, so I stopped at the other Starbucks to grab a sleeve. A mutual friend of ours works there as well. How convenient, a Starbucks every step of the way.

That really got me thinking. There are so many Starbucks! I never really thought twice about how massive this corporation is. Those two Starbucks employed two of our friends. Additionally, at least six other friends of mine work at Starbucks as well. So much for unemployment! Thank you, Starbucks??

So, of course, I came home at Wikipedia'ed Starbucks to understand where the hell they are going with their world domination.

MUSIC
Currently, they sell many different CD's, some that are exclusive to them. While in Santa Monica, Bryan and I stopped by a Starbucks which was connected to a store called "Hear Music". It was still under construction, but it was some sort of new approach to buying music. I guess over 15,000 coffee shops wasn't cutting it. I'm not very optimistic about this idea, considering more and more people are purchasing their music via the internet. But I see that Starbucks has caught onto that trend by teaming up with Apple, Inc. and correlating their satellite station with iTunes. So, if you're in Starbucks with your iPhone or iTouch, your device can detect that last 10 songs played. Anyhow, be on the lookout for a Hear Music store near you!

MOVIES
Starbucks Entertainment. Ring a bell? Probably not, but last year Starbucks ventured as a production company on their first film, Akeelah and the Bee. We all remember the massive marketing within their stores, on cups, signage, products, etc.

If you could please enlighten me as to why a coffee company has decided to start producing film, I would appreciate you very much!

~~CHARITY~~
If you've ever purchased Ethos, you paid $1.80 for a bottle of water. But wait! It's not just any bottle of water. 5 cents of your money goes to a charity that funds clean water for children. Ethos, a brand owned by Starbucks, has generated over $4,000,000 in sales. Recently, they stated that Ethos is not, in fact, a charity, but a company created to raise awareness. So, who knows where that money went. Hmmm, I wonder...??? We all know very well.

KOSHER
In an attempt to be more "diverse" Starbucks has been working on creating more kosher prioducts for us Jewish consumers. For example, most of the syrups are OU, their sealed products sold at grocery lcoations are kosher, and a few of their pastries are as well. Check out kosherstarbucks.com for more!

Although there are some things about Starbucks that baffle me, it is truly an addiction, and I will continue to order a triple grande two pump blended tepid with whip White Mocha. Or, the occasional Caramel Apple Cider.

Love, me.

Happy New Years!

2008-01-03T12:36:00.001-08:00

So, this is my version of a typical New Years post.

The days following up to New Years Eve were ridiculous, but finally we all decided that downtown San Francisco would be best. So on NYE, Lolita and I went shopping, got cute, and hopped on bart.The ride was just as ridiclous as last year..sooo many people! The ride was quite entertaining as I gulped a (yummy) Sparks and made friends with fellow partiers. I love BART, really though.

Its Russian water, duh :)

So anyhow, we got onto Embarcadero which wasn't as crowded as I though it would be. I finished my second Sparks as we waited for the other groups of people. We had so much fun!! I don't remember the last night we had that much fun. We met up with people from the city (including Bryan, duh), and people from the South Bay. There was little to no drama that night. Loved it!

After that we went over to a friends house, and then went to IHOP for about three hours (or so it felt that way). All in all, I had a REALLY great time.

As for 2007, there's really not much that I regret, which I did different, or wish didn't happen. Now that I think about it, it was probably one of the best years I've had recently. I've gotten closer with the people I love, and although I've drifted a bit with my once best friends, everything is still great. I've really just been playing things as they go, not planning too much, or overanalyzing every situation as I once used to. I've changed a lot, and I love it.

New Years Resolutions (2008)

Keep all the amazing friends that I have
Stay out of the unnecessary drama
No overanalyzing people/situations
Lose 10 lbs.
Get a bikini bod for summer
Maintain (or better) my GPA: 3.85, bitches!
Money - Save more, spend less (food, clothing, etc.) Put aside at least $100 from every BBY paycheck
Keep blogging, finish my website
Read at least 10 books
Redecorate my room (in the process, yay!)
Stop procrastinating

Phew, not too bad. I'm sure I'm missing some things, but those are the important ones.
Well, back to being sick.

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

A couple hours with Ashley equals...

2007-12-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

So today Ashley and I met up at the CineArts theater in hopes that we'd watch Juno but I was somehow misinformed about the release date. It was upsetting, but in the end we decided to watch a beautiful movie: Atonement. What a great film! If you're not a hopeless romantic, you'll still get some history from it. Caution: Possible teary-eyes! All in all, the film really keeps you thinking once the credits roll.

Ashley also presented me with my present! She said she saw how I wrote about "going green" so she bought me a suitable book for my new interest. The book is called The Green Book and gives you a broad range of ways to conserve and be more eco-friendly. It's even great for a person who isn't too passionate about saving the earth, but looking into saving some money on bills. I have to decided to try compost to save on trash!

Anyhow, interesting day!

Love, me.

A Shot at Love

2007-12-18T23:32:00.000-08:00

So if you haven't seen the finale yet, please don't read this!

I have never really been into reality TV but wow! did I get addicted to A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila. Watching the season finale tonight was so nervewrecking! Okay. Let's get to the point here. I honestly don't think that Tila Tequila was ever bisexual. I mean MAYBE she wasn't sure but I think that she has been straight all along. The worst part is, whether or not it's reality TV, I really think Dani was so into her! When it came down to the final elimination and Tila picked Bobby, I got so upset from the look on Dani's face. I...CRIED. Okay. Pathetic? I don't know, but it was just so sad.

I don't know what to think of reality TV anymore. It's become so embedded in our culture, so normal, that you can't really be against it anymore. I used to never watch reality TV, but there's something about it that's so intriguing. These producers take 'regular' people, air them for weeks on end, and make them interesting people. It's almost like you're not interesting unless you're on TV, or a MySpace star, blog star, etc. The internet and reality TV trends are making Generation Y inclined towards wanting to be famous. Come one, who wouldn't want their own show?! It's interesting because you don't need a college degree, connections, or rich parents anymore to be rich&famous; you have to be 'interesting'.

What defines that? Beautiful, funny, geeky, adventurous, gross, silly, foreign...who knows?

The Italian guy Domenico from A Shot at Love... is also getting his own show, so I hear.

Love, me.

UPDATE!!

Just doing some research. I guess Bobby didn't work out after all (surprise). Here's the casting website for season 2: http://www.shotatlovecasting.com/

The application is so lengthy!

GOOD LUCK!

Love, me.

Retail

2007-12-15T17:59:00.000-08:00

I wait for the day I no longer work in retail. Well, I only do a few hours a week but STILL. Why are customers so ridiculous? One time a lady asked me how there's music "on such a tiny cd player". She was talking about an MP3 player. That question was followed by "Do they make micro CD's".

Shit.

And then there's the part where I'm a customer. I went to H&M today and since my mom let me borrow her credit card, I was gonna obviously use it to buy the clothes. The dumb lady asked me for an ID, which ended up in me not being able to use it. I hate people.

All in all, retail is a lose-lose situation.

That was my small tidbit of the day. Advice: Do your research before going to Best Buy. Please, and thank you.

Love, me.

Something Borrowed

2007-12-13T19:22:00.001-08:00

So Brooke and I hung out today and ended up going to Borders. I finally bought a new book!

I'm excited! Something more exciting? I think we're gonna go see Enchanted tonight. Yes, it was THAT good!!

Okay, okay fine. No more blogging!

Love, me.

P.S. Andrew [Amazing] Mager is setting up a website for me @ http://www.sharonvak.com/. LOVEIT!

Vid Number One!

2007-12-13T18:17:00.000-08:00

I lose everything, dammit.

My camera was extremely glitchy today.
Oh well, next time I'll use Quick Capture via YouTube.

Love, me.

Hookah

2007-12-09T02:08:00.000-08:00

So, I finally got to hang out with Rachel & Lolita..and then some. We just went to the El Cerrito (ghetto) Hookah bar. That place gets oldd!! But it's somewhere to go and we had a good time anyhow.

Thats all.

Love, me.

Enchanted

2007-12-07T23:16:00.001-08:00

Sorry, second post of the night! I had to stop by and say that Enchanted was such a good movie! Finally, Disney comes out with something thought out and worth watching since their cartoon movies!

It makes you all happy & whatnot. :)

Fine, fine. Goodnight.

Love, me.

Stumped

2007-12-07T19:07:00.000-08:00

I've decided that I need to do something interesting in my life. At my interview in New York last month, the interviewer asked me "So tell me about yourself, what do you do?" and I was STUMPED. All I could say was "Well, I work...go to school...spend time with family.." No hobbies, sports, nothing. I told her that I just don't have time right now to do others things.

What a complete lie.

I think I've been using that as an excuse to stay lazy and not be committed to something. Don't get me wrong, when I commit to something, I commit. But it's the getting started point that I'm bad at. For instance, I signed up for the gym and I've been there twice. This was in July. I pay $25 dollars a month for the membership...what a waste. I needa get my butt moving and do something.

I just don't know what I'm interested in. My problem is that I'm afraid I'll go for something d not be good at it. I like tennis, ballet, art, and I really want to try ballroom dancing. It's so beautiful! And the outfits are sexy as hell.

Hmmm. Maybe? I feel like I'm too old to start, that's all.

On an even heavier note, it's Friday night and I'm blogging.

Love, me.

Crank Dat

2007-12-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

I uploaded some new pictures from New York onto Picasa. Check them out.
Look at the cutest Brasilians & Israelis doin the Crank Dat dance!! :

the scoodie

2007-12-03T22:42:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty bad at this. The last time I wrote was right before I left for New York.

I had a wonderful time! It was great, and we beat the snow so the weather was pretty comfortable. Bryan and I stayed at the most beautiful hotel. Actually, it's a restored mansion. Take a look:

Beautiful, right? I have pictures from the trip here: Picasa.

I actually did some really good shopping, especially at this place that always seems to have the most unique things. I bought an item called a "scoodie". Basically it's a scarf with a hood! I wore it for the first time today- it was so warm! Here's what they look like:

Mine is purple, and knit. They even have some that have a pocket for an iPod!

Anyhow. School is almost out..only two more weeks! It feels like it's going to be a long time and a lot of stress before it's over. I haven't decided what I'm going to do over winter break. I can choose to: work at Best Buy full time, just take it easy, pick up a bunch of promo work, orrr iono. I like doing promo work, so hopefully I get more of that.

I feel like I haven't seen anyone in weeks. The last time I saw Lolita, Rachel, and Ashley was about a month ago. Ugh. Hopefully soon. It just seems like there's nothing to do nowadays. Hookah bar, party, someone's house, Starbucks. Shoot me. Maybe we can all get together and go camping over Winter Break or something. Rachel wants to go to Cancun over Spring Break..with her new friends. I'm just not feelin them so it not so realistic to me unless a bunch of people go.

Me and her haven't really spent quality time together since we started hanging out again. I wish she could be my best friend again. I miss just hanging out or driving around and talking. I hate it how some things can never be the same. I feel like she's always changing friends, so there's not really room for me in between all that.

Holy crap we look so different now!!

Lolita and I are same as always. We really have something different. After all the things we've been through we still have that closeness that I don't think will ever go away. When I think of introducing people in the future to the girl I've been friends with since childhood, I think of her.

How the hell did I get to this topic? Ugh.

Anyhow, off to bed. Hanukkah is tomorrow! I'm going to wake up, do homework, and start cooking!!

Love,
me.

Market & Powell

2007-11-13T11:01:00.001-08:00

So me & my sister went to downtown San Francisco yesterday...

I kinda went nuts. Why do I always do that right before I go on vacation?!

Anyhow, we had a lot of fun just talking & shopping. We don't really get to spend too much time together outside of the house anymore. After we went shopping, we grabbed a bite to eat up Powell at this small pizza place...they have the best pizza ever! I wish I could remember the name. While we were eating I saw this homeless girl, probably in her twenties and it was weird because she seemed totally normal, but obviously homeless. She was really nice and I felt so bad. She was looking around for food so I asked her if she was hungry..& I bought her dinner.

Gosh, I'm so sensitive about that kind of stuff. Like I feel so bad. Here I am, eating my dinner & surrounded by shopping bags, and she's dying to eat. It's so sad.

Anyhow, two more days till New York! I feel like I have so many things to do before I leave. I have a whole essay to write! I have to go to the SF Zoo today for a dumb homework assignment like, HELLO! Not EVERYONE has the time to go check out a bunch of caged, helpless animals!

Whats with me? I feel like such a hippy/activist lately. I've been going "green". I even asked my manager to put a recycling bin in the breakroom. I mean really though, why don't people just recycle? Or NOT use 278489324 napkins in one sitting? Or NOT drive 100 miles a day?

P.S. Ninah is the cutest thing ever. Just look!

Gotta go do something productive.

Love,
Me.