Oh yes, Depeche Mode have announced the title of their new album AND tour! Last week, they held a press conference in Milan, Italy and announced that the new album will be entitled Spirit to be released in 2017, followed by the Global Spirit Tour next summer. Currently, only the European dates are available, which I’ve listed below. I seriously considered going to the London show (tickets are still available for the pitch/general admission), but that would be too difficult to pull off with Dominic still in school. I’ll just have to wait until the US dates are announced to have my shot at seeing my all-time favorite band live. Most dates for the European leg have already gone on sale, so cheers to the lot of you who already have tickets!
Tag Archives: blogger
KAABOO 2016 Day 2 Recap
As I mentioned in a previous post (here), Angi and I won single day passes to KAABOO. Sadly, Angi couldn’t make it due to a work/travel assignment. Although she tried her hardest to make it happen, alas, it just wasn’t cost effective for her to create time for a break from her out-of-town commitment. Luckily, my best friend Janice was free and jumped at the chance to see one of her favorite artists live: Lenny Kravitz. I was anxious to see Gin Blossoms, Collective Soul, Third Eye Blind and Aerosmith, which is already quite the line-up! For the most part, it is difficult knowing you may not see all of the acts you want to because of the way the shows are scheduled, but because it’s known as “The KAABOO MIX-PERIENCE”, it should be understood that you just have to get to what you can, when you can and you just have to get creative to ensure the best use of your time.
I want to also express wholeheartedly that I had a phenomenal time. This was my second festival ever (my first was The Rewind Festival, post here), and it was amazing! I’ve read some negative reviews this year because of what happened after The Chainsmokers set was completed. Apparently, due to noise ordinances, the “Encore” portion was scheduled to take place indoors. Because of the limited accommodations, many of the people who wanted to see Ludacris followed by Steve Aoki couldn’t get in, and a near riot happened. I also read that a lot of people couldn’t get in to see Sarah Silverman as a part of their “Humor Me” comedy club. I remember the line was pretty insane as we were leaving the Aerosmith show. Because we chose to make the most of this experience by purchasing a parking pass and arriving incredibly early (12:30 pm), we enjoyed a leisurely tour of KAABOO prior to it becoming crazed and crowded. We also decided that Aerosmith would be the last act we would see before heading home, where we took the back-way and completely avoided any traffic. This is why we were so surprised to hear about how insane the night had become just after we left.
Overall, the food was wonderful, the mix of artists was fantastic because I don’t think I would have ever been able to see any of the bands I did in such a short amount of time, and for us, everything went without a hitch. There was plenty of areas to chill out between the shows, and I liked the “Hydration Stations” throughout to provide much-needed water at an outdoor event, along with several areas to charge any portable communication device (phones and tablets). I had gone to the San Diego County Fair earlier this year, and the Del Mar Racetrack was completely transformed into a hip alternate universe, which I’m sure was the whole point! I would love to attend KAABOO again next year, and maybe upgrade myself to the VIP experience.
To make the most of documenting my experience, I broke up this post into three parts: The Food, The Music, and Everything Else. I hope you enjoy my recap!
THE FOOD
I should have taken pictures of the inside of “Posh Nosh” because not only were there seated areas with tables, but comfy cushions to really get that lounge experience. Arriving early in the day allowed us time to walk around and get to know all of the food choices.
Of the food inside “Posh Nosh”, we opted for one of my favorite restaurants, Sausage & Meat. I’m not the biggest fan of slaw, but add bacon to it and I’m sold! This was the “2 Eggs, 3 Balls, Slaw” combo meal and it was definitely the heartiness we needed before tackling the day.
Outside of “Posh Nosh”, there are many places to grab a bite to eat. After seeing the Gin Blossoms and during Third Eye Blind, we decided on the Lob Mac at Wicked Maine Lobster. I swear, that’s an entire lobster tail in there! It was better than I can describe, so shall I say it was wicked good?!
I ended my KAABOO food experience with a Cinnamon Toast Crunch milkshake from The Milk Bar. Not only was it absolutely delicious, the crew was so much fun!
THE MUSIC
I have always wanted to see Gin Blossoms because one of my all time favorite songs is “Hey Jealousy”. By sheer coincidence of scheduling, they were moved to Saturday and I feel that the universe was aligned for this moment, and it was everything I hoped it would be. “Til I Hear It From You” and “Found Out About You” were also great live, and they are a fun band to watch. Check off another one from my concert bucket list!
I think the picture above should give an indication of just how crowded it got right around 4pm. As we ate our Lob Mac, we enjoyed the many hits of Third Eye Blind. I think this picture was taken during “Never Let You Go”, and I was so happy that I also got to hear “Jumper” and “Semi-Charmed Life” live.
Truth be told, I’m a novice when it comes to Collective Soul. That did not stop me from wanting to see them, so this is where Janice and I split-up. She wanted to catch all of Lenny Kravitz’s show, and I got to witness live the only two Collective Soul songs I know: “Shine” and “Better Now”. I’m infinitely glad I did, and my hubby was a bit jealous that I caught their show. “Shine” is even better live!
Even after arriving a little late, I still got to catch songs like “Are You Gonna Go My Way”, “Fly Away” and “American Woman”. Great set!
It’s not often you get to witness greatness, and one should acknowledge when that happens. Aerosmith are rock legends, and it had been over a year since they played live. There are moments where you need to make a choice, and although The Chainsmokers are wonderful in their own right, there was just no contest when it came closing out KAABOO for us. “Walk This Way” was worth the price of admission alone, and everything was icing on the cake. I am truly not worthy.
THE LATEST FROM LEGOLAND®: Brick or Treat 2016 & What’s Coming Next in 2017!
Brick-or-Treat Party Nights at LEGOLAND® California Resort!
It’s that time of year when ghosts and gobblins of all ages come out to play: Halloween! LEGOLAND® California will be presenting their “Brick-or-Treat Party Nights” and festivities start this week and run every Saturday until October 29th 2016. They will have extended hours from 5pm until 9pm, because we all know Halloween is so much better after dark!
My family will be heading out to enjoy all of the excitement on October 22nd, and I’ll be sure to post pictures of our ghoulish fun! If you haven’t purchased your tickets, get them at the link below:
What’s Next at LEGOLAND® California in 2017!
Being a LEGOLAND® blogger affords me some cool perks, like being one of the first to find out the latest and greatest on what’s up next at LEGOLAND® California! I attended a press conference last month along with my sister, Rholnna, as my photographer.
Thank you to LEGOLAND® California for always providing the perfect provisions, especially at 9am!
General Manager of LEGOLAND® California, Peter Ronchetti, spoke to us about lots of exciting things for 2017!
The LEGOLAND® Hotel will be expanded to include new LEGO® NINJAGO™ rooms that will replace the Kingdom rooms because they are preparing to open a new 250-room themed LEGO® Castle Hotel. Ground breaking will begin in 2017!
LEGO® Star Wars Miniland will be expanded to include LEGO® Star Wars™: The Force Awakens Miniland Model Displays, which will include six scenes featured in the first 30 minutes of Star Wars™: The Force Awakens!
Surfer’s Bay will open at LEGOLAND® Water Park, giving guests an opportunity to ride a wave!
Here’s to an exciting 2017 at LEGOLAND® California Resort!
ZIUR Designs Fall 2016 Fashion Show Recap
At the end of August, I attended the ZIUR Designs Fall 2016 Fashion Show at the lovely Porto Vista Hotel in benefit of Give Clean Water, an organization whose mission is “to provide a sustainable clean drinking water solution to every person in Fiji.” The evening was hosted by Leilani Angel of Style Sorbet, with co-hosts San Diego Style Bloggers Paulina of Lil Bits of Chic and Tiffany of Glitz and Glam by Tiff.
The show featured clothing by Oeas Villatoro (there’s a cape dress I’m in love with), along with ZIUR Designs jewelry and their newest MAN Collection. The evening started off with a cocktails and a trunk show, followed by the runway show. I had fun spending the evening hanging out with Lindsay of Affordably Accessorized, which was most apropos to close out National Accessory Month!
Give Clean Water is currently using a filter made by Sawyer Products called the Point One Filter. The filter attaches to a 5 gallon bucket and removes 7 log (99.99999%) of all bacteria like salmonella, cholera, and E. coli. and 6 log (99.9999%) of all Protozoa such as Giardia and Cryptosporidium. – From the Give Clean Water website
The filter was amazing and I even drank the filtered water myself!
I purchased one of each Water Drop bracelets by ZIUR Designs, where 100% of the proceeds go to benefit Give Clean Water!
That. Denim. Cape Dress by Oseas Villatoro! *swoon*
Statement jewelry by ZIUR Designs
Fantastic pieces from ZIUR Designs and their MAN Collection along with beautiful clothing by Oseas Villatoro
With Paulina, Tiffany and Lindsay
My outfit for the evening: Pre-owned Hermes scarf from Portero; Pre-owned dress by Natori from Refinery Resale in Las Vegas; Dior Saddle Bag from eBay; “ANGYL” pumps by YRU (no longer available)
I was definitely channeling Carrie Bradshaw with my Dior saddle bag (although that’s a Seabreeze and not a Cosmo)!
Styling Looks at Wysh Boutique
A couple of weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to share my story about being a career woman, wife, mom and blogger while styling some looks at Wysh Boutique in Carlsbad, for the Elite Networking Group. As I mentioned previously, I have been a part of the Elite Networking Group for over a year, and it has allowed me to meet and mingle with so many great women who are from various backgrounds whether they own their own businesses or maybe belong to a great organization for a worthy cause. In fact, one of the ladies I met that evening recently interviewed me and included me in her “Woman Crush Wednesday” feature, and I’ll post about that next week!
Carlsbad has become one of my favorite places to frequent. I discovered Gaia Gelato and Wysh Boutique when I attended a media event at the Carlsbad Village Faire last year (post here). I’ve been back up there a few times with my family and I’ve seen Paola, one of the owners of Gaia Gelato at several events in the Carlsbad area. I took quite a few pictures of the evening, and you can also check out Cindy’s Facebook page for more!
I would love to thank the beautiful Cindy Matalucci creator of The Pulse (San Diego’s only interview style video marketing company) and the founder of the Elite Networking Group, for allowing me to share my story and introduce my blog to a growing audience! I would also like to thank Mogjan from Wysh Boutique for her always being so kind, and for allowing me to style some of the great clothing and accessories from her lovely store!
Spirits provided by California Fruit Wine Co. I’ve had their wine at several events, and they are so refreshing and light!
Light snacks provided by Hands On Pasta. I’m not sure what that dish right above is called, but they were like light little pizza puffs. I easily ate ten of those that night, I’m sure of it!
Photo courtesy of Gaia Gelato; everything they create is simply delicious!
Mojgan, owner of Wysh Boutique, spoke first and told us her story of wanting to bring together a little bit of home goods, fragrances, accessories and clothing all in one elegant boutique.
The looks I styled with merchandise directly from Wysh Boutique. Mogjan has so many great items, it was easy to create some great summer-to-fall transitional looks! I bought that sweater by Lush, one of my favorite brands, because the color is great for fall with a unique neckline.
I’m standing next to a favorite look I styled: A wrap blouse with high-waisted flared jeans and a hat from San Diego Hat Company. I actually had to keep replacing the blouse because it kept getting shopped! In fact, I heard from Mogjan that they sold out of the outfit and I saw on Facebook that they recently restocked it. I need to go back and pick it up!
Sugarzuly is a fantastic line of purses & bags by a lovely lady named Monica and her sister, who created the weekender bag above, and the one I styled with the sweater and frayed-edge jeans. They are up-cycled from Huipil fabric, from her native Guatemala and Central America.
I have collaborated with Sugarzuly by styling one of the purses from their newest line. Be on the lookout for that outfit post soon!
The great thing about being a part of a networking group is meeting new people. Here I am with Ashley Poppe of AshPoppe – From Wear to Where, a blogger who recently moved here from Seattle!
With Cindy from The Pulse and founder of the Elite Networking Group!
Fashionably Late: August 2016 Events!
I cannot believe yet another month has come and gone! Dominic is now back in school and we’re settling in for our Fall/Winter schedule. This year, it means fitting in lots of school events, as well as accommodating my work/blogging/concert-going schedule with my husband’s busy business travel/golf schedule. Speaking of concerts, I’ll do a recap soon, and will call out special concerts like the Rick Astley concert at the famous Troubador at the beginning of August. Yes, you read that right: Rick Astley, famous for the hit “Never Gonna Give You Up”, played only two sold-out shows in the US this year, one in New York and one in LA. My best friend, Janice and I not only got to witness Rick all live and up close, but we also got to meet him afterwards!
So here is the mini-catch up, followed by separate posts for Elite Netoworking Group’s “A Night of Fashion & Fun” & the ZIUR Designs Fall 2016 Fashion Show.
Cheers and here’s to another great month!
Golf Channel AM Tour 2016 Wrap-Up
I am very proud to say that my husband closed out the 2016 Golf Channel Amateur Tour by not only promoting from the Hogan flight to the Palmer flight in their “Journey to Better“, but he was also named “Player of the Year” in his previous flight! Congratulations honey!
Love Tatum Sample Sale – 8/6/16
At the beginning of August, I took Dominic and Joey for the last sample sale at Love Tatum. It was my first time visiting Tatum’s studio, and since she has an adorable little French Bulldog, I knew it would be okay to bring Joey along for the outing. I bought a new little silver ring and Dominic enjoyed the refreshments.
Also, congratulations to Tatum for being selected as a finalist for the “Woman of the Year 2016” through San Diego Magazine!
National Accessory Month at Bubbles Boutique – 8/13/16
Lindsay of Affordably Accessorized
With Fatsani, one of the talented co-founders of TaSanni Designs
With Gayleen, owner of Bubbles Boutique (I bought that cute little top and purse)
Lindsay Ryan of Affordably Accessorized is a blogger friend and fellow San Diego Style Blogger. She announced the debut of August as “National Accessory Month” and asked bloggers and influencers to celebrate accessorizing and accessories all through the month. I participated in one of her events at Bubbles Boutique mid-month, and not only did I get to spend some time with Lindsay herself, but I got to see Fatsani of TaSanni Designs and chatted with Bubbles Boutique owner Gayleen. I also participated myself with showcasing some of my favorite accessories on Instagram and here on my blog. Looking forward to what next year has in store!
Pre-KAABOO Party at Mercedes-Benz El Cajon – 8/13/16
With Vanessa of Vanessa Balli, host of the Pre-KAABOO Party at Mercedes-Benz of El Cajon
With davyrockett, Sandi King and Joshua Taylor of King Taylor Project. They are so awesome live, check out their show listing here!
Right after I left Bubbles Boutique, I headed over to Mercedes-Benz of El Cajon to check out the festivities as fellow blogger Vanessa Balli hosted the Pre-KAABOO Party! Food was provided by Sausage & Meat, raffle prizes were given away every hour, pampering was done inside the showroom, and live music was provided by King Taylor Project and their friend davyrockett.
It definitely was a nice day to get out and enjoy a taste of what it will be like at KAABOO. Are you going? I’m going on Saturday September 17, courtesy of the tickets my friend Angi won at the Foodie Fest Encinitas Media Party back in May (post here)!
Fashionably Late: June & July 2016 Events!
Yes I know, it’s me again, LATE as usual! It has been very crazy lately with lots of work events, dealing with exterminators and the newest addition to the family: Joey, who we adopted from Clear The Shelters! This “Catching Up” post will cover June and July, then I’ll get through August in another post.
Have a great weekend, cheers!
“LIVING IN STYLE” AT POTTERY BARN, FASHION VALLEY – 6/12/16
In June, I attended the “Living in Style” event hosted by stylist Dean Hall and Autumn Ajirotutu of WAGS (who also has a blog, Temptasteious), at Pottery Barn at Fashion Valley. She is the wife of Seyi Ajirotutu, who was formerly with the San Diego Chargers and most recently of the Philadelphia Eagles, but is now a free agent. They both styled some fantastic tables in-store, and Autumn baked delicious treats, which Dominic very much enjoyed!
SAN DIEGO COUNTY FAIR – 6/18/16
Yes, that is Chicken & Waffles on a Stick and it was everything I hoped it would be!
I think my hubby wants that Steelers neon sign, what do you think?
Our brave boy, always ready to try something new, like holding a frog as big as his head!
I don’t think I documented our adventures at The San Diego County Fair last year on the blog, but I always do everything in real-time if you follow me on my Instagram. In addition to the Chicken & Waffles on a Stick, I also dove into the French Toast Bacon Bombs head first because it’s what you do at a fair!
COMIC CON INTERNATIONAL – 7/23/16
Power Puff Girls IRL (sort of)!
Adventures in South Park: Not sure what my husband is doing in the picture below, but I think it has to do with Santa Claus?!
As we did last year, we ventured around outside the world-famous Comic Con because tickets are not as easy to get as they were, once upon a time! But we still had fun because they’re just so much to do and look at all around the San Diego Convention Center and we were pretty exhausted by the time we got around to it all.
Just for fun, here are my passes from previous years, when you could walk up to the box office and purchase them on the day of the Comic Con. Those were the days!
CLEAR THE SHELTERS – 7/23/16
For new adoptive pet parents, wonderful free services are offered from their first vet visit to their first grooming session. We took Joey to Preen 2 Pristine and he got an adorable little bandana after he was groomed fresh and clean!
Right after the Comic Con, we decided to adopt our newest family member from the Clear the Shelters event. Meet Joey, our 1.5 year old Chihuahua mix! He is amazing and we didn’t even have to “potty” train him, so someone must have taken good care of him when he was a puppy. The description on his cage stated he was good for kids 8 and older, so the handler allowed us to play with Joey prior to making the decision, and so she could see if Dominic would be compatible with him. Joey and Dominic played well together, and now Joey is a part of our family!
We absolutely love him and we’re so glad we adopted!
MEETING ERICA STOLMAN OF FASHION LUSH AT UNO DE 50, FASHION VALLEY – 7/30/16
Free gifts with my purchase below!
At the end of July, I stopped by to meet Erica of the blog Fashion Lush at her Uno de 50 event at Fashion Valley, who is absolutely adorable and sweet in person!
This was my first time really getting a look at the Uno de 50 jewelry up close, and they have a lot of very cool silver pieces. I liked the skull bracelet I purchased because the leather was brown, and I got a few cool “gifts with purchase” like a shirt, Godiva gift card and another bracelet!
A Night of Fashion & Fun at Wysh Boutique for Elite Networking!
I’m excited to be a part of the festivities for Elite Networking Group at Wysh Boutique in Carlsbad tonight! I’ll be talking about my love for fashion & music, how I got started in blogging and how I incorporate it with my loving family and career. I’ll also be putting together some of my favorite looks from Wysh Boutique!
I’ve been a part of the Elite Networking Group for over a year, and it’s a wonderful network for women who want to grow their businesses with quality referrals. We meet monthly through events hosted by founder and The Pulse producer & host Cindy Matalucci.
Thank you Cindy for having me and I’m excited for this great night of fashion and fun!
Good Stuff on Banggood!
It’s always fun to find sites that provide a bit of everything under the sun, and Banggood is one of those sites. I found out about Banggood while on Facebook because they were on my feed one day as a sponsored post. I fell in love with these adorable Mary Jane Chinese Embroidered Flats (pictured below) and loved them even more after reading some of the great reviews about them on Banggood’s Facebook page. Not too long after, I was contacted by Banggood to come up with a wish list of items from their site, and I was more than happy to oblige. So other than those lovely Mary Janes, here’s my wish list of great stuff to find on Banggood!
Good Stuff Wish List From Banggood
These Mary Jane Chinese Embroidered Flats come in three colors: red, green and black. The black ones pictured above are my favorite.
I don’t know what it is about envelope shaped accessories, but I adore them and this Universal Mail Bag Retro Envelope Pouch for the iPhone 6 is beyond cute!
Was there any doubt that this Shockproof Retro Cassette Hard Case Cover for the iPhone 6 would be a favorite? They had me at “Retro Cassette”!
This 1PCS Universal Mobile Smart Phone Bracket Clip Holder For Tripod would be great to attach to my iPhone to any tripod for quick outfit or location posts!
I love this cute top, which is called Women Pattern Printed Chiffon Beach Sunscreen Clothing Half Sleeve Cardigan, because it would most likely be used as a beach cover-up. I love both the polka-dot one and the star print one. I would totally rock it off the beach as pictured, or even over a simple black tank dress for an evening look!
One thing to keep in mind about a site like Banggood, especially with clothing and shoes, is that they are measured according to Asian sizes which run small. What I really found helpful about Banggood’s site is that they provide the size equivalent of common sizes from different countries, and an explanation of what to expect with their sizes so that the consumer can then make the appropriate choice.
Thank you Banggood for the opportunity to pick my favorites from your fun site! If you like what you see, be sure to click on the links I have provided, or visit them on their main site at Banggood.com and follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The Magic of Moonstone
I’ve only recently discovered the magic and mystery of the moonstone, which is a feldspar group of gemstones. They are known for their adularescence (their glow or inner light), and I’ve read that white moonstone “carries the energy of the new moon at the height of its power, stimulating psychic perception, vision and dream work. It can magnify one’s emotions, activating the kundalini energy in women and emotional balance in men, and is supportive in children to drive away nightmares or insomnia (definition from Crystal Vaults).”
I love this beautiful triangle moonstone pendant from Moonstone Magic. I chose the shape from the description alone: “The triangle was meant for ascension in the mystic realm. With Moonstone to fill the shape, one’s inner journey will come to a completion.” Also, I chose a pendant because I like knowing its power is between the Throat and Heart Chakras, seats of communication and love.
Moonstone Magic’s jewelry are all simply gorgeous and come delivered with a lovely pouch. If you like my piece or others like it, check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
FTC Disclosure: I received product in exchange for a product review (please also note that Moonstone Magic’s pendants do not include a necklace, the one pictured is one I already own). Although I did receive product, the opinions in this post are strictly my own.