search is on.

this weekend, i began the task of looking for a new car.

i've had my car for eight years, so i'm totally out of the loop...there are so many new models out there. if i could take my pick, i'd go for the range rover evoque or the all-new range rover. buuuut, i don't think those are an option as long as i'm putting two minis through school. if you don't mind sharing, tell me what you drive and why you like it.

had this dress for years...one of those dresses that looked cute in the store, not so much when you got home. wanting a white dress to wear with my red plaid, i started fussing with it. seems better shorter, held in place with a hidden belt.

beef short ribs in the slow cooker...

had to sub boneless ribs, but still came out nice and tender.

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 c brown sugar

1/4 c rice vinegar

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 tbl fresh grated ginger

combine above ingredients in slowcooker.

8 beef shortribs

4 med carrots, halved

add ribs and carrots in single layer.

1 small cabbage, quartered

place cabbage on top.

five-six hours on high.

remove ribs and veggies.

thicken sauce with cornstarch, add 1 tbl sesame oil.

(linen dress, guess; plaid, go jane (buy); military, thrifted; shoes, aldo)

try this look:

*dress thumbnail is black, but it does come in white.

two short weeks.

hope everyone enjoyed their 4th of july holiday.

on tuesday night, the neighborhood moms decided to go walking after the kids went to bed. so at 9pm, we set off for what i thought would be a quick walk around a few blocks. two hours later, we had walked the entire town. these mamas don't

mess around. and how did we end the walk?

with a glass of wine, of course.

unfortunately, i woke up sick as a dog on the 4th.

spent the entire day in bed. and the poor minis...mini-he literally sat on the bed the entire day watching and waiting for me to get up. fortunately [although heavily medicated] i was able to get out of bed long enough to take them

to see the fireworks.

the best thing about this middle-of-the-week holiday?

two short weeks.

happy friday!

drugstore haul...stocking up on lashes at 25% off and

maybelline at 30% off.

(bag and shoes, aldo)

thanks to everyone who participated in the june giveaways.

those daily tweets paid off for these winners!

winner of Lash Genius

congrats to chelsea of sunny with a chance of sprinkles!

Min: Max:  

Result: 21

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winner #1 of firmoo glasses

congrats to chelsea of sunny with a chance of sprinkles!

Min: Max:

Result: 30

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winner #2 of firmoo glasses

congrats to laura sanchez of lovely sea!

Min: Max:

Result: 42

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**i will contact you shortly**

game on.

as much as i love a relaxing weekend, i also love one that is spontaneous and full of healthy activities. this weekend, i:

• tried a new hike in aina haina valley where there were no breathtaking views from above. instead, beyond the shrubbery and beneath the tall trees, the ruins of kawauoha heiau where a human sacrifice once took place.
• played ping pong for the first time in years. it was a few friendly games, but inside i really wanted to win. i think a rematch is in order.
• taught mini-she and my nephew how to do the rubiks cube.
• learned and played four square with the kids. there were a few almost sprained fingers and broken nails.
  my nephew hates to lose and doesn't care if you are a girl, but little does he know this aunty can dish it right back. bring it!

the only (phone) picture i got at the beginning of the hike.

once you get past all this, it's nice and cool under

all the tall trees.

(top, local boutique; skirt, frankie b.; shoes, aldo;

bag, rebecca minkoff x mark via giveaway)

the morning after.

so...did anyone wake up in their halloween costume?

if so, call me. i wanna party with you next year!

just wanted let you know that i'll be out of town for a couple of days for work. not sure if i'll have internet access, other than my trusty blackberry, so i'll catch up

with y'all when i get back.

feel free to hit me up on twitter for some late nite convo

as i'm sure i'll be antsy without my laptop.

signing off as i need to be up early for my flight.

this is the first time i'll be away from mini-he.

good luck, grandma!

(skirt via oomph; sweater, local store; shoes, aldo)

upsets times deux.

last week i received two big packages.

unfortunately, most of the stuff in both packages didn't fit.

either sizes are getting smaller, or i'm getting bigger.

with all the sweets i post, i guess i'm not surprised. but in my defense, i did take my first zumba class last week.

and sweat like a mutha.

luckily, i was able to exchange and return some stuff in-store, so i left the blue way too skinny denims there and brought home this leopard top. not a bad trade...i mean, you can never have too much leopard.

the sak x seeds of peace = peace bag collection

thai iced coffee...strong stuff!

(top, old navy (similar)(similar); denim, f21 (similar);

shoes, aldo (similar)(similar); bag, the sak (similar))

plants vs zombies.

are you in the know?

all the cool kids are doing it.

i'm hooked on mini-she's game, plants vs. zombies.

at first, i thought it was the biggest waste of time. ever.

basically, zombies are trying to get into your house and

eat your brains, so you plant plants and other

obstables in your yard to ward them off.

mini-he wanted to try, and while i usually just let him fiddle, i found myself "helping" him fight off the zombies. next thing mini-she knew, i had created my own player

and surpassed her on the levels.

i didn't mean to, but the zombies keep comin' at-cha!

i decided to throw all my ziggedy zag stuff at you all at once.

no more after this.

have you fallen in love with mark yet?

scroll down to get a headstart on your christmas gifts.

it said to PICK ME, so i did...great wine for under $8!

(shirt, victoria's secret (similar); shoes, aldo (similar); belt, f21 (similar)

dress, missoni for target (similar)(similar)(similar);

satchel, urban outfitters (green)(green ))

mark. sugar plum holiday look

$22

mark. multifaceted necklace in smoky mix (shown)

mark. multifaceted necklace in jet

$20*

(*with $20+ purchase, otherwise $30)

spend $30+ and get a FREE lipgloss...

exclusively for [oomph.] readers!

october 1-15, 2011

see details here.

click here to register and order.

don't forget to tell jackie, "oomph sent me!"

hand me some color.

i'm still sick, guys.

second week of major sinus pressure headaches,

fever, and body aches.

and, my inflamed sinuses are causing my upper teeth to hurt.

(yes, my dentist told me!)

that said, i've been too achey to get creative with

outfits this week.

today, for example, a pink floral skirt with a

pink shirt to match.

totally uninspiring, i know. bear with me.

by the way, typical forever 21 skirt...wrinkled, stretched out, and lost its shape by mid-day.

let's focus on the nails, shall we?

with all this talk about color blocking,

i was inspired to do some.

my wardrobe may be lacking in the color department,

but my box of polishes isn't.

(top & skirt, f21; sweater, urban outfitters; shoes, aldo)

new items added to the marketplace.

princess silver rock.

just realized that i was wearing jeans in my last four outfit posts, so this dress came at a good time.

it's paper-thin and super bright pink.

this creamy sweater has a tinge of pink and

helped tone it down a bit.

and for the first time i'm seeing the print as sort of tribal.

hence the title.

it's my tribal name.

get yours here, and tell me in the comments!

i was catching up on your blogs last night and forgot to remember to remind myself not to forget to paint my nails.

hope i remember tonight.

(cardi, f21; dress, limited sizes available at oomph (email me); shoes, aldo; DIY necklace)

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE!