Europe 2011

Hello Hello! It's Esme & I'm back from Europe. for most of you who don't know...I was in Belgium & France for a suuuper duper busy 12 days getting to know my team and retail stores for my new position at Levi's!

This post is gonna be a quickie, cause I am jet-lagged beyond belief! My body thinks it's 5am right now....eeee

Anyway, I thought I'd share a few photos from my trip. I spent most of my days alone, so I photographed mostly places and things. But my-oh-my, what lovely places and things they were!

Have a look :)

Belgium...

Paris...

Sock Monkey Confetti

These little guys recently accompanied my resume on a trip to one of my favorite local businesses. They were so much fun to make, 
& so cute I almost kept them as pets!

Can you tell I rrrreeeaaaaally want this job? 

Why else would I do something so silly to get attention!?

I know the monkeys alone won't do the trick, but at least they got me an interview!

Wish me luck!

p.s. which is your favorite? :)

Happy Friday!

Woo! What a week! We can't say that it was particularly enjoyable; I spent the night in the ER after having a pretty mean shellfish allergy attack. My lips swelled to Botoxical proportions. I had hives everywhere! It was pretty crazy.

Pete sat with me and held my hand while my fear of needles was put to the test, multiple times. Although I would rather not have had to endure all that's happened this week, it's times like these that remind me how lucky I am to have him. Especially cause he still loves me, even though I looked like this for two days: 

*eep!*

We're so grateful and excited for this weekend! Have a wonderful one yourself, reader! xo

Blogiversary

One year ago, we decided to start chronicling our adventures in cohabitation. We wanted a place to share the fun, silly & random bits of our life, & when we're old and grey we can remember how much fun we've had along the way. We had no expectations, we had no followers, we weren't even sure if our families would catch on (they did, finally). It's been such a super great year of writing & sharing! & we can't wait for all the fun stuffs the next 365 days will bring!

We're so happy for those of you who've stopped by to see what we're up to! Thank you for reading(& don't be afraid to leave a comment once in a while! If you have something to say, or an idea you think we might enjoy, we'd love to hear it)!! Here's the link to how it all began.

 

Here's to another year of blogging for P+E!

They Say It's Her Birthday

We're in Visalia for the weekend & I don't have much time to type, but I just thought I would let ya'll know.

On this day in history, the lovely & talented Esme Dawn Wilson was born.

Happy Birthday, Love!

Reason #2,456,837,451 why Pete is awesome

As if my monthly Ladies' Night dinner wasn't great enough...Pete (with a little help from our friends) organized a SURPRISE 30th birthday party for me!!!

It all started at Mary's house with some seriously deeeelicious summer-themed food -- pasta salads, peaches & berries, arugula, avocados, heirloom caprese, spinach dip, fried cheese & homemade pizzas...YUM! are you drooling yet? Then out came the cutest cupcake from Miette & a sweet birthday song. I was a happy camper!

The gals suggested we go for a post-stuffing/birthday drink in the neighborhood. "OK...lemme just text Pete and tell him I'll be home later". "Cool. Let me know when you're done" he said. Off we went to Triple Crown, down the hill from the Shadleys'. I was scuttling ahead because I had to pee & the girls were probably worried I'd B line right by the party and ruin my own surprise...

The rest is kind of a flash/blur combo, so I'll let Pete tell you...

Yes, the 'post-dinner drink at a neighborhood bar' plan was an elaborate and diabolical plot to lure Esme into a web of friends for a big birthday surprise (thanks to Mary & the girls for the big assist). Somehow, it worked. I managed to surprise the one person who has the uncanny ability to see right through my smoke & mirrors. Needless to say, the element of surprise is my new favorite element.

Had I not forgotten my camera in the rush to get out the door, I would have a picture of Esme in that moment to share with you. I don't know that I've ever seen her face light up like that before. If I had to explain it, it would be shock turning to embarrassment turning to flattery turning to joy, in in the span of about five seconds.

Yep, he got it right :) That "SURPRIIIIIISE!!!!" just about knocked my boots off!

What a happy night it was! Thanks to all my friends -- from around the corner to Oakland & San Jose, from tired to pregnant to sick to 'it's past baby's bedtime' to 'i came straight from work' -- you made my birthday, and 1st ever surprise party, so special!

And thank you, Pete! You never cease to...surprise me.

Tonight, we're off to Visalia to celebrate with MORE wonderful friends & family! Have a great weekend!

xoxo

30 Days to 30

EMO ALERT!! The Tigers hardly ever write about personal issues in this space.

But that big, round number above is looming, and I'm making an exception just this once!

It's countdown time. In 30 days, I turn 30 years old. Most of my friends around me are already in their 30s (including lil' Pete, who turns 32 this year!), so I've been hearing a LOT of "it's not a big deal", "oh waaaah", "suck it up", etc. I appreciate the efforts, friends. But...to be honest, I'm FREAKING OUT!

I'm not anywhere close to where I thought I would be by the time I turned 30. I didn't think I'd still be struggling to live in one of the most expensive cities in the US, renting a teeny (albeit cute) apartment, not yet married...I just want 30 to wait a few years until I catch up with the person I thought I'd be by now.

I'm trying to remind myself that it IS just a number. I'm trying to remember I don't have to have it all figured out. I'm trying to listen to all my friends who say that this will be the best decade of my life. I hope they're right.

So let's hear it -- What's the best thing about turning 30?? How did you celebrate the big 3-0?



photo via flickr

You Know You Live in San Francisco When

Both Esme & I have fallen prey to one of the classic San Francisco afflictions: Bike Lust. 

No, we're not standing around in the Mission drooling over just ANY old bikes. The bike we have in mind is simple, elegant -- almost utilitarian even -- affordable, & made down south in Venice Beach, near LA. 

Ladies & Gentlemen, meet Linus (stage left, next to the two dudes who made him).

They've been around for a few years now, but as of last summer when Esme found out about them, Linus bikes were only sold in Venice Beach & South Hampton, NY. As posh as those places sound, though, the sticker shock of their bikes is surprisingly low. Retailing from between $350-$550 & handmade with stainless steel, a leather seat/handlebar covers, Linus bikes are a steal.

And now that a few places in the Bay Area carry them, it's time to make it happen. Esme's birthday is coming up & it's been my plan for awhile now to get her one of their 3-speed "mixties" (*see below...& not a surprise, obviously). 

And with my beater commuter bike, Betty White, having major troubles of late as well ("of late" meaning that my front brake busted riding in this morning), I'm strongly considering getting myself one as well.

Where am I gonna get that kinda money? Very good question, dear reader. I'm thinking Esme first & me second on this one. Or maybe it's time for a garage/bake sale/bbq soon. I'm taking donations too. You know...in case you have a few hundred dollars lying around.

Botch Yr Name Wednesday

Thanks, Starbucks. You can't even get my FAKE name right! I'm not even sure what that says! LOWO? LOULO? LOSER?!?

At least I have mint green nails and Skateboard Chick wallpaper to make me feel better :)

What should tomorrow's fake name be? Something REALLY tricky!

So Funny, I forgot to breathe...

This sort of thing would have KILLED me in junior high.

Thank goodness I've learned to appreciate self-deprecation in my 29 years...

That's What She Said: Castro Edition

The Scene: Sunday afternoon, driving through San Francsico's Castro neighborhood on our way to our friends' Jonah & Staci's new house.

E: I haven't driven through the Castro in a long time.
P: Me neither...
E: I wonder where Harvey Dent lived.
P: Wait...come again?
E: Harvey Dent. I wonder where he used to live. It was around here somewhere, right?
P: Harvey MILK lived around here, yes. Harvey Dent is Two Face from Batman. He lived in Gotham City.

Then I laughed until she bit my arm. Then I laughed some more.

My girl is frequently hilarious, & it is often by accident. :)

Someone Has the Grumples...

Esme woke up on the wrong side of the bed today...literally.

We tried a Trading Places experiment, and it kinda messed with her noggin.

Perhaps we'll return to our regularly scheduled sides tonight...
for both our sakes.

Vacation, all I ever wanted

Happy Monday!

happy?? well, not really....

'cause I won't get to do this in the middle of the day anymore...

I think I'll miss bathtime the most :)

No Surgery 'til Tomorrow!

I have this little bump on my head. Over the past year it's gotten a wee bit bigger...now, we're not talking golf ball big. Just annoying, my headband sits crooked big. I also have a history of cysts & cancer in the family, so I'd rather be safe than sorry and nip the little sucker in the...head. It's a simple procedure (& I've had several friends tell me that they've known someone who's had similar lumpy scalp issues); it takes about an hour, a little local anesthesia, a few stitches and I should be good as new.

The only issues are a) I'm a wimp! I HATE needles, stitches the sight of blood--all that comes along with surgery. & b) They're gonna shave some of my hair! I'll have a little bald patch on the side of my head for a few weeks. When I heard that news, I started searching for cute pixie haircuts so the grow-in will be less noticeable. I've been saving a photo of the cutest curly pixie from a WWD for over a year now, hoping I'll muster the courage to one day chop it. & despite my long face, large earlobes and tendency to run cold, maybe now's my chance!

What do you think??

...except I'm curly so it'd probably look more like this:

p.s., I'd just LOVE to look like her...anytime.
I don't think Pete would mind either.

TANGENT. Sorry.
So...because said Lumpy Wimp can't just be a Big Girl & go alone, Sweet Pete came with me on his lunch break to hold my hand. ONLY to find out they didn't book enough time for my procedure today. UGH! I have to go back tomorrow...New Year's Eve. This little pest is really living up to its reputation.

Anyway, Wish me luck! Hopefully Headwound Harriett will feel well enough to go out & celebrate 2010!

That's What She Said: Jury Duty

Esme: "Do I have to dress up for jury duty?"
Pete: "NO. Are you serious? You can wear whatever you want."

a brief pause as Esme brushes her teeth

Esme, re-enters the room: "It's just that....everyone in the instructional video was wearing a suit."

Pete: *sigh*

That's What She Said: Dinosaurs

Hi. Pete here. One of my favorite things to do is wear Esme out with a litany of hypothetical & ridiculous questions. At first she resists, but if I keep it going, she usually finds a way to one-up even the most random left-field thought I can muster.

My favorite example of this is when, during a quiet moment while driving in the car, she suddenly looked very perplexed & wondered aloud "...how do scientists know what dinosaurs eyes looked like?" After I recovered from the shock of the question, I gave a half-boiled answer about lizards being their descendants & thus their eyes must be like lizard's eyes (which I think is actually pretty accurate). She then dug in further, confessing that the pterodactyl was her least favorite dinosaur. Why? Because it has bad skin. Bad skin! You can't make this stuff up. My girlfriend hates an extinct animal...because it has bad skin. Or, as she put it, "pterodacne".

You be the judge. Does this noble beast have bad skin?
Y or N. Circle one.

Missin' Miss

It’s Monday morning. An unusual time for excitement & high spirits. But today is different. It is the day the girl (Esme) comes home from a weekend in Seattle. Consequently, the boy (Pete) is ecstatic.