iPhone 6 countdown

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
11 September 2014
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It’s almost time to order the newest iPhone and I can hardly wait!! I’ve been waiting eagerly for a year, ever since hearing about the 5S and knowing that the 6 would only be better. Now we’re getting close to that 12:01 PDT deadline. I’m going to bed and hope l wake up to my alarm. Should have slept two hours ago, oh well! I just need to get through one more intense day and I can crash.

[update] Well, I set an alarm for 2:40 EDT and then foolish lay there thinking I had time. I ended up falling asleep until about 3:27 and then scrambling to go order. First I tried the Apple Store app, but it said my product was unavailable. I suppressed panic as I tried the AT&T app (stuck on a landing page about how they’ll be ready soon) and then pulled up the website. Things kept freezing, error messages cropped up a few times, and I started over half a dozen times. Ultimately the best path seemed to be logging in to my AT&T account and then clicking the prompt there to check my upgrade eligibility. The pages there looked a bit different, but I chose my space gray 64 GB iPhone 6 and was able to check out with no further glitches!

screenshot of ordering process for iphone 6 at at&t wireless

I have an order confirmation page, but I don’t see an email confirmation yet and when I go back to my account, the line upgrade doesn’t seem to register (so in theory I could accidentally double-order if I tried the process again). I’m paranoid that this isn’t totally official and/or I won’t get my shipment next Friday when they first go out. The confirmation page has a spot for the date and it’s blank, though when ordering it specified the Sept 19th date. I guess we’ll just have to see if I am fortunate enough to get it on schedule. I sure hope my order is early enough in the queue! Still, I’m not feeling confident enough to sleep just yet.

part of confirmation message from at&t for iphone 6 order

Video editor extraordinaire

laelene Posted in general blog，
10 September 2014
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Too tired to type much today. Meetings back to back today, demoing for customers, coordinating with partners, and filming for the sales conference tomorrow. In between I started editing the video clips to make them better. Didn’t even have time for a restroom break for a 2.5-hour stretch. Next two days are jammed with conference stuff (internal training for the sales team). I’ll be a video master by the end of this.

Tonight I edited the ones we need first tomorrow. Too tired to finish the rest. At least I have less talking the rest of the week. My throat hurts.

Work anniversary

laelene Posted in general blog，
09 September 2014
0

It’s my one-year anniversary at Canvas! Hard to believe, since it has felt like many years already, given the massive changes and wealth of experiences so far. Things are completely different now, including the office we’re in, the team/department I’m part of, the teams I work with, the roles I undertake, and my ever-expanding responsibilities. What a ride! We’ll see what the next couple of months bring. Will it be intense as usual or will it simmer down a bit?

Also on this happy day was the Apple event announcing the iPhone 6 that I have been eagerly awaiting for over a year. Ever since they announced the iPhone 5S, I’ve been wondering what the 6 would bring and when I could finally upgrade. The thing I’m most looking forward to is the Touch ID, so I don’t have to deal with passcodes to unlock my phone. Of course I’m also happy to see continued improvements on the camera options and many other things as well, but that’s the feature that came with 5S that I really wanted.

Two auspicious things coincided today and I look forward to what the future has to hold.

The man in my dream

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , ,
07 September 2014
0

[I started writing this the day after I woke up from this dream back on 7/26, but I only recently finished it.]

I had a dream last night.

Of a man who picked me up on my way home from work and led me on this fantastical voyage. He was charming and sweet and blonde and rich. Somehow he managed to be a mash-up of some of the men from my past. He drove a Mercedes, which none of them did though. There was the one who drove some sort of Cadillac, another with a Ford truck, the Bentley guy… even one with a family yacht. But this guy, he drove a Mercedes and he struck up a conversation with me as I was walking along a hallway lined with large glass windows on one side. It seemed we worked together and were friendly. I had the impression that I was heading out for the day, but the sun was high in the sky and the welcome rays streamed in to the hallway as we walked.

Physically, he reminded me of a cross between a teacher I had in high school and a man I met in Whole Foods. Personality-wise, he reminded me of a flirtatious friend or two. Somehow he convinced me to take a ride with him in his car instead of heading home. So off we went, driving down a small country road as the breeze swept my hair and the sun warmed our faces. We were exploring the region, down quaint two-lane roads lined with fields of green. He drove me to some place in the middle of this landscape, where all my long-lost friends were. It was a town of sorts where my friends from high school and previous jobs were, together and mingling. The scene was reminiscent of a part of a canyon that I was at for boot camp for AFJROTC one year. It was a sweet reunion, as I happily caught up with some of those friends.

He then took me to a little cozy brunch spot, where we got to enjoy breakfast foods. (Was this day somehow going backwards? Don’t ask me why we were eating brunch midday supposedly after work.) The meal wrapped up with a surprise treat. A rare, fancy dessert that apparently is part of a classier lifestyle. It was as if we were celebrating something. At this point I noticed some coworkers eating in the same establishment. They were eyeing my luxurious dessert with envy. There I was, being shown the finer things in life and rather confused as to how I got into that situation in the first place. Still, I wasn’t about to complain. I was enjoying myself.

Before I knew it, we were wrapping up our grand adventure at a hotel spa later that day. In front of us lay a giant tub brimming with a steaming herbal bath. This is when I really started to question his motives. The day had started off innocently and with a friendly undertone. Somehow as the events progressed, it got more and more suggestive. Then this. The assumption was that we would bathe together. As I stood there taking in the scene, pondering whether I should go for it, I woke up.

Escape Monthly August: Paris Box review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
05 September 2014
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Ah, Paris… of course we’d some gourmet items here and leave it to one of these items to have some delays coming through customs! I was also intrigued by the very different guide book included this time around.

Escape Monthly is just under $40 per box (with code for 20% off your subscription – see end of post) and comes with a variety of food, home, skincare items themed around a city. Each box comes with a Moon Handbooks guide for that region. Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a lovely recurring referral commission program.

escape monthly august paris box products showing escape monthly august paris box info card against blue and white chevron background escape monthly august paris box info card opened with details of products included(click to enlarge and read full messaging)

The items this time around didn’t take up much room, which made me feel like there wasn’t much there, but the value of the items is certainly higher than usual.

Here’s what came in the box:

Rick Steves’ Pocket Paris – This is a nice little guide full of colorful pictures! You might not even have to go to Paris anymore after seeing all the sights from its pages. I certainly plan on visiting Paris time and time again, so this will be a great way to help me discover all that the city (and surrounds) has to offer.

Nuxe Body Scrub & Shower Gel – Well, I didn’t get the scrub and that’s really sad for me since that’s one of my favorite skincare items. Instead, I got two shower gels, so I’ve emailed them to get the scrub sent to me. I didn’t even notice the seal on it when I first tried to open it for a whiff. I’m not a huge fan of almond, but the combination with orange flowers is really great! It smells fantastic and I can’t wait to lather up to the scent in the shower. I’ll be even happier to scrub to this scent!

Institut Karite Paris Perfume Almond and Honey Precious Hand Cream – I’m guessing that this was the product holding things up in customs. It looks luxurious and definitely fancy and Parisian. I’ve certainly enjoyed shea butter hand creams like the ones from L’Occitane, so I’m sure I’ll love this for the winter months. It’s so thick! I love that I got a scent that is rather unique and I hope the almond scent doesn’t get too strong for me after awhile. So far so good – it appears to be a nicely mild and sweet scent.

Edmond Fallot dijon mustard – There’s quite the history behind this little jar. I don’t really eat many items I’d put mustard on, so I’m thinking I might take this to work to put in the communal fridge.

Pierre Biscuiterie French butter cookies – I like that they have two plastic packs in this box, so I don’t have to worry about having to each all of them quickly. These little butter cookies are crisp and rich in flavor. The dried fruit bits offer a bit of a tangy, fragrant kick to the cookies. I’ll be finishing these off with my next pot of tea, which I think will be just fabulous.

les Anis de Flavigny French mints – The light lemon flavor of these mints is lovely. There is a bit of an aftertaste that I can’t quite place – perhaps that’s the anise (no idea what that is). It’s a bit bitter, but not outright so. I think of these more as candies though, since I don’t think they’re really freshening the breath much. Whoa! I just bit into it and definitely got the anise taste – I think they have small bits of it in the center. Now I know these must be related to those star anise dried things you cook with.

Bonne Maman strawberry preserves – I love the little jar this comes in. This was the bonus item for this box. Perfect for traveling with and a 1-2 person portion. I actually got this in another box once upon a time and have yet to open that one. I just don’t get around to eating jams, so perhaps it’s time to consider buying bread or English muffins. I’d also want to get into the habit of eating breakfast, I suppose.

I could have gone for more items, but the hand cream really elevated the feel of this box. Which item do you think is the coolest from this Paris Escape Monthly box? If you want to sign up, try one of these codes (not sure which ones are still active): PARISESCAPE or RICOESCAPE for 20% off the lifetime of your subscription or GIFTESCAPE for 25% off.

For September it’s time to go to Puerto Rico! Fantastic. I’m really excited about that one since I could certainly learn more about that country.

escape monthly august paris box info card back with preview of next month's box theme of puerto rico

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

The homebody lifestyle

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , , , , , ,
04 September 2014
0
cat laying on newspaper on porch

Family activities include Smokey getting in the way of some reading downtime.

Panda and I aren’t much for a partying lifestyle. We’re pretty big homebodies, completely content to stay at home relaxing together, enjoying takeout, and doing (or not doing) other such quiet activities. We could spend the whole night watching some shows or browsing online as we tuck ourselves in bed. It’s a nice sort of bonding for us. We may not be doing things together, but at least we are next to each other sharing our space. It’s comfortable and comforting. I’m at the stage where I’m ready to start building a home life. Suddenly I’m thinking about stuff I can get to personalize our home (guess that comes with the territory of having a home to personalize)!

I’ve always enjoyed this sort of home life, even as a teenager. Of course there have been plenty of times that I’ve gone out to various events or just to hang out with friends late into the night, but usually I just want to hole up in my room and spend my time on my computer, chatting with family, or reading a book. Back then I had plenty of homework to keep me busy for ages too. I see a lot of my peers going out to bars and parties and whatnot, but that doesn’t interest me. Similarly, more active home activities like board games or running around the house playing tag or hide and seek don’t interest me either. Maybe it’s not good that so much of my habits are sedentary, but I am in good health.

Just the other night, Panda and I were going out to eat, but on the way decided to get takeout. I enjoyed that option a lot more than sitting at the restaurant. It was really nice to have our food ready, eat at our own pace, and get some other things done while eating. Plus, I got to wear super comfy clothes that I probably shouldn’t go to a restaurant in lest I be taken for a slob. Perhaps that’s my true motivation – being able to relax without people judging me because I’m dressed so casually and never wear makeup. Home is a place to take off all those layers you throw on for the outside world, a place where the true you comes out.

Are we the only ones our age like this? Seems like everyone else always has some grand night or weekend plans coming up. Ours are just quiet – stay in most of the time, get some chores done, maybe go out to grab some food or stroll through Target, and return home again. No happy hours or late nights out or parties of any sort. It’s not that the opportunities aren’t there – in fact, Panda often turns down invitations to social gatherings with his coworkers and I often skip out on activities with my networks. We do like to plan some nice vacation getaways though!

So what’s your preference? Are you still living it up on the social scenes? Or maybe you’re like us and pretty settled into a calmer pace of life?

By and by

laelene Posted in general blog，Tags: , ,
02 September 2014
0

cover image for by and by poem by mary qin

By and by
A month went by
By and by
A year.
Then,

By and by
A decade had gone

And she found herself alone,
Stuck in a job she did not enjoy
Spending her nights with TV dinners —
Numb to the years marching on.

On and on and on
They marched.

On and on and on.

Til she could no longer grasp the joy of her youth;
The triumphs, the failures.
It was just her in an empty apartment,
Wishing she hadn’t let it all go.

How did her life just float on by?
By and by, it did.

Treatsie August 2014 review

laelene Posted in reviews, subscriptions，Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
01 September 2014
0

This month offered a choco-rific selection. They arrived in perfect condition, no melting at all! It looks like last month I just didn’t get the info card, because this time it was back. For the first time, I might have felt compelled to upgrade to the current Treatsie box with the extra items. If this continues I might up my subscription before my grandfathered plan expires.

Treatsie is $15 per box + $4.95 shipping and comes with artisan candy from 3-4 brands (I am grandfathered in for $15 for 2-3 brands and fewer items). That means about 6 or 7 different flavors of treats (or 4 or 5 for me). Boxes are sent monthly with no option to skip. They offer a referral link program to earn store credit. Use my referral link to get your first box FREE!

treatsie august 2014 box contents with kika's treats caramelized graham crackers in chocolate, lambrecht gourmetkarma toffee, and chuao chocolatier chocopods

Kika’s Treats Caramelized Graham Crackers in Pure Dark Chocolate: Caramelized is always a win in my book. These crackers are nice and crunchy, yet not super crumbly like the non-caramelized versions would be. They make a pretty fab snack and it’s almost toffee-like inside. They remind me of another snack that I can’t quite put my finger on. I can see these being a great accompaniment to a hot drink in the coming fall and winter.

Lambrecht Gourmet Karma Toffee: I was a bit concerned about the chocolate having a mocha flavor, since I’m not into that, but it’s not too strong. Still, I’d opt for a different flavor for future toffee needs. The toffee is not too sweet and the almond bits are a great way to offset the taste. I could use a little more chocolate to toffee ratio – the chocolate melts in your mouth and then there’s a huge chunk of toffee. I’d like more chocolate to linger.

chuao chocolatier potato chip, sweet & salty, salted chocolate crunch, and pop corn pop ChocoPods: At first I thought all their flavors incorporated potato chips, because that was the first flavor I saw. What an intriguing idea! I totally expected a chip dipped in chocolate, but it was more of little crunchy bits mixed evenly throughout the chocolate. I’m a fan of all of these! The minis are especially adorable because of their leaf shape. I really want to order more of these right away, but the Labor Day code isn’t working for them.

treatsie august 2014 info card

All off these treats were delicious, even if they weren’t my most preferred flavor. Just think how much I would have loved it with flavors matched to my palette! Which snack here do you like most? To get Treatsie, sign up with my link and get your first box free!

[This post contains affiliate links. Signing up through them helps support my subscription and I’d be ever so grateful. 🙂 All opinions are my own and I received no compensation for this review. I just purchased this box and wanted to share what I got!]

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