Happy Official Halloween!

Do you have plans for tonight?
Going trick-or-treating?
Or did you all just have a spooky party filled weekend?!

I went to a Halloween Party Saturday night and it was beyond fun!!! Loved it.
And I went to a spooky house in the area...it was free and my friend made me go. You have to know I am a huge chicken when it comes to these places, so seeing little kids leave that seemed to cry I got scared.  I went in anyways and it was fun, even though I screamed my lungs out. But oh man, it was fun. And of course, I also worked over the weekend. It's what I do. I juggle it all. At least I'm trying. ;)


Speaking of which, our current deal is up for Dance Classes at South Coast Performing Arts in Tustin here in Orange County. It's a family owned business and the classes are for children 2-18! I know some of my followers aren't from here but you guys might know someone who lives in the Los Angeles area and wants to do this for his/her children. And even if not, spreading the word never hurt. Either way this deal is fun!!! Please check it out.

Happy Halloween

It's Halloween month again and we are decorating the office! This is my first office job and I have never decorated for Halloween before! Check this out and let me know what you think for first timer! (I did get help from co-workers).

Happy Halloween Month!

Frankenweenie!

I really didn't want to go see Sparky's movie! The commercial just freaked me out! How could there be a children's movie that involved a dog dying and then getting patched up? Even more tragic was that the dog's name is Sparky! MY Baby's name is Sparky!!!
But what can I say when I got two little gorgeous cousins who wanted to watch it?
As the movie started, I only got more frustrated. Which parents allow their family dog to go to a game without being leashed?
It IS all a movie after all. For animal lovers and children. I ended up loving it. I'll admit I got teary eyed a couple times as did my Hubby! It has many great lessons to it and I don't want to spoil it for those that haven't seen it. However, I wish that in my generation there were more movies like this for kids where not everything is great and you have to learn to become strong and find your own ways. Not that I didn't ,,, lol, Most importantly more than anything else, SCIENCE IS GREAT!! 
Hope that you let me know what you thought of Frankeweenie and if you dreaded and enjoyed it as much as I did :)

Modern Family

My closest friends know that I absolutely LOVE this show! I cannot fully tell you why but when I have a bad week, this show (airing on Wednesdays), totally changes my outlook and cheers me up. Their weekly lessons or messages inspire me, my husband and friends. I think their chaotic but fun life makes my chaotic life less dramatic and just seem more fun. Not sure. I just love it.

Oh and my favorite character in this show is Cameron played by Eric Stonestreet. He may not be the most handsome or hottest guy (no Brad Pitt or whoever) but that is exactly why I love him. And oh my, the shirts his character wears are fabulous...expensive but more than just fabulous. Cameron has great taste in fashion, style, and is just sooooooo funny!!! LOVE.

So yes, enough about this show.
Oh, did I mention the  new season starts tomorrow again?
No?

YES it does.
I am excited!!!

One more day and finally my favorite TV show of all times airs again....

Weekend Update

Okay...I clearly don't write as often as I want to. Blogging is not easy. Writing is one thing but keeping up with everyone and everything on here, reading, commenting, etc etc. How are you guys do this? Any tips?

I have been super busy and also very tired, but today I found time to link up again with the Weekend Update Ladies: Leeann, Sami and Dana.

I went to Palm Springs for one full night. It was my husband's aunt's birthday week so she wanted to go to Palm Springs and celebrate some more. So we went. Sunday morning we drove back and all I wanted to do when we got home was sleep. I took a long nap and felt somewhat refreshed but still so exhausted. We then BBQed, went back inside and watched the Emmy's. All I wanted to see (and hello, I did!) was Modern Family!
If you knew me, you'd know that I am a huge Modern Family fan. I love that show and I cannot wait for it to begin again. So, obviously, I was hooked on the Emmy's just to see my favorite actors from my favorite show. And who won?! Exactly.

Quite honestly I didn't take many photos. Though felt now the urge to share with you one of my favorites. Early morning photos with the world slowly waking up...awwwwwwww. The best time to take the best photos. Enjoy.

Isn't this gorgeous???
Pure nature, pure freedom.
It was a perfect way to start the day.

Perfection.
I just had to go home that morning, sleep some more and work hard for Local Living! ;)

Happy Monday!!

Hooooooohhhh!

I let you in a little secret: I love owls. In this post I told you why and I basically would have to repeat myself. They are indeed compassionate, and intelligent. Wherever I go I see owls. May it be at Old Navy, Target, Macy's or even just a CVS...owls are everywhere. Loooooove them!!!

And my friends are awesome too, send and give me things with owls on them. So today, I'm just sharing with you my love for these fabulous animals.

 I really want this cover, but unfortunately I am not an iPhoner! I LOVE my HTC Android and would never give it up. Sorry iPhone users...I will never ever give my Android up. Ever!!! ;)

I clearly love jewelry and when I find jewelry and owls...score!! Can I have all of the above?!

And I really would not mind changing my entire dishes to all owl dishes, but I think my husband would have something against it. Or on second thought, maybe not at all! :)

Hope you are having a great week so far.

Marjan



Weekend Update / mad and happy at once

Hello everyone.
Hello new followers. I'm so glad you found me and read my random posts these days. Love to hear from you.

Okay, I figured blogging is a great outlet for me to share what I love or don't. Not everything is perfect! And if you were wondering...new and fun deals are coming up soon so you can purchase something new or just tell your friends about it. You won't regret it. So stay tuned...I promise they will be coming your way. We are working hard these days, hence my lack of posts or motivation to write. But, I love writing so this should not hinder me, should it?!

Today I'm linking up with Leeann, Dana, and Sami for their Weekend Update.

My weekend started Friday afternoon. You all know I have a new job that I love and we sometimes get off earlier on Friday afternoons which is amazing. Also, if you live in the Los Angeles Area you know how hot it was so to get off earlier was perfect. My co-worker and I went hiking!! Can you believe this? In this heat? Yes, we did. We survived and had a lot of fun.

In the evening I went to a birthday party held at 3 Thirty 3 in Newport Beach.

Let me tell you I was disappointed; it may have great reviews but oh boy I am still mad. Atmosphere was great but that is about it. Drinks were not as good and I had to practically run after the waiter to get her to take our food or drink orders. Well, she never came so we had to go to the bar and order there which turned out to be a mistake too. But what were we supposed to do? Sit and wait for no one to come by? No way! I made reservations, and told them that half of the party will come in earlier and then the rest about an hour later which actually happened exactly that way. Though, well, the one that took my reservation should have known where to put us in the first place but apparently did it wrong and who gets blamed for it? Yes, me!! I talked to the manager and she sort of told me off which wasn't nice. I mean, when I call and tell you that we will be coming in for drinks and appetizer then you as the restaurant should know where to put our party. It is not my job to tell you where to put me unless I have a specific request. Worst of all then was that they brought the Birthday Cake out while the Birthday girl was in the bathroom, and I specifically pointed the Birthday Girl out to the manager. Who does that?????
SO much for lack of enthusiasm and effort. Our waiter was rushing us out the door...we did not even ask for the check but she was there within 20 seconds. Really? Who does that???

I know, you didn't want me to go off here but there are times you need to let people or you in that case know. If an establishment or just anyone for that matter doesn't know what is wrong, that place will never know. It is up to them to work on improvements. It just would not be fair if I swallowed my pride and said nothing.
After all we paid for it all, and it wasn't cheap!

One more thing: the bathroom sucked. No toilet paper, dirty and just gross. When I told the manager she tried to talk herself out of this situation blaming the Newport Taste thing on it. That is not an excuse for a dirty bathroom, let alone that event cannot be blamed for your establishment's bathroom to be disgusting. Sorry!! Hello? Never heard of health codes and hygiene?!
I spare you with the pictures.

On a much brighter note my best friend R. came down to Orange County from Ventura County. Remember last weekend when I went up there, now it was her time to come down here. She is still looking for THE perfect bridal dress. No real luck so far. She found one alright but it was over her budget...wedding dresses are no joke people. Sooooooooooooo expensive. She came down with her cousin, and me, my husband, my sister-in-law and Selma all went bridal dress shopping in and around Irvine. It was fun and exhausting at the same time. :(

Since I'm already on a customer service writing rush...the best customer service we received Saturday afternoon was by Blush Bridal Couture in Tustin. Let me tell you they were soooooo nice and soooo friendly. They let us take pictures (they did not let us pictures in Santa Barbara or Ventura County!! - is that normal???), brought us glasses of Pink Moscato (the BEST), had cookies for everyone and were just super nice! Here's a few pictures we took...eehmmm or Selma took for me because my battery on my phone died. I was using it too much to document my friend's bridal dresses.

A fun pen to write with...loved it!!!

That really was a great place!!! Highly recommend it.

So, that was it...my rather mixed weekend update.
Hope you liked it.

Marjan

Fall Happenings!

Fall is around the corner people. Temperatures drop hopefully soon here in southern California. My favorite time of the day is when the breeze at night gives you a slight chill but not too much so you can still walk around in a T-shirt. I then just love walking my boys and enjoy beautiful Orange County.

With fall around the corner Halloween is coming up too. I cannot wait. I am a chicken and don't really like anything scary but it's nice to know that people decorate their houses or enjoy the change of season. I'm glad I have a husband I can hold onto when I feel scared. Or maybe it is the other way around?!

What is your favorite thing about this season?!
Are you into fall and/or Halloween?
Do you decorate your home?

I definitely want to go HERE.
I sent this to my friend too and hopefully we can do this.
Best of all it's free and it's right here in Orange County. Talking about local.

And with the fall season starting I am looking forward to buying cute owl decoration too.
All from Sur La Table!
Aren't these cute?

Have a wonderful day!

Marjan

P.s. Local Deals Coming Up soon again!

September 11

Cannot believe it's been eleven years.

I'm back - Weekend Update

Hey everyone.
I don't even know who reads this blog but I'm determined to make it happen here in this beautiful blogland. Well, lots has happened with me and with Local Living. This summer I got a new job which I love and with Local Living we are doing a great job as well. I am so proud of my husband, and proud of what we have accomplished so far. Nonetheless, besides work I have been enjoying this summer and life immensely. I also neglected this blog a little. I hope you understand.

In April I promised myself I would keep writing because writing is my passion. I want to keep this promise! I want to share my love for life, and living locally. So, today, thanks to Selma over at Crazy Little World of Mine who told me I should write about my weekend, I am for the first time linking up to the Weekend Update by Join The Gossip, Sami's Shenanigan and five30three.

My best friend is getting married next year and I drove up to Ventura County to go bridal dress shopping with her. Let me tell you dresses are not cheap. She found one but unfortunately it was not in her budget. Bummer! So, we stopped the shopping and drove north to visit some wineries. :) Sometimes that's the best way to relax and think about cheaper dresses. It was a hot and beautiful day and we enjoyed ourselves immensely. Cannot wait to go back up there!

Excuse the bad picture quality or our faces, but we clearly had fun. This is me on the left and my friend's cousin having a fun time at one of the wineries.

We tried a little of everything and were treated differently each time but had a good time. Though let me tell you another thing...driving from Orange County through Los Angeles, over a hill to Ventura County and then all the way up to Santa Barbara and back home south is tiring! I am exhausted. All I want to do is sleep; preferrably the whole week long. Unfortunately I can't do that.

Hope your weekend was fun, too!

Marjan

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Dangerous Guitar Deal - 86% Off One-Year of Online Guitar Lessons From DangerousGuitar.com

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Athena Gyro Greek Food and Grill Deal - 50% Off Athena Gyro Greek Food and Grill in Laguna Hills

Athena Gyro Greek Food and Grill Deal - 50% Off Athena Gyro Greek Food and Grill in Laguna Hills

Pericles once said to his son: You my dear boy, are the ruler of Athens. His son asked , how is that? So Pericles said: I am ruling Athens, your mother rules me, you rule your mother,thus you rule Athens.Take charge and be the ruler of your household and spend $10 and eat $20 worth at Athena Gyro.  This is no basic fast casual restaurant. This quaint and elegant restaurant validates table service. The name Athena Gyro is held in high praise for over 25 years in San Mateo- Northern California. Be the first to taste mouth watering gyros, moussakas and don't forget their crowd favorite #28 , Zorbas Combo mixed grill that has a little of everything for patrons that can't decide between lamb, chicken, gyro slices, Greek meatballs, and chicken gyro slices. 
Check this out! 50% Off Athena Gyro Greek Food and Grill in Laguna Hills!! Spend $10 and Get $20 Worth Of Delicious Greek Food!!
Greek food is one of my favorites. Check them out at their new location on 
25381 Alicia Parkway Ste Q
Lahuna Hills CA 92653
(949)-830-3030

or go to their website  www.athenagyros.net 

              

               

                                          

An even better idea? Meet me there for lunch with a bottle of wine for no corkage fee and we can enjoy a sandwich, drink (non-alcoholic) and dessert for only $7.99!

See you in Greece!

Wedding Procrastinations!

I have been procrastinating about everything! My best friend's cousins wedding is next week and I don't have anything to wear yet! Who does that?
I tried so many dresses over the weekend and have one in mind. Here are the top choices, lets see if you can guess which one I am getting :)

   Suzi Chin for Maggy Boutique Tie Waist Silk Dress

Sean Collection Rosette Detail Chiffon Ball Gown

Eliza J dress

Eliza J dress

Jessica Simpson dress



Jessica Simpson dress

                                     

  And now the shoes! The one and only shoe! DIOR!!!

                                                                                

                                                                                                                    

My New Discovery! Golden Caviar Skin Care!

A lot of people I know have to use brand name make up. No offense to them, but some of us either can't afford to, or just simply don't want to spend so much money on brand names.
I mean, after all, how do you know that it is any different from any other product that may be available online or over the counter?
The key is to experiment and discover what works for you!
There are several different products that work for me, but I want to stick to one product today.
I have recently fallen in love with products from Golden Caviar Skin Care. I feel like with Golden Caviar, I am improving the appearance of my skin more so than with other brands I have used before.
Here are some of my favourite products so far:


The Aloe Toner

                                     
I hope that by now we all know toners work wonders. The basic make up remover doesn't go all the way. Try it for yourself! Remove your make up as you normally would then use a toner with a cotton ball. You will see the difference and what left over residue your cotton ball collects!


My next fav and for anyone who knows me, I lloooovvveeee eye makeup, is the:


Color Phase Eye Shadows


                               
 This is the 'Night Owl' that I love! I never leave the house without eye shadow or eye liner!




And last but not the least, I have recently discovered:




Color Swirls   



                            


So I love this not just because of the glow, but also because I have super red cheeks that my foundation doesn't cover and the swirls seem to cover and calm down the redness!


                              Hope I have helped a little! Enjoy!

It's Been A While, A Long While!

I promised myself I would keep writing. That I wouldn't let it be so long before I posted again. I love writing for God's sake!

But I have been super duper busy between work, work, school, work and life. I loooove taking pictures. Thank goodness for my awesome DROID that takes the best pictures and organizes my albums by date. Sometimes, I don't know where the day, week or the month goes!

So, I'll summarize the past couple of weeks in photos! Enjoy!

April 1, 2012 - BBQ for mother-in-law's birthday! Munchies while we wait for the burgers & hot dogs!



.......hhhhmmmmm....is all I can say!
We had the burgers custom made the way we want and made into patties
at Sprout's where they have the best organic foods & prices!



  April 1, 2012 - All sorts of dessert for after BBQ! Khorma, tokhme, shirini & chai!




April 1, 2012 - happy family pic!



April 6, 2012 - Amazing lunch with an amazing co-worker!





April 7, 2012 - Appetizer at the Beach House!





April 7, 2012 - My entree at the Beach House ......





........while watching the sunset at dinner!





April 9, 2012 - Day after Easter! My amazing co-worker brought me a nom-nom!





April 11, 2012 - Hubby's Birthday!!!! At Phans 55! These guys have the BEST customer service!






April 11, 2012 - YUUUMMMYYY Food all over!





April 11, 2012 - and great decoration at Phans55!




April 11, 2012 - After party at MIL & FIL's house!





April 12, 2012 - day after & still celebrating! Happy hour at the Balcony Grill!
I am an honest person, so I WILL TELL YOU!.....this place made me very unhappy
with their customer service!




April 12, 2012 - Great Lychee sake at the Balcony Grill! tastes
exactly like Lychee!
Great tip: Find it for more than half the price at BevMo!!!!





April 12, 2012 - The amazing, handsome birthday boy!




April 14, 2012 - Huka time at Caspian with my Bestie & Bro!




April 12, 2012 - And my Man!!!!





April 12, 2012 - Tea after Huka! hhhmmm................





April 14, 2012 - Lunch at work!





April 14, 2012 - And dessert....of course, not all were mine!





April 15, 2012 - Breakfast/Lunch at the Bagel Shack! After attending church at Saddleback. I never get tired of this place, the employees or the food!
Now THAT's what you call a great place!





April 15, 2012 - and the sunset later that day!






April 15, 2012 - my love bug is tired!



April 15, 2012 - My love bugs I should say!









April 18, 2012 - my hair before.....





April 18, 2012 - .....and still me being silly. Still before....



April 18, 2012 - AAFFTEEERRRR!!!!!
The Toni & Guy Academy did great!






April 18, 2012 - still being silly after!





April 19, 2012 - getting ready for the Color Run!
Picking up our Packets!




April 21, 2012 - The Angel's game at the Angel's Stadium with my honey!






April 21, 2012 - And some good friends!





April 21, 2012 - Fun times!




April 21, 2012 - Couldn't go without Cotton Candy!



And the "Color Run"
April 22, 2012
SundayAre you ready?
Here we go!





The Fun Tattoos we got!

                                         One hour wait to park, but so worth it!



                                                        

                                               Just a beautiful view while we waited to park!

                                    

                                                      People getting ready for the run!

                                                

                                 

                                                 

                                          
                                       Before shots of Selma (aka CrazyLittleWorldofMine) and I!

     

                                                  And the run has begun.........

  

Behind us, all the way in the back, are the people that probably started 10 minutes after we did, and

                                                are now getting splashed with yellow!

 

      .......after green, purple and yellow! with Selma, Tiffany & Leeann (aka JointheGossip)........

 

                        ........ they have no clue! and probably STILL don't! love it! .........

                              

                               Can you tell it's a pink world of PINK, PINK & PINK?!?

                           

             I didn't get much pink.....thank goodness...apparently the hardest one to come off!

                           

                                  And I was complaining that I didn't get any pink on me!  

                           

                    After!!!!                                                   After!!!!

 

Of course, the we had to end it with a picture in front of the Fire Truck....even though it wasn't my 

favourite station there! Ya, that would be truck #51. When you spot it, you will know why!!!!

                    

                                                     My love took this colorful picture! 

Nothing says Grand Finale like my handsome "Haji" surprising me in the end!!!!

      

And of course, like everyone else, we decided to go to the Red Robin at the Irvine Spectrum and                     MUNCH!!! We had the best server and manager on duty!

I don't think I have ever been through a whole month having so much to do. But I loved every moment of being with the loved ones and family! So worth it! I hope that that is a good enough excuse for not having blogged in a little while!