If you want to see further, you've got to climb higher.

That is the motto of an ancient chinese poem, and I think it fits this current period in my life.

SO many changes are happening, and all for the better. First, I recently applied for a new job, in which I had to interview with five senior level employees. It was pretty nerve-racking, and considering there were several people interviewing the same day as me, it was so surprising when my supervisor emailed me less than two days after the interview to offer me the position. I am beyond excited, as it is a HUGE company in my field, and from what I hear, they treat their employees very well. It's also a big step up from my current job, so that puts me in a better position to move on with the rest of my life. They have a tuition reimbursement program, so part of grad school might be covered. :) I have 1.5 weeks left at my current job, and a sweet 3 day weekend before I begin the new one.

The house hunting I mentioned previously has been put on hold. Chris and I have been unsatisfied with everything we've looked at in our current price point, so we're going to just rent for a year, until we can use both of our incomes. :) I think a cool apartment with a loft, further north, will be just fine for a while.

My Chinese classes have been going great! I really like my tutor and I am constantly amazed by the "Zen" feeling that I get from going to lessons. Before I left her house this past week, she let me listen to some ancient Chinese poetry, and tried to explain the meaning of the words in the book that I was following along with. It's amazing how 2 or 3 sentences can provoke such deep thought. I hope I get proficient enough in the language to be able to make my way around the country when I travel there someday.

All in all, I am READY for the exciting adventures that life has to offer.

Short post, but I'm writing another very soon!

If you want to see further, you've got to climb higher.

Fall Wishlist

Rebecca Minkoff Morning After Mini: Amazing leather and hardware, and nice and roomy for all of my self-proclaimed neccessities ;)


Sowat Wing Ring: French jeweler with some amazing designs. (P.s.- She ships to the US!)


Fun FX Contacts: I want a silvery purple and something with stars or hearts.



Netbook: Even though I have my iPhone for travelling internet, I'd love something for when I start grad school. HP has some affordable options with cute colors. (I'm thinking pink)



Waterpik: My dentist recommended it when I had braces, for a more effective teeth cleaning. They are relatively inexpensive at Target and the like.



House: Yes, we're still on the lookout. Maybe we'll be lucky enought to get something before the tax credit, but if not, we have backup options.

Fall Wishlist

"These are a few of my favourite things..."

Usually before I make a purchase, big or small, I surf the internet for hours checking for reviews, ratings and pictures. Since I rely on reviews from others so much, I thought I'd try my hand at contributing a few of my own. I'm sure this will be a regular occurance, but here are a few to start with.

Sonicare E5300


I purchased this a few weeks ago from a sale tip at UnPlugged, a subsite of Apartment Therapy.
I was able to snag this for $55.00 and free shipping.

I am SO glad I invested in a power toothbrush. The first time I used it, I could immediately feel a difference in how clean my teeth felt. There is even a built in 2-minute timer (the amount of time you're supposed to spend brushing.)
The only critique I have is that the moisture tends to seep into the space between the brush head and the handle, making it kind of narsty if you don't disassemble (easy) and clean every couple of days. Love this brush!

Denim of Virtue

I ordered these from Overstock.com after a tip-off from my BFF Stephanie. I got the "Honest" style and I was SHOCKED when they fit me perfectly. I have a hard time finding jeans that fit right off the rack because my waist is small compared to my hips and booty. These were a normal rise with a straight leg and ultra-flattering with a pair of heels. The best part? These jeans retail for between 190$ and 200$ and I scored them for a mere 18.99$.

iPhone 3Gs

I have been admittedly covetous of this phone since they first came on the market. I really don't know how I lived without it for so long. In order to use the iPhone I had to switch my provider from Verizon to AT&T which I was a bit nervous about at first. But I'm happy to say I've had to major problems with service, coverage, wireless access or the 3G network. The ability to use the internet and various apps without relying on Wi-Fi is an awesome feature. If you know someone with this phone, give it a test-drive and you, too, will drink the Kool-Aid. I leave you with my top-ten free apps.

1. Pandora - free internet radio, which tailors to your taste!
2. Facebook- need i say more?
3. Stanza- functions like a Kindl by allowing you to download and read books.
4. Lose it! - keeps track of your food intake, calories, and exercise
5. Twitterific - Twitter app
6. Shazam!- Hold your iPhone up to any music thats playing to identify song, artist, album and more.
7. e-Trade Mobile Pro- Perfect for keeping track of my penny stocks
8. Remote- control your iTunes (or someone else's if your wily) from your phone
9. Puri! (Lite)- very cute Puri-Kura app
10. Urbanspoon- with its slot-machine interface, get restaurant selections and reviews from your current location.

"These are a few of my favourite things..."

Shopping, Botox and Art, oh MY!

This post was meant to be a bit sooner, but life, the universe and everything (catch that nerd ref.?) always has a habit of playing interference.

First up, my little shopping haul. I have been slowly but surely trying to purge my closets, drawers, and hangars of things that I don't love. Which doesn't leave me with much, unfortunately. So lately, I have been buying 1 or 2 really nice things (which might be a bit more pricey) than a bag full of what i like to call "disposable clothing." Don't get me wrong though, I LOVE a good deal, and I think places like F21 have some diamonds in the rough, if you take the time to look.

Since I love getting an awesome deal, I usually shop at places like Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls, TJMaxx, and occasionally Rugged Wearhouse. Here are a few of my recent finds...

New Burberry perfume, as recommended to me by my BFF Stephanie. THANK YOU, i can't stop smelling myself! I HIGHLY recommend this. It's perfect for work, or a posh night out.


Rock and Republic Jeans. I love the dark wash, AND they were on sale!! I'll need to get them taken in and hemmed, but it will still be less than the price of retail. (Usually not a fan of "butt pocket bling" but i love the orange contrast!)


My favourite find from these last couple of months. An Anna Sui for Anthropologie silk dress. It is freaking adorable!! The best part: retailed at Anthro for between $350-500. Price I paid: $16.99! And no, that wasn't a typo. It's worth it to brave the occasional Rugged Wearhouse.



I'll try to post an outfit when I wear it somewhere.


This past Saturday I finally got a procedure done that I have been wanting to do for FOREVER. I had to save up a little, because it was so expensive. For those of you that don't know me, I suffer from Hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating. (SO GROSS, i know :( ) In my case, it affects the soles of my feet and the palms of my hands, and is very extreme. I have tried rx antiperspirants and those haven't worked. I also had iontophoresis done to both my hands and feet. Basically you stick them in a tray of water and using a tiny battery, they run an electric current throughyour hands and feet. Freaky and also didn't work. So I finally decided to splurge on Botox, hoping it would give me some relief. I am SO greatful Chris went with me. The plastic surgeon I went to ( I always feel weird telling people that) applied a topical numbing cream to my hands and I sat for 30 minutes letting it do it's thing. He then applied an icepack for a few minutes before the fun began. Let me tell you, having 45 injections in each hand definitely made me on edge.

Yep, a shot in each one of those squares. Also, a smiley face on my thumb. I like this guy!
The grid has worn away but there is still some slight bruising in my palms. I want it to hurry up and heal so I can get back to lifting weights. It will probably be a few days before I know how effective this was. I also might go back and get my feet done. (OW)

Later that night, Chris and I went to support our friends Matt P. and Stephanie B. who were showing art at a gallery about 30 min away.


Matt doing some "on the spot" watercolours that went with his theme of "Monsters and Robots."


I didn't get any pictures of Steph's work but take my word when I say it was FABULOUS as usual. Of course they both sold a TON of stuff that night, and it will be up for another month for people to browse. My friends are so talented! I'm sure I'll be trying to get them to do a guest blog soon.
As the night wore on (and my stomach started to growl loudly) we decided to go to Sweetwater Tavern for some good eats and some good drinks. (Love their Naked River Light Ale) The party included Chris, myself, Disco, Stephanie, Matt and Matt's super cute girlfriend Erin. We rounded of the evening with dessert and a rousing falsetto rendition of the Gummi Bears theme song. It doesn't get any better than that.

This week holds a new, custom built computer, surround sound headphones, a new Sonicare (ask me how to get one for $55!), iPhone ordering, catching up on sleep, a renewed interest in Green Monsters, and me getting my arse back to the gym. Stay tuned.

Shopping, Botox and Art, oh MY!

Bean Town Part Deux

Saturday Chris and I did the rest of the Freedom Trail, starting with the U.S.S Constitution, aka "Old Ironsides."

The Cassin Young, in the same port.


GUNS! This reminds me of the rail gun on the battle barge! *nerd alert*

Torpedo


For all you Battlestar Galactica fans, this is old school DRADIS! (Direction Range and Distance)


The Constitution coming back into port


View from Bunker Hill. There were so many awesome row houses.



Colonel William Prescott


Then it was on to lunch in Little Italy. We ate at this quaint, off the trail restaurant called Massimino's. I had eggplant rolls and split a glass of cabernet with Chris. No pictures but a great lunch! Afterwards, we stopped a cute cafe where the barista made a perfectly foamed cappuccino. No easy feat!




View from Charlestown Bridge- continuing our walk.


When we crossed the bridge back onto Newbury Street, we conveniently encountered J.P. Licks, a "must-eat" in Boston. They have lots of ice cream and froyo with all of the toppings you could want. We split a small chocolate with reese's cups. No pics, because I was too busy stuffing my face. Om nom nom.

People watching back at Quincy Market. That place was PACKED on the 4th.




Later that evening we had dinner at the Black Rose, an Irish Pub. Food was mediocre and it was pretty dead, since everyone was down at the Esplanade to see the fireworks and Neil Diamond MC'ing the Boston Pops show.

Speaking of fireworks, we saw a great show.



And we had the perfect seats...


Thats right. I do what i want!

Before bed, a little cookies and "milk." Peanut Butter Cookie courtesy of Mike's Pastries (GO THERE!!!) and "milk" courtesy of the hotel bar.


Uneventful plane ride back the next morning, and thanks to my mom and pops, we were safely back in VA on Sunday afternoon.I was so not ready to go back to work on Monday.

I'm already contemplating where I want to go next. Anyone down for Vegas on Halloween? I mean, I don't think it gets better than gambling IN COSTUMES.

Bean Town Part Deux

Bean Town Part I

So this past Thursday my boyfriend Chris and I decided to take a little vacay to Boston for the long holiday weekend. Can I just rave about how much I LOVED this city? I enjoyed being able to walk everywhere for once, and everyone was just so freaking NICE. (It's funny though, there were plenty of people who said they would rather live in VA! The grass is always greener I suppose.) It was such a relaxing little getaway.

Aside from the multiple delays out of DC and New York, we arrived none the worse for wear on Thursday evening. I highly recommend our hotel, the Renaissance Boston Harbor. It's only about a year old, and although it was on the South End and a slight walk to the central downtown area, it was perfect for us! After the quickest check in ever, (and one or two reese's cups out of the big fish shaped bowl at the counter) we went upstairs to freshen up and head to dinner. We also had to change after travelling from sunny VA to cold and damp MA.
We had an awesome dinner at Legal Test Kitchen, which was right around the corner.

Fresh bread with an amazing white bean/olive oil dip to share, and I ordered the Tuna Burger with fresh homemade chips. I finished about 3/4 of the burger and it was so flavorful. I love that the fish was probably caught that morning. (Or so I like to tell myself). And there may or may not have been a Sam Adams Summer Ale in there somwhere. ;)



Chris and I both agreed that there was a LITTLE room left for dessert. We had to try the Boston Creme Pie. We definitely had to restrain ourselves.



We mosey'd on back to the hotel and somehow found our way to the hotel bar, where our very informative bartender gave us some good tips for our weekend. We also randomly ended up sitting next to an older couple who were from our city! Too bad I didn't get any pictures of our drinks, because the bartender made a hell of a white russian.

Needless to say we went to bed full and happy!

Friday was a day for sightseeing!


Weird entertainers outside of Fanueil Hall

Squinty sun-in-face shot.

Militia demonstration outside of Fanueil Hall

Outside of Quincy Market

Old State House (EPIC history here people!)


John Hancock's memorial/grave marker

Statue of George Washington at Bunker Hill (like i said...epic!)



As Chris so aptly put it..."Sometimes you want to go..."



Part II tomorrow. It's way past my bedtime!

Bean Town Part I

"Allow myself to introduce...myself..."

Hello and welcome to Dungeons and Diamonds! My name is Alexis and I have officially hopped on the blogging bandwagon!

One moment, you will find me as "girly-girl" as any other Hills-watching, Nordstrom shopping, high-heel wearing, twenty-something you'd find online.

(Exhibit A)

The next, I am breaking out the pink 20 siders for some role playing, attempting to figure out the controls in Left 4 Dead, or rocking some angel wings and a gold Sig Sauer.



During this quest you might also see my amazing boyfriend Chris,



my spoiled german shepherd dog, Evie,(yes, that is my bed, and slightly staged ;))



and some of the coolest people I know.




Yes, you can have your dungeons and your diamonds too! (or your Star Trek and Saks if you prefer)
This blog will be a sweet mix of fashion, fitness, food, future and fluff with a crunchy nerd topping.

"Allow myself to introduce...myself..."