Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Broken...

Well, it's been awhile since my last post, but I promise I have a good reason...I broke my pinky (my very first bone break)!


Of course, I broke it while playing kickball. I'm out from playing for four weeks and have a cast on half my arm. I was supposed to play in a tourney last Saturday in San Diego, but sat on the sidelines instead. It's pretty hard to just watch kickball -- I want to be on the field! It's also hard to type...or do my hair...or get dressed...or drive....or do anything, really. I didn't realize how much I love my left hand. Oh well, c'est la vie. Hoping for a speedy recovery (calcium, potassium and protein!).

I hope everyone had a wonderful & safe 4th of July! Here are some pictures from our holiday.

muff loves a good theme

how can you miss that thing on my arm!

 Muffin's first swim

 with some kickball friends

Thursday, June 20, 2013

Glow in the Dark Kickball

A couple Sundays ago, one of my kickball leagues hosted a Glow in the Dark Kickball game. At first, I was a little apprehensive - "sports shouldn't be played in the dark, we're all going to get hurt!" It was definitely harder than a regular game -- my eyes had difficulty "keeping up" with the lighted ball, making it harder to kick and catch! It ended up being one of the most fun games of kickball I've played in the last two years AND no one got hurt. I'd call that a success! Here are some pics from the night.







Thursday, June 13, 2013

Stink Inc.

About 2 years ago, my BFF Heather and I stopped buying each other birthday presents. In lieu of presents, we agreed to take the other out to a fancy dinner, or a restaurant that we've never been before. As we've gotten older, it been more difficult to see each other alot, so we decided that our birthday gifts to each other would be about spending time together rather than a tangible object. So this past Tuesday, we went to The Stinking Rose in Beverly Hills for her 28th birthday! Her birthday was actually in late May, so we had a post-birthday celebration. Better late than never.

The Stinking Rose is an Italian restaurant in which their primary ingredient is GARLIC! One of their motto's is "We season our garlic with food." The interior is really kitschy and whimsical. It kind of makes you feel like you're in an Arabic/Italian village. The food was really good, but it wasn't AS garlicky as I thought (I originally planned to reek like hell for the next week). Luckily, Jeff didn't complain too much when I got home. Overall, I would give it an 8. I would suggest going there if you're in the area, but not on a first date! 





(this isn't Heather, but this is what they make you wear on your birthday. She's lucky I'm a nice friend)


Friday, June 7, 2013

BYOL?

Confession: I'm afraid to fly. Luckily, with my a little help (read: temporarily paralyzed) from my friends Valium and Bloody Mary, I'm able to endure being on that huge hunk of metal with wings. I typically purchase a glass of liquid courage before I get on the fly, and then a couple of the mini bottles once I'm on the plane. It ends up costing around $30 bucks and I shudder every time they collect my money. I'm not a penny pincher and even though it helps my anxiety, I feel like that rip every one off, and that bugs me. Anyway....

FEAR NOT, WALLETS! This lovely lad has let us in on a secret. You can take your OWN liquor on the plane, as long as its in those mini bottles you can purchase as Bev Mo. 

http://imatravelninja.com/2012/05/16/take-alcohol-to-drink-on-your-flight/

Why didn't I think of this?

Thursday, June 6, 2013

For 12 hours, all criminal activity is legal....

One of the perks of Jeff's jobs is that we get to go to free movie screenings. On Tuesday, we saw The Purge. If you haven't seen the trailers, (poof) here ya go.... (warning: slasher movie)


I was actually pretty excited to see it. I thought the concept was intriguing, but wasn't going in expecting much in terms of content (ie. I thought it would be cheesy). Ethan Hawke stars, but when I saw him, I didn't even recognize him. He's looking alot like Mark McGrath these days.


The movie was pretty far fetched. I don't believe allowing everyone 12 hours to "unleash the beast" would result in change for the country, but it did get me thinking -- I sure would be as nice as possible to everyone I came in contact with! I wouldn't want to be on their "hit list" once The Purge day came around! All in all, it was entertaining and scary! I was like this most of the movie...


Oh, and if you go see it, keep an eye out for the main "Stranger." He plays a realllllllllllllllly believable creepy guy!


Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Leo Carrillo State Beach

On Sunday, it was hot as Hades in the Valley, so we decided to go over the hill and visit the beach. We picked Leo Carrillo State Beach since its dog friendly, but the weather gods were not on our side. It ended up being overcast and chilly the entire time we were there - a 360 from what it was at home! We only stayed for a couple hours, here are some photos from our stop.





Friday, May 31, 2013

And one more thing...


Over It!

Three celebs I'm totally over and hope we won't be hearing about in the next 6 months:

1. Amanda Bynes


2. Lindsay Lohan


3. Justin Beiber


On the other hand, I could watch the sh*t show that is Brandi Glanville & LeAnn Rimes all day, every day...and this news has made my Friday complete ---> http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2013/05/leann-rimes-eddie-cibrian-tv-show/.

HAPPY FRIDAY! Hope everyone has a great weekend! xo

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Memorial Day Fun!

Happy Post-Memorial Day! Hope everyone is feeling relaxed and refreshed and ready to take on the week! Personally, I always feel like I need a "vacation from my vacation," or an "extra day to relax from my extra day off."

We originally had nothing planned for the three-day weekend, but that changed through the course of the week and we ended up having a pretty busy weekend. On Saturday, Muffy had her first doggy training class! This was the result:



After doggy class, Jeff and I went over to our teammates house for a nice bbq and swim! On Sunday, we went to visit my parents while they were camping at Faria State Beach. This was Muff's first time to the beach, and she didn't love the water like I hoped she would. The tide was really high, so we sat on a rock while the waves crashed up around us, and watched Lili and Jeff play ball tag in the ocean.



After the beach we went to watch the LA Galaxy take on the Seattle Sounders. It was a blow out, 4-0 Galaxy, but really entertaining to watch. Watching soccer on TV isn't my favorite thing, but the electricity at the stadium is on full power, so being able to watch it live makes it alot more fun and exciting.

On Monday, Jeff and I did a 2 hour hike, and then relaxed at home. This was probably my favorite day because I can't remember the last time I got to lay in front of the TV for a few hours and do nothing! Victory!

How was your Memorial Day weekend? What did you do?

Monday, May 20, 2013

Founder's Cup West Coast Regional

On Saturday, one of my kickball teams, The Kicktators, competed in the Founder's Cup West Coast Regional tournament. The prize? $2,000, plus a guaranteed invitation to compete at the annual Founder's Cup in Las Vegas, NV -- basically, the Super Bowl of kickball. So, how did we do? 





WE WON!

See you in October, Vegas!



Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon

On Saturday morning, I was running the Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon with some of my kickball friends, so Friday night, Jeff and I drove up to the Dutch town of Solvang. We stayed at the Days Inn Buellton, which was apparently featured in the movie "Sideways."


We didn't get in until around 10pm, so, in order to get a good nights rest, I opted to stay away from the Sports Bar (even though it was HOPPING) and when straight to bed. I met up with my friends at the butt-crack of dawn and headed down to the start line. This was a smaller race -- only 2,000 people -- which I was excited for since the last race I ran (Disneyland Half) had over 17,000 people and it took me 30 min just to get through the start gate! 
 
Mandatory group picture

At 7am on the dot, we were off. I'll be honest...I didn't "train" for this race. The most running I had done prior is sprint running bases during kickball games, which are only 60 ft apart, but, I usually do Pilates or Pure Barre, so I'm not entirely out of shape!  A few of us tried to stay together, but  after a couple miles, we were separated.  I was pretty slow and sluggish and mile 7, but with the help of The Great Gatsby soundtrack (so good!), I pushed through and came out with a medal around my neck....right behind a 77 year old woman.



After the race, we hit up the wine festival that was in a small park near the finish line. It was too crowded and cramped, so we left shortly after to eat (read: something fatty) and walk around the town. Solvang is a really cute Dutch town located about 45 minutes north east of Santa Barbara. It was founded in 1911 by a small group of Danish teachers, and is now a thriving little village with horse drawn wagons, tons of shops, windmills, and pastries, pastries and more pastries! Its a total tourist spot, but worth the visit if you're in the area!

 Using my cell phone in the phone booth...with a broken pay phone

 Jeff eating aebleskivers (danish pancake)

ice cream and windmills!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

And so it begins....

WELP! My FIRST blog post! No exciting and nerve wracking at the same time! So, I'll start out by explaining why I created this blog: it's really simple and totally unoriginal -- basically, to document and share the moments of my crazy life through words and pictures (I have a beautiful Canon SLR that does NOT get used enough!)(I also think I'm kind of funny, so I want to see if others agree). I just completed my second half marathon, and have my eye on number three, so this is also a way to keep myself accountable for my workouts and healthy eating (with the occasional not so healthy (read: cupcakes and ice cream!)) ;)

CHARACTERS
So, who is Blonde Cupcake? Well, that's me: Rachel. I'm a born and raised "Valley Girl" (aka The San Fernando Valley - a hot and sweaty suburb of Los Angeles). I work as a legal assistant at a real estate law firm in Downtown Los Angeles. You won't hear much about my job, because, well....I don't love it. I'm currently working on starting my own online clothing boutique, and hope to have it fully up and running by late 2013-early 2014 (I'll be sure to keep ya'll posted!). I play alot of competitive kickball -- yes, the child's game. You'll get to know alot about the kickball world. I'm obsessed with the Real Housewives (all cities), Disneyland and sushi, and am still waiting for the one weekend where I don't do anything except lay in my bed all day and watch tv. It hasn't happened in two years...but one day.


What else do you do after a half marathon?
My boyfriend, Jeff.  We met on the kickball fields (I'll post about that later). He works from home (lucky!) as a Box Office Analyst -- basically, he predicts how much new movies are going to make each weekend. If you follow the movie industry, you've probably read a few quotes or articles by him. We've been dating for two years. He truly is my best friend and lover, wrapped into one human being.

Typical tourist in Australia

The beginning of our hike through the Grand Canyon

Lilianna aka Lili, Jeff's daughter. She loves Spongebob, the beach, Disneyland, putting on ballet recitals in our living room, soccer, playing puppy, and has more energy than anyone I know. She also has "a good brain."

Cheese!


My fur baby, Muffin. She's a one year old French Bulldog, who can compete with Lili's energy level. She farts, begs for food, and chews shoes...but how can you not love that face!

Those ears!