Blogger socialites

I moseyed o'er to the quirky bohemian enclave that is Venice yesternightto promenade its eclectic charm-emitting Abbot Kinney Road with Rubyto pop into destination Urbanic Paper Boutiquefor the '09 Los Angeles Blog Social, hosted by the lovely ladies behind three awe-inspiring blogs. Ruby and I repped our crafty blogs (Cakies and Sheer Whimsy, respectively) at this effervescent blogger-inundated gala of the most marvelous variety that emanated an impeccable fusion of creativity, refinement, and whimsy galore in the aesthetically-pleasing décor, seasonal savories, and baked tasties.'Twas a memorably convivial time meeting, greeting, and gabbing with other local bloggers bequeathed with creative tendencies. The blogosphere's such an amiable, supportive community grounded in aligned predilections, from crafting, to weddings, to design, to photography. Whence bloggers convene, there exists a mutually understood unspoken inclination to visit one another's monoblogs,and to snap photographs of absolutely errthang, blogger-style. 'Tis gratifying to have pored o'er each other's blogs or dropped by one another's Etsy shops, and be able to meet face-to-face yesternight. We veritably fancied ascertaining the faces behind the brilliant blogs we peruse, and getting injected with inspiration by the sheer abundance of creativity. Here, once I disclosed to people my penchant for sewing and all things crafty, they did not reply quizzically with "You...sew? What are you, an old woman?" as routinely so. Here, we all giddily bonded over an apparent affection for the handmade lifestyle via design, crafting, baking, cooking, photography, and bushels more. Cheers!!!We were bestowed goodie pouches teeming with handiworked delightsfrom the creative flair of SweetAmbs, LoveNit, Oh, hello friend, Gabrielle Kai, The Paper Bird, Dozi, Paper Pastries, Tiny Pine Press, Urbanic Paper, We Collective, Wiley Valentine, and Tweet Heart Wall Art. All so lovely!!!A super swell evening, indeed, with new chummies whose multifarious talents I do esteem: Rachel from Heart of Light, Danni from Oh, hello friend, Monica from A Designed Life, Jennifer from Tiny Pine Press, and Gia from Gia Canali Photography, amongst a slew of other creative gals!Thanks be to you, Danni, Kristina/Jillian/Amanda, and Audrey, for executing a smashing soiree!

My ardent plea

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." - Galatians 5:16

Lord, ‘tis my plea that you’d be much more than enough for me. Help me to abide by the Spirit, for my flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). I desire the wrong things and I desire right things in the wrong way as I daily combat temptation and sin for joy in You. Lord, thank you for the boundless grace you grant so that I do not do so by my lonesome and that You’ve conquered sin on the cross. Help me to lay aside every weight and sin which clings so closely (Hebrews 12:1) at the foot of the cross – I yearn from the depths of my heart to behold in every circumstance that You are supremely glorious and valuable above all else, for only You can satiate the void in my heart that I futilely attempt to mollify with things transient.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—" -Ephesians 2:4-5

Thank you for the cross, Lord. I do not deserve your unmerited kindness. May I oft recall that by way of the cross, God purchased and secured every possible blessing that could ever be crucial for our true happiness forevermore (Romans 8:32), for the cross has ascertained errthang we need to be satisfied in God. May I therefore live radically for You.

Humming along

My muddled noggin is unduly clouded with nine-to-six to-dos and post-work affairs. I earnestly pray I'm making the most of the time God's bestowed upon me amid it all (Ephesians 5:15-17). Lord, may I intentionally do all things in every moment for the furtherance of your kingdom. Whilst such notions are traipsing through me mind, Boss 1's been traipsing the outlying land of Alaska on business, and transmitting to me snapshots via cyberspace of the frigid fortress far far away:Jeepers! I've a sudden propensity towards gadding about Alaskan shores and befriending fish-guzzling grizzlies, followed by combing frost-woven colonies to share with inquisitive natives who Jesus Christ is, what He has done, and what that means for our joy. Thus would commence the trek to tell errbody about Christ to the ends of the earth. It'd be a bona fide ball!

Compelled

God's been pressing upon mine heart the compelling desire to seriously and persistently love people sacrificially, the way Christ loved us. Lord, please help me to do so. I need much grace. Forgive me for the inconsistencies in mi vida. Help me to dwell on Your love so that my life would be a fruitful reflection of it. Ready to ignite the Love Bomb I am!

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." -Romans 8:25

Thank you Lord for teaching me much-needed patience in copious respects as I await your perfect timing and will.

Birthday connotations

Fresh-baked red velvetsfor the cupcake connoisseur of an h-named homegirl,and a shimmy-shakin' boogieing extravaganza for the lovely Johana.

Lovely lead-ins

to the impending weekend: froyo gratification 2 evenings in a row and a surprise luncheon visitation from a chummy who combated 2 hour long LA traffic to come bearing fresh-baked tasties. Ready to take on the weekend I am!Happy Friday, y'all!

Now convinced of my need for shut-eye

Today, I fell asleep. In the midst of lunch. With 3 other people present. Yup.

But I allocate partial blame on the brilliant sun-doused day with which we've been gifted that induces a prolific hankering to nap.You know you're indubitably fond of something (in my case, the City of Angels) when you turn a blind eye to its foibles. I confess, even the healthy sheen of sooty pollutant-circulating smog hovering over this little hamlet seems endearing now. Gasp. Next thing you know, I'll be embracing the stop-and-not-go traffic.

His unforgettable forgetfulness

An anecdote where Boss 1 takes absentmindedness to a whole 'nother level:

INT. OFFICE CUBICLE – MIDAFTERNOON

The phone rings shrilly.

HELEN

Good afternoon, Boss 1’s office.

BOSS 1

Helen, it's me. Can you come up and get me on the 23rd floor? I can't get back down. I don't have my badge.

HELEN

I’ll be right there.

CUT TO:
INT. ELEVATOR – 1 MINUTE LATER

HELEN

Boss 1, you’re hilarious.

Boss 1 smiles sheepishly.

HELEN

How did you get up to the 23rd floor if you don't have your badge?

Boss 1 stares at me.

HELEN
You can't go up or down the elevator without swiping your badge first.

BOSS 1
You're right. You're absolutely right. I must have had my badge with me. Does that mean I left it on the 23rd?

HELEN
You don't remember if you had it on the way up?

BOSS 1
No, I don't. I must have had it on the way up, then! Did I leave it on the 23rd? Maybe I left it in ____'s office?

We are back on the 17th floor and have moseyed our way into Boss 1's office.

HELEN
Do you want to go back up and check right now? (scans Boss 1's desk and spies his telltale badge peeking out from under a pile of papers) Here it is!

BOSS 1
(plucks up his badge and looks at it quizzically)
Well, would you look at that.

HELEN
So you didn't have it on the way up.

BOSS 1
(utterly dumbfounded)
Now how in the world did I get up there???

HELEN
The only way you could've gotten up there is if someone was also in the elevator and they swiped their badge and you both got off on the 23rd. Did that happen?

BOSS 1
I really can't remember, but that must have been it. Someone must've gotten off the 23rd with me!

Such are the tales we laugh about o'er happy hour, the sort that meld us together as entertainment assistantship comprises our workweek. I gotta say, 'tis validating to know other assistants are undergoing the same whirlwind of fetch your boss from the 23rd floor 'cause he can't remember how he got there/get rye or wheat bread toasted or nontoasted with mustard or mayo or both and why are there so many choices for your boss' sandwich/retrieve 2041967 pitches from your boss' ultra posh car and turning on the headlights and trunk and making the car squeal like a cornered ferret before finally opening the vehicle door in a nervous sweat because you didn't know which button to push first, especially as we broadcast 'em over the world wide web. The assistant chronicles cream of the crop hails from a fortuitous discovery made near a year ago, Hollywood Assistant. Her impeccable balance of wit, zaniness, and pure storytelling genius makes both Janice and me await the day we shall all become the chummiest of chums!

The spontaneity-satiated Saturday

commenced with tippity topnotch vegan feasting at Veggie Grilland inconceivably fluffy pastry-partaking at 85Cbefore our scrimmage with parking at the beach ensued. As I scribed here, attempting to nab parking was a patience-trying time as we wove in and out of the swarm of beach-bound automobiles doing the same.When we finally shimmied into a parking space 2 hours later, not only was it was right across from the pier, but we also didn't have to feed the meter since 'twas after 6pm. God is so good in allowing us not to acquire parking 'til after 6pm so we didn't have to relinquish moolah! PTL, indeed.We envisioned a surrey as the ideal means to encounter scuttling sand crabs, seaweed pies, and plankton communities,but since such a notion turned out less agreeable than we had presumed,we adopted bikes (as our own bicycloves were stowed away at home) instead for a breeze-laced sun-drenched ride round and about.Thanks be to God for bestowing upon us His wondrous creation to enjoy. Golly molly, the magnificence.Graceful, refined, and poised: the attributes deemed deficient in us.Oh, and blimey! Dinnertime was titillating on both the tastebuds and the conversational realm. We befriended a convivial chap hailed from South Carolina,thanks to her confoundedly irresistible charm. Jolly brilliant summer times!