Take Me Out To The Ball Game-Tiffany & Co. Style!

Yesterday my boss (owner of company) took us for a "paid" work outing to the Angels Baseball game (an early one-12:30 p.m. ) We had awesome seats (Diamond Club) which gives you VIP treatment (plush seats/personal waiters) while you watch the game. We were directly behind home plate/field level!

Everyone knows that when you go to a game, you do as much people watching, as watching the game.

So here's my best Paparazzi impression via my cell phone:

This guy's working the "Bald Patch Napkin Over" without much success (ouch-major sunburn!) He continued trying to tuck the napkin into his visor, but the wind blew & it flapped off! (tip: hey buddy-buy a baseball hat!)lol!

Then I spotted this guy-He was a Scout for the 2010 World Series Champions, the San Francisco Giants.

He had a full set up going on, timing each pitcher-Angels & Oakland A's (with his handy radar gun) then recorded it onto his official forms.

But it was his incredible, World Series Championship ring, that had my attention, it was huge, blinding, full of diamonds that were glistening in the sun!

The girls next to him got him to take it off & they passed it around trying it on. I sat a few rows up trying to get a good picture with my cell phone...didn't do very good, but you get the idea.

Since I wasn't able to get a very good shot of it, I pulled a close-up picture off the internet-turns out this baby was designed by Tiffany & Co. The story behind the design is that it was inspired by the Giants 1933 World Series ring, with a modern touch.

If I were bolder...I would have leaned over & asked to try it on too, but I'm not, so I settled for picture stalking, LOL!

We left after the 7th inning stretch..we (the Angels) were losing 4-0.UGH!

Great day at the ball park with my AMAZING bosses!
Steve (company owner) Marsha (manager)

and...back to work (front of our office building)

NOW THAT'S MY KIND OF WORK DAY!!

I Found a New Creative Outlet!

I wanted to share my very first floral arrangements with you. I have to tell ya...I totally enjoyed doing it. It's a whole new side of getting to be creative. You all know I write & take pictures, but now I can add, floral arrangements to my (learn as I go Resume.)

I'm very good at finding deals, so of course my first stop was the Goodwill. I was able to find these blue tinted glasses (perfect for floral table centerpieces-$1.50 each.)

Then digging around the store, back and forth (I have a problem with making up my mind) I finally found the perfect vase for the main arrangement to go on the fire place at our church service (It's a cool style & plastic but looks like glass-$3.50.)

Then I headed off to Trader Joe's and grabbed four different bouquet's ($5.99 each.) I chose a main color theme of purple and white but added some yellow in too. Finally stopping at Jo-Ann's Fabric & Craft store to pick up some clear marbles (to put in the bottom of the vase) & silver small beads (to sprinkle around the centerpieces.)

by the the next day these flowers were in full bloom and gorgeous!

I began mixing and matching, chopping off stems & stressing a little that I may be ruining them. But the end result was better than I'd hoped for & I'm pretty proud of my newly found creative outlet.

(I even got tons of compliments on the centerpieces!yay!)

Summer, Waves & Surfing

Huntington Beach, CA Pier
(double click pictures for larger view)

this little guy was walking with his grandma
& wasn't too sure about the crab he found!


always so much to see at the beach

have to stretch...before surfing

Catalina Island in the background

Newport Beach, CA

While Jullien was here visiting/recuperating, he was finally healed up enough to go surfing. Unfortunately, the waves weren't cooperating, but when you're a surfer, you learn to make due...which is exactly what he did on this day. It took us a few stops (Newport Beach first & then finally ending up back where we started in Huntington Beach.)

Normally he likes to avoid the pier crowd & head down to the cliffs, but when the waves are small, the pier usually has the largest waves...so he battled the line-up (tons of surfers paddling for prime position) and caught a few.

Welcome to summer surfing in Southern California!

PRINCE CONCERT-Yes Finally!

yes, this is me screaming on our way...so excited!


Since I was in high school, I've been crazy for Prince (The Symbol, The Artist) or whatever you want to call him. Unfortunately I was never able to see him live in concert (but I did hang out w/ him at an LA night club, Bar One, in the 90's. I was dancing & he was sitting in a dark, private booth. He sent someone out to the dance floor to invite me & my friend to come sit w/ him...but he never said a word! Just kind of smirked and nodded his head when we tried to play it cool, and said "Hey Prince."LOL. After a while, we got tired of sitting & waiting for him to talk to us & said, "Thanks...we're going to dance.")

Oh back to my story, my dad was a policeman and VERY STRICT! All my friends were going but I wasn't allowed to. To say I was angry, is putting it mildly, especially as I stood by watching my friends get all dressed up in their best Prince, impersonation attire. Complete with tight black pants, ruffled low cut tops, or bustier (for that Wendy & Lisa look) tall high boots, thick heavy makeup, a long dangling earring and of course...the BIG 80's hair!

not sure if this is Wendy or Lisa? But it gives you an idea of the 80's look.

and the 80's Prince

Oh I was fuming! But I wasn't much of one to dis-obey...so I stayed home.

When I recently heard Prince was in town, I gave a subtle hint to my oldest son Josh & his gf Charmaine as they were sitting on the couch, "NO WAY, Prince is playing at the Forum tonight...that would be a PERFECT Mother's Day Present! You know how long I've loved Prince, I mean, I've made you listen to every one of his songs since you were little, AND I've NEVER been to his concert."

Yes, I'm very subtle, don't ya think?

So later that day, he came and handed me some money, "Get yourself a Prince ticket mom, Happy Mother's Day!" .............YAY!!!!!!!

I scrambled to get a ticket on TicketMaster & then informed my hubby 2 hrs. before showtime & Adam's Prom, "WE'RE GOING TO SEE PRINCE TONIGHT...WHOO HOO!!!" We got together our best, ~we can still look cool at a Prince concert-over 40 outfits on~

ya my hubby playing his air guitar (aka-my leg!)

Then rushed over to take prom pictures of Adam & his gf Carla & headed to LA.

It was absolutely everything I could have hoped for and more. HE WAS INCREDIBLE! He even pulled Gwen Stefani up onto the stage to sing & dance. AND Sheila E. was RIDICULOUS on the drums! We were on our feet the entire show, dancing, singing along, cheering...he is amazing. It was definitely worth the wait. I would go to every single show he had here in LA if I had the money (he promises a new show every night.)

the guy doesn't age at all!


If you get the chance be sure to check out a Prince concert in your area...you wont be disappointed! THANK YOU JOSHY!

A Couple of Shots Later

The last time I can remember ever getting a shot in the butt was probably when I was a little girl. But I found myself in the Dr.'s office on Wednesday morning, stressing as the Dr. told me I was getting a butt shot!! OUCH!

It was a strong pain killer to relieve the severe muscle spasms I've been having for the past 3 days from a bad groin strain (not stretching before my Zumba class because yes, I was LATE!)

It actually wasn't as painful as I had remembered from oh so many years ago. I raced home before it hit me & crashed out for 5 hours of glorious almost pain free rest! Then headed back to the dr.'s again yesterday and was given ANOTHER butt shot (anti-inflammatory), which actually kept the pain away for the entire day. Now I'm on muscle relaxers & anti-inflammatory meds to make it to work...never knew a groin injury could be that painful!

To sum up this week~IT WAS QUITE A PAIN IN THE BUTT!

What Have I Done Now?

After about 5 months of skipping out on my Zumba class, due to back trouble (never found out what was wrong, but it finally went away) I've done something AGAIN!

I finally went back to my class on Saturday, and because I know I'm out of shape, I took it easy, or so I thought. On Sunday (Mother's Day-which was very nice by the way, I'll post about that on another day), I was sore. Yes, I expected and even welcomed the soreness, sure that it was working in all the right areas that needed summer toning. BUT I didn't expect what happened Sunday night. I got in bed and shortly after started having severe knife stabbing pains in my groin. I could not move, turn, bend or straighten my leg without screaming out in pain. By the middle of the night (after being awake ALL night) I had to go to the bathroom. I literally had to lift my leg slowly with both hands (it felt like it was paralyzed.) By the time I finally made it to the toilet I was nauseous, sweaty and shaking from the pain. My hubby had to come & carry me back to bed.

Yesterday was spent without moving ALL day in bed. Today, I can move a little bit and can get up to go to the bathroom very slowly, with the aid of crutches...but still couldn't go to work.

This is SO RIDICULOUS! I don't know if I've pulled or torn my groin...but this is some SERIOUS PAIN...ONLY ME!!!

RIP Drew Conahan-You'll Be Missed!

Last Sunday a group of us went out for lunch after church. It was just a normal Sunday but it was unusual for so many people to go out and eat together afterward. Drew Conahan, a friend that grew up with my hubby decided to join us, which rarely happened.

Now to explain Drew is a little difficult, he was quite a character to say the least. I told my hubby, "Drew doesn't have a filter." He said, "What do you mean?" "Well, when he thinks something he says it. It just spills out, unlike most of us who filter what we say," I replied.

But that was Drew, he never held anything back. He loved to play jokes on everyone, had a crazy laugh that made others chuckle & an incredibly big heart. He tried to hide it behind a tough, gruff exterior...but if you were lucky enough to get to really know him, you'd see that it was a cover up. He was very sensitive & often felt remorse for his, "lack of filter." He just wore his emotions on his sleeve.

One day at church, my hubby, (Anthony), played a joke on Drew and pulled right up to his car bumper so they were touching. Anthony thought it was really funny & would be able to get a quick rise out of Drew (which they both loved to do to each other-both are hot heads!) Well it worked. Drew, an avid Green Bay Packers fan, had a Packers license plate mounted on the front of his bumper, which was completely bent and ruined by Anthony's joke. When my hubby went inside church, Drew ran out, got in Anthony's car & took EVERYTHING out of the glove box, papers, folders and anything else he could find and threw them everywhere inside the car. And so it went...back and forth!

On Sunday as we sat and ate, he cracked a few jokes at people, and his face instantly lighting up...his softer side shining through as he talked about how he met the love of his life, his wife Gloria, sitting on a bus one day while going to work. He struck up a conversation with her and asked her out. He said that he was surprised she agreed. Then joked about the fact that after they had been dating a while, she said, "You tricked me, I thought you were really a blond!" We all squirmed a little, but once he belted out his distinguished, Hee Hee Hee Hee, laugh, we couldn't help but join in.

As we were getting ready to leave, the guys began teasing him about his fancy church shoes. He made a few remarks back, then, Hee Hee Hee Hee, laughed it off. He walked over to my son Elijah and me, gave us each a hug (this coming from a guy who HATED hugs & told anyone who ever tried to..."I DON'T HUG!") Then he looked at us very sincerely & said, "This was really nice, I had a great time hanging out with you guys today." I waited for a wise crack remark afterwards, but he just looked at us happily and smiled.

"We enjoyed it too Drew," I said, caught off guard by the hug and seriousness of his comment.

That was the last time we saw Drew.

Yesterday, we got a call that he had fallen off a scaffolding at work and was killed. It's so unbelievable that just 5 days ago we were all having a wonderful Sunday lunch. Just like that...he was called home to his Heavenly Father & Savior, Jesus Christ.

It struck me hard that none of us is promised tomorrow. We all need to make an effort to make each day count. You never know when it might be the last time you see someone. Drew's final prayer request that he wrote last Sunday was for a couple of friends. One in particular who was working with him. He wasn't thinking of himself. He was making sure his friends accepted Jesus Christ. It was very important that he knew the people he cared about would be saved after they left this earth. He truly had a heart for people and worried about them.

RIP Drew Conahan, you are home...but we will miss you our friend!

Here is Drew's favorite song, "The Old Rugged Cross"

Time For A Change-PALLADIO Makeup Review

I received a Palladio Eye Makeup Gift package in the mail, (thank you Diani.) For all you budget conscious women, Palladio's products are a steal! Don't let the price fool you though, they definitely don't skimp on quality. With so many chemicals and harmful ingredients in makeup, it's nice to find an Herbal product that is actually healthy for my skin, but still delivers a WOW factor.

The first item I grabbed was the 'Smokey Eyes Eye Shadow Quads' (new in stores!)

double click for close-up views (all photos by Lisa Petrarca)


The colors made my eyes POP! It went on smooth and never left a crease (which somehow tends to be an issue for me.) I actually never even had to re-apply...loved that!

For an evening out, I love a smoky eye look, and used the New 'Black Onyx Precision Eye Liner' which actually was more precise and easier to apply than other products I've tried.

Along with 'Black Tie Trio Baked Eyeshadow'...gorgeous evening colors.


Included in my kit was something I'd never thought to buy on my own, a Shadow & Liner 'Eclipse Eyeshadow Liner' and 'Black Pearl Eyeshadow Liner.'

I have very heavy lids and always tend to use darker colors to hide the puffiness. The Herbal Crayon Shadow & Liner made the process very easy, cut my makeup 'eye time' in half AND made my eyes appear larger (which is hard to do!)

I can't believe I've never tried it before...definite MUST HAVE item! I finished off my look with the amazingly smooth, (no tugging or pulling under my eye area=less wrinkles) Palladio's New herbal product 'Black Onyx Precision Eye Liner.'

And finally, last but not least, the summer item every girl needs-Herbal Waterproof 'Pure Black Retractable Eye Pencil.' There's nothing worse than being out, having fun, and suddenly catching a glimpse of yourself in a mirror, only to see your eyeliner smeared down your face!

This herbal, waterproof eyeliner, takes away that worry.

Be sure to stop by PALLADIO'S website. You can also purchase these products at, Sally's Beauty Supply.

Your face & wallet will thank you!

Wearing Palladio Makeup for a night out!