Category Archives: Retail

25 Before 25: Camping in the Desert

Posted by Ayesha in Family, Friends, Life, Retail and tagged with

I haven’t really fallen off my 25 Before 25 list, but I am starting to wonder if I’ll be able to do all of it by my 25th birthday. Nevertheless, here’s one big thing off my list.

A couple of weeks ago, E, Bestie C, Bestie’s pups and I made our way to Joshua Tree for a one-night camping trip. We had originally intended for a longer stay, but when it came down to sleeping in a bed Friday night or setting up camp in the dark after a loooooong work week, the bed won. We set out early Saturday morning, the same weekend as Coachella Week 1, to find a camp site, and enjoy a short trip to hike, climb big rocks and see the army of entirely weird, but so cool Joshua trees.

Bestie C's photo

Bestie C’s photo

We miraculously found a camp-site. It was a miracle because April is the perfect time to go to Joshua Tree. And Coachella was that weekend. And all the Joshua trees from Big Bear to the Mojave Desert had bloomed this year, which is very rare. Unfortunately, for us, they were no longer in bloom when we got there, but also, unfortunately for us, most people hadn’t gotten that memo. The short story is always check the little yellow tag when you see an empty site. It doesn’t always mean reserved.

personal photo

personal photo

With camp set up, we were able to relax a little and enjoy the outdoors. We went on a great hike on the Fortynine Palms trail which starts in a place that looks like everywhere else, but after a couple of miles, you end up in an oasis of palm trees. Some dogs were really into hiking. Some couldn’t be bothered.

personal photos

personal photos

After our lovely hike, which had a nice breeze to it, we discovered that a nice breeze on our hike meant gusty, blow-your-tent-over winds back at the camp site. We placed everything heavy in it, since the sand didn’t really keep the stakes down, and went for another little walk to explore the rocks. Unfortunately when we came back, our tent had still been uprooted, and now almost everything was wet from the cooler falling over inside the tent. We came up with some creative solutions for drying sleeping bags.

personal photos

personal photos

Thankfully, the gusty wind and the sun in a clear sky really dried the sleeping bags quickly. I did have to take a break from the wind and sit in the car for an hour or so to get away from the howling wind. The wind negatively affected our dinner, but there’s nothing like a hot dog cooked over the fire as a backup plan. And as is required, we each had a Reese’s peanut butter cup s’more (the best kind of s’more) before turning in for the night. When I woke up the wind was gone and the stars were shining, I could see the worth of sleeping outside. The next morning was gorgeous and we packed up and headed out for a little more rock exploration.

personal photos

Notice the Joshua tree in the top left. Isn’t it so cool?

By this time, Bestie C and I were ready for burritos and some ice cream, so we started our journey back. E could have explored all day, though. He is truly an adventurer and explorer. Bestie C is also a great camper. She provided most of our gear and the cute dogs to cuddle with. I would say that camping in the desert was a success and it’s certainly a big to-do off my list! My feelings for camping might be growing, but I think that has mostly to do with the people I’m camping with and less with the camping itself. Thanks, Husband and Bestie for helping me accomplish this goal! There aren’t any two people I’d rather go camping with.

ayestriacamps5

Thank You. The End.

The Kate Spade saga has finally ended, in kind of an anti-climactic matter. The investigation isn’t even over. But I guess I called enough times that they have just decided to refund me without finding the location of the bag. Two nights ago, the customer service rep put in a request for a supervisor to … Keep reading →

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And They Got Me Again!

So, I know you all thought it was pretty bad that Kate Spade sent me the wrong bag and pretty much did nothing about it. Well, three weeks later, I got bitten by the bug again. And I really should have treated the damn thing like forbidden fruit and never looked back. But look at … Keep reading →

I Have a Problem.

Posted by Ayesha in Classics, Contemporary Fiction, Discounts, Lukewarm, Retail

I have Book ADD again.

I think I’m in the middle of six and about to start another one. I blame the fact that I work in a bookstore and cannot control myself. OK, seriously. No more purchasing books until I am done with all the reads I have in line. Oh, whoa. This could take a while or I could just hunker down and do it.

The list, with books I have started first, and books I have yet to start at the end:

  • Lolita
  • The Book Thief
  • Cutting for Stone
  • American Wife
  • Something Blue  (I may abandon this ship.)
  • The Lacuna (Another pursuit I may abandon shortly)
  • Admission (My current read, liking it thus far. It may be the one to cure me.)
  • My Korean Deli (I must read this is two weeks, a lend from work.)
  • Lunch in Paris (Lent to my FMIL while in the middle of it, because she was going to Paris.)
  • The Postmistress
  • Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
  • A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius
  • Reading Lolita in Tehran

OK, seriously? The list looks way worse now that I have actually written it out. I will not buy another book for one month. In that one month, I need to finish these books. What is wrong with me? I think I have a problem. I think I am addicted to buying books.

Substitutions Prohibited

Posted by Ayesha in Contemporary Fiction, Hot, Movie, Retail and tagged with , ,

Today, a much anticipated film is being released. And it’s based on one of my favorite books in recent history.

My recommendation to you is that you read the book, please! I haven’t seen the film, but will soon. I just hope that a lot of people will not skip the book just because they saw the movie. Really, you need to read this book. In recent weeks, a lot of people have been buying Sara Gruen’s best hit. I tell literally every person that buys it that they will not be disappointed. It is such a good book! Read it!

I hope the film is great. It has great material to play off of.

Four Months In

Posted by Ayesha in Inspiration, Retail and tagged with , ,

How are we almost into the second third of 2011? I know the year is normally broken into four seasons, but I hardly call what SoCal weather has been doing seasonal. I mean, how can you follow a 90 degree weekend with a rainy day? And then, a relatively good 75 degree day, again followed by rain? I’m confused! Stop it. Be 75 degrees and sunny for one week straight please.

Ok, then. Thanks.

Ok, done with my weather rant. Am I the only person that thinks about time passing in terms of holidays? I guess that’s because I work in retail and I’m overwhelmed with the marketing of holidays and sales goals related to them. But I really love holidays. I love writing cards and showing a little appreciation for the people in my life. So, Easter is this Sunday (!!!), and I stuck pretty well to my Lenten goals. I did crossword puzzles, read a lot (which is normal), and stayed off the computer for a significant portion of my day. Also, I did work with Jillian Michaels on some yoga. I still have a long way to go in terms of that, but I want to keep doing it.

The world is working in mysterious ways right now in terms of my job hunt, and I am just praying that these last couple of opportunities work out somehow. I need them to. I’m seriously considering graduate school, and while that’s not a bad thing, I can’t really afford to put off everything for school at this moment (mostly student loan payments and the wedding). It’s finals week at my alma mater, and that idea is jarring. I have been struggling for employment for almost one year. That’s kind of hard to swallow. I know I’m a great candidate for the two big things I’ve applied for recently. I just need someone else to see that. Someone who hires.

A good friend of mine is going through a thorough interview process right now, and we were discussing how he felt. He said that he didn’t want to get his hopes up, which is what I’m always telling myself. But his mom told him to just hope and just believe that he is the exact right person for the job, and it’s better to build yourself up before an interview than to go meekly in thinking you might not get it. Even if you fall hard and the depression lasts a couple of months, you’ll know you did your absolute best. What a great way of thinking. I just need to go for it.

How have the last four months treated you? What are you hoping to accomplish this year? How do you deal with being so up in the air at every moment?

Here’s to True Friends

Posted by Ayesha in Retail and tagged with , , ,

I have struggled for the past few weeks with this post. I want to do this post, and my friend, justice and haven’t been able to think of the right words to really express how I feel.

After school, I have really found what friendship means, and how hard it is to maintain a good friendship when you are not together everyday. It takes phone calls, appointments, and some travel to make it work. Honestly, when all of that came into play, it became clear who wanted to be friends and who didn’t. Luckily, I have more than a few great people in my life who value our friendship as much as I do.

Does anyone notice that the heart is broken?

Making new friends was going to be even harder. I love my friends, but it took a long time for me to feel really comfortable with them. I retreat to an elementary school version of myself whenever I really want to be friends with a new person. I feel like I’m wearing humongous glasses, sporting an unfortunate bowl cut, and eating rice and curry for lunch. (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, anyone?) But in that awkwardness that comes with being a child, so does honesty.

There was a new cashier at work right before the holidays. She was quiet, but really nice, and the queen of collecting book donations. We worked next to each other, but hardly had time to talk. We had one break together where we got to know each other a little better. She was from Oregon, went to school in Utah, and then Boston, and somehow ended up in Valencia? What? And she was going to start school again in Claremont. A couple of days after that I woke up and decided that I was going to ask her to be my friend.

This is how the conversation went during a lull in the line:

Me: R, I know you’re new in town, and maybe don’t know a lot of people. I just moved back, and all my friends are gone. I think you’re really nice, and was wondering if you’d like to be my friend?

R: I would like that very much. Thank you. Can we get frozen yogurt for our friend date?

Me: Sure!

So, the best part of this story is that we are still really good friends, even though we don’t work together anymore. Luckily, she goes to school in Claremont, and we are able to meet for frozen yogurt, lunch, and the occasional movie. We see each other almost weekly, and have become very close. I find her philosopher self fascinating. We can talk for a long time about boys, religion, weddings, and of course, books!

I even asked her if I could write this post. My friends mean a lot to me, and the girl scout song keeps ringing in my head: “Make new friends and keep the old. One is silver and the other’s gold.” It was not easy in my mind, but surprisingly easy when I actually did it.

Craving a Book Buy

Posted by Ayesha in Contemporary Fiction, Discounts, Retail and tagged with , ,

I love books, and I read a lot of them (Duh, hence the blog), but I don’t get to keep a lot of them. I usually borrow books from friends, use the library (What a concept!), or read them on my nook (That still costs money, but less, and uses less paper.)

Last week, I went to a different Barnes and Noble, and I just wanted to buy a few books that had just been recommended to me. Even though I wanted to, I didn’t. I wanted my store to get the sale, because that filters back to me in terms of hours. Oh, the world of retail. I took a very long time thinking about what books I wanted, and decided that it was ok to splurge just a teeny tiny bit.

Yesterday, feeling prepared, I twisted E’s mom’s arm (not very hard) to go to the book store with me. And it was heavenly. I had time to browse and look through books at a leisurely pace. It was like eating a donut! Or buying shoes! So good! Want to see what I got?

To continue along on my Paris theme

All these books were recommended to me by good reader friends. I am excited to get started. They’re all authors I haven’t read before, and they all seem interesting and have caught my eye once or twice or fifteen as I’ve run around the book store. It’s always great to get going on a new set of books. Craving satisfied. Any cravings gotten you lately? And know that I am up for recommendations all the time!

And keep a look out for new features on the blog! It might become more user-friendly for those looking to actually read the books I write about. Another great concept.

How to Cure a Crushed Spirit

Posted by Ayesha in Contemporary Fiction, Inspiration, On Writing, Retail, Romantic Comedies and tagged with , ,

This weekend, I am trying to stay warm in Idyllwild while not thinking about the “worst storm California has seen in years. Potential to snow in Santa Clarita, Redlands and sea-level San Francisco!” What?!

I was in a bad funk at the beginning of the week. Really bad. Everything was getting to me. I couldn’t read anything. I didn’t want to write anything, and I just felt depressed. Now, I am hoping you guys don’t think this is a normal occurrence for me. I have been going through a complex web of emotions lately, and end up fighting myself and putting myself down more than being productive. So, today, while I am sequestered, I have been as productive as my eyes can handle looking at computer screens. I count reading in productivity, because it inspires me to write.

Um, no thanks

Today, I had some leftover BN gift card money, and nothing cures my depression like a mini shopping trip, without even having to leave the couch or taking anything out of my bank account! YAY! And to top it off, I decided to buy fun reads: Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella, My Life in France by Julia Child and her nephew, and the Book Thief by Markus Zusak. And with my nook, I had instant mostly happy reads. The past few books I’ve read have been a little laborious, but enjoyable. I needed straight-up easy and comical. That’s what my girl, Sophie Kinsella, is great at. I’m sad that this is the last book of hers that I haven’t read. But today, all I did was pick up the nook and start, and I couldn’t stop.

No, I didn’t finish the book in one sitting. But I got through four chapters, loved it and can’t wait to read more. Thanks Sophie for the lightheartedness. Her heroines are always a bit of a train wreck, but so endearing. I think part of me likes to read her when I’m depressed because the heroine’s life always seems a bit more of a wreck than mine, but so much more amusing.

The only non-violent image I could find under Google image search "funny train wreck"... So many photos of Lindsay Lohan though, *shudder*

She helps. Sophie makes me want to curl up with chocolate and a cup of tea, and instantly works her magic on me. Thanks Sophie. Now, if you could only magically turn up the heat around me so that I wouldn’t be freezing my toes off!