One Busy Bee

What's the big fuss? I never watched the Pokemon cartoon and my PS2 is sitting in my room collecting dust with Tomb Raider in the drive. Let's face it, Lara Croft is a hot, bad ass chick. Girl power!  Though a fun game, I would assume it has been a good two years since I have turned it on. Pokemon Go was a constant headline with people being attacked and phones ripped out of their hands  (CBS) because they weren't paying attention to their surroundings. No, I wasn't going to be one of ' those people .' I continued to hear my staff talk about it, see it all over Facebook like my cousin driving my nephew around town trying to catch Pokemons and even friends in their twenties playing it while I am driving around San Francisco. What was the point of the game? I didn't understand it. Then again, I'm not a gamer or a 'nerd' as my friend described himself. I use apps that earn me gift cards for Hyatt or Target like ShopKick or mPlaces respe...

Ooooh, if I could I tell your momma.... I am a constant work in progress so I am at the gym often and have been at it for years now. It's a lifestyle. Some believe their momma is still going to clean up after their sweaty a$$. News flash, you're a grown up now. Clean up after yourself and be respectful of your surroundings. 1) Wipe down the machines after your set - You just up'd your personal record on that last rep. Congratulations! *Ahem* A personal record I'd like you to break is your track record for being disgusting. Please wipe your sweat off the machine for the next person. It's so gross. I don't need your bodily fluids absorbed into my CaliMuscle or Shredz tank. This means wipe down the seat, the back, the knob to select your weight and the bars. It takes two seconds and your other gym friends would appreciate it. 2) Put your toys away - Remember where you got that dumbbell, plate, ball and bar? Well guess what? It's not going ...

Studies have shown that giving back improves your mood ( Donating Increases Happiness ). DW has an event once a month called Women Wednesdays that give back to organization that benefit women, children, promotes health and encourages and supports education. I absolutely love hearing the wonderful feedback from our guests that what we are doing is appreciated and that they are happy to attend. The organizations are just as gracious as well. For our very first event, it was Whiskey & Women, but it benefited the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund that is a block away from DW . I sat down with a couple and I was thanked for holding the event and selecting the organization of the evening. The woman was a breast cancer survivor and was able to get by with the help of the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund . The sincere look in both of their eyes made my eyes water, just as they now as I remember that moment. I have done several Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and AIDS Walk SF . Spons...

Week 1 of Bodybuilding.com's #250KChallenge is underway! Tomorrow completes the first week of this new challenge and it's going very well. My staff is involved and three of the eleven are involved this week. My girlfriends, Christy, Nikki B. and Tatiana are definitely in it. I invited the team to send me Snapchat s (bappletree) when they are done working out, when they are not working out but feeling bad about it and for me to respond with congratulations and encouragement. They get a thumbs up. They also get sweaty pics. That's my body crying.  I took my hideous BEFORE photos on Saturday and Sunday, DWSF's Pastry Chef made these two croquembouches for a special sommelier and wine event. The temptations at my restaurant are never ending! I only taste things that are bad for me. See my ongoing Beer & Wine logs. I will be allowing myself one cheat day per week but even that needs to be a bit tame to achieve the results I want.  Sunday, I felt like deat...

Say goodbye to those dark clouds. They're blocking out your sun. You really can't help those that don't help themselves. It's draining and exhausting. "If your life sucks, then guess what? It’s mostly, if not entirely, your fault." "You are free to choose, but you are not free from the consequence of your choice." - A Universal Paradox Avoid the unintelligent. It's "a result of continually making bad decisions and not learning from their mistakes for their entire lives." It's like, "Really? Again?" Thanks to a friend that posted this on Facebook. Read the below article as posted in Elite Daily . The 10 Types Of Toxic People That Mentally Strong People Avoid Other individuals affect us more than any other factor in the world. They are the most unpredictable, the most mysterious and the most exciting — at least, some are. There are other types of individuals, however. There are those who are more toxic than they ...

I am not a typical saleswoman and I have no desire to be one. What I am able to do is provide information to those that are receptive to it and allow them to make up their own mind on what to do with that information. My approach is to be casual and genuine but informative. I enjoy being a Stella & Dot Lead Stylist because the job is mainly sharing information, wearing the product and sharing the opportunity. It is easy, non-intrusive and the products really do sell themselves. I intend to continue to have the same approach with my current venture. I am open to tips on success, however it is very difficult to take one seriously when they themselves do not practice what they preach. Below is a recent response to a proposal by a self-proclaimed millionaire with some writing tips. ....you sounds excited but I tell you though your proposals are sound as far as I can see...you have to become more structured in your proposals to folks of experience like me or they will ignore you......

I definitely could be if I turned to the dark side but as I look around my room for my misplaced halo, I know I'm not... all the time. I have a reputation for being somewhat of a hard ass and was called mean after a heated phone call while at the office. I work for a law firm. I write about this because I am who I am and this person doesn't know me very well. I would like to think of myself as someone who gets things done. I've been running a law office with all male lawyers for almost six years, do the work of six separate of employees, plan and coordinate weddings that was ranked as #6 on the most stressful jobs list, and have four other job titles or side gigs on top of that. Another time, another female told me she didn't think I was going to last in my position. Go ahead and doubt me. I have overcome and surpassed so many's expectations. Being called mean just adds fuel to the fire and clearly I'm doing something right. I am stern and straight to t...

It is August 20th, 2013 and I have nothing really major on my calendar until probably December where I am thinking about going to Okinawa to visit my cousin who is stationed there. I have a couple of Stella & Dot trunk shows scheduled (book yours!) and am excited for the Niners v. Colts on my actual birthday on September 22nd. I have 11 seats and family and loved ones are in attendance. Last year's birthday festivities included a Niners' game as well. I think I'll make it a tradition. GO NINERS ! This year has definitely been busy. With it more than half over, I think I have accomplished quite a bit. Just before the end of 2012, I decided to make a major change in my life and put my happiness first. Sadly, shortly after, my grandfather passed away . I was there in the hospital room with my father when Lolo took his last breath. I have only had my heart broken one other time in my life; this was the second. The loss of him reminded me that life is short.  I'm n...

Image from http://observatory.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=8597 This is quite a pet peeve of mine. I understand that as a 5'1" woman in a crowded BART train that I cannot reach the overheard bars and I will most likely find myself having to breathe through my mouth while standing under someone's armpit because they're not SURE . But why do I have to scoot my chair back to obtain some personal space? And why am I stepping back TWICE during a casual conversation? I would go into more detail for a juicier post but I don't want to be Fired for Blogging . It happens. What pet peeves top your list?

Listen, I am ALL for bicyclists to get from point A to point B. It’s amazing how long, far and how steep people bike. I commend them! It’s a good work out, it helps decrease pollution, decrease the increasing rates of obesity, etc. I personally know avid riders, competitors and people that have made it their profession. When I move out to Brentwood, I’ll be more than happy to ride my bike more. What I cannot stand is that bicyclists want to be treated equally as cars or have the right-of-way like pedestrians at all times, but in my experience in just driving the short 5 blocks West of San Pablo Blvd. to work in Emeryville, they do NOT follow the rules and guidelines in the CA DMV Handbook . At stop signs like at the intersection of 45th and Horton (see The Emeryville Tattler ), I have had to slowly follow a bicyclist riding in the center of my lane on the 2-lane street of 45th. And no, he did not stop at the stop sign, nor signal he was making a left turn. I always use my turn sign...