Bub

Meet Bub.

Our "bestest vacation ever" in Kauai, 2009

Bub is my little sister and best friend. We get mistaken for twins all the time. It's not a far stretch since she knows me so well that I don't even have to tell her how I feel because she's already there. We are different, but the same in many ways. She is one of the biggest blessings that God has given me for my life. Not only do I know without a doubt that she has my back 24/7, but she's also that "diamond in the rough" friend who will tell me like it is, but only because she loves me and wants better for me. She helps me see past my own failings and she helps motivate and support me to become all that God wants me to be. Bub is my armor-bearer, honest opinion-giver, fierce protector, heart of my own heart. 

We like doing life together. So, in the spirit of that, we both got engaged and got/are getting married this year. Above is my sister on Christmas Day when she got engaged and on her wedding day last month. Isn't she radiant? :)

In my Maid of Honor toast at her wedding I talked about how the Bible talks about the different seasons in life and how God is faithful throughout each of them. Bub is my every season sister, my every season best friend. 

Thinking of you today with love Bub!

Aim

Let's Make a Deal...

I spent some time with these lovelies today

That cutie in the middle is my goddaughter. We'll call her Kiddo for short ;)

That other cutie on the left is my one friend from high school that I still keep in touch with. I haven't always been the best at keeping in touch with people (it's something I'm working on :) but somehow DD and I have remained friends...and good friends at that.

I'm thankful for Kiddo's unconditional love for me and for DD's loyal friendship over the years. 

Today Kiddo and I made a deal-I'm to come over and watch her favorite movie "Tangled" with her soon.
I love 3-year-old "deals." ;)

I'll be over soon!

"Auntie" Aim

A Monday Musing

This morning, a fitting word from Mr. Oswald Chambers:

"Wherever God sends us, He will guard our lives. Our personal property and possessions are to be a matter of indifference to us, and our hold on these things should be very loose. If this is not the case, we will have panic, heartache, and distress. Having the proper outlook is evidence of the deeply rooted belief in the overshadowing of God's personal deliverance."

"If we are devoted to Jesus Christ, we have nothing to do with what we encounter, whether it is just or unjust. In essence, Jesus says, 'Continue steadily on with what I have told you to do, and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance.'"

In Proverbs, there is a well known verse about trust. Today, it is a gentle reminder that God is in control of both mine and B's future, and the futures of those I love most too. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path."

And so we move forward. 

And I will trust.

Aim

A Love Affair with Starbucks

People who know me know that I have a love affair with Starbucks going on.

Here's B and I during our engagement shoot at a local 'Bucks.

And what would a tree be without a little 'Bucks decoration?

Here's a Christmas cup where my name was spelled right!

This is my little sis Quid and I at our favorite local 'Bucks.

No matter the season, I'm always down for a Starbucks fix!

Today, while meandering around my usual line-up of wedding blogs, I found this:

A Starbucks Proposal Story

*Gasp. How incredible is that?!? I mean, I had the proposal of all proposals (more to come on that later) but I couldn't help but be awed by this most creative Starbucks proposal when I saw it. I mean-check out all the little details! Any true Starbucks connoisseur knows how legit these details are. It's cute because this couple actually had their first date at a Starbucks so the guy recreated that scene for his proposal setting. Congrats to these two!

Starbucks lovers unite,

Aim

Girl in Translation

Today I read this book from cover to cover. You know it's a good book when you can't put it down and you start rooting for the characters in the story...when your heart is touched by their hearts. Girl in Translation was this type of book for me. I was touched and it left me thinking of how many resources I have and how I might use them to help someone like Ah-Kim, a first generation immigrant with minimal English skills and hardly any money. It's stories like this book that remind me to give more and need less.

Pay it forward,

Aim

Monday Love

Apparently, goggles are the new IT accessory. Who knew? Here's a few of my loves showing you how it's done.

Rock on with your bad selves!

Aim

In Honor of my Papa

Today is Father's Day. I am extraordinarily blessed with a great Father. Because my sister and I are of the same mind, I am going to direct you to her post on our Dad, which I think so fits him and who he is to both Bub and to me too: Bub's Post on Dad

Happy Father's Day Dad. I love you!

Aim

Peony Love

Look what my incredibly wonderful fiance brought home for me the other night!

I love peony season. They are my absolute favorite flower...just look how huge and gorgeous they are!!! (fyi, there are two types of peonies in the bouquet I'm holding: the Imperial Pink (the huge blooms with less petals) and the Double Peony (the smaller, darker pink blooms with tons of petals)

Thanks to my love B and to Trader Joe's for brightening my week :)

Aim

Anxiety Piety

Big news in Aimeeland: I went to the doctor today. Now, I'm not one to never go to the doctor or anything. In fact, I regularly encourage those I love to go in for regular check-ups at the first sign of pain, or just to go for "fun" like my Mom does. :p

I need to take a sidebar here to toot the horn of my HMO. That's right people, I'm on an HMO Health Plan and I LOVE it. Kaiser has never let me or my family down and I'm sick of people who knock it just because they're snobby PPOers. Here are some reasons why I heart Kaiser...

*Self Check-in Kiosk. I'm the type of person who uses ATMs for all her banking needs and has only stepped foot inside an actual bank once, maybe twice in my life. Anytime a great, more efficient and speedier machine can take the place of me talking to an actual person, I'm game. At Kaiser, I walk right up to the little kiosk, swipe my member card, verify my appointment, pay for my visit and sit down. Easy peasy.

*Great co-payments. Seriously people, you CANNOT BEAT Kaiser's fees. $25/each appointment and $100/er visits. Also, vaccines and immunizations are wayyyy cheaper at Kaiser than with any other health plan. 'Nuff said.

*Really nice people. Everyone I've ever encountered at a Kaiser, whether it be the desk ppl to the nurses to the doctors to the janitors, have been genuinely nice people. Sure, some of them may be a little quirky, but nice all the same. :)

*Kaiser's Online World. In a word-incredible. You can get your lab results same day (last time they were posted not one hour after I'd had them done!), make appointments, e-mail your doctor, check on prescriptions, etc., etc. You name it, you can find it online. LOVE that you have this type of power within a great big HMO.

*Proven track record. I've had my appendix taken out, finger stitched together, blood drawn, mri done, etc., etc. and they've been great every time.  

In short, I'd just like to say...GO KAISER!!! The End.

Okay, back to my original post. So even though I encourage my loved ones to go, somehow I'm not so gung-ho about going myself. But I will go if needed, like today. I've been having fainting spells and issues with my head feeling "floaty" and my ears ringing and things like that. So I go in today and my doctor almost immediately diagnoses me with anxiety disorder. WHAT!?!

I don't really see myself as this crazy ball of nerves type of person, but when she was asking me questions, I found myself answering a lot of them in the positive...have you been stressed out recently, have there been any major changes in your life, do you have trouble sleeping, are you constantly thinking of things in your head that you have to do, etc. *Sigh. So now I'm not really quite sure what to do with this diagnosis, but she gave me some medicine so we'll see how that works out. She also encouraged me to work out three times a week regularly and to try and go to sleep earlier. What?!? Make lifestyle changes? Haha. I know, I know. But I will try!

Anxiety girl-out,

Aim

Shoe Lust

I have a secret. Well, maybe it's not so much a secret to those in my inner circle, but I feel like my lust of wonderfully crafted, high quality design and spectacular little detailing and stitchery is somewhat undercover. Well, maybe not anymore ;)

Anywho, the other day while browsing with my sister up north, we came across this:

Allow me to introduce you to the Valentino Patent Leather d'Orsay Pump in Beige. Swoooooooooooon.

I'm not even going to tell you the price on these beauties for fear that you may go into cardiovascular shock, but let's just say they're up there. If any of you win the lottery before they sell out, I'm a size 38 and I WILL love you forever. 

My more budget-oriented self came across these the other day that are strikingly similiar if not a good stand-in. Meet the Peeptoe Slingback Pump by Stuart Weitzman:

They don't quite stand up to their predecessor in craftmanship or design, but would still be a worthy substitute. AND they're on sale now at www.bloomingdales.com to boot! Whoo-hoo for sales!

I promise to bring more deep, eye-opening and insightful posts to the table soon. But I figured for my first foray into the blogosphere, I could go with something "light" and airy that showcases one of my inner secrets. Haha. Welcome to my mind people!

Shoe lovers unite,

Aim