Lauren M.'s Profile

My fiance proposed to me in December 2009. By the time our wedding year rolled around in January 2011, we still hadn't found exactly what we wanted for our wedding bands. (I tried big box stores, Tiffany's, high end retailers, antique jewelry shops, and more.) Enter Vanessa Nicole Jewels. I live in San Francisco, but am getting married in San Diego-- this was no problem at all. Vanessa was responsive and accommodating from the very beginning.

When I emailed Vanessa and tried to explain (in extremely vague terms) what we were hoping to find for our wedding rings, she wrote back and it was like she could read my mind. Vanessa rephrased what I had said in to terms that made sense. Any clarification questions that she had, she would include pictures with the various options, so that it was as clear as possible for us. I sent her a photo of my engagement ring, and she worked with that to help me figure out the best wedding ring design for me. She answered every question I had in a way that was thorough, and even educational. (I learned a lot from her!) She worked with both of us to ensure the best value for the money we could spend, and gave us her professional opinion when we asked for it. She mocked up both of our rings, and even helped me do something special as a surprise for my fiance on the inside of his ring.

The design process was easy with Vanessa. Then, once we approved the designs, it got even easier (if that's possible). Vanessa would check in with us at every step of the way to let us know where things were. She confirmed when she would charge our credit card, and when she was polishing, shipping, etc. It was exciting-- and you can feel her excitement in creating these pieces, too!

The end product is perfect. We got the rings and can't stop trying them on. We'll be wearing them for the rest of our lives, and I couldn't be happier that we chose Vanessa Nicole Jewels to help us create them.

One day, my fiance was emailing with Vanessa about shipping options and exclaimed-- "Why can't all wedding vendors be like Vanessa?!" That sums up how appreciative we are of Vanessa, her professionalism, her honesty, and her quality. She genuinely cares about her customers. (She even helped me brainstorm gift ideas for my maid of honor!) I'll be recommending Vanessa to all of my closest friends and family.

I needed to have two items hand addressed, so I asked my friend who recently got married. Barbara had addressed her invitations, which were beautiful. I emailed her, and she responded promptly with a quote, style options, and other helpful information. She was completely professional and flexible. I couldn't swing by during business hours, so she helped me figure out a way to drop things off for her in the early morning on a Thursday. I said black ink was fine, but Barbara had leftover ink in an exact match to our return address that she wound up using. Friday afternoon (the next day), the hand addressed, gorgeous envelopes arrived at my house, protected by a cardboard sleeve. I highly recommend working with Barbara for any calligraphy needs-- she was fast, professional, and her work is beautiful.

If you're going to brave the road to Hana, this is the way to go. You don't have to worry about driving, stopping, or other bad drivers.

We were picked up at the Grand Wailea by Barry, our tour guide. Barry was great. He catered our tour to what our group wanted. He was knowledgeable and chatty, and knew the short cuts and the best places to stop. He took a few pictures of our entire group too, which was nice.

Barry knew where to pull over for cars to pass, when to speed up/slow down, and we always felt safe. I never would have driven this myself-- it would have been miserable, and I wouldn't have seen nearly as much of the coastline as I did out of the big bus windows. Breakfast and lunch were tasty. Croissants and muffins, chicken breast and macaroni salad. Good energy for the long day.

Tips: get the banana bread-- an entire loaf. Don't be afraid to ask the driver to pull over so that you can take a picture-- he will be happy to! Wear waterproof sandals/shoes, so that when you trek down to the seven sacred pools, you can just walk on the rocks without worrying about hurting your feet. Bring a towel and some additional clothes that you can change in to. Definitely heed their advice and bring a sweater/sweatshirt-- the AC gets cold. And bring lots of film/memory-- there are lots of great photo opportunities.

Full disclosure: I did not buy my dress from The White Flower-- but that won't stop me from telling you how great this shop was for a bride who likes a serene, fun shopping experience.

I visited three stores in San Francisco, and two in San Diego. This was the fifth store I went to. Courtney fit me in at the last minute when my travel plans changed, and as she does for all her brides, she closed the (beautiful) shop completely for our private appointment. I went with my mother and grandmother, who enjoyed small treats and a beautiful stack of wedding magazines while I tried on upwards of 10 dresses (I think). (I honestly think they had more fun than I did, all told.) Courtney was informed, helpful, patient, and gave her honest opinion when I asked for it. I even wanted to try on a dress that was on the mannequin, and she didn't hesitate to drag it out of the window, pull it off, and bring it to me in the dressing room. All with a smile!

In the end, it came down to two dresses: one from The White Flower, and one from another bridal shop. It was really a tough decision for me. However I'll always remember Courtney's professionalism, helpful attitude, and low-pressure environment. Oh and most importantly-- the collection of dresses she carries is gorgeous, unique, and not the "typical" bridal boutique collection! I highly recommend her shop.

Side note: she had two parking spots for us in the garage-- such a nice benefit, as you don't have to search for parking when you're running around taking care of wedding appointments!

A girlfriend dragged me to Jeremy's Twisted Twilight Saturday morning bootcamp a few months ago, promising I'd get my money's worth. Boy did I-- I think I was sore for a week! Every time I went back, I felt better and better-- and I can really feel myself getting stronger. I look forward to Saturday mornings now; it's a great way to kick off the weekend.

Jeremy will accommodate injuries, varied fitness levels, and a wide mix of personalities to make a workout that is fun and challenging. (I have bad wrists, and he remembers this and helps me modify any moves that put pressure on my wrists.) He cares about his clients, and is always offering tips and advice for your own personal workouts. He's very knowledgeable, never barks orders, is supportive, and is constantly learning (about fitness, health, etc.) in order to give you the best workout possible.

Each workout is limited to 8 people. One time, I was the only person that had signed up for a Saturday morning session. Instead of canceling due to low turnout, Jeremy designed a workout just for me.

Even when the classes are upwards of full, however, I always feel like I'm getting personal attention from him. He is positive and low key, but inspires me to work hard and become a healthier version of myself. I even convinced my better half to join me the past couple of weekends-- he approves, too!

Top 10 brunch of my life. That should be enough to make you check out Sideboard.

I had never heard of Danville before last weekend. Now, it will forever be known to me as "the Sideboard town".

The manfriend had a half marathon in Danville so I tagged along to support (not run) and to choose the breakfast place afterwards. We drove down the quaint Hartz Ave to see if we could spot a good, local place to grab a bite. This place had tables outside that looked like they were filling up quickly, so we parked (all too easy-- love the suburbs!) and headed in.

We stood in line as we gazed at the Specials board and looked over the menu. The specials included beignets. BEIGNETS. These are a delicious doughnut, dusted with powdered sugar (served with a fruit dipping sauce in this case). When it was our turn (1 minute later), we ordered those, a side of bacon, and then I asked for a recommendation. (As always.) The nice guy at the register said "honestly, if it looks good, it probably is." I went with the huevos rancheros.

We grabbed a seat at one of their oversize, square indoor tables. We poured ourselves water from the big jar and picked up silverware and napkins. As we anxiously watched the other food come out of the kitchen ("Excuse me sir, what's Breakfast Pudding?"), I knew brunch was going to be a treat.

Finishing the huevos rancheros was actually upsetting. My brunch date said I looked like I was going to cry. They were so good. Not too big, lots of flavor (didn't even add Cholula!), and perfectly cooked. I wanted another order. And a Breakfast Pudding. And the Breakfast Sandwich.

We will be back, Sideboard. I don't know when, but I'll find an excuse to get us out there again...

And did I mention the bacon? Order it. Delicious.

Wow. Underwhelmed would describe how I felt about this restaurant.

This came recommended not only by Yelp, but by the very nice hotel nearby where a family member was staying. So, my expectations were high.

We entered the restaurant at noon on a Wednesday. There was no one to be seen anywhere. We poked our head around the corner and found the restaurant deserted. We walked back to the door and double-checked the hours-- yep, they open at 11:30am. Strange.

Finally, someone rounded the corner and asked if we wanted lunch. Yes, please. We were seated in the middle of a deserted restaurant, with a nice waitress who made herself a little bit too scarce during our meal.

The decor is a little over-the-top for my taste; I'd compare it to a restaurant at Disneyland. (I say that in the most honest way possible.) It seemed very themed, which some people might like just fine. Perhaps the decor would have faded in to the background a bit more if there was the usual crowd present, but since we were the only ones there, it just seemed overdone.

"I'll have the Pho, please."
"No, we don't have that."
(I'm at a Vietnamese restaurant, ordering Pho off of the menu, and you're out of Pho?) "Really?"
"No Pho."

Ok. I fell back on the "Quick Lunch" special, which is a $15 salad, entree, and spring rolls. I chose the chicken. It was... fine. It wasn't bad, but it didn't taste amazing. It reminded me of something I could get at any fast food place.

After finally flagging down our waitress (at this point there was one other table filled near us), we paid and left. I almost forgot to write this review because I was so unimpressed by my experience here.

I would consider coming here with a group of people, at dinner time, when it is livelier and I have the option to try something a little more adventurous. But for lunch, I wouldn't come back.

I had a friend move in to town, and Royal Ground fell between our homes on a map. We met up there. At first glance, the inside seemed a little dingy: small, beat up wooden tables and chairs. But I headed to the counter and ordered my coffee. The guy behind the counter was extremely warm, efficient, and friendly. The latte was delicious-- no complaints.

My friend and I were able to sit and catch up for 2+ hours without being bothered for a second. It was a relaxing and easy place to grab a cup of coffee. Granted, it was the middle of the week-- but I can't complain about a quiet coffee shop with good coffee.

I hear they have free wireless-- but we were so busy catching up that we didn't even get a chance to try it. The decor seems a little worn, but for a local coffee shop, it does the trick.

I won't lie. I don't really "read books", per se. I just don't usually make time for it. I can't talk about the latest bestsellers, I regularly have nothing on my bedside table, and I'm not sure I could list five current authors off the top of my head.

So why review a bookstore?

Well, sometimes I do, in fact, decide to read a book. (It's not often, I promise.) But I love the Russian Hill Bookstore for a different reason.

The store looks quaint. It's old, a little beat up, and has tons of used (I think) books. Upon entry, you're in a room with lots of tall shelves filled with books, books, books. But upon entry, I walk straight through this room in to room number two, the cards and gifts room. (It's on the right,  for those of you who want to avoid reading a book, too.)

Whether you are looking for real, soft, beautiful letterpress cards to give to your grandmother for her 80th birthday, or a funny card for your girlfriend who just had a crummy day at work, Russian Hill Bookstore will probably have it. They also have pretty wrapping paper, small gifts, a slew of Moleskine journals, and other fun trinkets.

They will sometimes set you back upwards of $5, but believe me-- for a real, handmade card, $5 is well worth it. (At least to me.)

As for the books... I'll have to save that for a future review.

I moved to the city a few months ago. We signed up to turn on gas and electric, and the woman on the phone was pretty nice and said everything should work fine. I got to our new place, and sure enough, gas and electric were working. Great.

We were receiving bills and glancing at them, and paying them without thinking much of it. (Not having AC or Heat really reduces your bills versus our old home!). Soon, we got a bill mid-cycle that was triple our original bill. It looked like it was a separate bill, solely for electricity for the last three months.

I called and spoke with R. She was curt and asked, "so you're telling me, you saw that you weren't getting charged for electricity, and you didn't call us? Because I just want to get that straight." No, R, that's not what I'm saying at all.  All I wanted to do was clarify that we didn't do something wrong with the hookup, and that if we paid this bill in full we would be in good standing. And to clarify that, going forward, we would get the bills on one statement. (Paying two checks to the same company each month is a huge waste of time and paper.)

"A bill states what you're getting charged for. It has a breakdown of everything that you need to pay," R stated.  I replied (rudely, I'll admit, to match her tone), "I know what a bill is, thank you." She was implying that it was my fault for receiving this bill, not PG&E's fault for sending it out three months late.

Anyway, since it was their mistake, they just sent us a bill. I gave 2 stars (instead of 1) because they did not charge late fees, and they have a callback service so theoretically, you don't have to wait on hold over the phone. I did not give additional stars because, well, "Meh. I've (definitely) experienced better." I could have done without the attitude, the time on the phone (they called back with the service and I still ended up waiting on the phone), and the extra paperwork.

And I definitely could have done without getting slapped with a bill for three months all at once.