Sorry lovely readers, it’s been a busy week and I’ve grudgingly returned to the cold east coast. I’m in the process of organizing my life from being absent for a whole month, so I shall return to regular posting next Monday. Have a lovely weekend.
Happy Friday, friends! It’s my last weekend in sunny Los Angeles/Santa Monica so I must make the best of it before returning to frigid temperatures and snow in chilly New England. I shall be happy to see my darling pups, but I’ll miss it here dearly for the next four months until I move back in June. I also begin my final semester of grad school next Monday! I can’t believe I’m almost DONE!
- These pink suede loafers are fantastic.
- The Bark Side of the Moon. Just watch it. It’s awesome.
- This will be my birthday cake. Yup.
- Zucchini fries! Nom.
- I would very much like to have these pretty vintage-like spice tins on my kitchen counter.
- He’s Cary fucking Grant = one of the greatest gif’s, ever.
- I really really love this flowery iPhone case.
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Greetings! Please forgive me for my lack of postings this past week, I’ve been enjoying a few adventures and hadn’t time to write a proper post. Last weekend was spent in San Diego - lots of sight seeing, family visiting, and fun-having.
First, Aubrey, Elly, and myself ventured to Balboa Park, where Aubrey almost got eaten by a shark and Elly noticed that the shark teeth were bigger than her! After nearly becoming shark food, we visited my aunt and uncle who have the pretty view in the bottom left photo above. We also visited the zoo, where Elly demanded we take lots of pictures of all the elephants (real and fake).
We even spent a day with A’s mom and ventured to the Maritime Museum of San Diego. We enjoyed our hand at ‘steering’ the ship, and Elly decided it would be more fun to fire a canon. We were also given this most exquisite sunset.
Of course, no adventure is complete without delicious food. First, I had a little too much fun picking citrus from my aunt and uncle’s fruit trees. Then my uncle made us the best guacamole. Ever. I also ate a delicious burger from In-N-Out. I was so excited to eat it, I neglected the before photo. Back in LA, we went to Diddy Riese, a fantastically brilliant cookie shop where you get the most delicious ice cream sandwiches in the existence of the universe. Best part? They’re only $1.50 each. For real.
I would like to introduce you all to Elly, a pet mini-elephant! Elly was found at the San Diego Zoo last year. She had been hanging out in sunny California since then, but upon my return in December, it was decided that she would be a fun travel/adventure companion. Now she happily joins in on all the fun to be had!
I decided to make meat-free stuffed peppers the other day, and I was very happy with how delicious they tasted.
Ingredients:
1 can of pinto beans, 2 whole peppers (color of choosing), small white onion, white or brown rice (1/2 cup uncooked), fresh cilantro, fresh parsley, tomato sauce, and salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook rice (about 30 minutes). While rice is cooking, cut top of peppers off and gut out. Chop up tops of peppers, onion, parsley, cilantro, and mix together. Set aside. Preheat oven to 375*F. When rice is finished cooking, mix in pinto beans, and the pepper & herb mix. Add sauce to desired consistency and salt & pepper. Fill gutted peppers with mixture, place on oven safe dish and bake for 20-30 minutes (depending on how soft you like your peppers to be).
I also made a little side salad of spinach, cucumber, carrot, and clementine with an olive oil/balsamic vinegar vinaigrette.
Eat and enjoy!
Being in Sunny LA, I have the wonderful advantage of Farmers Markets* being open year-round. I’m certainly not going to complain about the plethora of fresh fruits and vegetables available to me. When carousing and weaving your way around the various stands, you want to be comfortable. I like to dress comfy up, so I’d add a pink belt, cute necklace, and pretty shades to my outfit. Also, these moccasins are adorable and oh-so-comfy and would be perfect for a lot of walking around. The straw bag is big enough to hold all your goodies, plus produce bags so you don’t have to use plastic, and don’t neglect a sweater for the early morning cool air.
*I frequently find myself at the Santa Monica Farmers Market (on Arizona between 4th & Ocean, open Wednesday and Saturday mornings) and The Original Farmers Market (next to The Grove on 3rd & Fairfax, open every day).
Happy Monday, friends! This past weekend was full of an adventure to The Getty Villa and some delicious food (I love adventure and food, so it was a very successful weekend).
This is a view of the Outer Peristyle (formal gardens). It’s a very peaceful and serene place, with large outdoor hallways on the sides, a plethora of plant life, palm trees, and pretty hedges lining the walkways.
Aubrey and I very much enjoyed the sun and gardens. We also saw a demonstration on glass-making techniques. If you’re able to visit the Villa by January 16th, the current exhibit, Modern Antiquity, has pieces by Picasso, de Chirico, Leger, and Picabia. It’s a beautiful juxtaposition of 20th Century works and ancient objects.
After our wanderings we were both quite famished, so we went to the Veggie Grill. It’s a delicious vegetarian sandwich place. I had the Santa Fe Crispy Chickin’ and I had a hard time believing that it wasn’t real chicken (it’s a veggie protein blend). It was sooooooooooooooo good.
On Sunday night, I was taken on a surprise date to a very yummy Sushi restaurant, Sushi King. We sat at the bar and gazed at the crafty work of our rolls being prepared right in front of us. The freshest sushi I’ve ever had! I recommend the Toro, Tuna, and Spicy Tuna roll. We also had hot saki (holy strong-ness).
I’m sad it’s over already. Weekends progress far too quickly. I won’t complain too much because I’m still enjoying sunny California weather. I hope everyone has a lovely week!
I’m happily spending the month in Los Angeles/Santa Monica. My days are filled with sunshine and warmth, fresh fruits and veggies, palm trees, adventures, visits with those dear to me, meals eaten outside, daily walks, and hugs.
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2012 is going to be one glorious hell of a year. I have a small handful of fantastic life events to look forward to: I’ll be graduating and receiving my Masters in May. My best friend is getting married in June! And I shall once again be trekking across the U.S. and moving back to Los Angeles.
I haven’t made any New Year’s resolutions, I think the idea of them is silly. If you really want to set goals for yourself, don’t use a day as an excuse. You should be able to set goals throughout the year and use personal willpower to stick to them. If a dream really means something to you, you’ll do whatever possible to make it happen. And don’t quit. Read and re-read the quote above, dreams are scary, but don’t let the fear get in the way of what you want. Use the ‘scary’ as proof that you can dream and live it too. Don’t ever let anyone tell you you can’t do it, don’t let anything block your way.
As for myself, 2011 helped me figure out what I wanted out of life (mentally and personally), so I spent the latter part of the year creating goals and adjusting my life so I’ll end up where I’m happiest. That’s my dream: To do what I love and be happy with where I am. While seemingly simplistic sounding, it’s a pretty big task that will require a lot of hard work and motivation. With 2012 now upon us, I’m thisclose to completing my dreams and goals and I can see them somewhere over the distant horizon.
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I have a similar plaid blazer I found at H&M recently, and whenever I wear it with pants and boots I feel very much like I’m about to wander across the English country side atop a pretty thoroughbred. Alright, I watch too many movies, and occasionally my imagination gets the best of me. I do like this outfit though, plus, as I prefer to wear skirts or dresses, if I’m going to be wearing pants, I like to dress them up. I also have a silly addiction to plaid and tartans. Perhaps it’s the Scottish and Irish blood the resides in my genes.
