Man, I really can't believe how time flies. It seems like it yesterday that we moved from Las Vegas, but really it's been just about 10 months. A lot has happened and it's been pretty busy, which is really good. Last month I shared that my friend went to Paris and that I was inspired to make french macaroons. Well I did make them and they were fabulous! These were the chocolate with white chocolate ganache. Yummy. We loved them and so did our neighbors...they're asking me to make more. I did make more for a Summer Tea party I... Continue reading

Today I will try my hand at making french macarons. Exciting. I've been wanting to make them since I moved. My friend Sherry recently got a job and before she starts, she wanted a vacation so she decided to go to Paris! She decided on Friday, left Sunday, and will be back Saturday in time for our Summer Tea bash and to start work Monday morning. Sherry is truly a woman after my own heart. So anyway she has been taking & posting pictures of all these beautiful macarons, which really inspired me to try my hand. I'll let you... Continue reading

Check out this beautiful online food + lifestyle + craft magazine. I absolutely love it and spent a lot of time perusing this piece of art ;-) Anyway here's the link: http://www.sweetpaulmag-digital.com/sweetpaulmag/spring2010#pg1 Continue reading

This past weekend was a blast. My hubby's birthday was on Easter so I planned a special outing for him the day before. Since I'm not currently working, there's a lot of time for me to explore my new surroundings. Sometimes I feel bad when I share these fun things with the hubby and he doesn't get to experience them with me. So on Saturday it was exploring time. The schedule was full, but yet relaxing: Hubby went to workout at the gym and I went to the Farmer's Market to pick up fresh and yummy goodies. Probably should have... Continue reading

Everyone needs to get away sometime right? We don't always have the funds or time to make this happen so what is one to do? Take a daycation! Yay daycation. The twins (Robbi & Terri), planned a whole day where we could getaway, have fun, and not spend a lot of money. The day started out with five of us meeting together at 6am, going over the rules (no talking about kids, hubbies, or talking on the phone-text only), grabbing coffee, and heading out to the city of Long Beach. We had a great time on the ride there. Upon... Continue reading

So I've been taking a letterpress class to occupy some of my time and I absolutely love it! It's amazing to me that back in the day that letterpress was the way that we printed. The process is very detailed and time consuming. It's funny because my husband thinks that every time I come home for class, I should have a completed project. He just has no idea how much goes into setting type and completing a project. Here is my first project, simple and cute. For Valentine's Day the husbands put together a Valentine's dinner for the wives. Unfortunately... Continue reading

As promised, I'm here to blog! Since it has been awhile, there are a lot of different things to share so bear with me ; ) In Feb. one of my girlfriends had a birthday celebration that was soooo much fun. The theme of the evening was a "Me'evening." What is that you might ask? Well, it was an evening where the birthday girls (she has a twin sister) shared the things that they love with friends that they love. So they planned everything and it was amazing! I went with one of them to pick up flowers, wine, desserts... Continue reading

Okay, so it's been a reaaaally long time since I've posted and I do feel guilty, but I'm back. There has been a lot going on and I have so much to write about and pictures to share. So tomorrow morning I'll be blogging my little heart out. Continue reading

Today was such a beautiful day so why do I have "blue funk?" Well, there's class tonight so maybe it will get better. Continue reading

Yay, a girl's night. There is something truly special about spending time with girlfriends, enjoying great food, and sharing new experiences. In Los Angeles it's week one of Restaurant Week(RW). There are a lot of great restaurants in this city, some we get to try and some we don't. Well, during RW you have a chance to go somewhere tried & true, some place new, or some place you wouldn't normally go because the prices are not within "the budget." The restaurant's that participate have prix-fix 3-course lunch or dinner menus at set "more affordable" prices. So last night we... Continue reading

My letterpress class is cancelled tonight because of all the rain. I'm bummed, but I do understand...we want to keep everyone safe! So since I have nothing else planned, I should blog. Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. day, so what better way to spend it than volunteering. We went to the Union Rescue Mission downtown to give a helping hand. It was great! There were so many people there volunteering their time on their day off (there must have been around 300 people). Before we started, there was an incredible kick off w/an incredible gospel band. It got everyone... Continue reading

We weren't supposed to have rain today, but it did and it still is. The day started out sunny. On our way to church, my husband commented on how beautiful it was outside. However, when we walked out of church it was pouring. Don't get me wrong, I looove you rain, I just wanted one more nice sunny day before Monday (when you were supposed to come). The cool thing about you is that when you come, it's a good time to just slow down. Slowing down can be almost anything to anybody. For me, I enjoy just curling up... Continue reading

Time sure does fly! Why does it seem to go faster as we get older? Well, we're almost half way through January and I'm still feeling pretty excited about the new year. Since this is the year of being forty, I've made some decisions about what I want to do this year. Some of the things are just fun (like wearing lipstick or lipgloss everyday) and some are truly goals (like run a half marathon). Tonight I'm starting a class that I've wanted to take for a while now so things are off to a good start. Continue reading

Wow, it's 2010! This is so exciting on so many levels. So last night was our first NYE here. We weren't exactly sure what to do so we just kinda hung out. This involved a trip to the coffee shop for a nice hot latte and then down to the BLVD. to check out the crowds that were camping out on the streets for the Rose Bowl Parade. It was nuts. I've heard different things about what people have to endure to ensure a great view of the parade, but I had no idea how it would really look down... Continue reading

It's time to say good-bye to 2009 and I couldn't be be happier. Why you might ask? Well, 2009 was just tough -- for a lot of people. And despite it being tough, many of us made it through! Victory! 2010 is the beginning of a new year and decade! Possibility is at our doorsteps. We can see that glimmer of light called hope. We can start new and fresh, leaving the past behind. I'm feeling pretty hopeful about 2010, not just for myself, but for others as well. Wishing everyone a safe and happy 2010! xoxo Continue reading

Right now these are my two favorite things: The book Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti, is just delightful! I requested this title from my local library when I first moved here and I finally got it last week. So far (I'm about a third into it) it has been a fun read just before bed. It was originally written in Swedish and is now available in English. It's a total off-beat love story and from what I've seen in "webland," there is a sequel that has not yet been translated. While I'm reading this charming book (by the way... Continue reading

Wow, it's really been over a month since my last post. Shame on me. So many things have happened: The day after our 3rd anniversary (Nov.5th), my sister came to visit from Virginia. It had been a couple of years since we last saw each other. We went all over the place. Here we are at a cool little spot called City Sip. It was an interesting night. Of course we had to take her to the beach as well. When we went to Santa Monica we made a stop at 3rd St. Promenade and discovered music artist John West.... Continue reading

Ouch! I am so kicking myself right now. Last week Thursday there was a release party at Urbanic Paper for Joy of Oh Joy. . I really wanted to go. It would be something new and different. Something cool! But of course I talked myself out of it. Making excuses like "it's too far," "it's too late, I won't know anyone there. So today while checking out some blogs, there were these beautiful and fun pictures from the event. Ouch! I'm filled with regret : ( Lesson learned, don't make excuses! On a different note, yesterday I went to a... Continue reading

This is how I know I have too much time on my hands. Last week after registering my car, taking my driver's test (passing the 1st time yay), and a nice run, I decided I wanted a cupcake. It just so happens that where I went running, there was a cupcake bakery near by. While looking at all the little lovelies, I thought wouldn't it be fun to to a cupcake tasting or rather a "battle of the best cupcake" with my husband after dinner. Excited I picked a scrumptious little lemon lovely that would really appeal to K. oh... Continue reading

On Saturday we went to a version of "Chinatown." We decided to use the help of this site, as always, to find a decent place to eat. After reading reviews, we just picked one. What I ordered was really delicious (even better 2nd day leftovers) and then the waitress suggested a hot fruit tea. I'm not a fruity type of tea drinker, but it was cold out and she said it was really good. So what the heck, I said sure. She told me it would be out in about 15 minutes. Well, when the server brought out this: It... Continue reading

Okay. So it's been a good two weeks since my last post. I thought it would be easier for me to catch up, but I'm still finding it a bit of a challenge. A lot of discovery going on here. And since I'm left to my own accord M-F, I've been exploring things going on in and around my city. Actually, there is so much to do, that at times it's hard to chose what to do. Last week I decided to take a sewing class here. It was a lot of fun. I really liked that we used recycled... Continue reading

San Francisco is absolutely amazing! This may be my new favorite city (sorry Brooklyn)! Words cannot describe how much I enjoyed this trip. Everyday was an adventure, we just did what we felt like doing, and were not a slave to time. I did expect cooler weather, but it was clear and hot all 5 days. K and I joke that we like to bring the heat with us wherever we go. The picture above was taken at the top of a steep steep hill we walked (hiked). Simply gorgeous! We walked so much this trip, I'm sure I've lost... Continue reading

So when you move into an old place (our building is about 90 yrs. old), there are things that need to be fixed. Not only that, but there are things (like painting, hanging artwork, etc.) I want to do to make the place seem like home. My husband, who is more a "white-collar type," but has a couple of weeks off, decides he can do some of the work himself. And honestly, I've been impressed so far. We've been back and forth to the local hardware store a few times and it excites me to see him getting into home... Continue reading