Lights!

A few weeks ago Mac and I went to LACMA to see the current California Modern exhibit (loved it) but couldn't resist taking some pictures at their light installation.  So here they are to share from me to you, this is what we do in our free time...cuz yes, we are that cool. 

 

Mirror Mirror

It's time to be productive! (At least this is what I have been telling myself before I give up and watch Downton Abbey Saturday mornings)  But this weekend it's really going to happen.  Other than tonight Mac and I have no big plans over the weekend and I desperately need to fill the white space over my new sofa, yaaaay!

I thought about using a great Funny Face print but can't seem to find an image large enough to turn into a poster.  I then thought about printing out a lot of my favorite photos in black and white and painting all the frames one color, mustard or turquoise.  And then I thought why not do the same thing with mirrors.  My place is small, the mirrors will capture all the beautiful morning sunlight, aaaaand it might be a lot simpler!  

So this weekends' plan, scour the thrift stores, find decent mirrors in at least halfway decent frames, and paint the hell out of them.  

What are your thoughts loves, I'm still open to oppinions.  A gallery wall full of black and white photos or mirror gallery?

photos via pinterest (of course)

Wanderlust

I have been craving something new, travel, food, people..I wish it was time for a trip!  Mac and I have talked about taking a trip up the coast to my parents place for the weekend buuuuuut I'm craving something a little further away, like, oh, I don't know...Italy!

My friend Lauren and I have decided that before one or both of us are married we're taking a trip to Italy together, and what the hell why not throw in France too!  She and I have traveled together before but never to Italy together and have realized that this is a must in life.  There will be much chocolate and wine consumed, we will get lost, and very confused but I have the feeling it's gonna be one heck of a good time.  What are you travel cravings and who do you want to go with?

photo via

Sex And The Single Girl

(Valentine's Day 2007)

My wonderful Valentine's day with Mac got me thinking about all the fabulous ones as a single girl.  As a few of my friend's reminded me this year, when you're single Valentine's day can feel like it was created to make you suffer and rub in your face the fact that you don't have someone to share it with. 

Which is why in high school I started having "wallowing" parties with my single girl friends.  Evenings watching Clueless, You've Got Mail and Love Story, making fabulous gourmet dinners, eating chocolates, getting each other roses, venting about lack of love and relationships, and laughing out butts off!  I carried this tradition to college (clearly I was a big success with long term relationships) and these single girls nights turned out to be some of the best memories that my friends and I still talk about.  

No matter where you are in life, single, married, in between, your best girls are always there!

P.S. The direction for the second image from the top was "sexy animal!" Babbs (with the glasses) went with "llama" love it!

Cozy!

Well, we are having a wonderfully rainy, cozy day here in Southern California.  As some of you know by now I'm one of those people who loves rain and I can not wait to curl up in bed tonight with a book (and maybe some left over Valentine's champagne).  

How did your Valentine's day end up, dinner with friends, romantic evening, two hours stuck in traffic...no, just me?  I'm not sure what it was but things were all kinds of backed up here and it took me at least 2 hours to get home...which meant Mac had to wait about 45 minutes for me to get home.  So you can imagine my confusion walking up to my apartment and seeing the lights all off.  I then opened the door to see beautiful candles, a chilled bottle of champagne, and Mac!  What more could a girl ask for? 

The evening was a great success, time to relax and sip champagne then a wonderful dinner at our favorite, low key, Tuesday spot.  Although the best part may have been the card Mac gave me.  Sometimes there's nothing like hearing something from the heart! 

L.O.V.E

Happy Valentine's Day loves!  Whether you're in a relationship or not for me today is about sharing love, with family, with friends, with your special someone. 

Last night I got home to find a teddy bear, a heart shaped balloon, and a red rose.  Sent from my Pop, he's gotten me one red rose every Valentine's day since I was in kindergarten.  Sometimes a girl's best guy is her father!  

What are you plans for the day?  I think Mac and I are going to hit up our favorite taco Tuesday at Hudson House and sip margaritas!

Mom's Birthday!

 

Well believe or not that lovely lady turned 67 on February 1st (and she's lost about 35 lbs since this picture was taken last year, inspiration)  So this past weekend my brother, sister-in-law and I went to my parent's home in Cambria to celebrate.  A few weeks ahead of time I started plotting birthday gifts-first thought Downton Abbey and it was obviously the right choice! 

Somehow in between morning walks on the coast, lunches, and dinner out we managed to go through a few bottles of champagne and about 5 episodes of Downton in a day and a half.  Nothing like sipping on bubbly at yelling at Thomas with my mom...my father is a patient man to deal with our antics.  But there's nothing so special as having a kindred spirit in your mother, someone with the same tastes and sense of humor, who may or may not curse like a sailor at the characters on TV.

Love you Momma!

Surprise

What a weekend!  Ok, yes it's almost Wednesday but things have been a little busy and by that I mean I spent last couple nights watching Downton Abbey instead of blogging, can you blame me?

Mac and I really did have a fantastic weekend though.  Saturday Mac gave me one of the best surprises I'd ever been given, that is since I was about six years old and my parents told my brother and I we were going to the grocery store and in stead took us to see The Little Mermaid...but that's a story for another time.  

Is it just me or do simple events sometimes make the best surprises? 


P.S. To answer your questions now, we're not engaged.  It was a much simpler event than that. 

 

Happy Sunny Friday!

Darlings this is one of those times when I am so happy to be in Southern California...it is 78 degrees and sunny and it's supposed to hit 80 this weekend.  If you're looking for me this weekend I'll be in a bikini with a margarita in my hand.  

What are your plans for the weekend?


P.S. Check out this great lime sorbet margarita idea!


P.P.S. Photos of Mac's birthday to come next week. 


photo via

Happy 33rd!

Happy Birthday to the man who goes to swap meets at 5:00 am, sings West Side Connection when he's driving, and secretly loves and quotes You've Got Mail.  

Mac Fleming as you pointed out yesterday if I had caught a later flight to Portland I never would have met you.  I wouldn't have gotten this chance to say thank you for being here and sharing your 33rd birthday with me.  

To the man who makes me laugh, makes me smile, and makes me (buys me) coffee, I love you! 

p.s. I don't know if you've noticed but today is Mac's birthday!!!!

Hosting A Successful Dinner Party

Last weekend we had our fun little dinner party and I have to say my hours of reading cook books and year and a half working in bakeries paid off!  We had such a great time and ate, and ate, and ate!  Here's how we did it. 

Our Menu:

• Chicken in a pot
• Pearl couscous with golden raisins
• Mixed green salad with goat cheese and white wine dressing
• Honey Spice Madelines

I winged the couscous and the salad but you can find the recipies for the rest in Around My French Table, one of my favorite cook books!  

Here's a photo tour of our evening. And a few notes on hosting a successful dinner party. 

If you're making madalines make them the night before or prep them before everything else.  They are best if the batter has time to rest...or if you're like me late getting ready for my own dinner party let them rest for 30 min in the freezer and hope that it's at least equal to 1 hour in the fridge.  Maybe it worked cuz they tasted great!

Next put together a cheese plate and open a bottle of wine so it can breath.  You never know when guests will show up early or something will wrong in the kitchen.  This way people have something to mingle over and munch on but not something that will fill them up before they eat the awesome dinner you're making!

Chose a dish that will let you visit with your guests.  Chicken in a pot is prepped before they show up (have fun trying to brown a whole chicken) and slow cooks in the oven for an hour.  This way you have time to chat and the happy smells coming from the oven will get everyone's gastric juices a flutter.  

Let them in on the action!  For this recipe you make a dough ring around the pot then place on the lid so the juices are sealed in as it bakes.  Tastes so good and you're guests also get to see part of the process.  

Holly wow, the house smelled so good when we cracked this baby open.  You may need a screw driver it's pretty well baked on there but everything inside was perfectly cooked.  Veggies still had a little crispness and we had about 40 cloves of garlic that we could spread on our bread they were so sweet and soft!

Bask in your own wonderfulness when it comes out looking just like the pictures, or even if it doesn't cuz hell, it'll still taste good! 

You don't have to be perfect.  Everyone thought it was just hilarious the way I chose to remove the chicken from the pot.  But it was so moist it would shred on a fork, crazy hot, and Mac didn't have big enough tongs.  Sometimes you need to improvise and now we'll never forget the "wooden spoon chicken." 

Have a good time!  There were no photos taken of the meal, I choose to see that as a good sign-too busy enjoying.  This is from the end of the night over the kitchen sink as the last dish was done being washed.  

I couldn't have done it with out my prep cook and dishwasher Mac going along behind cleaning up my tornado of a mess kitchen.  

Here's to great nights with friends and family!




P.S. Remember people wont know things did taste/end up the way you planned unless you tell them!

Book Nook

Does anyone else covet a home library or built in bookshelves?  We've had cold days here in California, finally, and it seems all I want to do is curl up with a book...especially in one of these spaces!  I spent most of Sunday wearing a baggy sweater curled up in one of Mac's office chairs with a book dreaming of a home library of my own, where I could hold up with my coffee (or glass of wine) look out at the fog and not move all day!  What's your dream library like?


p.s. How cool is the hidden hallway book wall?!


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