12.16.2011

Happy Friday

Happy Friday!


I hope your weekend is filled with lots of adventures. 


{taken at Santa Barbara's butterfly reserve}

12.15.2011

Creative Connection: San Diego



Thanks to the wonderful world of Twitter, I heard about a great local event called Creative Connection. The national group offers an outlet for creative women in their prospective cities to get together, chat, eat, drink and conceptualize.

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to be part of San Diego's second ever Creative Connection USA event, hosted at Splash Wine in North Park. I met some amazing women, gathered some business card splendor and hopefully made some lasting creative connections - especially the genius behind LimeLife Photography (thanks to her pictures above!)

Not going to lie, at first I was pretty nervous to attend this type of event alone. But the women were so receptive to new people, especially the group's organizer, and I was ecstatic to learn a little more about interior design, wedding planning and a new food magazine Savor San Diego (totally jealous of this lady's job!) 


12.14.2011

Baked Potato


Ever since we got truffle oil from Europe, I've been itching to try one making one of my favorite indulgences - truffle potato fries. I've made fries in the past, but this time I used my mandolin to slice up perfectly thin slices of russet potatoes to create truffle chips. Using a simple Martha Stewart recipe, we were able to enjoy a bit of a restaurant favorite right at home. 



Ingredients

  • Vegetable-oil cooking spray
  • 2 pounds russet potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil* 
  • Coarse salt
  • Freshly ground pepper 
  • *I substituted one tablespoon of olive oil for my truffle oil

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat 2 rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray; set aside. Put potatoes, oil, 1 tablespoon salt, and the cayenne in a large bowl; season with pepper. Toss to combine.
  2. Arrange potato slices on prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1/4 inch apart. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until potatoes are crisp and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Spread out potatoes on parchment paper; let dry 5 minutes. Sprinkle with salt, if desired.

12.13.2011

Rainy Day


Maybe it's the rain, maybe it's the month, maybe it's the work. 

Whatever it is, it's just not my day today. 

12.12.2011

Christmas Cards


The Glitter Guide is a constant source of inspiration/ jealously on my part, and since I started following them throughout all of their various online platforms I couldn't stop drooling over their Christmas card post from tinyprints.com

Isn't it just so sweet? 

I can't find nearly anything as cute in my personal pictures, but I'm hoping something will pop up before the end of the year.

12.09.2011

Christmas Music




I don't usually listen to Pandora at work, but this week it's been exceptionally frosty for San Diego, so it seemed necessary to turn on some Christmas tunes. I love the bizarre mix that the "All I Want for Christmas" station comes up with - from movie classics to timeless ones, it's finally starting to feel like the holidays. 

PS. Check out a picture of my Christmas tree!

12.08.2011

Beckman Winery





While home, we had a few extra hours to see bits beyond Paseo Nuevo - so we headed to the wine country. One of our favorites is Beckmen Vineyards, a small winery and vineyard that gained quite the international attention when President Obama choose it for his inaugural dinner. Far from the glitz like other wineries (ahem, Firestone), Beckmen has but one small outdoor patio that resembles something your friends had in their home growing up, a few simple benches and lots of grassy space. Simplicity at its best. 

12.07.2011

Easy Salad Dressing

Over the holiday, my mom snapped together an amazing dressing and it inspired me to come up with one of my own. Here's a simple salad dressing from items you probably already have in your kitchen. 

How to: Champagne Salad Dressing
You will need:
2 Tbs Olive Oil  

1 tsp champagne vinegar
1 Tbs honey
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
  
1. Mince the garlic until it is extremely fine.

2. Put all ingredients in a closed container, shake vigorously. 

3. Pour over any type of salad {picture above includes romaine, endive, cucumbers, mushrooms, green onions}

4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!


12.06.2011

Familiar Friends

 the table from above
 Crate & Barrel pumpkin
 farmer's market flowers
 our wine selection
the new tradition - pumpkin soup

Once a year, my mom's special china comes out - her Thanksgiving dinner is one of the best meals I've ever had {I've been to a lot of great restaurants}. Her friends talk about the meal for weeks, some even claiming they look forward to it all year. Not only is the delivery exceptional, so is her table. She starts setting it a day or more early, dusting off her mother's china from a cabinet passed down generations, placing empty platters in the center with notes to remind her of where goes where.

12.05.2011

Everywhere Hair



I usually don't do much with my hair, but after becoming obsessed with Pinterest over the last few weeks, I couldn't help but notice a lot more hairstyle options than ever before. Considering my hair remains flat and lanky, I don't think curls will ever actually hold past the hour, but it's always fun to dream. What's your favorite go-to hairstyle?

{images via pinterest}

12.02.2011

Happy Friday




Happy Friday! 


Words from Refinery29 local editor: "I completely believe in the transformative power of a gorgeous room, a witty object or a beautiful garment."


This completes my first week of posting everyday - after getting a few compliments while visiting my parents over Thanksgiving, I figured that it couldn't hurt to really try on the blog. So I picked a few favorites to get inspiration, and this week has been relatively easy in trying to find some great posts {it also doesn't hurt that I haven't been crunched for deadline at work}. Here's to several more weeks of this! 

ps. the delicious cupcake posted above is from Corner Cupcakes, a San Diego based food truck that won on the Food Network show "Cupcake Wars"!

12.01.2011

Reality Check


So I finally entered into the 21st century with a Smartphone. But not just any Smartphone...the iPhone 4S. Siri is quickly becoming my friend, but after reading some of my daily blogs, I realized that my little white iPhone is naked. Oh my! So I've gathered up a few of my favorites {hint, hint Joshua} to compare and decide before my new toy makes her debut - and complete my iPhone outfit.

11.30.2011

Dwell Studio



Josh surprised me the other night with a new subscription to Dwell Studio {yes, I am a design dork}, and the 2011 Holiday catalog just arrived. We're looking for a few more accents to complete our home, including throw pillows and a new media center, and Dwell Studio offers some great inspiration. The pillows are exactly what I love, though I'm having trouble convincing the boy of the same, as well as some fun knick-knacks for accessorizing the house. It's perfect for newbies with a little edge. 

Have you checked out Dwell Studio?

11.29.2011

20x200




It always amazes me how creative some people are. Whenever I feel a little glum at work, or need a pick-me-up, I head to some of my favorite design or fashion blogs - these days, everyone is adding a little "DIY" into their lives. 

Though my recent attempt was a little less fantastic than I had hoped {I took serious inspiration from Coco + Kelly designer Cassandra}, I want to keep on trying. Especially after checking out these inspirational pieces from 20x200, an artistic endeavor that makes putting unique art affordably into your home. If you haven't tried it yet {I've got one, and given one}, it's worth a peak - you can get some pieces for as cheap as $20! 

{images: 1, 2, 3}

11.28.2011

Like Crazy



This past weekend while at home, we watched the Sundance Award Winner "Like Crazy." A family friend's nephew wrote the award winning script, which was picked up by Paramount.

Our family wasn't a huge fan of the picture, but I can't stop thinking about how realistic the writing was - it wasn't your typical movie script, but it flowed like your modern-day relationship {a problem for some critics who had trouble staying focused}. It might have been that many of the relationship tidbits and traits reminded me of my own, and that feeling of first love was present in every "I miss you" text message or drunken phone call.

If you like love stories, and like rooting for the underdog, check out the trailer for "Like Crazy."

11.23.2011

Bits of Home




Josh and I are getting ready to head to Santa Barbara for Thanksgiving tomorrow {we're hoping to avoid as much traffic as possible}. This year we'll be bringing back our green bean recipe from last year to the table, complete with fresh and crispy prosciutto, roasted pine nuts and lemon. We have a macaroni & cheese recipe that might come into the weekend later on, but we couldn't steal the spotlight from my mom's famous mashed potatoes and yams.

Happy Thanksgiving!

11.22.2011

In a New York Minute




Shots from our New York trip, which I still can't believe happened more than a month ago. Since the year is starting to wrap up, I thought about everything I got to do this year....Las Vegas, Palm Springs, Chicago, La Paz, New York and probably a few road trips I've forgotten about. I've been wanting to travel more, and instead of waiting around I just booked those tickets, and I'm so glad it worked out {plus, I managed to tackle a lot more than I thought more this wish list}

11.21.2011

Santa Barbara Girl



Though I've been living in San Diego for nearly a decade {gasp!}, I still consider Santa Barbara my home. While the city has changed a lot since I left - there are now more chain stores than I'd like to admit - there are a few simple pleasures I love to enjoy when I return home for the holidays. Until those sporadic dates appear, however, I recently discovered the adorable Samantha from Could I Have That. She helps ease my Santa Barbara nostalgia with her high fashion posts, foodie bits and Santa Barbara landscapes.

11.18.2011

Pink Ladies



A year ago today, a friend and I walked 60 miles in 3 days. We aren't crazy, we were supporting a cause.

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure is an amazing event, and I can't believe it's already been a year since we traipsed through the rain, slushing our sixth pair of socks together to make it to the finish line in Petco Park. After all of our hard work {weekend hikes, workouts and shopping for pink} it all went by too quickly. I can still remember the informational session we had at a public library...the moment we decided we were in, my heart couldn't stop pounding. In the end, it was all worth it. 

So here's to everyone that is participating in the 2012 San Diego 3 Day, and everyone who has helped the cause - Susan G. Komen is an amazing organization, and I'm so happy to call myself one of the thousands who have walked 60 miles in support of breast cancer research

11.17.2011

Outfit Inspiration






Since I finally took the plunge and joined one of the {too} many sites out there to foster creativity, it's only natural that I eventually became obsessed. Pinterest is relatively simple and easily passes away evenings or slow work days. 

The reason why I started this blog in the first place was due to my addiction to certain fashion bloggers like Cupcakes and Cashmere, The Man Repeller and The Glamourai, daily outfit inspo reads that keep me going. While I'm not posing, at least there's a better idea of what I might be wearing, had I the pocketbook of said bloggers. 

{all images via Pinterest}

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