Foursquare + Samsung

It's amazing what you find when perusing the Internets all day. While scrolling through Twitter last week I found a partnership between FourSquare and Samsung Galaxy. 

With four million users, FourSquare is a unique platform that engages social savvy audiences with local destinations. When I first started using the platform, it was all about the specials - our favorite San Diego deli handed over a free bag of chips with every sandwich order, or our local pub gave out free tater-tots with every drink. 

Now it's less about the free stuff and more about socializing with likeminded individuals via local hot-spots (just the other day I bookmarked a new sushi place to try that was recommended by someone in San Diego). 

This Time Machine project is all about exploring where you've been, and where you're expected to go. My map is pretty California heavy, as you can see above, with a few outliers. It's a nice walk down memory lane, done beautifully (no doubt thanks to Samsung). 

Lou Mora is my Photographer

I love all the things one can discover when perusing through the Twitter universe. While scanning some of my favorites, I noticed a conversation between two bloggers about Lou Mora's recent project at the Sunset, a distinct neighborhood in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles. The portraits of neighborhood rascals are all beautifully shot with a unique personality, but his lifestyle pieces really caught my eye.  

The Los Angeles based photographer has contributed to a number of some spectacular publications, including the visually stunning Kinfolk Magazine and Filter Magazine. He's even worked with a few San Diego favorites like MiresBall. I love that he's locally based, and has a long list of clientele as diverse as his work. 

To see more of his portraits and lifestyle shots, visit Lou Mora is my Photographer. 

Green Eggs & Ham

A play on green eggs and ham in San Diego that featured pork belly, a poached egg and collard greens. It was perfectly simple and the perfect accessory to a mimosa on a sunny SoCal patio. 

Happy Weekend

What are your plans this weekend? 

I'm enjoying what could be one of my last weekends in SoCal for some sunshine, beach and biking. It's been a perfect week in a city I used to call home for nine years, and can't believe that in just a few weeks so much could be changing. 

I hope you have a fabulous, sunny filled Saturday & Sunday!

{via}

A Home Worth Living In

There's something so exhilarating about taking a home tour that actually looks lived in. More often than not when I'm scrolling through some of my favorite blogs or perusing through Pinterest of stunning home interiors, I think to myself "Is that even livable?" When I was still contributing to the San Diego Community Newspaper Group, I was introduced to a number of amazing homes in La Jolla. Once particular abode still tickles my interior design fantasy for it's concrete interior, natural use of light and family style kitchen. Though the home owners were less than pleased with the resulting images, I am rather fond of the livability that is revealed in a place that breathes comfort while still exuding sophistication. (yes, that is an Aemes Chair). 

Weekend Bits

{From the weekend: lounging by the pool, udon from Balboa Park's Japanese Tea Garden, spring in San Diego, lawn bowling and cherry blossoms in Balboa Park}


It was another spring fling weekend filled with sunshine, floral & fauna and a few more checks on my to-do list {see last weekend's success}. What you can't see is that I devoured two books in the Hunger Games series from Josh's Kindle Fire, which we downloaded just two weeks ago (he's already finished the series). Luckily I've perfected a way to read outside on the thing, otherwise I would have thought the weekend sun was a lost cause.

Wine Tasting

Wine tasting in Temecula this past weekend was a dream come true. It was just the girls, great wine and 90 degree weather to make Sunday fly by. I had been holding out for my flower pants since picking them up on sale at Anthropologie (after returning an Asos pair), but didn't really think about the weather until all the girls showed up in dresses. Luckily we went back and forth between the sun and air conditioned tasting rooms so that I wasn't overwhelmed by the sweet inland heat. 

Tourist

This weekend I got to play tourist in my own city with both parents and friends. I've continued to add more and more to my San Diego bucket list before I leave this sunny city, making me feel like I haven't accomplished anything since I moved here eight years ago. No doubt this city is pretty expansive and restaurants I was once obsessed with aren't in my daily routine (plus, my first three years in college don't really count - I hardly left the campus!) so that might put things into perspective. Looking forward to 10 more weekends full of roller coasters, dinners, hikes and beautiful views!

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!) 

home is where the heart is

Josh & I are finally making progress in finding out new home, and while we've had our disagreements about the exact neighborhood to live, we always agree on one thing - it has to be near the beach. Let's hope that we can find a great comprise this weekend.

Happy Friday!

Butler video

Probably the best video you're going to get of a bunch of Butler boys celebrating in San Diego.

Apple Picking

This weekend I was able to check off one of the many "to-dos" for living in San Diego - apple picking in Julian. The weather was absolutely perfect (apparently we missed the fog back home) and after a five hour hike avoid some cow road blocks, the rest of the afternoon was spent indulging in what Julian is known for most - apples. Our bag was filled to the brim with sweet apples (all of which we tried a few too many times) and then spent eating three types of apple pie a la mode.

Now my only problem is what to do with all these apples....got a great idea from Cupcakes & Cashmere...

Tick Tock, Tick Tock

While getting my watch sized this afternoon (as seen here), I discovered a little watch shop with great service and even better decor. It isn't often that there are shops these days that are anything but random jewels and evil little men, but this hidden gem offered surprise after surprise. I felt like I was walking back in time, or into the film set for "Benjamin Button" with these large scale watches.  

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{theta love}

even with all the crack talk about prosecuting the UCSD students for their racially hateful "Compton Cookout," I still loved my time at the university and within the Greek system -

{we were the only social ones}

are you a local expert?

planning on visiting San Diego or are a native of the area? let me know how to improve the new San Diego NileGuide site - where everything from hotels, favorite restaurants and special events are added to the website, as well as planning trips and guides for other tourists/ locals!

Plan your trip with the help of NileGuide today - and check out some of my own San Diego specials!

http://www.nileguide.com/destination/san-diego/trips/sd-tourist-spots-another-look/5894787/edit