Ro Ro Ro Your Blog

iPhone's Swansong?

2011-10-18T20:53:00.000-07:00

Work has been quite busy lately however Chris wanted to pop in and gush about his new toy: the Samsung Galaxy S2. I'm hoping I can convince him to take over posting duties until work slows down for me. But as we're totally a house divided over here (I'm still in iPhone's camp) we shall see... Over to you, Chris:

iPhone, welcome to Samsung’s Galaxyor…a very unscientific look at the iPhone 4S vs Samsung Galaxy S2

Hello all! No, this isn’t a husband’s hamburgers post. In fact my arteries are thanking me for that. Although I’m still waiting to try Slater’s 50/50…mmmm... Anyway I'd like to talk technology, specifically NOT about the newly released iPhone 4S.Now I’m sure you or someone you know has an iPhone or iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S or iPad, or iPod or iMac or some Apple product. You know that they work, they’re shiny and that (may G-d rest his soul) Steve Jobs was a Tech Titan. At one time I bought into the well-deserved hype too.

RIP iPhone 3G (taken by my Samsung Galaxy S2)

The year was 2006, Bush was still in office, horses pulled carts (somewhere) and I had a Sony Ericsson candy-bar phone that I never texted on because, well, there wasn’t a full sized keyboard and I wasn’t having none of that. In 2008 I upgraded Rosemary and myself to the iPhone 3G (refurbished, because I’m a cheap bastard). It was our first foray into smartphone-dom. Internet, data-plans, oh my!

I chose the iPhone because at the time, there weren't any decent alternatives. Although the hardware on some of the iPhone’s competitors was a bit better, the Android operating system installed on them was clunky. The iPhone’s iOS was fresh and quick. Not to mention the abundance of apps compared to the Android phones. So iPhone it was.

Now in 2011 things are a bit less clear cut. Yeah, Apple is awesome with their marketing trickery. Using witchcrafty words like “Siri”, “Face Time” and “Retina Display” to lure you into their van. And although the new iPhone 4S is a really good phone, there’s another phone that I think is better and one that uses less bruja* magic and that’s the iPhone…I mean the Samsung Galaxy S2.

Textured back of the Samsung Galaxy S2

Now Samsung Galaxy S2 doesn't roll off the tongue. In fact it stumbles around like a drunken boxer. But names aside it’s still a damn good phone. Specs-wise it’s about the same as the new iPhone 4S and they both do the same things. The design of the Samsung, although not as “sexy” as the iPhone 4 family, is still very good. The Galaxy S2 is light and not so big that you couldn't hold it with one hand. In fact I hold it the same as I did with my iPhone (and I have dainty man-hands). Cameras for both phones take very similar (very good) photos and very good 1080p HD video. And Android as an operating system has gotten better as well. No, it isn’t and doesn’t have that level of sophistication that iOS does, but it is light years better than it was. It has these things called widgets (the Facebook one is cool) and things like notifications that are awesome and necessary, yet Apple just got around to implementing notifications. All of the apps I use, like Netflix, Mog, are right there in the app store.

Mog!

But I’ll make it short and tell you why I like the Samsung better: The screen. That’s it. I figure if the phones are equal otherwise then this is what sets the Samsung apart. Just look at it. The 4.3 inch screen on the Samsung Galaxy S2 is not only bigger than the iPhone’s now tiny 3.5 inch screen, but it’s vibrant. Blacks are completely black and colors, well, may be a bit too loud. But it’s a phone, not a calibrated monitor. The Apple-esque sounding: Super AMOLED Plus screen is covered with a demonic brew of strengthened glass called Gorilla Glass which is virtually unbreakable. And I know me a thing or two about the pains of broken iPhone glass. [Ed note: This is 100% true. Chris broke his old iPhone when it slipped out of his pocket during a jumping session meant to exact revenge on our former neighbors.]

Pretty, Thin

Sure there are things that the Samsung Galaxy S2 does like in browser Flash support and true multitasking and it’s a bit more friendly for tinkering around, but I feel those things are offset by the iPhone’s better app collection, familiar design, dedicated hardware camera button and solid iOS.But if you’re looking for a phone with a bigger screen and don’t have too much invested in Apple’s apps, the Samsung Galaxy S2 is definitely a phone to consider.

Zombie Hand!

Thank you Chris! Readers, what sort of phone are you using these days? Do you love it? Hate it? Feel pretty "meh" about it?

*Witch. Growing up half-Mexican, I've heard my fair share of tales of La Llorona and yes, the comparison is apt.

Banned Books Week: What Are You Reading?

2011-09-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

It's Banned Books Week (totally news to me) and there are tons of events taking place across the country to celebrate.

I'm always surprised to see the titles that pop up banned books lists. I mean, Are You There God, It's Me Margaret? It should be a crime to keep young girls away from that book. Like lots of ladies, the coming-of-age novel holds a special place in my bookish heart. I read it when I was in sixth grade (the same age as Margaret!) and for the next few months went on a Judy Blume binge.

And speaking of books, we finally got around to sprucing up our bookcase.

Quite an improvement, I'd say.

You can peep a list of the most commonly banned books here. Have you read any of these books? Which is your favorite?

Pinball Wizard

2011-09-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood pizzeria, Joe Peeps, has the most delicious pizzas. Their Hawaiian is divine. Whenever we swing by for dinner or to pick up a pie, I drop a few quarters into their Simpsons pinball machine.

It's my goal to nab one of the top scores.

I think we need a pinball machine at home so I can practice.

Procrastination or How I Deal With Writer's Block

2011-09-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

1. Peruse Craigslist for bikes, typewriters, apartments (just for fun, we're not moving) and furniture.

2. Check email accounts.

3. Completely purge email accounts.

4. Unsubscribe to various email mailing lists.

5. Resubscribe to various email mailing lists.

6. Refresh email accounts.

7. Look for deals on magazine subscriptions.

8. Read articles about how print is NOT dead. Online, naturally.

9. Refresh email accounts.

10. Watch silly videos on YouTube.

11. Graduate from silly videos to favorite television theme songs.

12. Send email to random friend about how theme songs these days are the pits.

13. Check Twitter.

14. Scroll through Google reader.

15. Check Twitter again.

16. Decide to unload dishwasher.

17. Look for missing shoes that I couldn't find last week when I wanted to go out. Come up short.

18. Clean out litter box. In the backyard. With a hose.

19. Check flash sale sites.

20. Check checking account.

21. Bookmark flash sale sites for later viewing.

22. Realize whole point of flash sale site.

23. Check checking account again.

24. Huff and puff and admit defeat and log out of flash sale sites just to be on the safe side.

25. Refresh email accounts again.

26. Respond to email from friend (who is also procrastinating at work) about TV show theme songs.

27. Argue about which TGIF show had the best song.

28. Remind friend that, duh, Fresh Prince was not part of the TGIF lineup.

29. But agree that yes, it was a fantastic theme song.

30. Make second cup of coffee.

31. Look at pores in 10X magnified mirror.

32. Wonder who gave me this mirror and why they thought I'd like it.

33. Shrug it off and continue pore inspection.

34. Rummage around bathroom for Biore pore strip.

35. Snip porestrip to custom fit my nose.

36. Look at time so that I'll know when to take off pore strip.

37. Realize how much time I've wasted puttering around and finally get down to business.

----90 minutes later----

Go to restroom and notice that I forgot all about pore strip and it's hardened to cast-like consistency. Get sort of angry at myself and gingerly pull off the beast. Tear up because it kind of hurts. Inspect pore strip (don't act like you don't too) and bug out eyes because holy moly is there a lot of gunk on it. Impressed with newly cleaned nose pores and call it a day.

Am I the only one who sort of falls down the rabbit hole of procrastination?

Obsessed: Hope in a Jar

2011-09-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

Since the beginning of the year, I've been having all sorts of skin problems. My face used to fall into the normal to oily category but now it's kind of all over the place. One cheek is fairly normal, though occasionally oily and the other is forever red, super dry and sometimes flaky. Yuck. I'd been slathering on Aquaphor to curb the parched feeling on my stubborn cheek and I did notice a small difference.

Once, while traveling with friends, I forgot my tube of Aquaphor so in a pinch dabbed a bit of Brazil Nut Body Butter on my problem cheek. One pal looked shocked and asked, "Are you really putting body butter on your face?" Yes. My cheek is like a desert, thanks for reminding me.

The other day while visiting Chris' parents, I asked his mom if I could steal a dab of face lotion as my cheek was acting up. Instead of giving me just a smidge, she handed me a practically full size Hope in a Jar, explaining that it hadn't really done much for her skin and that I could have the whole thing. Um, hooray!

After just a few days, I've already noticed a huge difference. It tackles my dry cheek without making the rest of my face feel too heavy. In the past few months, I've tried a number of face lotions and none really worked for me. But this lovely jar is absolutely the business. And I've retired the Aquaphor, though I still use it when my lips get chapped.

I've read a ton of reviews on Hope in a Jar and found that people either love or loathe it. Some even complain about its smell. I don't detect any sort of off odor (to me it smells like Ivory soap!) but it works so wonderfully that I think I'd use it even if it reeked like a litter box.

What are your skin issues? What products do you love? Which ones do you hate? And have you ever tried Hope in a Jar?

Missoni for Target Ballet Flats

2011-09-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Whittier where the Missoni is prettier!

When Chris and I moved from Los Feliz to the suburbs last summer, I whined and complained and generally made a brat out of myself.

But then, I realized the burbs ain't so bad. They're quiet, the neighbors are super friendly and our friends don't complain about parking when they visit us. And, oh yeah, the designer collections at Target are never picked over.

After reading about the insanity at stores in the city, I didn't expect to find any Missoni goodies. I had an afternoon meeting in West Hollywood and knew better than to even step foot into that Target. So, after I got home, had dinner and convinced Chris to tag along with me to our local Target, I wasn't expecting much.

But oh was I ever wrong. I spotted two dresses, a cardigan, a fully stocked baby collection, a coat randomly stashed in the furniture section, lots of plates, platters and quite a few pairs of shoes. Including these lovely flats.

I'm sort of in love. Chris (jokingly) says he's going to sell them on eBay. Maybe I should hide them tonight?

Behind the Scenes

2011-09-12T14:32:00.000-07:00

Fun news:

Chris has been working on a cool upcoming design project with a very talented friend of ours and I'm thrilled that it's just about time for the big reveal. More details soon.

P.S. His shirt is a souvenir from Powell's in Portland. One of our friends recently said "Portland is where hipsters go to retire." Isn't that hilarious?

Age Is Just a Number

2011-09-09T00:10:00.000-07:00

Or is it? Times when my age has recently come into play...

My cousin's wedding:

I was by far the oldest bridesmaid when my cousin tied the knot a few weeks ago--the other two were 22 and 18--yet bartenders wouldn't serve me booze without an ID. Clearly, I look well above the drinking age. And anyone who's been a bridesmaid knows that on wedding days, your ish is all over the place. My ID and wallet were locked up in some closet or someone's trunk or something. Despite my great aunt pleading my case and age to the bartenders, they wouldn't budge. My younger brother found this hilariously amusing, hence his hilariously amused (for him!) expression. Happily for me, a family friend sitting at our table sneaked me a few glasses of wine. Shhh!

A work event:

Earlier this week at an event for work, the valet who parked my car told me I looked "too young" to be a magazine writer. I was sort of flattered until I guessed he was most likely just being nice in hopes of scoring a decent tip.

Doing random research online:

Internal monologue went something like this: Um, seriously? I'm 29! 29! I'm quite old enough to drink, thankyouverymuch. Hmm, maybe the year is supposed to be in two-digit format? No dice. Maybe I could have Chris look at this when he gets home? Let's see. I put in month, day, year... Oh. Oh. Ohhhh. FACE PALM. Only Americans rock it MM-DD-YYYY style. Whoops.

The last incident might say more about my age than anything else!

Do you feel your age? Do you think you look your age?

P.S. Also, a random list of things that are really making me feel like an out-of-touch old.

Party Poopers

2011-09-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my good friend Nathan and I went to a launch party for Slake magazine. We cruised around the party first to see if we knew anyone and when we came up short, we plopped down on a couch and enjoyed drinks and snacks.

What can I say? We're couch hogs.

Anyway, throughout the night, I couldn't help but feel sort of self-conscious. And I think this sort of thing happens to everyone but not a lot of people admit it. No matter where you are in life, you'll occasionally feel like everyone around you is, like, a billion times cooler than you'll ever be. Never mind that you don't know their back stories. So, you stick by a friend all night. Or park yourself on a couch.

Does this ever happen to you? Or maybe I'm just projecting?

I Mean, Really

2011-09-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

Chris and I need this sticker for our cars, don't you think?

The one on the right, of course. Though, I'd customize it to include the names of our "children:" Cash, Money and Hundred Dolla Bills. Y'all.

Happy September!

via xkcd

Awesome (and Affordable!) Business Cards

2011-08-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

How fun are these quirky business cards from Moo? They feature cool designs on the fronts and backs of the cards:

I'm sure Kristy Thomas would approve of these babysitter business cards.

The snazziest calling cards I've ever spotted for a hairstylist!

Don't these cards make you want to K.I.T?

I've been meaning to order new business cards for what seems like forever. When I mentioned this to a freelancing friend, she insisted I check out Moo. It was love at first sight! Now if I could only figure out which hip design is my favorite.

You can even upload your own images for a totally custom look. Swoon! I really dig the DJ mixtape cards but they don't really make sense for a someone with zero skills on the ones and twos, do they?

Photos via Moo

Summer Reading: An Update

2011-08-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

Oh hello end of summer. When did you sneak up on me? Happily, I crossed a few books off the summer reading list and picked up a few more:

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

It took me forever to get into this book. But once I did--holy moly. I couldn't finish it fast enough! Which brought me to another novel written by Margaret Atwood...

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

I'm now head over heels for speculative fiction. Interestingly, while I was reading this I was fascinated, and not all that frightened. But when I heard there was a movie (poorly reviewed, btw) and watched the previews, I got the chills. Books like this are so good because the futures they imagine aren't entirely impossible. I was raving about this book to a friend who teaches high school English. After her students read The Handmaid's Tale in class, one young girl came up to my friend and said "How do we prevent this from happening ever ever ever?" My friend told her to start following and get involved in politics. Always an educator. :)

Feed by M.T. Anderson
From that conversation with my teacher friend came the recommendation for Feed. It's a YA novel that's a quick and excellent read. It's kind of like Idiocracy but a lot scarier.

The Book Thief by Mark Zusak
Good God, is this a good book. I picked up from Powell's when I was visiting Oregon. It's a novel about the Holocaust told from Death's point of view. I believe it's consider YA because the main character is a young girl but even those who turn their noses up at YA books must read this. It's moving, tragic, funny, heartfelt and beautiful. I read this while on a plane so the poor passenger next to me politely ignored my subdued and awkward sobbing during some tougher parts.

What are you reading? Have you read any of these books? And what should I read next?

Another Year Older

2011-08-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

One of the best birthday wishes ever from Chris' very clever best friend...who is also named Chris. Such a popular baby boys' name in the late 70s/early 80s, right?

On Saturday, we celebrated by going out to dinner with the family, eating lots of yummy chocolate cake and watching a few hours of TNG. A perfect way to ring in my 29th year.

And how do you celebrate your birthday?

Did I Do That?

2011-08-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

Obsessed with this clever new video from Cee Lo Green.

Family Matters ruled my Friday nights back in the day so I'm thrilled to see that Stefan Urquelle is just as fly as I remember him. And how chic are these costumes?!

Fascinating New Documentary: Hot Coffee

2011-07-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've been hearing a ton of buzz about Hot Coffee, a new documentary showing on HBO. The film examines the country's complicated relationship with lawsuits. Remember that McDonalds hot coffee scandal? As it turns out, there's a lot more to the story...

I can't wait to see this film! As I don't have HBO (boo!) I'll have to wait until it pops up on Netflix.

If you're into documentaries, I'd love to hear all about your faves! And what do you think of Hot Coffee? Has anyone seen it yet?

All that Jazz

2011-07-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of the Jazz Age Lawn Parties on Governor's Island in New York? They're beautiful outdoor picnics held twice during the summer with a 1920s theme. A live jazz band even performs! Revelers don their most dapper jazz-age threads and get down Gatsby-style.

Embarrassing confession: I love combing the blogosphere for pictures of this cool event. 1920s style is ridiculously chic and I dream of working some of these looks into my own wardrobe.

So, how tickled was I when, during a recent ~~spying~~ research mission, I stumbled on a blog featuring a picture of a Jazz Age party girl I recognized?!

The fantastic blog Les Yeux Sans Visage recently shared a few gorgeous photos of the event. The first image of the post? This one:

The gorgeous gal pictured above is my friend Gabe! She moved from Los Angeles to New York last year and she has the coolest style. Seriously--when she made her cross-country trek and I heard she was selling some furniture, I swooped in and bought this awesome fainting couch she was trying to unload.

Have you been to the Jazz Age party? If so, I'm quite jealous! And what do you think of 1920s style?

Photo: Les Yeux Sans Visage

The Perfect Summer Top

2011-07-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm ridiculously enamored with this pretty Ikat top from Madewell. When I first spotted it last month, I knew it had to be mine.

I've worn it dozens of times since scooping it up. Seriously. It's been paired with a navy skirt to a few meetings, with jean shorts for backyard BBQs and it's even been added to the jeggings/cute top combo I usually sport as a uniform.

Portola Coffee Lab's guys graciously give me the skinny on being a barista.

It's sheer so unless I feel like flashing, I wear a grey or nude camisole under. And since I loathe ironing, I let it hang in the bathroom while showering to get the wrinkles out. Does the trick every time.

What tops are you living in this summer?

Images via Madewell and Portola Coffee Lab

Happy Fourth of July!

2011-07-04T15:10:00.000-07:00

Lighting fireworks to celebrate Independence Day had been a foreign concept to me until I met my now husband. You see, I grew up in Anaheim, California--in the shadow of Disneyland.

Using fireworks--except for the occasional sparkler--was illegal. But, since we had the Magic Kingdom's nightly fireworks extravaganza, it wasn't too big of a deal.

However, once Chris and I started dating, my Fourth of Julys were never the same. We usually celebrate at his parents' house and in their little town (just a twenty minute drive from my hometown!) fireworks are legal. Of course the big fancies are forbidden but that still leaves a ton of room for safe, sparkling fun.

I recently came across these pictures from last year's festivities and couldn't help but get in the spirit.

Perusing the wares at one particularly fine fireworks establishment. I believe I used a coupon!

Cousin-in-law Josh and I show off our loot.

Sparklers are still my favorite.

Have a wonderful (and safe!) Fourth!

The Happiest Place on Earth

2011-06-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

I couldn't tell you how many times I've been to Disneyland. For most of my childhood, my dad worked for The Mouse so he could sign me and my friends into the park just about any day of the week.

But now that I'm an adult (and since Pops stopped working there a few years back) my trips to Disneyland are few and far between.

Happily, I hit up the Happiest Place on Earth once again. We went last week and it was a blast. And for the first time, I got a mouse ears hat. Yes it's embroidered. And yes, I sometimes wear it around the house just to be silly.

Have you ever been to Disneyland? What about Disneyworld?

Soup's On!

2011-06-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

Lately, I've found that I have a rather complicated relationship with Yelp. On one hand, it's an excellent tool for finding good eats in new neighborhoods. But then there are the reviews. Yelpers are food enthusiasts to be sure, but sometimes I wonder if the task of being clever overpowers their write ups.

While I agree with a good number of reviews, I just can't make sense of others. The reviews for La Mirada's Pho Saigon range from glowing to downright scathing. However, I'm a big fan of the place. I've been there about ten times in the last month. And on each visit, I've received lovely service and tasty food.

The restaurant is tucked in what looks to be a rather ordinary strip mall. However, aside from this spot, there's also a Filipino point-point restaurant as well as a really well-stocked Marshall's. My Grandpa and I met there yesterday for lunch.

He ordered the lunch special, which came with egg rolls, a bowl of pho and a drink; he couldn't resisting getting the iced coffee. Though he later worried he'd be wired for the next few days, he said it was quite yummy.

I ordered my usual: a small (yes, this is a small) bowl of beef pho and happily slurped away. Though the restaurant was crowded, we were served quickly and the staff was as friendly as ever.

What do you make of Yelp? How often do you use it?

From the Home Office

2011-06-06T00:02:00.000-07:00

I really do get the best spam ever. Evidence:

So apparently, I'm single elderly man with hip, automotive, dental, credit and virility problems who is maybe looking to switch careers. Sheesh. All this stress makes a fella dream of an Italian vacation.

This geriatric thing seems to be a theme. The day before I graduated college, AARP sent me an application for membership. They sent another invite around my 26th birthday.

Is your spam folder as wacky as mine?

Summer Reading List

2011-06-03T00:02:00.000-07:00

I've been juggling a few books lately. Do you ever do that? I try not to. It sounds silly, but sometimes I feel like I'm cheating on books by not fully paying attention to them. And right now, I'm such a literary philanderer, it's a wonder the books haven't called me out on it! Here are the novels currently in rotation:

The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
I read Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible a few years ago and loved it. I was hooked from the first page. I'm not nearly as engaged with The Lacuna, but then again, I might just have a bit too much on my plate to focus these days.

The Pearl by John Steinbeck
This slim little book is always in my favorite bag. I pull it out whenever I'm in at the doctor's office or waiting to meet a friend.

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
Scooped up a used copy from Powell's in January. I've been reading a few pages here and there. I adore YA lit and coming-of-age stories so this is a nice piece a candy to revisit every few weeks.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Also picked up this one from Powell's. But I only recently started reading it. It's a story told in flash backs which I totally dig.

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
While reading The Pearl, I had this cockamamie idea to issue myself a challenge and get through all the "classics" in my library I haven't read yet. Challenge is not going well. Clearly.

The Violets of March by Sarah Jio
I started and finished this book in less than a week. It's written by my friend and fellow Glamour blogger, Sarah! I know it sounds like I'm gushing but I loved this book. And it makes me want to visit the Pacific Northwest again. Heck, it makes me want to move there!

What are you reading these days? Anything I need to add to my list?

Seven Years in the Making

2011-06-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

So, Chris and I recently celebrated our one-year wedding anniversary. But! We'd actually been dating for like ever before that. As promised, here are a few oldies but goodies of the ball and chain and me. They're not in any order--enjoy our awkwardness! Also, a few pics of Chris without a beard.

In 2005, this was my favorite outfit. I wore it all.the.time. Pictures from this time sadly document this painful fact.

Notice the Hello Kitty earrings? What I wouldn't give to find those suckers now. Chris ordered them from some tween site one Christmas. As a result/reward/punishment he was put on some very sketchy email and mailing lists for a very long time.

Drunk in Vegas. I think I stole these glasses from Chris. I certainly didn't have a prescription at the time!

Waiting in line to claim our wristbands for a Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows release party. One of us is more excited than the other.

I thought we'd never top (gun) this Halloween costume.

And then there was this.

I believe this is summer 2006. AKA the time we abused our livers.

Also in Vegas. I was on the hunt for a GIANT novelty cocktail glass. Ended up going with the hot-air balloon from Paris. Which was lost in our move. Le boo.

Our election night party in 2008. I bought the shirt for Chris is 2004. He still wears it. Groan.

Have I mentioned we're very fun on road trips?

We look so whiddle! I can't stand it.

Stripes of Love

2011-05-31T22:20:00.000-07:00

So I might just be head over heels for this dress.

Earrings: random designer from Lucky Shops; sunglasses: F21; necklace and bag: Madewell; dress: Ted Baker; bracelets: vintage and F21; sandals: Target

Last year, during the very hectic week leading up to my wedding, I swooped into the Ted Baker store at South Coast Plaza and tried on, oh I don't know, fifteen dresses.

Yeah, I might have totally been playing the wild bridezilla card but for whatever reason, holing myself up in that dressing room calmed me.

I ended up taking this one home. Thankfully it was on sale.Whenever I wear it, which isn't often enough, I'm reminded of the very happy day that Chris and I tied the knot, surrounded by our loved ones. Our one-year anniversary* was two weeks ago! I'll be sharing some very old school pictures of the two of us looking like fresh-faced itty bits tomorrow.

Which items in your closet boost your mood no matter what? Do any pieces remind you of a special day?

*I gave him L.A. Noire as an anniversary gift. It's sort of papery, right?

Lobsta Truck Rolls Deliciously

2011-05-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

I've been Twitter-stalking the Lobsta Truck for quite some time now. Unfortunately for me, they always seem to be in Los Angeles or San Diego.

So, when I spotted a stop in Cerritos on this week's schedule of appearances, I flipped.

Yesterday afternoon, my Grandpa and I drove down to the Town Center in Cerritos to check out the action. And we were not disappointed.

We both went with the lobster rolls with butter. At $12 a pop, it seems a steep price for what's essentially a sandwich. But, um, these toasty rolls are loaded with lobster. I think it's worth the splurge. Gramps also ordered a cup of lemonade. Which I stole a few swigs of. It was tart, fresh and just the right amount of sweet.

I snapped this pic with my phone as we headed back to the car. It looks a bit empty here, but when we first pulled up, the crowd was pretty big.

The Lobsta Truck might just be my favorite food truck yet! Maybe it's a good thing I don't have easy access to them?

Dog Walkers We Are Not

2011-05-19T13:22:00.000-07:00

I love big dogs. Love 'em. Small dogs are lovely, and quite portable. But there's something about a hefty dog that I just can't resist.

We're dogsitting this lovely girl, again. And she's behaving much better than her last stay with us.

However, unlike many smaller dogs I know, whose energy is easily zapped by games of fetch, this stunner requires daily walks. And if we forget (or are too lazy) to take her out? Ugh, she gets a bit antsy.

I think we've reached a happy agreement, though.

I Want to Ride, er, Buy My Bicycle

2011-05-16T21:55:00.000-07:00

It's no wonder I'm in a bicycle sort of mood. According to the League of American Bicyclists, May is bicycle month. Who am I to argue with the experts? I planned on buying a new bike, oh let's see...when was it? Oh yes, last summer. But things got busy and I never got around to it.

However, since the weather in my neighborhood is practically begging for folks to get out and ride, I figure now is as good a time as any to start my search where I left off. I'm torn between two beauties.

The Windsor Essex Deluxe from Bikes Direct:

It's simple, adorable and comes with a cup holder and a rear basket rack. It's available in blue, black, cream and pink.

Plus the $279.95 price is pretty incredible. Chris bought his bike, the Windsor Clockwork (in orange, obvs) from Bikes Direct last year and couldn't be happier with it.

Custom Plato Dutch Bike by Republic Bikes

I first spotted these bikes from Republic last summer. At $399, they're a bit pricier than Bikes Direct. But, these rides are completely customizable. You pick from a whole slew of saddle, tire and frame colors. And you can add fun accessories like skirts, racks and chain cases.

The possibilities are mind boggling. If you've got some procrastination in mind, building a custom bike on Republic's site is a fun way to pass the time. The pink, green and cream melange above isn't exactly my style. But it's certainly inspiring.

Anyone else in the market for a new bike? Which of these bikes do you prefer? And if you've got bike-shopping tips, I'm all ears.

Photos from top: Bikes Direct; Bikes Direct; Republic Bikes; Republic Bikes

Off the Cuff: Awesome Accessories for Dudes

2011-05-11T12:21:00.000-07:00

Holy smokes. I'm in love with these sweet cufflinks from Gotham Smith.

Earlier today, a friend emailed me these free-wheeling beauties and I gasped. If only they'd been around last year for our wedding, my fixie-loving hipster husband could've worn them.

We've got two weddings coming up this year so maybe he can rock then?

Annnd, one of these weddings happens to be one where I'll play the part of bridesmaid; the groom loves brewing his own beers. Wouldn't these be perfect for him? Suggesting it to the bride right now!

P.S. How gorgeous is the wood these cufflinks are displayed on?!

Photos: Gotham Smith

What Work (Sometimes) Looks Like

2011-05-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

Rocking my usual uniform at an Alternative Apparel event in Venice from a few weeks ago.

{Earrings: random designer from a sample sale; blazer: Zara; top: Yumi Kim; jeans: American Eagle; bracelets F21 and vintage; bag: Cole Haan; shoes: Jessica Simpson}

I managed to drag Chris along. Hooray! Once while conducting an interview at one of these things, someone remarked on how neat it was that my husband liked going to fashion events with me. "He doesn't, actually," I responded. We shared a giggle.

I'm pretty head over heels for these earrings. If they weren't so heavy, I'd wear them even more.

I have yet to meet a cake I didn't fancy so when I spotted this storefront of cake stands, I decided a picture was absolutely necessary.

When I start to do silly dances while trying to remember where I parked the car, it's definitely time to call it a night.

Meet Our Famous Backyard Chicken

2011-04-25T08:27:00.000-07:00

I love so many things about my quaint neighborhood in the suburbs. But one of the best things is our neighborhood chicken. Yes, a chicken.

She doesn't really belong to one family; she hops from yard to yard and her loud clucks will tell you when she's chilling in yours. As we're one of the few homes without a dog in the neighborhood, I think she fancies our accommodations the most.

I've been told she even leaves eggs for lucky families. Though, she has yet to leave any for us. And I'm not sure how I'd feel about eating them.

She's rather camera shy, which is why it's taken me so freaking long to blog about her. Once she spots a lens, she bolts. This girl can move and fly like you would not believe!

Do you live in the city or the suburbs? And what's your favorite thing about your neighborhood?

A+R = Design Love

2011-04-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

I'm seriously head over heels for A+R, a nifty design shop on Abbot Kinney in Venice. Last Thursday, I stopped by the shop for a rather racy talk (you can read all about over at Smitten) but before things got underway, I couldn't help but drool over all of A+R's awesome products.

How cool are these fun prints of famous architects? And yes, I did get nerdy (and slightly annoying) when I proudly rattled off the names of each person. Can you identify these famous faces?

The shop has an incredible selection of home goods. Btw, I'm in the market for a new mixing-bowl set. This nifty nesting set is obviously calling my name

I adore the Pantone espresso and saucer sets on the bottom shelf! Can all of these items please make their way into my house?

A+R also has a fantastic selection of jewelry.

I've got another trip to Venice on the books for next week. And I'll most definitely be swinging by A+R for a second look.

What are your favorite places to shop for home goods?

Venturing to Venice

2011-04-11T00:02:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, I had some workish business to attend to in Venice. So naturally, I wore my uniform: skinny jeans, a flowy top and heels. I'm woefully predictable.

{If you're curious: blazer: Zara; top: Tracy Reese; jeans: American Eagle; bag: Cole Haan; shoes: Sole Society}

It was a tad windy while I got my pose on. Seriously felt like the weather was getting fresh by blowing its billowy paws up under my blouse. And it was obvs trying to eff up my hair too.

I've got to crow a bit about my kicks. A friend introduced me to Sole Society, an online shoe club of sorts. I was a bit skeptical about the idea until I ordered these babies. Holy moly are they comfy. And they were only $49.95! Plus free shipping! In love.

Since traffic was non-existent on Thursday night, I had plenty of time to kill before the event. So, Ronida (my plus one for the evening) and I stopped to grab a bite to eat at Glencrest Bar-b-que on Abbot Kinney. Good golly. The food was insane. I ordered the fried chicken dinner and Ronida went with a pulled pork combo. I probably would have taken a few snapshots of our food but we were too busy inhaling it. If you're ever in the area, do yourself a favor and swing by this joint. Best fried chicken I've ever had. Ever. Plus, the owner Chris Featherstone is wonderfully friendly.

What's your favorite type of food? For me it's a toss up between barbecue and Mexican food. Ooh, and soup.

World's Worst Intern

2011-04-06T23:16:00.000-07:00

Oh boy. I've been super busy lately and my intern has provided zero help. After asking her to transcribe an interview, she responded with this icy glare...

And when I suggested a coffee run, she claimed she was busy.

They say it takes more than a pretty face to get ahead, but for Gabby... Well, those rules just don't apply. She gets cat nip bonuses every quarter.

Do you get along with your coworkers? Any pesky interns giving you lip?

Madewell at South Coast Plaza Made Me Do It!

2011-04-05T00:02:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday, I stopped by the Madewell opening party at South Coast Plaza. My friend Zinzi was set to DJ and I couldn't wait to check out all their adorable wares. Unfortunately, there were a few technical glitches so we didn't get to rock out to Z's spinning skills, but about those adorable wares...

I lurve Madewell; when we lived in Los Feliz, I'd visit the Glendale store nearly every weekend. So how pumped am I now that there's a Madewell store close to my new home?

Madewell's displays make me swoon. How cool are the Eames chair illustrations above the jeans?!

Naturally, I wanted everything. If it weren't for my husband standing over my shoulder reminding me about our bill to Uncle Sam, I probably would have walked away with quite a bit more than this sweet necklace I picked up.

Gimme gimme gimme!!

Um, how stoked was I when I spotted two familiar faces on Guest of a Guest? Yep, that's Chris and me looking ~~like a deer caught in the headlights~~ festive.

While I had a ton of fun at the party, I was also kind of on the clock. I interviewed the incredibly chic Gigi Guerra, Madewell's marketing guru, for Glamour; we gossiped about outfits to wear on dates! You can read all about her picks here.

Are you a fan of Madewell? Don't worry; even if you're not, we can still be pals.

Bottom Photo: Erin G. Wesley via Guest of a Guest

Irvine Lanes Food Trucks

2011-03-31T08:36:00.000-07:00

Food trucks have been "having a moment" in Southern California for a few years now. And while they seem to have the strongest following in Los Angeles (here's my fave LA food truck), Orange County has become quite the hot bed of activity for four-wheel foodies.

Every Wednesday night, from 5:30 to 9, several food trucks form a covered-wagon style circle in the parking lot of Irvine Lanes. Then folks mosey around the open space until they decide how to get their grub on.

There's a whole lot of fusion going on--these Vietnamese pork sliders from The Burnt Truck were offered alongside fried chicken sliders, Mini-Mac sliders and PB&J sliders. And many of the trucks feature some sort of Asian-inspired taco.*

It's fantastic people watching! Though I will say, I did feel insanely uncool and slightly elderly. Most of the hungry hungry hipsters looked to be college students. Side-note: the other day, the woman threading my eyebrows asked if I was on spring break. Bless her.

The lines weren't bad at all. However as there was only one dessert option, the Boo-Yah!! Ice-Cream Sandwich truck, those with a sweet tooth (me!) had to wait for about 20 minutes.

What do you think of the food truck phenomenon? Are you a fan? Or do you think it's gimmicky?

*Call me a snob, but I'm sort of a taco purist. We even served them at our wedding!

Fade to Black

2011-03-30T00:06:00.000-07:00

On Monday, I received a last minute invite to a screening of The Kennedys. There's been a ton of buzz surrounding the show and I was invited by a good friend I hadn't seen in awhile so I eagerly accepted.

"Business attire" was listed on the invitation. Um, okay...

I didn't have much time to obsess over an outfit so I went with a safe choice: all black. And I made Chris take pictures when I got home from the screening's reception. Hence the exhausted/maniacal expressions.

{If you're curious: blazer: Zara; dress: Club Monaco; shoes: Michael Kors; earrings: Blue Nile; necklace: inherited from my Grandma; bracelets: vintage and Forever 21; nifty yellow paper wristband: a generous gift from the PR company hosting the screening.}

Interestingly, I ended up looking rather political. Would totally wear this again if I ever took a gig on the campaign trail. Which isn't likely.

Highlight of the night? All the too cool for school Hollywood peeps falling silent as Katie Holmes and her hubby Tom entered the theater. I, on the other hand, kept scanning the room to catch a glimpse of dreamy Barry Pepper. Unfortunately, I didn't see him. Boo.

We saw two episodes of The Kennedys and I dug it! Though I may have been swayed by Katie's awesome wardrobe. And Barry Pepper.

Let's Go Phrazy!

2011-03-29T00:01:00.000-07:00

So this popped up on SNL a few weeks ago and I'm still giggling over it.

Boston Powers kills it! They should do more skits like this and less skits involving that kiss-happy family.

What's making you laugh lately?

Nothing But Grey Skies

2011-03-28T00:01:00.000-07:00

I've been jonesing for a nice pair of wayfarer sunglasses for forever. While I love the quirky inexpensive ones from discount shops--I have about 10 pairs--the quality and level of sun-protection often leave much to be desired.

So when I noticed that Swirl, Daily Candy's online sample-sale site was going to be offering goodies from Ray-Ban, I was pretty pumped. I scooped up a pair of the "new wayfarers" right away.

They arrived early last week, but as the weather here in Southern California has been overwhelmingly meh and rainy of late, I haven't had an opportunity to really wear them.

But! On Friday, just before Chris and I headed out to dinner, the sun peeked out from behind the clouds.

{If you're curious: husband's sweater: Kohl's; dress (worn as skirt): Arden B; shoes: Michael Kors; bag: Mulberry for Target; bracelets: Forever 21 and vintage; sunglasses: Ray-Ban; earrings: Claire's}

I haven't worn this dress in years. I purchased it in 2007 to attend my first big fashion-y event: the opening of the Beverly Hills Escada boutique:

Yeah, I'm a shoe groper. What of it? I also look about 12 years old here. That night, I literally bumped into Andre Leon Talley while I was walking around the party trying not to look 12 years old. I almost fainted out of humiliation. Siiigh. Back to the present...

I've been thinking of ways to dress the dress down for awhile. And when I spotted my husband wearing this sweater a few days before, I started getting visions of pullovers in my head.

I love that it's somewhat snug and not at all baggy. And it sort of tempers the flashy Vegas-y effect the dress has.

He'll be lucky if he gets this one back.

When it comes to sunglasses, do you splurge and go for the good stuff? And do you ever lift clothes from your guy's closet?

Look What I Found...

2011-03-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

I'm all up in spring cleaning mode and I came across a few items that I totally forgot about:

These remnants tumbled out of the hall closet earlier today. They're so different and gorgeous that I'm determined to find some sort of use for them.

Maybe I could have some pillows made?

Or stretch them over a wooden frame to create a nifty piece of wall art?

Have you ever found any forgotten treasures while spring cleaning?

Isamu Noguchi's California Scenario

2011-03-21T01:04:00.000-07:00

Tucked between a few office buildings in Costa Mesa is a beautiful outdoor space created by one of the most famous names in the design and architecture world: Isamu Noguchi.

{If you're curious: tunic, jacket and sunglasses: Forever 21; leggings: Zara; sandals: Payless; bag: Mulberry for Target; necklace: inherited from my Grandma}

Completed in 1982, Noguchi's California Scenario left me awestruck. It's sublime, yet accessible. Though somewhat intimidating for all its beauty, its benches and walkways are positioned so that they seem to quietly beg for traffic. Especially if there's a camera involved.

The serene spot seems almost out of place--it's right near the freeway and quite literally surrounded by tall glass office buildings.

But then, that is the exact sort of place that could use such a retreat, isn't it? While traipsing around the sculpture garden, I couldn't help but feel jealous of the office workers who get to enjoy the view.

If I worked in one of these buildings, I'd have my lunch outside everyday. Btw, I'm calling dibs on this bench right here and now.

Admission to California Scenario is free (yea!) and it's open from 8am to midnight. For more information on California Scenario, click here, here or here.

Inspired Fashion: Simply Stylist

2011-03-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

Yowza!

Went to Simply Stylist for work the other night night and my head is still sort of spinning from all the fashion deliciousness.

{From left: Soyon An; Ilaria Urbinati; Karla Welch}

Three awesome stylists participated in a discussion panel about the business. And after their talk wrapped up, I interviewed Ilaria Urbinati and Karla Welch for Smitten; we gossiped about first date outfits.

It was beyond inspiring to hear the what these uber chic ladies had to say about style and fashion and career in general. So much so that after I got home--and transcribed my interviews--I sort of took apart my closet and vowed to start trying new looks.

What inspires you to step outside of your comfort zone? Whether it's related to fashion, work, art, food travel or whatever, I'd love to hear!

P.S. Karla styled Hailee Steinfeld for this year's award show season. When she started talking about the striped Prada dress Hailee wore at the SAG awards, I got chills. That dress was perfect in just about every way!

Working the Uniform

2011-03-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

One of the awesome (and horrible) things about working from home is that you can wear pretty much anything you fancy.

Usually when I make the morning commute from my bedroom to my office, I'll have on a pair of yoga pants. Or if I'm feeling particularly ambitious, a pair of jeans. And some sort of shirt, obvs. I don't roll that freely. No judging if you do, though!

However, when I have to head out for meetings, interviews or events, it's a whole different ballgame. I've got to look a wee bit more professional.

Thankfully, I've got a tried and true work-ish uniform that does the trick: skinny jeans, sky-high heels and a flowy top. Of course, I'll mix it up now and then, but more often than not, this is my go-to.

{If you're curious--top: Rag & Bone via Off 5th; jeggings: American Eagle; shoes: L.A.M.B. via Gilt; bag: Mulberry for Target; bracelet: souvenir from my dad's Navy travels; necklace: Maya Brenner}

Last night, was a busy one. I attended a screening of Paul in Hollywood. And then after, had to book it to Robertson for a Rag & Bone event at Intermix.

{I actually adore this mirror-paparazzi-style shot of Ronida and me. It's painfully "I'm so cool I don't notice that you're totes snapping my pic," isn't it? Very appropriate for we ~~in-denial~~ recovering hipsters, I'd say.}

All the chic pretty things had my head spinning. And the two mannequins sporting stripes?! Yowza. They were totally taunting me with their adorbs factor all.night.long.

Do you have go-to outfit or look when you need to look professional? Do tell!

Relief Efforts in Japan

2011-03-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

It's impossible to comprehend what those affected by Japan's earthquake and tsunami are going through.

And while it may sound cliché, I truly believe that every little bit helps. If you're feeling so inclined, over at Smitten, we've compiled a pretty extensive list of relief organizations sending aid to the devastated areas.

xoxo,
Rosemary

Photo: Getty Images via Glamour

Cafe Marcelita: Pretty Petit Dejeuner

2011-03-14T00:29:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, while I was in LA for this little adventure, I had hoped to grab a bite to eat at Joan's On Third. In my office days, the work pals and I would stop by there every now and then for a fancy-pants-yet-casual lunch. Unfortunately though, the place was packed. Per usual. Blech.

Slightly defeated, yet still determined, my friend Ronida and I skulked around Third Street looking for a restaurant to get our grub on. We sort of did a dance of joy once we spotted Cafe Marcelita, a charming little spot down the street from Joan's. When we peeped the plates of the diners eating on the patio, we were more than pleased with what we saw.

So of course, we had to grab a patio table of our own. And once we looked over the menu, we couldn't help but order breakfast for lunch.

My French toast was sweet and just soft enough. Plus, the little crunchy bits on the edges of the toast were perfect!

Ronida's waffles looked divine! Had I not been so distracted by my meal, I might have snagged a bite from her plate.

Also, I'm an iced tea fiend. I was pleased as punch with their tasty brew.

Their pastry case was insane. Naturally, we had to take a few of the macaroons to go.

Cafe Marcelita is a cafe/restaurant/tea room, florist, gift shop and art gallery all rolled into one very chic space. Somehow, it all works beautifully. Plus, the staff were beyond nice. Our server kept referring to us as her "little bon bons." J'adore!

Do you have a favorite spot for lunch or breakfast?

Operation Organization pt. 2

2011-03-10T23:08:00.000-08:00

I'm in full spring cleaning mode. My office was the first room to get the makeover treatment, thanks in large part to this recent assignment. And I'm happy to report that so far, it has stayed in good shape.

Here's my desk before the major overhaul:

And here's what happened after I spent a few hours cleaning:

Where did all that clutter travel to? It's tucked away neatly in the closet...

Our landlord left behind some furniture, including this nifty little 3-drawer dresser. I moved most of the junk that was crowding my desk into this space saver and labeled accordingly. Baby steps, you see.

It's stowed away in the office closet, which keeps it out of the way and leaves me plenty of room for ADD-level pacing. Which is what I do when I get a bad case of writer's block. Which happens more than I'd like to admit.

This mess had been stored in those bins and boxes on top of my desk. Yes, that's a box of crayons. Don't judge.

I'm in love with this sweet brocade filing tote; it's super sturdy and it was only $15! My papers had previously been scattered in random folders around my desk.

Now that the office is in working order, I plan on adding a few more pieces of artwork to the walls. Annnd, I'd love to hear all about your favorite places to shop for affordable art!

Oh Sookie...

2011-03-09T15:04:00.000-08:00

Lately, I've been racing through Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse books.

They're crazy addicting and unlike some supernatural novels, they're actually well written. It's easy to relate to her characters, especially dear Sookie. Even Snoop Dogg loves her, well her character in HBO's adaptation of the books.

I picked up Dead in the Family the other day and have been sloooowwwwwlly paging through it. Mostly because the next book in the series isn't out until May and I hate waiting. After months of haranguing from friends, I finally started the books during my Oregon trip in January and have happily sped through each to immediately pick up the next.

While midnight release parties can be fun (I've been to quite a few Harry Potter soirées), I'd much rather have the next book in hand before I finish the current. Maybe I'm just impatient that way?

Other news on the book front: I've charged Chris with the definitely tedious, though absolutely necessary, task of organizing our overcrowded bookshelves. That's our biggest (and messiest) bookshelf above. Clearly it's in need of some major TLC.

Chris is actually a professional in this sense; he's worked in a library for years. When I was still an editor, he kindly organized the magazine archive shelves in my office with elegantly efficient results.

I Love Tito's Tacos...

2011-03-08T23:53:00.000-08:00

Still recovering from my food-filled weekend. Including a quick field trip to this Westside institution:

Per usual, the long lines were so worth the wait. I mean, come on:

On Saturday night, Chris, a friend and I hit up Tito's Tacos on the way to a housewarming party. Yep, our pre-gaming is hard~~shell~~ core.

I'm a huge fan of tacos--we even served them at our wedding!

Do you have a favorite taco joint? Have you ever braved the lines at Tito's?

I'm a Maxxinista

2011-03-07T01:00:00.000-08:00

I'm late to the game, but one blog I can't get enough of these days is Saucy Glossie. Its author, the super chic Lindsey Calla, puts together the most amazing outfits. And quite often, the items she selects for her looks are very budget friendly--many of her stylish clothes are from TJ Maxx!

I've always adored TJ Maxx's home department--their selection of cool picture frames is insane--but it's been a few months since I've gone digging through their clothing racks for bargains.

Inspired by Ms. Saucy Glossie (especially this post), I headed to the TJ Maxx near my house for some inspiration. I'm sort of on a self-imposed shopping ban so I planned on just browsing. But holy moly did I come across some goodies, including a Cynthia Steffe dress, a black leather motorcycle jacket by Michael Kors, a dozen or so Theory shirts and two beautiful Diane von Furstenberg suitcases.

Unfortunately, I couldn't take them all home. I hadn't even planned on trying a single thing on. But darn this weak will power of mine!

This BCBG dress kind of popped out at me and I wasn't expecting much from it. I thought the color was fun and it's quite different from my normal style. It's wonderful to have a defined aesthetic for yourself, but I'm all for stepping out of my comfort zone every now and then.

And I'm so glad I did! I love everything about this dress. It's forgiving where it needs to be--I worried that it would cling everywhere--and snug where it should be. I was so smitten with it that I bought it and wore it the next day for my two-part field trip to LA.

Where's your favorite place for bargain shopping?

P.S. One of my friends recently brought the following to my attention: I always wear my sunglasses in outfit posts. Thanks, and noted. Expect my peepers to pop up in future posts.

P.P.S. Brownie points if you can correctly identify the iconic place I'm visiting in the first photo. (Hint: it's in West Hollywood!)

Operation Organization

2011-03-04T12:56:00.000-08:00

While writing this story all about clutter, I realized that it was time for a huge change around my office.

Though it looked passable on the surface, a few minutes of close inspection revealed its true bedlam state. Yikes.

I spent hours cleaning, cleaning and cleaning. Finally, once it looked all spartan, I decided I needed some specific accessories to help me keep things under control. So I did a little shopping...

Okay, a lot of shopping. Note the maniacal grin on my face. I couldn't wait for Chris to take picture so I could get cracking on whipping the office into shape.

I've got lots of fun office photos to share with you, but today I wanted to focus on one of the more stylish elements. I don't have a ton of jewelry, but I usually keep the current favorites in my office. Prior to epic-cleanup 2011, they were all sort of scattered around the room: in small bowls on the desk, hanging from push pins in the cork board or just tossed on a shelf. Of course that sort of organization meant lots of misplaced pieces.

When I spotted these two jewelry organizers at The Container Store, I knew I had to have them. And the prices really couldn't be beat. The chrome jewelry tree was just $14.99 and the acrylic earring stand was a steal at just $5.99

The tree helps keep the necklace knots and kinks to a minimum. Plus, there's a nifty little catchall tray that holds smaller pieces like brooches or bling that needs to be repaired. I love that I can see all of my favorite pieces with one glance.

I've got a lot more earrings than this...it's just they're all sort of MIA at the moment. Hopefully this new organizing leaf I've turned over will help me find all my missing studs. They really do turn up in the oddest of places; I found a pair in the medicine cabinet the other day! I'm so digging the clear look, it really makes the earrings pop!

The latest two additions are perched on my bookcase. I think it's a fun little way to break up the monotony of a workspace. P.S. Ignore those racier titles on the top shelf; they're mostly review copies for work.

Is your workspace organized? Are you a fellow clutter bug? And how to you organize your jewelry?

A Burger Kind of Day

2011-03-02T23:33:00.000-08:00

I've said it before, but my husband Chris is a burger fiend. He loves talking about burgers, comparing burgers, watching burger-themed television and most of all eating burgers. Especially when he crafts them himself.

I might be biased, but I think every burger he makes is fantastic. He's quite critical of his own creations and is constantly fine-tuning his recipe.

We felt like burgers for dinner so rather than hitting up one of our favorite local haunts, we headed to the store for a few last minute ingredients.

Of course, I wore stripes for our little adventure. Effects thanks to the Hipstamatic app. I contend, though my friends are happy to argue otherwise, that I'm no hipster. I live in the burbs, after all. And I think we can guess how those folks feel about that.

Chris seasoned the ground beef liberally with kosher salt and freshly-ground pepper. He formed patties the size of baseballs and browned them on the stove top. Then, he popped them in the oven until a meat thermometer read 170. During the last few moments in the oven he topped the burgers with crumbled bleu cheese. It was beyond ooey gooey.

My sous chef duties included spreading stone ground mustard on our buns and slicing tomatoes; I tend to stay clear when Burger Boy is in his zone. The end result?

Mighty big and mighty red burgers that were juicy as all get out. Heaven on a bun, I'd say.

Schooner or Later I'll Get It Right

2011-03-01T17:01:00.000-08:00

Earlier this afternoon, Chris and I had lunch with our family friend Lisa and my Grandpa. We all met up at Schooner or Later in Long Beach, which I've been meaning to try out for ages.

Only problem is that it was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Drives not too long ago so now it's insanely popular. The wait for Sunday brunch is at least an hour. Yikes.

Happily though, we were able to pop in on this random Tuesday and get seated right away.

Unfortunately though, I was sort of in a rush when we left our house so I forgot our camera at home. I'd love to show off my delicious huevos rancheros or the awesomely tasty bowl of chili my Gramps ordered but alas. I'll have to settle with images from Yelp and Schooner's site.

Chris went with fish and chips and described the breading as sort of "corndog-like." I sneaked a few bites and didn't get it. But we both agreed that they were some of the tastiest fried fish we've ever come across. Chris compared them to those offered at Fred 62 in Los Feliz, only a billion times better.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, so we sat on the patio overlooking the marina. Everything was quite lovely and wonderfully So Cal until a bird (not sure if it was pigeon, sparrow or seagull) marked me as a target. Blech.

If you find yourself in the area, I'd highly recommend hitting up Schooner or Later. Their food was phenomenal and the portions were beyond generous. Plus, the view from the patio really can't be beat. Maybe avoid going there for Sunday brunch, though.

I knew I'd feel especially nautical being so close to the water, so I dressed accordingly.

I have such a thing for stripes. And this shirt, which I picked up last summer from Zara, has been getting so much play, it's ridiculous.

Chris and I took these photos in our backyard, hoping for an appearance from the storied neighborhood chicken. She was nowhere to be scene this afternoon. Perhaps another day.

P.S. Notice the spiffy changes around here? I enlisted the help of the super creative (and tech-savvy) Mary of Chickadee Design Studio to give my blog a much needed face lift. Mary was a joy to work with so if you're looking for help designing your blog, I'd totally recommend her. :)

Top two images: Schooner or Later; Yelp

Back to Reality

2011-02-27T00:42:00.000-08:00

Phew!

{Is this real life?!}

For the past few months, I've been ridiculously busy. Things are just now starting to feel normal again.

I'm so looking forward to catching up on my reading (books and blogs) and tying up lots of loose ends, including finally getting around to changing my name. And maybe sprucing up my office.

Yay productivity! Cheers!

Full disclosure: I'm sipping water in the picture above. Though I wish I were hard enough to down a glass of vodka on the rocks, I'm something of a lightweight. Plus, I was sort of working and wanted to maintain some semblance of professionalism. Though if there had been a chocolate fountain or BBQ at the event, I would've thrown caution to the wind. And maybe I would have been classy enough to wear a make-shift bib. Maybe.

Who else has enjoyed/soldiered through a busy start to 2011?

Red Carpet Street Cred

2011-02-24T23:35:00.000-08:00

For the first time ever, my guy friends were interested in being my plus one for a workish event.

And I don't have the slightest clue why. It's not like this event was different from any others I attend.

Except it took place last weekend. Near the Staples Center.

With a few famous faces.

My older brother was in town so he scored my extra press pass to the After-School All-Stars Hoops Heroes launch party at Katsuya. He agreed to act as my photographer. And point out the VIPs so I could flag them down for interviews.

I think we made a fine team. Especially since he drove to L.A. Live so I could finish getting ready in the car.

Are you a basketball fan? I'm a recent convert. I even went to Lakers game earlier this week. But those press passes weren't doing us any favors then. We were at the very top of the Staples Center. Like, very, very top. It took me a good half hour to get over the vertigo from the nosebleed section!

The Very Naughty House Guest

2011-02-14T21:22:00.000-08:00

After my Grandma passed away last month, Chris and I thought it'd be a good idea to take her dog Twinkie off my Grandpa's hands for a few weeks. He had lots of loose ends to tie up and didn't have a ton of time to spend with the pups.

Twinkie's an 8-year-old mutt. While she's lovable and endlessly sweet, she is an older person's dog and very accustomed to having attention lavished on her. She's also got the energy of a puppy. A 60-pound puppy.

Sooo, she's been chilling with us. Intimidating the mailman, hiding our remote and shoes outside for attention, terrorizing our backyard squirrels and chasing away our neighborhood chicken. Have I told you about our neighborhood chicken? No? Well, a story for another day, then.

There's also the matter of our cat. Gabby's previous owners declawed her so we had to keep the canine and the feline apart. Gabby has taken up residence in my office and Twinkie has had full reign of the house. And backyard. Gabby's lovely expression more than sums up her feelings about the living arrangements.

But today was the day my Grandpa was ready to have the girl come home. Their reunion was beyond sweet. And though I'm relieved to have my house back to normal, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss Twinkie just a bit.

Doughnuts Versus Bagels

2011-02-09T00:15:00.000-08:00

Holy breakfast bites. A line has been drawn in the sand at the Brennan-Johnson household.

It's doughnuts versus bagels around here. A very serious matter indeed.

I'm the bagel lover which seems quite odd given my penchant for both cake and all things fried. Chris tolerates bagels (and will occasionally sneak one from my stash) but definitely prefers doughnuts. Especially maple bars.

So it's slightly ironic that of the two of us, I'm the only one who's been to Voodoo Doughnuts. When Chris visited Portland in 2008, he got scared away by the line snaking around the building. Sucker.

And yes, I'll admit that the deep-fried treats were darn tasty. Especially the numbers topped with kiddie breakfast cereal.

But if presented with the two options, I'd choose a bagel every time. We recently had a few friends over and I polled the bunch. They all voted doughnut. I tried selling the "doughnuts are always sweet--at least bagels have variety" angle but they weren't biting. Pshaw.

I can't be the only one, can I?

Anyone else prefer bagels to doughnuts? I know, I ask the super hard-hitting questions.

Up in Smoke

2011-02-07T00:15:00.000-08:00

Oh, the smoky eye. It looks so hip and chic but whenever I try to pull it off on my own, I end up looking like I've lost a fight to a bully with ham hock hands.

Enter Selena, the talented gal behind my wedding makeup. A few weeks ago, she mentioned that she'd be hosting a how-to session at her store on the tricky eye look. Naturally, my buddy Ronida and I signed up then and there. So when school was in session on Saturday night, we were good little pupils. We asked a ton of questions and paid lots of attention. A+ for us, I'd say.

{will i be able to recreate the look on my own? fingers are crossed!}

After we got schooled on how not to look like raccoons, we headed to Honda Ya in Tustin. I've been meaning to try this restaurant out for eons. All my friends who've been there love it to pieces.

{sigh. this girl needs a tan asap. self-tanner recommendations anyone?}

It's casual and super affordable--instead of checking in with a front desk host, famished folk write their names on a clipboard haphazardly hung next to the front door. And wait. And wait. And wait. But it's worth it.

Lucky for us, it was kind of a slow night so we were seated about twenty minutes after we got there. Since we're quite the hungry hungry hippos, we ordered the following:

{avocado rolls}

{two types of yakitori: bacon wrapped asparagus and bacon wrapped cherries with green onions}

{ramen with all the bells and whistles in a miso broth = omfg}

There was also a dinner combo involved. But the nom-alicious goods above were the greatest hits.

Are you a fan of Japanese food? And what's a make-up look you have yet to master? Anyone else suck at the smoky eye?

Book Worms

2011-02-04T10:38:00.000-08:00

When I was in Oregon last month, I spent a good chunk of time at Powell's in Portland. OMFG. I'd heard the place was big, but whoa. I was pretty blown away.

I picked up a fat stack of books--most of them used--and I'm looking forward to devouring them all.

I'm feeling like a level-10 book nerd these days so when I spotted this epic vid, my literary heart went all pitter-pattery:

All sorts of intense and awesome, right??

What books are you reading these days?

Clockwork Angel

2011-02-02T23:38:00.000-08:00

Exhale.

Those who've known me for more than a few hours know that my world starts and ends with my Grandma. So, a few weeks ago, while I was still in Oregon, I received a phone call that made me drop everything and take a flight back to Orange County the same night. My sun, my moon, my stars, my rock, my Grandma had been rushed to the ICU for complications stemming from an infection.

Relatives flew in; two even stayed with us while she underwent some heavy duty treatment at the hospital. After a week that was beyond emotionally draining, it was all over. I hugged her and said "good bye" for the last time. It was without a doubt, the worst day of my life.

The days following her passing were foggy. But about a week ago, I started feeling like something resembling myself again.

Among her personal effects that found their way to me is this necklace; it's one of those locket watch numbers. As a little girl, I spent hours playing with her jewelry. Though oddly, I don't remember this one. However, one of my aunts assures me it's been around for awhile.

One afternoon, I sat on my couch inspecting the necklace. I've been wanting one for ages and though it's beautiful, I'm heartbroken over the circumstances that brought it to me. Anyway, I let my mind wander while my fingers aimlessly studied the piece's engravings and randomly, I thought of Clockwork Angel. It's a fantastic YA novel I read over the summer, coincidentally while staying at my Grandparent's house.

My eyes welled up and I felt more overcome with feelings than I had since she passed. You see, my Grandma always had a thing about angels. After a brush with danger, she'd say things like, "Lucky your guardian angel was watching over you!" She collected them and I think at one point she even had angels on her checks.

I'd never given much thought to angels. Though more than a few times, she told me of a car ride we took when I was a toddler. Apparently, we were on our way to the grocery store when a large truck looked like it was about to hit us head on. She said in the split second or so she waited for the impact, she looked in the backseat, grateful that I was happy and playing with a toy, oblivious to oncoming danger. After she turned back around to brace herself, she took a breath and then. Nothing happened. The truck was gone. Guardian angles at work, she was convinced.

Despite my previous shoulder-shrugging attitude about celestial beings, I find myself adopting a new mindset. Well, sort of.

When I wear my Grandma's clockwork necklace, I can't help but feel like one special angel actually is watching over me. And that brings a smile to my face.

The Oregon Trail

2011-01-08T23:15:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Oregon! I've been here since Wednesday afternoon and so far, I'm having a lovely time! One upset: while I waited to board my plane at John Wayne airport, the power went out. The entire airport's power. Everything. It was pretty spooky. Generators switched on after about a minute of total darkness but the airport didn't regain full power until after my plane took off.

Note the gold man up top. He faces the north, but looks to the west. Get it? ;)

On Thursday, before we headed off to explore Portland, my bestie Lauren gave me a tour of the capitol building in Salem. Back in her law school days, Lauren worked as a tour guide there. She's back at her old stomping grounds, though these days, she's pretty much the Pac Northwest version of Elle Woods.

What up, official Oregon Trail! Thankfully, no signs of snakebites, dysentery or broken wagon wheels. The building was pretty empty so I was free to ogle and snap pics in peace.

The official seal of the great state of Oregon. Sadly, no mysteries hidden underneath this a la National Treasure.

The ornate carpeting of the Oregon State Senate showcases two of their biggest industries: fishing and agriculture.

And the floor of the House of Representatives features some pretty wicked trees.

Oh, you know. Me and a beaver family just chilling outside the capitol building.

While tourist-ing around Salem, I realized I've never even properly visited my own's state's capital. My brief experience with Sacramento was years ago. A few gal pals and I were returning home from a road trip--to Salem, Oregon of all places--and we had stopped in Sacramento for a quick pit stop.

Interestingly, I've got a trip planned to Washington, D.C. in the summer. I'll be all capital'd out by the end of the year!

Have you visited your state's capital? What about our nation's capital? And who else loooved playing The Oregon Trail?!

Coming soon: my trip to Portland!!

South by Pacific Northwest

2011-01-05T01:12:00.000-08:00

Taking a last minute trip up the coast to the lovely state of Oregon. I'll be spending a week traipsing around Portland and Salem. Hopefully Portland more than Salem.

I've been to Oregon a ton--but sadly, my only experience with Portland is PDX. So, I'm making up for lost time by checking out all hipster central has to offer.

I plan on spending some serious time (and dough!) at this joint.

Have you been to Portland before? If so, got any great restaurant/shop/etc recommendations?

P.S. Chris has been to Oregon twice. Twice. And in those two visits, he's managed to take in both Eugene and Portland. You could say I'm more than a wee bit jealous.

Photo: Portland Ground

Happy New Year!

2011-01-03T23:51:00.000-08:00

Well, hello 2011!

Did you sweet things do anything special for New Year's Eve?

Chris and I had a few friends over so we whipped up some tasty treats.

Surprisingly, Chris showed me up by making mini skirt-steak sandwiches topped with bleu cheese and green onions.

As if that weren't enough, he also made mini Caprese sandwiches. Served on sticks.

I made cupcakes from a box. Not pictured, obvs.

Culinary showmanship aside, I think the year is off to a fine start.

The holidays had me stretched pretty thin so though I'm bummed to see them go, I'm thrilled to get back into the everyday swing of things. Including catching up on your fabulous blogs!

My Clavicle Belongs to California

2010-12-08T01:22:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, I went to a Billion Dollar Babes sample sale where I scooped up two DVF dresses for less than the cost of one. I still lurve the heck out of those frocks, but I've been kicking myself ever since for not scooping up one of these cool state necklaces from Maya Brenner's pop-up shop at the event.

Since then, I've seen the necklaces EVERYWHERE and each time I wish I could travel back in time and shake some sense into my wishy-washy 24-year-old self. Alas.

My most notable run-in with the pretty things was at Stark Waxing Studio in Silver Lake. Back in May, I was taking care of some, ahem, lady business, before my wedding and spotted Maya's sweet California necklaces for sale in the glass display case near Stark's front desk.

At that time, my mind was already swirling with wedding expenses so I decided to once again skip the bling. But of course, it still stayed on my mind.

So imagine my giddy surprise when my friend Ronida shared some exciting news last week: Maya was to have a sample sale at...Stark in Silver Lake. We drove up to my old 'hood (I may have whimpered a little when we drove by my former apartment building on Los Feliz Blvd) and hoped for the best.

The basic California state necklaces were totally sold out. I expected as much--they're super popular and the discounted sample sale price was a total bargain. But...I spotted something even better.

A sterling silver California necklace with a diamond(!) marker on what I'm calling Orange County was available. The deal was too good to pass up and after a moment of hemming and hawing, I finally purchased my very own bit of state pride.

I've worn the necklace everyday since and I've received tons of compliments each time.

What state are you from? Would you wear one of these necklaces?

P.S. While shopping at Stark on Thursday, Ronida and I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting the incredibly gracious Natalie of Fashion Intel. Ronida's a longtime reader of Natalie's lovely blog and I'm newly (and happily!) inducted member into the fan club.

UPDATE: Forgot to mention that if you place a custom order, you can request the diamond be placed anywhere in the state; simply provide the city you'd like the blingy marker to represent and you're good to go. Though, if your city is in the middle of the state and not near a border, I'm not sure how that's handled! Of course, you could always just go sans diamond, which I had planned to do until I found this one for such a great price.

Top two images: Maya Brenner

Broguiere's Dairy: Got Milk?

2010-12-06T14:39:00.000-08:00

I've been itching to visit Broguiere's Dairy in Montebello for ages. And on Friday night, after watching a sort of California's Gold retrospective on the place, Chris and I finally decided to take the plunge.

Broguiere's is about a twenty minute drive from our house. When we pulled up, I was slightly suspcious that most other patrons had seen the same television program the night before. The driveway of the dairy (it's a drive-thru/walk-up operation) was pretty crowded. Many of the customers who'd just been helped were happily sitting in their cars drinking the chocolate milk right out of the glass bottle.

As we approached the counter, the young fellows working could probably tell we were newbies. They were wonderfully friendly and invited us to look through the cold cases and also offered to pull our order for us. When I asked if they had any Huell Howser bottles available, they smiled knowingly and responded, "Of course!"

While I've never been to Broguiere's before, I have had the extreme pleasure of enjoying their famous chocolate milk. It's available at many high-end grocery stores as well as restaurants that sell gourmet products. We stocked up on chocolate milk (lots!), eggnog and a half gallon of milk. We've given a few bottles of nog away as early Christmas presents and we ~~surrendered while kicking and screaming~~ also gave a bottle of the chocolate milk to Chris' younger cousin.

When I casually mentioned how much milk money I dropped to a friend, she couldn't stop giggling. Interestingly, the next day, she went out and picked up a bottle of Broguiere's eggnog from her grocery store.

Broguiere's slogan is, "Milk so fresh...the cow doesn't know it's missing!" Isn't that fabulous?

This stuff is ridiculously good. If you happen to spot it in your grocer's dairy case, definitely splurge and pick up at least one of the heavy glass bottles.

Are you an eggnog fan? What about chocolate milk? And do you think milk from glass bottles tastes better? I do!

YA Literature

2010-12-02T15:57:00.000-08:00

I love the heck out of YA literature. I even dig novels for younger readers. It's especially fascinating to go back to books I read as a kid; looking at them through adult's eyes is supremely rewarding and it often makes me love the author even more.

Last week, I sailed through a tattered copy of Lois Lowry's The Giver. It was pretty much required reading for most elementary kiddos but for whatever reason, I never read the book. Until now. Well, of course I loved it. Especially since an important character shares my name. Though the book deals with some heavy stuff, it's clear why it's labeled a book for kids: accessibility. Lowry's ideas of community, knowledge and reality are pretty universal. But because the novel has youngsters in mind, these themes are presented much more clearly than you'd find in adult fare.

What's interesting is that often novels with youngsters or teens as the main characters aren't considered YA literature. While Curtis Sittenfeld's Prep deals wholly with teenagers, it's a novel written with adults in mind.

Earlier this year, I interviewed Ann M. Martin, author of The Baby-Sitters Club books. I devoured the series as a kid and speaking with her was without a doubt one of the highlights of my career. You can read our conversation here. I mentioned to Ann (I'm referring to her by Christian name because in my head we're totes BFFs) that revisiting her books as adult gave me a completely different perspective. What I had dismissed as one character's stubborn personality was actually a front hiding a whole lot of disappointment. As kids, most of us aren't wired to pick up these intricacies but as adults, we see them right away.

So often when I read a book meant for younger audiences, I receive super judgmental glances--or snarky comments from braver folks. Whatever. These aren't the only books I read and if any of these bookish snobs care to challenge me in a literary street cred pissing contest, bring it.

Right now, I'm going back and forth between Wolf Hall and The Devil's Queen. Fans of historical fiction should get a kick out of both, though one is more of a bodice-ripper than the other. Guess which.

I'm always on the hunt for new books so I'd love to know what's on your reading list. What book have you read recently that you absolutely loved? Was it something super deep and heavy? Or something light and fun?

P.S. If you share my love of all things YA lit, you'll swoon over this book:

A very thoughtful friend gave me Shelf Discovery: The Teen Classics We Never Stopped Reading as a birthday present a few months back and it is divine.

New York Minute

2010-12-01T00:54:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I headed to New York to attend Glamour's Women of the Year Awards held at Carnegie Hall. The event was incredibly inspiring--you can read my brief recap of the night here.

I was only in the city for about 24 hours but I had the most amazing time. I'd never been to the city before; though I did visit Buffalo, New York as an angsty teen during a family trip to Niagara Falls. Close, but no big apple.

A special treat: a towncar picked me up from JFK. I very uncooly flipped out. I'd never had car service before so like a total dork I took a few pictures.

If my driver noticed (which I'm certain he did), he was too polite to say anything about my gawking tourist ways. Fortunately I managed to regain my composure by the time the towncar dropped me off at 4 Times Square, home of Glamour, Conde Nast and the stuff fashionista dreams are made of. Didn't have any fancy Anna Wintour sightings but I did spot her assistant while I checked in at the security desk. And yes, she was fabulously dressed. And wearing Christian Louboutins, naturally.

Though I had big plans to take pictures while walking down bustling sidewalks, my super busy itinerary kind of prevented it. The few pictures I managed to snap were during cab rides:

During my brief stay in New York, I took more cab rides than I think I ever have in my life! When I mentioned this to the cab driver who took me back to JFK, he started laughing and guessed I was from Southern California. We chatted the entire ride; he asked me about Disneyland and made fun CA's 2am last call law. When he dropped me off at the airport, he said I was the nicest passenger he'd ever had! Aw!

I stayed at the Muse Hotel and loooved it. I've always heard that New York City hotel rooms are itty bitty but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. It was pretty big!

And the giantic bed was beyond comfy.

I brought the hot pink peacoat draped over the chair to 1. keep me toasty and 2. look cute. Epic FAIL on both efforts. The coat, while warm for Southern California winters was pitiful in New York. And no one told me that everyone in New York wears dark colored coats; I stuck out like a hot pink thumb!

Lastly, I had a sneaking suspicion that I probably wouldn't get a chance to take pictures of myself all gussied up for the award show so I made Chris snap a few shots of my outfit before I left.

It's important to note that our friend Ronida stopped by that evening.

With macarons from her favorite new sweet shop Paris in a Cup.

I'm crossing my fingers that Chris and I will be able to go to New York together sometime next year. Have you been to New York before? If so, what are your favorite things to do in the city? What stuff should I check out the next time I'm there?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T09:37:00.000-08:00

We're having Thanksgiving dinner at our house this year. Chris' mom stopped by yesterday to set up the dining table.

Complete with these adorable placecards:

My creative contribution to this gorgeousness? When we ran out of vases, I had an idea...

Of course it involved Huell Howser.

Hope you have a very happy and safe Thanksgiving!

A Sausalito Saturday

2010-11-24T03:28:00.000-08:00

Whew! Who else is feeling rushed this holiday season? I can't believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow...how is this possible?!

Anywho, I'm finally getting around to posting the rest of our mini-vacay pictures. We were in the Bay Area to celebrate the wedding of our darling friends Meg and Tim. But Chris and I spent the morning of the wedding running around Sausalito.

Our hotel, the Larkspur, was in Mill Valley, just outside of Sausalito.

The property faces a beautiful nature preserve, which was quite lovely.

However, the low tides and location meant a high risk of flooding. It was downright hilarious maneuvering the car out of the parking lot. For a moment, I worried we'd float away.

Breakfast was bananas. Literally. I ordered these scrumptious banana pancakes from the Lighthouse Cafe and was in heaven. I'm still having dreams about them. Honestly, I didn't even remember what Chris ordered until I looked over our pictures. Ftr, it was eggs. Snoozeville, or what?!

Per several recommendations, we stopped by Lapperts in downtown Sausalito for ice-cream. We both flipped for their yummy mint and chip.

After our pig outs, we walked along the water and again started day dreaming (notice a theme?) about moving to the area. Years ago, when we were still in college, we used to have half-serious conversations about moving to San Francisco.

Despite the cold, unpredictable weather, the Bay Area is one of the few places outside of Southern California I could actually picture myself living in.

The wedding was amazing--you can take a peek at some of their photos here. We didn't bring the fancy pants camera to the event, but Chris snapped a few shots with his iPhone. During the cocktail hour, we headed outside and spent a few minutes walking around the grounds of the venue: Headlands Center for the Arts.

Not sure what's causing my peepers to go all wonky in this pic. I seriously considered doctoring up a black bar or photoshopping sunglasses to hide the silliness but decided to share the chuckles. You're welcome.

I still have yet to officially get around to changing my last name but seeing it all scripty and lovely at dinner made my heart swell.

And they had even had a photo booth!

It seems like a TON of people we know are getting married. We have three weddings to attend next year. Well, three as of right now. Who knows what nuptial news the holiday season will bring. Is anyone else attending tons of weddings these days?!

Last photo: Courtesy of Meg Perotti, Photographer. All others by us, well mostly Chris.

Don't Panic...Well, Maybe

2010-11-18T09:04:00.000-08:00

I have lots more vacation goodness to share, but first, I must tell you about a fantastically wacky movie I just saw on Netflix instant. Behold, A Town Called Panic:

Isn't it absolutely wild? One critic called it "Toy Story on absinthe." I loooved it. And I'm sure you will too. If you've got Netflix instant, watch this movie ASAP.

Speaking of movies, I'm catching a midnight showing of Harry Potter tonight--I'm planning on taking a nap this afternoon so I'll be completely focused on the excitement on screen.

A Morning in Santa Barbara

2010-11-14T11:53:00.000-08:00

Well, hello there friends! This past week was filled with quite a bit of traveling. Last Friday, Chris and I drove up the 101 to attend a friend's wedding near San Francisco. And after we returned home on Sunday night, I took the red eye from LAX to JFK for work. Whew!

I've got lots of fun pictures and stories to share with you, so let's get right to it, shall we? First up: Santa Barbara....

Super embarassing confession: despite my 27+ years of California residency, I've never been to Santa Barbara. It's a gorgeously idyllic town whose citizens are as stylish as they are laid-back. So, when Chris and I started planning our road trip up north, we decided to stop along the way in Santa Barbara for breakfast.

We settled on Tupelo Junction Cafe on State Street. As we walked into the restaurant, a man on the street yelled at a driver honking the horn, "Take that honking crap back to LA! This is where you come to relax. We don't want that trash here!" Duly noted. Chris went with a rather standard egg and bacon combo, but I was feeling a bit more indulgent.

Oh just a bacon, gouda, spinach, tomato and caramelized onion scramble to get the morning off to a good start. No big thing.

After breakfast, we walked around beautifully mellow State Street.

There were bicycles everywhere. I saw a for sale sign on one and was tempted to contact the number listed to make an offer. However, Chris reasoned that our relative comfort in the Mini Cooper would likely be jeopardized with such a big addition to our cargo. Hrmph.

Incredibly random and also incredibly cool: State Street was littered with artfully painted, fully functioning pianos. Walkers by were encouraged to play, so of course we couldn't refuse.

Nevermind the fact that I'm the least musical person ever.

Chris, however, is actually pretty talented. His playing was actually pleasing to the ear.

Bibliophiles we are, a stop by the Santa Barbara Library was mandatory. Though we were too chicken to snap pictures inside, we caught a few around the grounds.

If only all libraries had the funding to look so appealing.

We eventually made our way to the beach and pier.

On the warm-ish beach = happy.

Under the freezing pier = not terribly thrilled.

For whatever reason, the seagulls chilling on the pier have no fear. When Chris spotted this fellow, I was mouthing off about the overpriced food on the pier. We had just left an ice-cream shop (empty handed!) after I spotted the sign for $5 scoops of Thrifty ice-cream. No, thank you. My ranting did not scare off our feathered friend, though it did earn a few sideways looks from passersby. Whatevz.

As we walked back to the car, we started daydreaming about moving to Santa Barbara. If only!

If you could pack up and move someplace you've traveled, where would you make your new home? And have you ever been to Santa Barbara?

Cat Sweaters: Holy Adorable!

2010-11-04T00:30:00.000-07:00

When the Anthropologie catalog arrives, I'm usually taken with their whimsy dresses. I start making predictions about when the lovely little wares will make their way to the sales rack. BUT. Not this time around.

Sure, the frocks were sweet and romantic per usual, but it was something else entirely that caught my eye:

Page 51 of Anthro's November catalog features this so-stinking-cute-it-hurts cat hoodie. It's officially labeled as the Tagalong Dog Sweater, but whatevs. If their stylists can trick a tabby into this thing, I can try with mine. I hope she won't mind.

But something tells me she will.

Top Photo: Anthropologie

A Not-So Happening Halloween

2010-11-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

How was your Halloween? Chris and I had high hopes; our street is always filled with kiddos so we bought lots of candy, worried that we might run out.

Buuut, that didn't happen. For whatever reason, not too many kids visited our little street. I'd say we had about 30 trick-or-treaters total. Even though we gave away handfuls of candy (about five pieces per kid), we still have a ton of left-over sweets.

Earlier in the day, I took stock of my pumpkin. As I mentioned, he had problems from the start but by the time the big day rolled around, he could no longer take the pressure.

I never realized how quickly pumpkins cave in on themselves; I suppose when you're a kid, you carve your pumpkin and forget about it. But when you're an adult and actually pay attention to the eye sore on your porch, it's a different story. Worried about frightening kids away, I tossed him.

Chris' pumpkin held up a bit better than mine. Notice the untouched one in front; I think we'll leave that bad boy in his natural state.

Did you get any trick-or-treaters? Or maybe you skipped passing out candy and headed to a Halloween party? What did you dress up as?

Foodie Friday

2010-10-29T01:09:00.000-07:00

To boost my still deflated culinary ego, I whipped up one of my no-fail dishes for dinner last night. It's a sort of frittata, sort of quiche that's beyond easy to make. Oh, and it tastes divine. I mix a few eggs with milk, cheese, whatever herbs I have on hand, bacon and fresh salsa, spoon the eggy mixture into a cupcake pan, pop it in the oven and....

Pull this batch of nommy goodness out a few minutes later:

The little dudes are light, fluffy and make wonderful leftovers.

I'm actually not a fan of eggs. Something about their texture just doesn't sit quite right with me. But doctored up eggies like these--whose consistency is about as un-egg like as you can get--are perfectly fine by me!

Do you have a no-fail dish you like to make? And who else is with me on the egg texture thing?!

P.S. While I did not make these Halloween gems, I had to share them. I spotted them at a bakery near my house and couldn't resist.

And really, can you blame me? They tasted even better than they looked. Plus, the whole lot was under seven dollars. Take that, cupcakeries of LA!

What's on Your Bookshelf?

2010-10-27T11:46:00.000-07:00

Though all signs suggest otherwise, I've been spending the past few weeks catching up on my reading. I tore through The Hunger Games series, Clockwork Angel and a few historical fiction works and I'm currently reading Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. So far, it's gooooood.

Coming-of-age stories are really tops for me. I suppose the appeal is that we can all relate to them. Circumstances aside, aren't most young people just trying to figure out how they fit into the world?

Initially, I was hesitant about Never Let Me Go; I tried reading Ishiguro's Remains of The Day a few years back and couldn't get much farther than the first few pages. But those absolutely gorgeous previews for Never Let Me Go's film adaptation drew me in. I'll probably see the flick once it hits Netflix but in the meantime, I am in a state of book bliss.

And just for fun, how about we get a little X-rated and indulge in some bookshelf porn? I'm swooning over these funky numbers featured on 1st Web Designer....

Um, yes please! Which of these bookshelves tickles your literary fancy? And what are you reading these days?

Photos: 1st Web Designer

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, Everywhere

2010-10-26T03:20:00.000-07:00

As we finally have a proper porch, Chris and I were super excited to carve pumpkins and actually have a place to display them. The last time we made Jack-o-Lanterns was six years ago in the living room of my old apartment on the westside. The place smelled like pumpkin for weeks.

So, the other day, we marched out to our backyard and set up shop on the patio table.

If Chris' flannel looks familiar it's because of he wore it to channel Chris Cornell. It's been getting a lot of use lately.

Chris is definitely the more artsy of the two of us. He went freehand with his design and it came out pretty well, I'd say.

Oh noes! Don't taze me bro!

Despite using one of those cheating stencils sold in pumpkin carving kits, my work wasn't what you'd call a masterpiece. In fact, Chris had to come through and clean up because my "owl in a tree" ended up resembling a "one-eyed piglet in a hole."

I love how it looks like Chris' pumpkin is embarrassed for mine.

I had planned to make up for my less than stellar carving skills by making some delicious pumpkin seeds from our gourdy bounty.

I started imagining the clever things I'd say about roasting and using kosher salt.

But then, a wrench was thrown into the mix. You see, I've developed something of a problem.

Curse you, Liz Lemon! And you too, Kenneth the Page!

I've been Netflix-bingeing on 30 Rock! I was so engrossed in an episode that I sort of, kind of, forgot about my pumpkin seeds in the oven. So, then this happened:

Martha-emulation/FAIL

These babies were burned bad. I tried a few and yuck. I promise I'm more than competent in kitchen. But we all have slip ups every now and then, right? Right?!

Unsurprisingly, there's a new twist in my Jack-o-lantern saga. We may have to bring in a ringer for the rest of the week. Will keep you posted.

Are you carving pumpkins this year? Do you have a particular design in mind? Does anyone else use those stencil kits?

Whittier Historic Homes Tour

2010-10-25T02:03:00.000-07:00

Chris and I adore older homes. It's our dream to one day buy a fixer upper--1940s or older--and restore it to its former glory. We swoon over hardwood floors, antique fixtures and all that old-school charm.*

So, when we saw banners around our new town promoting a walking tour featuring some of Whittier's finest historical homes, we scooped up tickets right away. We spent a few glorious hours on Saturday ~~drooling~~ traipsing around Uptown.

This home's backyard featured a koi pond whose fish were over 20 years old!

The docent at this house shared that no children have ever lived here--possibly the reason its interior is in such fine condition. Her assumption, not mine. Though, I can't say I disagree with her logic.

A vintage car was parked outside of each of the homes on the tour.

I told the gentleman sitting in the back of this sweet ride that I thought his car was beautiful. He thanked me by tipping his hat. Love!

The local school's PTA set up a snack stand on one of the main streets. Of course, I wasn't about to refuse homemade chocolate cake and fresh coffee. It supports the kids, after all!

Eavesdropping (not so inconspicuously) to hear that one home on the tour had a 2.5 hour line. Skeptical, we walked past the home and decided to skip it when we saw its line wrapped around the block. It was the one home we passed on.

As we walked back to the car, we spotted this odd mailbox. Why's it so odd? Two things: there's no spot to actually deposit mail; and while it looks pretty vintagey, it's stamp dated 1984. Random, right?

Are you into older homes? What does your dream house look like? Is it a Craftsman? A Spanish beauty? Or is it something much more contemporary?

*Fun fact: our old apartment was built in the 1930s and its bedroom closet was so narrow that we had to store all of our clothes on children's hangers.

Antique Typewriter (AKA The Best Souvenir EVER)

2010-10-21T13:11:00.000-07:00

I've been scouring local antique shops, thrift stores and Craigslist for the perfect vintage typewriter for years. Unfortnately, I've always come up short--often the machines I find are crazy expensive (upwards of $150) or for some reason, just not quite right.

Enter my awesome Grandparents. They recently returned from an epic road trip across the country; epic is no exaggeration--they put over 8,000 miles on their truck! Anywho, months ago, I casually mentioned that I was looking for a typewriter. The two of them are avid garage sales and thrifters and I figured if anyone could help me in my quest, it'd be them. They affectionately call The Salvation Army, "The S&A Boutique." Isn't that cool?

So imagine my absolute delight a few weeks back when they called me after leaving a thrift shop in Michigan. They had just scooped up a vintage Smith Corona for $25! Such a deal, right? The shop owner told them that she usually tosses typewriters because there's no market for them. Um, what the what?! Do a quick search of old-school typewriters on any So Cal Craigslist and you'll see they're a hot-hot-hot commodity. Guess it's all about location?

The G-rents returned from their vacay earlier this week so I stopped by their place to welcome them home. My Gramps proudly pulled out the typewriter and I kid you not, I went weak in the knees.

It's going to make a lovely addition to the home office, don't you think?

Do you have any random vintage or antique items on your wishlist?

I Heart the 90s

2010-10-13T01:15:00.000-07:00

Last weekend our pal Dolores hosted an awesomely rad 90s-themed birthday party for her main man, Chris. Not to be confused with my own Chris who happens to be BFFs with the birthday boy. Anywho, we donned our best grunge apparel and partied like it was 1990 to 1999.

My Chris looked to yet another Chris for inspiration:

Be still, my angsty teenage heart. Truth be told, I paid no mind to the grunge movement until a one Mr. Cornell decided to lop off those curly locks. But yowza, once the crooner was unveiled his new hotness, I became a fan. Honestly, I vividly recall the episode of SNL that Soundgarden appeared on eons ago; I think I even recorded it on the family VCR. Ha.

So imagine my surprise when my Chris decided to go for a long-haired Cornell-inspired look. Yeah...

We scooped up the wig from the Goodwill and Lysol'd the hell out of it in the hours leading up to the party. Happily, after a few drinks, Chris ditched the ~~rat's nest~~ hair piece.

Blogging boys

I love that so many of my 90s memories are captured in this photo: Kevin (left) is rocking the surfer look I was mad for in high-school, Chris S. (middle) is wearing a hypercolor shirt (jealous!) and my own husband is doing the grunge thing I so remember from junior high.

It's only slightly embarrassing to admit that as fellow party guests told stories about digging through racks of clothes at thrift stores to find their costumes, I reluctantly shared that the core pieces of my outfit were already in my closet.

I picked up the dress from Tulle's sample sale earlier this summer. It looks something an extra from The Craft would wear, doesn't it? So what if it's dated, I still dig it. I also wore a mini-backpack. And this sweet choker:

Though the party's over, I'm still stuck in the 90s mindset. I've been listening to 90s stations on Pandora nonstop.

What's your favorite 90s memory? Or favorite 90s song?

P.S. I was soo thrilled to finally meet Aimee of Thanks for That Info Aimee face-to-face! She's just a lovely as I expected. :)

Cold As Ice

2010-10-12T02:44:00.000-07:00

Ouf. Remember this personal essay I wrote for AOL about our big move over the summer? Well, while it received sweet words from friends and family, others were not fans of the piece. A good number of readers left comments that can only be described as mean-spirited. A few left racist remarks, while others called us ungrateful, entitled, elitist, spend-thrifts, stupid...and on. One person even said something along the lines of "it's a good thing these two idiots don't have kids yet." Thankfully, AOL removed some of especially hateful comments. Still, I couldn't help but feel really bummed about the whole thing. So I took a bit of break from blogging about personal matters. But, now I'm back and better (and busier) than ever.

Ungrateful wretches that we are, Chris and I have been having a ball trying out all the adorable little eateries our new neighborhood has to offer.

I've been pretty curious about Scotty's Flowers & Gifts, which I drive by at least five times a week. The place is a flower/gift shop that also offers up shaved ice, odd pairing, right? On Monday we finally stopped by.

Hello, delicious! Chris ordered up a root beer-flavored shaved ice with ice-cream, basically a super-icy root beer float.

I went with something called snow with mango syrup and added boba. Oddly, I missed the huge boba craze that swept Southern California during my college years. So, while I'm only a recent convert, I'm always on the look out for new spots to try.

Are you a boba fan? What about shaved ice? And how do you cope when you're feeling down?

Don't Forget the Pastrami

2010-09-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

The recently released Final Fantasy XIV is occupying nearly all of Chris' free time, which means the arduous role of resident hamburger critic has fallen to me. Heavy is the head that wears the meaty crown. First up, the avocado bacon cheeseburger from Norm's Famous Charbroiled Hamburgers.

Surprisingly, I'm not a huge burger fan. But in the two weeks that we've lived just down the street from Norm's, I've been there five times. And I've had the beast picture above every.single.time.

Burgers like this are often tasty in theory but a huge mess in practice. The heavy toppings tend to slide all over the place. But for whatever reason--the paper wrapper, cheese placement, pure serendipity, who knows?!--the avocado and bacon stay put in beautiful harmony. As a result, nearly every bite contains a bit of each flavor. The veggies: shredded lettuce and tomatoes, though fresh, are nothing out of the ordinary. But where this brute's strength lies is in the patty. Holy moly. I don't know what the line cooks do but this meat tastes like the best burger you remember eating as a kid, but better. It's juicy without being greasy. It's got a few tasty, charred bits around the edges, but it's not over-done in the least. If I hadn't had one for dinner last night, I might consider heading there for lunch this afternoon.

When it comes to burgers, do you prefer fancy pants restaurants? Or neighborhood joints like Norm's?

P.S. "Don't forget the pastrami" is the slogan on all employees' shirts at Norm's. Though I dig pastrami, I doubt if I'll ever stray from this burger.

Moving On

2010-09-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

Holla! I've been MIA for a very good reason. You see my dears, Chris and I moved into our new house! We are ridiculously happy. Here's a sneak peek at my home office:

3M picture hanging strips are my new BFFs.

Ronida graciously helped put the office together. Fun fact: that bloom she's sticking on my corkboard is one of my wedding accessories!

More soon!

P.S. Our EPIC moving story was recently published on Shelter Pop! Click on over and have a look! :)

P.P.S. Picked up this little treat for Chris. When it comes to Asian candies, I'm a Yan Yan girl but when I spotted this gem, I knew Chris would dig it. The "burgers" were delish, of course.

Hair Apparent

2010-09-14T14:41:00.000-07:00

I finally got a new haircut. Here's my before...

And here's my after:

My dark locks had been bugging me for forevah. So I decided to switch it up by chopping on some length and getting highlights.

I got my hair did at the super chic Hairroin Salon in Hollywood. As I was signing my charge slip at the front desk, Kevin McHale (AKA Artie from Glee!) walked in. I nearly fell over. It took just about all of my will power to keep from heading over to him and gushing about how much I lurve the show. He was with a pretty good-size group of friends so I didn't think it'd be right to interrupt. Sigh.

Dreaming in Ice-Cream

2010-09-10T00:58:00.000-07:00

There's something so delightfully whimsy about an ice-cream parlour, isn't there? After well over 20 years of OC residency, including a few years of working across the street at South Coast Plaza, I finally made a trip to Hans' Homemade Ice-Cream in ~~Costa Mesa~~ Santa Ana.

Hans' is located in the most random strip mall; other stores include a World Market, Vons, Ziba, McDonalds and a Jack-in-the-Box. I think there might also be a Ross there? Anywho, the whole center looks pretty unassuming, but there are a number of little gems tucked inside.

Their ice-cream was amazing. The flavors above are chocolate with raspberry and mint-cookies-and-cream. Hello, delicious! I can't wait to go back. Aside from scoops, Hans' offers floats, shakes, malts and a pretty extensive lunch menu. It'd be perfect for a sweet little date; there was a couple sitting a few tables away talking about what their post-college plans involved. Squee.

What are your favorite spots for ice-cream? A local shop? Baskin-Robbins? Coldstone?

What the Pho?

2010-09-07T02:19:00.000-07:00

I've always been a big fan of soup. When I was a tot, condensed chicken noodle was my absolute fave dish. Thankfully, my tastes have matured and I've since ditched the canned nonsense for fresher fares.

The soup I'm swooning over of late is pho. There were a few spots in LA whose offerings made my tummy blissfully happy. Viet Noodle Bar in Atwater is tasty and of course, populated by hipsters. I also like Pho Saigon* on 6th street, on rainy days, I'd head there with my work BFFs. Naturally, we returned to the office slightly comatose. While I love a good many things about LA, I feel like the variety of pho in OC has got LA beat.

On Saturday, Ronida introduced me to her fave spot to pho, Pho Asian Grill in Santa Ana. I was not disappointed. We stopped there for dinner, quite a few hours after our breakfast bonanza, I might add.

We started with shrimp spring rolls. It's somewhat tragic but, I wasn't introduced to spring rolls until I was an adult. Egg rolls, particularly lumpia, were a staple of my youth. So while I'm not a huge fan of the deep fried varieties (surprising, I know), I do love these babies. And the peanut sauce that's usually served on the side makes my mouth water.

Ronida ordered the steak plate, her usual. The meat was very tender and packed with flavor.

I, on the other hand, came to party. This scrumptious bowl of loving is actually a medium. I squeezed quite a bit of lime into the broth, tossed in a few bean sprouts and went to town. The super thin noodles make me smile like nobody's business.

Are you a pho fan?

*Holla! Just found out there is a Pho Saigon location in La Mirada!

Champions of Breakfast (and Dessert)

2010-09-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

Yowza! Yesterday was jam packed. Ronida and I scurried all around Orange County is search of goodies for my home office. Per usual, our outing included several pit stops at yummy restaurants. We're both self-proclaimed piggies, just one of the many reasons we're such great pals.

We started the morning at Zov's in Tustin. I've been meaning to check out the place for what seems like ages; I've heard nothing but glowing reviews about the restaurant. And their desserts are apparently epic.

Ronida ordered the Black Forest omelet. Fluffy, and filled with hammy-avocado goodness.

Frittatas are among my favorite breakfast foods; I love making mini ones at home in cupcake pans. I ordered this bit of loveliness from Zov's and was pretty impressed. Tomatoes, mozzarella, basil and red peppers. Yum.

Our plates also came with delicious hash brown cakes which were pretty filling on their own. They reminded me a lot of the super fatty potato cakes my grandparents make for their AOH club meetings.

So onto the sweet stuff. I love dessert. Like, really, really love dessert. I'll order it after every meal. Sometimes before. Chris says that when we get ready to have kiddos (not for a long time, btw) I've got to curb these naughty habits. Whatev.

The dessert offerings were pretty dang tempting. So, Ronida and I (being the rockstar nom team we are) decided to divide and conquer.

Ronida went with this gorgeous chocolate bomb with a creme brule center. Just looking at it again makes me want to take a fork to my computer screen.

Not to be outdone, I decided to get a chocolate and strawberry tart. Complete with five chocolate covered strawberries. The tart didn't stand a chance. I destroyed it.

More of our gluttonous journey soon.

How's your weekend going?

Park it Right Here

2010-09-03T00:54:00.000-07:00

Fall resolution: spend more time in parks. Although I'm convinced I flashed a number of ultimate frisbee enthusiasts as we took these, I couldn't help but feel ridiculously calm. Parks > lexapro.

"Dress" and belt: F21, sunnies: Target, kicks: Michael Kors, bracelet: The Other Ro, ring: Liza Shtromberg

While I'm sort of digging the Dragon Ball Z inspired locks, I've decided it's high time I get a hair cut. Now if I only had some inspiration...

How do you get your zen on? And what should I do with my hair?!

Office Space

2010-08-31T13:11:00.000-07:00

My first introduction to Jonathan Adler was by way of this piece:

There's also a cookie jar in this collection which just begs the obvs question.

Yup, this is Adler's iconic Georgia vase covered in...boobies. Quirky and cheeky, but not really for me.

Fast forward a few years and I'm singing a different tune. I'm not hopping on the booby wagon just yet, but I can't help but swoon over these adorbs Adler pieces. I think I need 'em for my office.

Take a bit outta time with this sweet apple clock.

This dude is a bank but he's so cute, I'd just let him do his ornamental thing.

Yeah, yeah, so these are from the kiddies section, but I still dig them.

Do you have any fun office accessories on your desk? Any suggestions for me?

Photos: Jonathan Adler

Pocket full of Posing

2010-08-30T01:28:00.000-07:00

Since I work from home, I spend the majority of my days in standard issue tops, jeans and yoga pants. Or worse. But every once in awhile, I manage to make myself somewhat presentable. Let's pretend that I normally rock something along these lines while I'm smashing away at my keyboard.

Where's Waldo? Pfft! Who's that?!

Chris shot these pictures weeks ago but we've been so busy that I'm only now getting around to posting them. I'll share a few more later this week. A mini-confession: the hip chapeau isn't mine. It belongs to darling Ronida. Truth be told, she left in my car by accident and up until very recently, I was half-thinking of keeping it for myself.

What do you wear to work?

Words of Wisdom

2010-08-27T01:28:00.000-07:00

Another home office find I scooped up from Unique OC.

I'm making this my new motto, especially when that brat writer's block decides to rear its unproductive head. The print is by Nan Lawson, whose Etsy shop has my head spinning. I'm in love with her fun prints! I think you'll dig them too.

Photo: Nan Lawson

It's a Small World Office

2010-08-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

As you dolls know, I've been quite a busy bee outfitting my home office. Over the past few weeks, I've squirreled away a number of lovely goodies that I'll be sharing with you this week. :)

Not too long ago, I wrote a Smitten post about Paper Pastries, the deliciously adorable Etsy shop of LA-based designer Margaret Haas. I swooned and gushed over a number of her products, namely, this super cool pencil set with fun facts about California:

I couldn't help but imagine these babies displayed on my future desk in a sweet and chic pencil cup. Unfortunately, though, the cuties sold out shortly after the feature on Smitten ran. Boo/hooray.

Buuut, two days later, my darling friend Ronida and I took a mini trip down to Costa Mesa to check out Unique OC, an offshoot of Unique LA. It was pretty much the coolest thing ever. Imagine tons of Etsy and Etsy-like sellers (plus a load of food trucks!) all in one spot, flea-market style.

As we strolled the aisles--and picked up way more things than we should have--I spotted it. The Paper Pastries booth. GTFO. I squealed, yes literally squealed, and introduced myself to Margaret. We had a wonderful chat about handmade goods, Los Angeles and Orange County. She also introduced me to her boyfriend who braved the heat to help man her booth. There were a ton of gorge items I wanted to scoop up, but as I had blown most of my budget before reaching her stall, I walked away with two Cali pencil sets. One for me and one for Ronida.

Love love love. I don't have the heart to sharpen them. But can you blame me?!

Photos via: Paper Pastries

Get Foamy, Homie

2010-08-15T01:27:00.000-07:00

Last week, I hit up a coffee shop based on a recommended from my friend Nathan, a known java aficionado. Normally I avoid working at coffee shops; I'm too bothered by people watching to be productive. But I packed up my laptop and hoped for the best.

kaffa! is an adorbs coffee shop tucked in a random strip mall in Orange. It was awesome. After inhaling a yummy sandwich/salad combo (and a heavenly iced tea), I ordered a vanilla cappuccino for dessert. Holy moly. It was one of the yummiest cappuccinos I've ever had.

Hello foam art! The design on my cap was pretty similar to this and when the same gent who made the drink delivered it to my table, I practically gushed about how it was too pretty to drink. I'm guessing he's used to these sorts of awkward declarations because he chuckled and said thanks.

While I didn't get much writing done, I did manage to do serious work on the mountain of emails that was overtaking my inbox.

Do you ever chill in coffee shops solo? Do you bring your laptop or something to read?

Photos: Yelp

Let's Talk About Desks, Baby...

2010-08-11T02:09:00.000-07:00

I've already got my heart set on an office chair, but when it comes to desks, I'm rather torn.

A few months back, I skulked around Ikea, not expecting to be moved by their MDF wares. But then, oh me. I spotted a lovely and wonderfully feminine desk that just seemed to call out to me.

I suppose setting the thing up in a pink room strewn with women's mags helped the cause. Way to go in-store design team.

Also in consideration for my new workspace is a tanker desk. I love that the weighty beasts have utilitarian written all over them. It's likely that I'm leaning toward the behemoths because our dear friends, Chris and Dolores of Humble Ablog fame, happen to have an absolutely gorgeous example of the steel contraption in their living room. Check it:

Click here to see the intense DIY restoration. Whenever we pay them a visit, I can't help but ooh and ahh over the thing. And of course, pump them for tips about scoring one on Craigslist. I'm also hoping that the two Chrises (who are BFFs, natch) will join forces to restore the thing for me. We shall see.

But then, I wonder if thing is just too darn big for my home office. Which brings me to this...

Hello, gorgeous! I think a tanker desk of the itty bitty variety would look ridiculously fabulous. When I started looking for images of these babies, this pink number was one of the first to pop up. Clearly it was meant to be.

I'm still on the fence of course, but I think you can see where I'm leaning.

Thoughts? What style of desk do you do your work on?

Photos: Ikea, Humble Ablog and Fab Green.

Smitten Kittens

2010-07-23T19:14:00.000-07:00

When I'm not blogging here at Ro Ro Ro Your Blog (which I promise to be more diligent about, going forward), I'm dishing it over at Smitten. Here are some of my favorite posts from this week:

Letting off some steam last weekend. I'll channel these feelings as I'm lugging around boxes and furniture over the next few days.

*Hollywood thinks THIS profession is the most romantic. I disagree.

*Holla! Or not.

*Can't wait to see this new flick starring James Franco and Jon Hamm. Drool.

*My favorite hostess gift.

*The tooth about weird dreams.

What are you doing this weekend? And what goodies have you found on the interwebs this week?

P.S. Big thanks to The Foodinista for giving me a shout out on her FANTASTIC blog! XOXO!