Thursday, May 31, 2012

i just can't stop thinking about it ..

*photo compliments of gq*
did you watch mad men this past sunday?  i keep thinking about it over and over.  my heart says "why on earth did she do that?" but then i guess somewhere in my head i understand (not really, but i wish i did!).  that final scene where don is selling to jaguar and we see joan's indecent proposal ... wow!

here's an interesting article from gq.

what did you think?

things that she wants

these confetti glasses would be perfect to sip mango margaritas from while relaxing poolside this summer


jeff and i REALLY want a miniature dachshund, but we are afraid that two cats, plus a dog, (and hopefully a baby!) might be too much to handle.  *but, if we do get one, we'll name her pickles voris -- and we'll definitely get a female to round out the boy-heavy house.

*photo from the daily puppy - click on the photo above for more info, as this little lover is up for adoption*


nautical-themed ipad cover with monogram -- i want to dress up my ipad with a bright & cheery cover.  these from karion designs on etsy are adorable.  i'd go for a navy background with a yellow monogram.

*photo by karion designs*
i've been having a pacific northwest love affair lately.  when i was in seattle, i read an article about willows inn on lummi island and simply must go there.  i'll be dedicating a special post to this one, as it is definitely worth discovering more about. stay tuned!

*photo from willows inn*




Wednesday, May 30, 2012

cheekys - my favorite palm springs restaurant


there are so many things to do and not do in palm springs.  we usually opt to do nothing and relax at the resort the entire time, but i always make it a priority to head to cheeky's for brunch.  it's insanely good --definitely one of my very favorite things about palm springs.  their juices are squeezed by hand, sausages are made in house and you can bring your dog to sit along you and enjoy his/her own water bowl and a dog biscuit, while you sip your kale smoothie -- or bloody mary if you're like me. 

if you are staying anywhere near the strip, you are walking distance from this brunch spot - but make sure to come early, otherwise you will be waiting in line for an hour.

first of all, they have a bacon bar -- and even better, a bacon flight you can order a la carte


i'm always a sucker for chilaquiles and these were spicy, crunchy and creamy at all the right spots


jeff went with the creamy cheesy scramble, sausage and a cheddar scone (and a bacon flight)

 
 ryan went with the breakfast quesadilla -- the creamy smoky tomato puree that accompanied it was insane






Tuesday, May 29, 2012

things that she wears (in palm springs)


we spent memorial day weekend relaxing in palm springs with erin & ryan.  erin, who is affectionately known to me as tita, is super crafty and has her own blog, practically martha.  the two of us have a very long history of shopping together for bargains, so although we were in 100 degree heat we still made it a priority to look fashionable for our evenings out.

i swear we did not plan our citrus belted dresses. her dress was from anthropologie (shoes and necklace from banana republic) and i got my dress at last call by neiman marcus (earrings from anthropologie).  jeff and i took a quick detour to the cabazon outlets on our way to palm springs and i scored both the green envelope dress and the j crew belt.  they had huge sales, but the crowds were brutal.


even though the boys didn't coordinate on purpose, they somehow ended up matching anyway

*jeff's shirt is jack spade; ryan's pants are bonobos -- check out the plaid pockets. that's about all the information i could get out of them. they're boys after all.*

as the heat kicked up, oh another 20 degrees on sunday, we went a little more casual 





*my dress by ella moss. tita found hers at a boutique on melrose*

the boys got a little tired of our fashion shots, so they decided to do their own ...

*i love that ryan rocks the sperry's and jeff's entire outfit was bought at uniqlo when we were in nyc*

what's your style when going on vacation?

Friday, May 25, 2012

happy weekend!

 happy memorial day weekend!

*photo courtesy of stonecoldfox*

we're headed to palm springs with these two ...





i'm thankful for ... (home edition)

last weekend i spent a lot of time at home taking it easy. which, of course, then led to me getting motivated to finally do things around the house (again, the doing is more jeff, but i helped).  so after a very low-key weekend, here are a few things i'm thankful for this week:

finally getting the west elm andalusia rug, which makes our living room so much cozier
(tip: they are currently having 15% off all rugs, which is very rare.)


after finding this print in seattle



we decided to consolidate all of our typographic love prints into an arrangement and put up a shelf so i can see my daruma doll every morning.


this now goes nicely with the rest of our room



discovering these beyond gorgeous roses that have been hiding on the side of our house


knowing the boys are always up for an afternoon snuggle


how about you?  what are you thankful for this friday?

Thursday, May 24, 2012

girls obsession

 

one of my favorite treats every sunday night is watching hbo's new comedy, girls (click on the pic above to watch a clip). it brings me back to my early 20s where i was fresh out of college and had no idea of what life was really about, but of course, i thought i did.   some reviews have said it is like sex & the city for the millennials, minus all the fabulousness, but i think it's more than that.

unlike a lot of cheesy sitcoms, it really seems to grasp all of those awkward moments of your 20s -- the bad dates, the breakups, the breakdowns, the late nights and one night stands you wish had never happened.  but it also captures those great moments where you would stay up analyzing some loser guy with your roommate until 3 am, dance around the apartment with your girlfriends and then go to brunch the next day to talk in detail about exactly what happened last night.  i was sort of a mess in my 20s --  always calling my parents for more money that i had stupidly spent on shopping & nights out, choosing terrible guys to obsess over and just generally not feeling comfortable in my own shoes.

i've read a lot of backlash about how this series is about spoiled white girls -- and my response is ummm... how many of those already exist on tv? just scroll through any network lineup and you'll find them.  to me, this one takes those "fabulous" moments and makes them real (like the flabby stomach scene where her idiot lover grabs onto her chub during sex & acknowledges it! that made me and probably every woman watching wince, as it's like watching your biggest fear played out ). there is nothing glamorous with the sex scenes and i appreciate that. and with the producing team of judd apatow and lena dunham (who also stars in, writes & directs most of the episodes) it goes without saying those are going to be awkwardly delicious.

bottom line: i love the boldness & quirkiness of the series. it's refreshing.   if you haven't already watched it, check out this clip where judd and lena talk about the genesis of the show.

how about you? are you watching? what do you think?

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

things that she wants

i spent saturday relaxing.  i didn't get out of bed until 10 am, threw on a sweatshirt and my glasses and laid around the house for most of the day. it was heaven.  after weeks of busy weekends, i finally had time to catch up on my blogs and here are a few things i found that i simply must have:

1.  i'm already planning a get away for jeff and i this summer - a trip to vancouver. i've never been and have been told the summer is a great time to go.  i ran across this picture on thefancy.com and it inspired me to get the ball rolling.

*capilano suspension bridge from the cool hunter*

2.  i discovered a new blog that i love, abbey goes design scouting.  she posted about the genius cuppow! which takes me back to my southern roots. if you have always wished to take your latte on the go in a canning jar, now's your chance.  how cool is this?

* from the cuppow! site*

3.  i have been on the quest for a nude espadrille that will give me just enough lift, without having me wobble around (85% of the time i wear flats now - okay, who am i kidding 99% of the time).  i recently stumbled across these at j crew.  the nude color elongates your legs and goes with just about anything - perfect for the summer season.

*photo from j crew*

4.  i have been eyeing these serving bowls for awhile.  we have so many beautiful serving dishes thanks to our generous wedding guests, but i didn't really register for any serving bowls.  i love these beauties from anthropologie, especially the green.

*photo from anthropologie*






Tuesday, May 22, 2012

things i couldn't wear if i were pregnant

when i was in orlando for work, i stopped off at the outlet malls (they were surprisingly fantastic) and bought this adorable pair of steve madden ballet flats for $39.99.  every time i put these glittery gold babies on, i smile.  they just make me happy and are an excellent way to dress up an outfit if you don't feel like throwing on heels.  *the reason why i couldn't wear these pregnant, is because they are tightly molded to my feet -- so keep that in mind when buying them and maybe go a 1/2 size up. 

*steve madden ballet flats in glittery gold*

*i bought these adorable cropped pants at uniqlo when i was in nyc -- $39!!*

Monday, May 21, 2012

sushi


while i was away in seattle last weekend, jeff went to see the documentary, jiro. (click the photo above to see the trailer).  i was kind of bummed he went without me, because the story is fascinating.  jiro is an 85 year old man who owns a tiny sushi bar in a tokyo subway.  but this isn't your average sushi bar, he's been awarded three michelin stars and japan has declared him a national treasure. 

speaking of sushi, last friday was date night and we went to our favorite sushi spot, katsu-ya.  it may not be jiro quality, but it has definitely captured my heart with its spicy tuna crispy rice.  there are several around los angeles now, but i'm not interested in sbe's katsuya (with no hyphen), i want the original in studio city.  i personally prefer the hominess of it.  i don't need high-quality ambiance, just high-quality sushi.

because it's in studio city, we don't go as often as we'd like -- we usually take the occasional friend in town or for our monthly deal that when i find out i'm not pregnant, jeff takes me out to get something i couldn't have if i were pregnant -- sushi. and if i'm gonna have sushi, i'm gonna do it right.

one of my favorite things about the original katsu-ya is that it's right next door to rusty's discount pet center.  i often run in here to buy cat food after dinner and the staff is always super helpful.  it's been a staple in studio city since 1987 and is named after rusty, sr., a sheltie who is no longer alive, but if you're lucky, you might see rusty, jr. (a large and well-loved collie) hanging outside just before you head in for dinner.  last night it was my lucky night. and, in case you were wondering, the first thing i did after bonding with rusty, jr. was walk in the restaurant and wash my hands.


then there's the sushi ...


and a stop off at studio yogurt ...


all, in all, it was a perfect night, as jeff always makes date nights special.  he even still opens the doors for me.



Friday, May 18, 2012

i'm thankful for ... (seattle edition)



great weather on my very first time to seattle -- it didn't rain once!


adorable babies that stole my heart and i am 100% in love with


laid-back weekends with lots of snuggling


home-cooked meals, dirty martinis and great conversation with girlfriends


discovering new places


and being a tourist



seeing one of my best friends take so naturally to motherhood.  i can only hope to one day be as good.


and as much as i love olivia and ava equally, there's just something about this one ...



Thursday, May 17, 2012

neighborhood indian food


so i wrote this entire post from orlando weeks ago and then somehow it completely disappeared.  that was definitely not a thing i love, but since indian food is one of my favorite cuisines in the world, i decided to give it another try. here we go:

jeff and i are always on the hunt for good indian food, but sadly, los angeles county has yet to impress me.  i found a place years ago in santa monica called nawab of india that i absolutely love, but it's in santa monica, which means it might as well be in chicago.  if you ever are on the west side, i strongly recommend it - they make their own pickle there and it's insane.

back to my point - good indian food in la is hard to come by.  my litmus test for this is always chicken tikka masala. of course i throw in garlic naan, rice and then either aloo gobi or yellow daal, but the tikka is always my barometer.  jeff likes to point out that chicken tikka masala is the white people dish, supporting his theory that every ethnic cuisine has some non-threatening dish for those of us who aren't that adventurous.  i know i should go with the lamb vindaloo or the fish curry, but i just can't help myself.  i love chicken tikka masala.

so you can imagine how thrilled i was to discover that we live blocks away from one of the best indian restaurants - bhanu indian grocery. as stated in the name, it's mainly a grocery store with a small family-owned restaurant attached.  the family started the store while catering on the side, and eventually decided to open the restaurant.  at first when we started going it had a lot of character (meaning plastic cups for drinking and dishes served on generic white plates).  we often just order take out because it's so close, but a couple of weeks ago we decided to dine in.  i was so happy to see that they now serve their deliciousness in lovely copper pots and have real glasses.  the best part about it is that we are now confirmed regulars and nancy (who is awesome) knows us and our order by name.  oh, and for those of you who are adventurous, they also sell ghost peppers there.

*chicken vindaloo*

*check out the glisten of the ghee*
*the whole spread*
*the coveted chicken tikka masala*