Category Archives: Fun

Highlights: Thanksgiving Day

Posted in Breakfast, Dinner, Film, Food, Fun, Treats by

Wow, where does the time go? All the build-up and the planning, coordinating; then eating, sleeping, eating, watching a movie, and more eating until it’s all over. Thanksgiving was a complete success on my end. In large part because I had the best company, and we ordered the most delish ham from The Honey Baked Ham Store, with a slew of sides from Bristol Farms. Let’s just say we had Thanksgiving dinner two nights in a row, ham and eggs for breakfast twice over the long holiday weekend, and at some point this week a ham sandwich will be in my immediate future.

As I look back on an amazing, relaxing, and food-filled Thanksgiving Thursday these are the parts that made me smile and what I’ll always want to remember:

I stopped on Wednesday afternoon (in the actual chaos of last-minute grocery shoppers…I did it for the drama!) and got a fresh bouquet of flowers to give my place a bit more of that festive Thanksgiving vibe! They were perfect!

How the food arrived. 🙂

Thanksgiving entertainment. We tried to find movies that were themed for the holiday (and I just thought E.T. would be awesome to re-watch). We eventually got through everything during those 4 days, but Planes, Trains and Automobiles was the perfect flick to kick-off a movie-filled weekend.

Thanksgiving dinner: honey baked ham, glazed baby carrots, green beans almondine, mashed potatoes, and candied yams. That’s a little sparkling apple cider in the wine glass. Words cannot describe how happy I was at this moment – yum! 🙂

Dessert: Pumpkin pie, naturally!

The BEST surprise and my personal favorite, this Esque candle that my boyfriend gave me as a little Thanksgiving day present. Aww! I was totally shocked because I was admiring it a few months back at Z-Gallerie, but didn’t get it. It’s so pretty I don’t even want to burn it!

I hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving holiday this year. There was much more for myself on the horizon as the long weekend got started (posts to come) but it truly was a day to be remembered. Thank you to my awesome guy for making it such a special day!

On to Christmas….yikes!

Thankful

Posted in Books, Fashion, Film, Food, Fun, Inspiration by

I loved this festive cake I saw in a bakery while in San Juan Capistrano recently.

It’ll be pretty low-key on my end for the long Holiday weekend. We went the total lazy route and ordered our big feast from a combination of The Honey Baked Ham Store and Bristol Farms. We even decided to change things up this year and have ham instead of turkey. Such rebels!

While I write a weekly post (sometimes twice a week, or when I can’t think of anything else compelling to write) where I reflect on the “Highlights” of the simple things happening around me; I thought this would a good time to reflect on what I’m truly thankful for in life in the grand scheme of things that is the year of our Lord, 2012.

My first apartment! I moved into my own place earlier this year and words cannot describe the sense of accomplishment and independence I feel every time I walk through the front door. This is my favorite wall in my humble abode and I’m thankful for having a small place in the world to call my own.

My best friend, who happens to be my boyfriend, for being the awesome guy that he is! This is an old picture I took last year while in Catalina Island. It’s a favorite of mine of us.

I’m beyond grateful in the midst of a tough economy to be working and working in the field that I actually studied in college.

I joined a book club this time last year and one year later, not only have I given myself the motivation to actually begin and finish a book (rather than juggle two at a time and never finish either one of them); it’s also opened my world to a whole new group of girl friends. We’re all ages and from different walks of life, bonded by our nerdiness for books. 🙂

One of the happiest things I’ve done this year was start this blog. It’s really given me the creative outlet that I had been craving for such a long time. Thank you to those that read, comment, or like even one of my posts. I’m grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

How I Custom Designed My Own Pizza

Posted in Dinner, Explore, Food, Fun, Lunch by

Location: 12103 Ventura Boulevard, Studio City

So I know that turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce are all that’s on the brain this week, but I just had to share the great news with you! I cannot at all take the credit for this awesome find, my boyfriend told me about it, but the moment we stepped inside I knew pizza would never be the same. It was described to me as the “Chipotle for pizza!”

Pizza Rev sits not too far from the corner of Laurel Canyon Boulevard and Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. Its motto: craft your own pizza. My motto: I’ll take everything on mine!

{Making the dough.}

{Over 30 toppings to choose from.}

Interestingly, the decor reminds me a lot of Chipotle, down to the buffet style ordering set-up as you move along in line to build your own pizza, starting with their homemade dough. Next, choose your cheese, choose your sauce, and then choose your toppings. The thrilling thing about this place is that for $7.95 you can put ANYTHING you want on your personal sized pie. The sky’s the limit. Naturally, I went overboard as one does with a buffet of toppings to choose from.

{Building mine!}

For our gluten-free friends, Pizza Rev has you covered. While a small $2.00 increase comes with ordering their wheat free crust, unlimited toppings more than make up for it. If you’re too tired to create your own (and who in the world would these people be?) you can also order from their “Our Way” menu and stick with the basics.

{In the oven.}

A short wait while your custom designed pizza cooks in their open deck oven and you’re out the door. I crafted a regular dough pizza with olive oil, mozzarella, feta cheese, ricotta, all beef pepperoni, ham, spinach, tomato, mushroom, pineapple, and black olives! Told you, I went overboard, but O.M.G. was it delish!!

{My finished custom designed pizza :)}

Highlights: The Beginning Toward The End

Posted in Accessories, Fashion, Fun, Treats by

I love this time of year. It flies by in a flash because we’re in the midst of a season that’s unlike any other, celebrating all the way. After Halloween comes a birthday for a special person in my life, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, and then my anniversary with said special person. As we enter the beginning toward the end of the year, I can say with confidence that it will be a memorable holiday season because I intend for it to be. Bring. It. On! Here are a few things that made me smile this week in the meantime:

{Scarf weather is now in full effect in the City of Angels and I’ve rocked them almost every day this week. This makes me happy!}

{After trying to enjoy loose leaf tea using strainers because I thought they were cool, I gave up and went with the more tried and true “T-Sacs” to keep those annoying leaves that still seemed to fall through the strainer out. I got these awesome filters during my recent visit to Bird Pick. The point? There will be lots of tea consumption this season. :)}

{I fell in LOVE with this limited edition Christmas ornament during a recent visit to Starbucks to grab a latte. It’s a ceramic shaped coffee cup encrusted with swarovski elements. It’s so me, a coffee cup that “glitters.” The hefty price tag made me put it down, but I had to get a picture!}

{My new “Fancy Peach” earrings purchased at Scarlet Mare Studio on Etsy arrived mere days ago. My first ever Etsy purchase, but definitely not my last. Check out their site if you like one-of-a-kind, eclectic jewelry.}

Okay, time to stop reading (though I appreciate it!) and head to the grocery store to stock up for all the Thanksgiving festivities coming next week. Have an amazing weekend! 🙂

Mission San Juan Capistrano

Posted in Explore, Food, Fun by

Location: 26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano

Hands down, one of my favorite days from this year will be Sunday, November 11th, 2012. For my boyfriend’s birthday, we enjoyed a sunny 60 mile drive to The O.C. to spend the day in the remarkable city of San Juan Capistrano to visit the 7th Spanish Mission established in California in 1776. Words cannot express the spirituality, the history, the enduring exquisiteness, and breathtaking grounds surrounding us that day.

Thankfully, we walked the property taking the time to listen to the audio tour (click here to listen online), which not only educated us about what we were looking at, but why the earth that we were standing on was significant. It brought the experience to life. From learning that the California wine industry originated at the mission while looking into the large vat used to stomp grapes; to sitting in The Serra Chapel, that’s still used to this day for worshiping; to walking through the cemetery’s resting place for 2,000 souls; and then standing among the ruins of the Great Stone Church after the December 1812 earthquake, was an overwhelmingly special opportunity.

After spending a few hours at the mission, we walked the town of San Juan Capistrano, perusing gift shops and an awesome antique mall before heading to an early dinner at El Adobe restaurant.

I scored an antique vanity tray for my bathroom from the antiques mall, had a wonderful dinner, a new education about Mission San Juan Capistrano, and an unforgettable day with my boyfriend. As they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words” and I took 131 of them! It was difficult to narrow them down for this post, but I hope that they capture why this was such a special day. Make it a point to see the mission if you’re ever in the area. Until then…Enjoy!

The Mission

{Exterior.}

{Statue just outside The Great Stone Church ruins.}

{The Great Stone Church Ruins.}

{Corridor.}

{Heading to the Central Courtyard.}

{The Central Courtyard.}

{How the California Wine Industry was born.}

{Archway near the wine vat in the industrial center, perhaps for grapes?}

{Industrial center blacksmith tools.}

{Staircase.}

{The Central Courtyard.}

{Corridor toward The Serra Chapel.}

{The Serra Chapel.}

{The Serra Chapel Altar.}

{The Serra Chapel Altar.}

{The cemetery and Father St. John O’Sullivan’s resting place.}

The Town

{Strolling the San Juan Capistrano city streets.}

{Stopping into the Antiques Mall.}

{Interior, Antiques Mall.}

The Restaurant

{El Adobe Restaurant.}

{My dinner: Southwest Cabo Salad.}

{His: Nachos.}

Cupcakes Couture

Posted in Explore, Food, Fun, Treats by

{Old store front and new.}

New Location: 1120 Manhattan Avenue, Manhattan Beach

When heading over to my favorite cup-cakery to grab treats for an upcoming birthday a few days ago; I was excited, then bummed, then excited again, then nostalgic. Explanation?

Excitement: sneaking to Manhattan Beach to grab surprise gluten-free birthday treats for my boyfriend. Bummed: a “we’ve moved” sign greets me. Excitement: reading the rest of the sign, “…down the street.” Nostalgia: missing the charm of the old shop I’ve come to love.

Cupcakes Couture, the bake shop that I rave about to all of you, has moved. Luckily, it’s only down the street and into the Manhattan Beach Creamery. I’m sure such a move will be great for business because it’s in a prime location to attract tourists strolling the beautiful sidewalks of Manhattan Beach Boulevard.

{Cupcakes Couture’s gorgeous new view from the store front.}

{Likes: these super cool chairs and this eclectic chandelier.}

For an old fan like me, there was something so charming about that little shop that I’ll miss. As you would enter the store, directly to your right was a large glass window, where you could see the pastry chefs working magically to create the most gorgeous cakes. To your left, a large glass display filled with a variety of the best dressed cupcakes in town would welcome you. There was such a fun, flirty design to the store that made it a great place to visit.

I can certainly understand why the owner, who recently blogged about her change of venue, was excited about the upgrade in light of her growing family (and let’s be honest, a scoop of ice cream while enjoying a cupcake is never a bad idea), but moving into The Creamery lost a touch of that charm I loved about the original location.

I later learned that the move was on November 1st. Perhaps since I visited the new set-up only 9 days later attributes to some of my unhappiness with the new location. The counter didn’t feel put together, boxes were strangely arranged in random places, the sign hadn’t even been put up over the booth, and the decor felt cluttered. I’m sure once the team settles in, that fun and flirty nature will return to Cupcakes Couture’s new spot in The Creamery. Hopefully, this was just a visual glitch. Otherwise, the rest of The Creamery, housing a gourmet ice cream station, specialty desserts section, and candy racks everywhere has a unique vibe that works – those awesome chairs and that chandelier were my favorites.

{Cupcakes Couture’s new station.}

{The Creamery store view.}

The most important fact of all, and what will keep me coming back for more, are that the cupcakes are still some of the best I’ve ever had; great tasting, moist, with a flair in design. The executive pastry chef duo that creates and bakes is the same, so what is ultimately special about the best cupcakes in Los Angeles remains untouched. This makes me happy.

{The best dressed cupcakes in L.A.}

I’ll keep you posted on how things finally turn out once we give Cupcakes Couture some time to settle into The Creamery. I know I’d be disappointed if someone reviewed my apartment after just moving in! Stay tuned…

{Sunday Mimosa cupcake.}

Highlights: Last Week

Posted in DIY, Explore, Film, Food, Fun, Treats by

What a crazy week as I look back on it.The weather was indeed fickle last week: warm one day, then foggy and rainy the next, then cold and sunny. In the midst of the strange weather patterns, the election, the AFI film festival, and prepping for my boyfriend’s birthday, I always took a moment to enjoy the small things. Here are highlights from last week:

{A very unusual looking L.A. skyline for us. With the weather came my first few cups of earl grey tea.}

{As I mentioned: rainy one day, sunny the next. A beautiful view of Manhattan Beach while out on a surprise birthday errand for my boyfriend.}

{Wrapping presents!}

{Opening one of the presents early to enjoy a chocolate fudge cupcake from Cupcakes Couture. 🙂 }

{The final remnant of my “I Voted” sticker before tossing it. What a great voting and election experience it was for me personally.}

AFI Fest 2012

Posted in Documentary, Explore, Film, Fun, Independent Cinema by

AFI Fest officially ends today. 8 days and 133 films from across the globe, screening in some of Hollywood’s most historic theaters. From November 1st though November 8th, hundreds of people waited in lines in front of The Egyptian Theater, The Chinese 6 Theater, and Grauman’s Chinese Theater in an effort to celebrate the undeniable magic of cinema.

Perks of attending this festival: free films, hanging among film enthusiasts and industry “hot shots” alike, enjoying the chaos that is Hollywood, and engaging in some of the most compelling storytelling collectively curated under one umbrella.

Not so great parts: standing in line for up to 2 hours to see a film, getting terrible seats because half the theater is already reserved for said “hot shots,” spending tons of money on parking, and my personal favorite – not being able to see the subtitles on the screen because someone’s head is blocking them. Happened to me twice!

{Personal highlight? Hot Tamales in the old school packaging!}

I appreciate what the American Film Institute aims to do with this festival and was very happy with all 6 films that I saw over the last week. They were excellent stories that brought up injustices in our legal system, shared insight into the wrongly accused, the bullied; and even added a bit of humor to the life of an icon.

Naturally, I have my complaints: the lack of organization with lines and people not knowing where to stand; the strange method of giving a ticket, to receive another ticket, to then get another ticket into a screening seemed wasteful; and consistently starting films late, while expected in a festival atmosphere, didn’t help matters after you’d already been waiting in line for hours.

{Lines.}

I do want to acknowledge that it’s not easy coordinating and pulling off a festival. I can only imagine the amount of planning, scheduling, and rescheduling that went into such a feat and I commend that. However, I’m looking forward to get back to seeing movies the old-fashioned way. Where you pay for a seat, can sit wherever you want, and not a 2 hour-long line in sight! 🙂

My grades on this year’s films I saw:

Hitchcock – Grade: B
The Central Park Five – Grade: A-
West of Memphis – Grade: B
After Lucia – Grade: A
The Hunt – Grade: A
Rust and Bone – Grade: B+

Sweet!

Posted in Explore, Food, Fun, Treats by

Location: 6801 Hollywood Boulevard, Suite 201, Hollywood

Talk about competition. There’s a new sugar shop in town that gives Dylan’s Candy Bar a run for their money. Move over, Hollywood has the new candy shop hot spot!

Enter Sweet.

I can’t think of a better name for the latest addition to Hollywood and Highland. The store is massive. The decor unbelievable: colorful, inviting, well designed, themed by station, and decked out to make it the complete interactive and overtly visual experience.

Visit “Lollywood” the section of the store containing lollipops in every shape, flavor and size. Make your way to the “Chocolate Lab” and custom design your own candy bar. Stop over to “Sticky” and get a glimpse at how the most sugar-infused candies are made. Head to “Yucky” and indulge your nasty, yet delicious side. Don’t miss Willy Wonka’s section and have your fill of fine chocolates and meet him yourself.

Bulk options galore. Sugar everywhere. Who knew that there was so much candy in the world? You don’t need to be a kid to feel right at home.

In this case, a picture really is a thousand words and it’s pretty “Sweet!”

LOLLYWOOD

CHOCOLATE LAB

YUCKY!

STICKY

BULK CANDY

WILLY WONKA

STORE RANDOMS

Highlights: As November Begins…

Posted in Explore, Film, Food, Fun, Treats by

Happy Turkey Month! I’m pleased to report October went out with a bang! A huge goal of mine was accomplished and these recent highlights were the icing on the cake:

I love a good joke. Anything pertaining to humor, poking fun at someone or a situation, especially when the humor is completely true, is always welcome in my world. I saw a red “No Parking” zone spray painted with these delicious words and couldn’t help but stop and laugh (and take a picture!).

Our recent apple picking adventure left lots of apples to get through. An afternoon in the kitchen took our apples from whole fruit to an apple crisp that was fun to make and even more fun to eat.

The American Film Institute Film Festival started November 1st. A visit to the box office to pick-up the tickets was pretty funny when I pulled them all out and lined them up. I’m going to be spending A LOT of time at the movies as you can see.

Enjoy this first November weekend!