Highlights

The GROVE TREE ATG FINAL{Where Angelenos go for Christmas Cheer, The Grove, for the 100-foot tall tree and lights everywhere!}

December is off to a chaotic start to say the least, but luckily I’m only 2 weeks away from some much-needed downtime. It’s been helpful to lean on the holiday season to make my way through. Christmas music does wonders during chaos!

LA had its first real bout of rain in ages this week. It’s been so long since we’ve had this much rain, that I’d completely forgotten how much my hair doesn’t like it! I’m willing to be a trooper about it though…in the name of our drought situation. I enjoy the rain – especially when it happens to arrive on a day that I can stay home and curl up with my Kindle or my Netflix queue and a cup of tea (as opposed to having to deal with the eternal nightmare that the 405 becomes until the roads dry again). The caveat to all of this, is that whenever it rains for more than a few days, I can also feel myself emotionally changing. Aside from my hair not being a fan of the rain, I also forget how much my body thrives on Vitamin D. It’s a stern reminder that I’m a total SoCal gal. If I don’t get some sun after a couple of days, I can feel my mood take a complete nosedive. As such, it pretty much solidifies that I won’t survive many other places in the world with actual weather. I’m stuck here.

Unfortunately, the holidays have become a rough time of year for me as I’ve gotten older, but I do still try to channel as much of what makes this season special. Aside from Christmas music, it’s always helpful to head to The Grove to walk around marveling at how they transform a simple shopping center into a stunning holiday oasis (pictures don’t do the place justice). This was certainly a big highlight since we caught up last.

Another highlight had to be a rainy Tuesday night in North Hollywood. If you’re looking for a great film out right now, I saw Whiplash earlier this week with a girlfriend and it blew my mind away. It’s aptly titled, given that you literally feel like you have a case of “Whiplash” when you leave the theater after following Andrew’s harrowing musical journey. It’s one of the most intense films I’ve seen in a while that stays with you days later. It will certainly be in my top 10 films of the year. Bravo to everyone involved!

The weekend ahead will be low-key. I don’t have any plans as of writing time, and that’s a-okay with me.

Have a great weekend! x

Bo Nuage ATG FINAL

{Admiring the pastry case at Bo Nuage…}

Bo Nuage Red Velvet ATG FINAL

{…then indulging in their Red Velevet Meringue Cake. Yum!}

Whiplash ticket ATG FINAL

{It’s been 3 days and I still have “Whiplash.”}

Dalai lama Quote ATG FINAL{The writing on the wall (literally)…in a public bathroom. I loved these words.}

 

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Highlights

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{a little holiday cheer in my home.}

It’s been a battle for Christmas cheer this week, and while it was a tight race – Christmas cheer is winning! I’ve been a little under the weather the last couple of weeks and am now on antibiotics; so naturally, things have been slightly off and Scrooge was pushing his way through to say the least. I’ve managed to keep things festive over the last few crappy (then medicated-infused) days and indulge in the holiday spirit. The best way to do that I found, was to watch tons of holiday movies, listen to lots of Christmas music, and focus on the fact that 10 days from now – my boyfriend and I are heading up North for Christmas for a week. I’m looking forward to the change of scenery and the drive (well, because I get to sit and look out the window for 6 hours).

I have to say, last weekend in particular, was especially helpful in keeping my spirits bright when I was feeling my crappiest. My boyfriend brought me a little something to decorate my place (this adorable wreath) to give my humble abode the smell of Christmas since I decided to forego a Christmas Tree this year, along with In-N-Out and my favorite candy. He sat with me all weekend, watched Holiday movies and took really good care of me. I have to give him a special shout-out! Finally, I’m looking forward to a full recovery over the weekend. Who-hoo!

And since last weekend found me trying to lay low and rest (which is not necessarily easy for me do in general), I’ll have to spend some time this weekend catching up on life. This includes laundry (like desperately), grocery shopping, and finally getting around to getting that estimate on my car (full story here).

And in case you want to know…

My Prescription for Holiday Cheer

WATCH:
* Love Actually
* The Holiday
* The Family Stone
* Mr. Bean’s Holiday (which isn’t a Christmas-themed movie, but boy did those silly antics keep me entertained for an hour and a half!)

LISTEN:
* Duh, to my Spotify Holiday Hits Mixtape.

SMILE AT:
* THIS…

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Have a great weekend!

Mixtape Monday: Holiday Hits

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It’s official. Some light holiday decorating and a weekend filled with watching some of my favorite holiday movies and it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I thought it would be fun to curate a list of some of my favorite Christmas songs – old and those that are destined to be new favorites. My two “go-to” Christmas CD’s have always been Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas and Josh Groban’s Noel. There are also some great tracks on Celine Dion’s These Are The Special Times that are nostalgic to Christmas when I was a teenTo mix it up a bit, I decided to check out new releases from both Kelly Clarkson and Mary J. Blige. I have to say, I think Mary’s new holiday album, A Mary Christmas, will make it into rotation for years to come! And Kelly Clarkson’s Wrapped in Red has solid tracks that capture festivity in a fresh way.

So let’s tame some of those chilly Monday Blues with a cup of hot cocoa and my Holiday Hits playlist. Just go ahead and log in to your Spotify account, hit play, sit back and relax, or get to work on those emails with this mix in the background perfect for bringing some holiday cheer!


*If you like the mixtape feel free to subscribe to it on Spotify:

All That Glitters Mixtape Monday: 12.09.2013


Highlights: End of November

Things have been going so well lately, that I don’t want to jinx it by even talking about it! November was an exciting month: the election, our visit to San Juan Capistrano, and Thanksgiving were huge successes. Here are a few recent small pleasures and sightings that added huge smiles to end a happy month:

A stop at The Counter for a custom-made burger and yummy fries last week before catching a flick over in Century City, had me try something different this time between the bun: cranberries! Let’s just say, it works. Yum!

While I don’t personally have formal Christmas dinners, I would totally use these cute flatware stockings that I saw while perusing Crate and Barrel on my Holiday table. They’re so festive!

These adorable snowman cookies I saw while in line for a latte at Starbucks. The best part: the scarf!

Christmas music has officially entered my life once again. My favorites: Josh Groban’s Noel, Mariah Carey’s Merry Christmas, and Pandora’s Christmas Station.

I hope November treated you just as kindly. Have a great weekend! 🙂