Highlights

Heat wave ATG  FINAL

I’m sorry I missed you on Wednesday. I had every intention of touching base, but I’ve literally been in HELL much of this week. Okay, okay…let me back up a bit and put it this way: I’m pretty sure I now have a much more firm understanding of what hell must feel like. If you haven’t heard, LA has been enduring one of the worst heat waves than even I recall in recent memory. At one point, the thermostat hit 113° and my air-conditioner decided it had had enough (understandably) and didn’t clonk out so much as start just blowing hot air into an already hot apartment in protest. Luckily, once she’d had her hissy fit and got it out of her system, I forgave her. Our relationship is now back on track.

As I write this, it’s a temperate 78° and much more my speed. Now, I’m not entirely blaming the heat wave on how things have been going lately, but it’s pretty amazing how the weather can really make or break your day. Though I’m a lover of warm weather, once we hit the triple digits, it’s hard to have the motivation to do much, other than lay around in an air-conditioned space, or seek air-conditioned shelter when you absolutely do have to leave the house. I made the joke last Sunday that I knew I wouldn’t be having the Monday blues as we returned to the work week, because it meant I’d get consistent central air for 8 lucky hours and could give my “hissy fitting” A/C at home a break.

Though the heat produced a level of lethargy throughout the week, it was also still a busy one. I spent much of it finalizing the details for an upcoming location shoot next month and began the process of booking talent for a huge project that will make the rest of 2014 an extremely busy time, but I’m up for the challenge. This lead to what had to be one of the biggest highlights this week. And that’s simply hearing you’re doing a great job! Naturally, you don’t get many kudos in this business and you can’t live your life waiting for validation, but it sure is nice when someone goes out of their way to say you’re kicking ass!

Despite the heat wave, one thing of note that I was proud to cross of my to-do list was to finally re-organize my desk at home. It felt so nice to go through my drawers, and be rid of all the unnecessary papers, while filing away the important ones, and adding the perfect drawer tray to have my supplies readily organized. A quick trip to The Container Store (the neat-freak’s candy store) and I’m loving how streamlined I feel when I’m at my desk.  I would’ve dressed up my desk top with a vase of fresh flowers, but wisely thought: Why bother? They’d wilt 3 hours later in this heat. Save the $5 and buy an iced latte instead.

Container Store Tray ATG FINAL

{Getting organized. Feels good. (P.S. this tray fits a Parson’s Desk if you have one.)}

All this to say that when I learned it was National Cheeseburger Day yesterday (who knew such a glorious thing existed?), I thought I deserved a reward. Not only because I managed to make it through hell the heat, a rather chaotic week at the office, and crossing off my at home to-dos, but because it also wouldn’t be very nice NOT to have a cheeseburger on National Cheeseburger Day? It’s just not very celebratory. In n out ATG FINAL

{To In-N-Out we go!}

My desk organization has me very excited to do my bathroom drawers next, my make-up drawer, in particular. This means my neat-freak nature gets to make another trip back to The Container Store over the weekend! Yippee!

I think the thing I’m most looking forward to is a much cooler weekend ahead. No big plans, just happy to be hell free. Oh, I do intend to indulge in a breakfast burrito after reading Thrillist’s too inspiring article on some of The Best Breakfast Burritos in LA.

See you next week! I’m excited to share our night under the stars with live music, surprise appearances, the cast of The Simpsons, and fireworks at the Hollywood Bowl (arguably, my favorite place in all of LA). Until then, a few photos from that night along with the other highlights of the week.

Have a great weekend! x

 Hollywood Bowl _ The Simpsons ATG FINAL

{The Hollywood Bowl. My favorite place in LA. You can barely see it here, but the Hollywood Sign is just beyond (top right corner). What an incredible night.}

TheSimpsonsTakeTheBowl ATG FINAL

{In my best opening credit singing voice: The Simpsooons!}

The Container Store ATG FINAL

{The neat-freak’s candy store.}

heatwave ATG FINAL

{When 104° was a “cool” day.}

Tina's Trees ATG FINAL

{A smile to my Thursday morning. It’s a touch early, but I’m pretty sure Tina’s “Trees” does pumpkins too…so we’ll go with that. Fall is on the way!}

Blog Signature Official_FINAL


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Highlights

Los Angeles Traffic ATG FINAL 2_3{Ahh, the infamous Sepulveda Pass…and this is considered pretty good traffic.
If I shot this 2 hours later, you’d see why.}


Overall, the second week of September rocked as I’d hoped!

I made peace with traffic, my Monday night yoga class helped immensely with that aforementioned task, my lips and I are BFFs again thanks to Burt’s Bees, “The Good Girl” is still good, and I’m stoked about my night under the stars at The Hollywood Bowl this weekend.

I’m not at all saying that because I accepted the even more congested time of year on LA streets and highways that somehow traffic magically thinned out this week, but it seemed the moment I shifted my perspective and adjusted accordingly (by leaving earlier than usual, boo!), it physically seemed to get a little easier on the road everyday. At one point, I actually stopped and asked myself if perhaps it was as bad as I originally thought or if the universe physically heard every Angeleno’s cry and removed a few cars off the 405 as the days passed? (I’m not that naive, but a girl can dream.) One point for the old adage of changing your perspective when you can’t change anything else. It works.

(and p.s. I came across an interesting article yesterday sharing just how hard LA traffic hits the average commuter, financially and mentally, so that you know I’m not just being dramatic.)

Though this week also had its stresses of the non-traffic related variety, I’m happy to report I made it through to the other side. Whew! Things are gearing up to be incredibly busy from now until the end of the year. Pray for me!

As such, I’m making my weekends count, but then again, I always do. Outside of finishing my book and my plans at the Bowl; I’m looking forward to seeing Kristen Wiig’s new film, The Skeleton Twins; and I finally hope to sit down, pull out my tools and supplies and just make the necklace I’ve been looking for forever, myself.

Happy weekend! x

Sycamore Kitchen ATG FINAL

{An afternoon stop on a hot summer day at one of my favorite places…}

Sycamore Kitchen Latte ATG FINAL

{…just to grab my 2nd favorite latte (Blu Jam still makes my favorite).}

Verge Sandals ATG FINAL

{My last summer indulgence.}

Fall Arriving Trees ATG FINAL

{Signs that fall is near.}

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Mixtape Monday

It’s Monday. Again. Let’s think happy thoughts, gang!

I got to reminiscing recently about the time I went and saw The Killers to a sold out crowd at the Hollywood Bowl. The warm September night, the Hollywood Sign in the background, and everyone out of their seats the entire show singing loud and proud. It was one of the best concerts I’d ever been to.

So this is my happy Monday thought as we gear up for another work week. I’m spreading the love to you with a curated playlist of my favorite songs by The Killers. Hit play and get to your happy place.


{If you dig it, subscribe to this Spotify playlist here: All That Glitters Mixtape Monday – 2.25.2013}