Friday, September 30, 2011

friday finds

fabulous finds from the week!
some photo inspriation, some diy projects i want to try and wish list additions...
i just started using pinterest this week
and im obsessed!
look for me for tons more photos that i love and have "pinned"
from my photo inspiration folder via my desktop
paris in the rain via here
crate shelving via here
mason jar chandelier via here

photo inspiration via here
vintage book shelving via here



whole wheat french toast with dried blueberries and yellow peaches

happiest friday to you!
i have been the worst blogger this week... maybe for the past few, actually!
changed routines, new position at work, and planning a trip to europe are to blame
but im here on this beautiful friday to give you french toast!
so i hope all will be forgiven ;)

it is the last day of september...
67° and not a cloud in the sky
what more can i ask for?

this morning taylor and i enjoyed whole wheat french toast
with dried blueberries and yellow peaches
and ooooh-eeee it was yummmmeeee!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

sunday in venice

what beautiful weather we've been getting lately
i am in love with socal's beginning of fall weather

sunday, taylor and i were on our feet all day long
we woke up early and went to the gym
walked around the farmers market
walked all around the abbot kinney festival in venice
and you better believe molly was right there with us
 we were pooped by the time we got home

so, we relaxed some and decided to make a mushroom pizza
with all the produce we got from the farmers market
(pictures to come)
and ended the night with a few glasses of wine and a game of poker
it was a great end to the weekend
and molly got to try out long-boarding!

Friday, September 23, 2011

peach-banana cream waffles

happy friday my dear friends
and hello to you fall!

its been a few weeks since taylor and i have had a waffle wednesday
i found this great class wednesday mornings at the gym
so i've traded in waffles for working out
(i know, so lame...)

so today i decided waffles were in order
1) because we miss them
2) in celebration for the first official day of fall

since peaches are in season i decided on peach waffles and threw on some 
whipped cream and bananas

happy weekend!


Tuesday, September 20, 2011

harry potter marathon

taylor and i have been on a harry potter kick the past few weeks
we decided to watch all seven films from start to finish
and 16 hours or so of harry potter later, 
the conversations around the house have been with english accents
and sound a lot like this

what do you think your patronus would be?
pottah! you didn't clean the dishes!
do you think dumbledore is really dead?

along with conversation about our different theories

last night we had a weekday date to see the final "harry potter and the deathly hallows part 2"
we were like little kids, whispering to each other throughout the movie and nudging one another
every time something exciting happened
on the car ride home we played 21 questions and talked about things we thought were cool, confusing, etc.

i'm sad that our harry potter nights have come to an end
but we are total potter geeks now
so the story lives on!

expelliarmus!


compostable

taylor and i are excited for our newest home addition
an indoor composter!

we've been grumbling over all the yard waste we'd been throwing away

banana peels, peach pits, orange peels, egg shells, asparagus stems, steak/chicken fat, onion skins, coffee grinds, fallen leaves...

so, taylor did some research and bought us 3 bags of bokashi
and the indoor compost container

 taylor gave me a lesson on how and what to compost
and we've been composting away the past few days
(i'm getting so good at it!)
its amazing to see how empty our regular trash can is and how full our compost and recycling bins are





Sunday, September 18, 2011

the bridesmaid proposal

friday night seven of us girls  gathered for a lovely lady date,
hosted by my dear friend rachel

she cooked us up a mexican feast (all gluten-free, because she's gluten free)
 and boy did we induldge!

just before dinner was served, rachel surprised us
with small gift bags and proposed,
asking us 6 girls if we'd be her braidesmaids
we cried, we laughed, we did the...
"oh my gosh we're so old"
we were all giddy on wedding plans, dresses, bachelorette parties
but overall, we were happy to celebrate our closest friend
rachel and her fiance, nate.

rachel is my oldest friend
our moms were friends long before we were born
she was the only house i'd sleep at as a kid
my first best friend,
but more than that, she's like the sister i never had...
i am honored to share this beautiful time in rachel's life
and to add this to our long list of stories to tell
most of all, i look forward for all that is to come for her, for all of us, for life!

Friday, September 16, 2011

maple peach french toast

happiest friday to you

its a gloomy, cloudy one out there
but i love it

makes my morning coffee taste that much better
my bed that much cozier
my sweaters that much warmer
and french toast that much yummier

this morning...
french toast with yellow peaches sauteed in maple syrup

only 5 days until the official start of fall!
i can't wait for pumpkin flavored everything!



Thursday, September 15, 2011

next weeks dinner menu

perhaps i'm being a little over ambitious
but next week i plan to make healthy dinners with taylor
i have so many recipes flagged from blogs that i follow
and i think its about time i try some out!

so to get a head start, here is a peak at next weeks menu

monday:
quinoa salad with papaya and avocado
tuesday:
fresh tomato and arugula bagel pizzas

wednesday:
roasted tomato and caramelized onion farro salad
thursday:
grilled indian-spiced chicken with tomato-yogurt sauce

friday:
well, friday we usually go out for a dinner date after work...
but if not,
coconut curried fried rice

i'll be proud if we get do at least 3!
stay tuned to see how i do...


Wednesday, September 14, 2011

living with an architect

sunday night i went to my girls only book club
so taylor had the night alone

when living with an architect/furniture designer
heres a sneak peak of what i often come home to

the smell of scotch, rolls of tracing paper, makers, paint, hammers, wood catalogues,
electric drills, drill bits, pens, pencils, sketch books, x-acto knives, scissors
(too name a few)
all scattered across the kitchen table, and trickling into the bedroom
sometimes i swear he's gone mad!

but i love his drawings and hang them up on the walls as artwork




Tuesday, September 13, 2011

my morning cup of joe

good morning!

i was spending so much money on coffee, i figured it was about time i make my own.
it takes me about 10 mins to make a cup, but it well worth it and its the best cup of joe i've had!

i bought a magic bullet to grind my coffee beans, a stove-top espresso maker,
and to go along, i bought "c" and "t" mugs from anthropolgie
unfortunately, the "t" mug came in pink, so taylor drinks from "c" and i drink from "t"...

i bought "tessa rosa" coffee beans from my favorite coffee shop, caffe luxxe.
the owner taught me a few things about coffee that i found interesting, so i thought i'd share...

the best way to enjoy fresh coffee is to brew freshly ground beans.
coffee grinds oxidize much like an avocado,
so if you buy a bag of already ground coffee it can taste stale
so there is my little fun fact about coffee

how i make my coffee:
i [finely] grind about 2 tablespoons of beans in my magic bullet
i then add it to my stove-top espresso maker, making sure to use filtered water for the best taste
while the coffee is brewing, i heat up about 1/2 a cup of soy milk over the stove
just before it starts to boil, i throw it onto my magic bullet and it creates the best froth
once my coffe is made, i pour it into a cup
then pour my hot, frothy soy milk
and sprinkle cinnamon on top
(i put cinnamon on almost everything)

happy tuesday!


Monday, September 5, 2011

lasting days of summer

i hope everyone enjoyed the beautiful, long weekend
my hat goes off to you, ms. summer
for another amazing one

i spent the lasting days resting around the house
bbq hopping
and spending a lovely saturday, evening with my good friend, april
in celebration of her 24th birthday

we gathered at dockweiler in manhattan beach
to enjoy the sun, food, friendship, some soccer, and the good ol' fire pit
 
 
unfortunately taylor had a bad cold this weekend
and i was fighting it (strong and hard... and won... i hope)
so we had to skip out early

but we still came home with dirty feet and smokey clothes
...as we should!



Friday, September 2, 2011

home sick


hey there
and happy friday

today we didnt have french toast in the morning
taylor is sick and wasn't up for 'em
so instead, i made him a smoothie loaded with vitamin c and antioxidants
a handful of vitamins (echinacea, vitamin c, multivitamin and vitamin b)
 and made a comfy spot for him on the couch
with his favorite readings, cartoons and molly

heres to a quick recovery 
happy labor day weekend everyone!