We’re heading home for Anthony’s little bro’s wedding this weekend. I can’t wait to see my family. I feel like it’s been ages since I’ve seen them, when in reality, it’s only been a month. I decided the best way to kick off the trip was with a couple cupcakes from Crumbs. I picked up a strawberry lemonade cupcake for myself and cookies and cream for Anthony. I’ve been waiting all day for the moment when I can curl up on the couch and devour this sweet beast. Chow!
On the second Saturday of each month the famous Rose Bowl Flea Market takes place. I’d never been but always wanted to go. It seemed like each time it rolled around I was out of town or had already made plans, but this time around I made sure to mark it in my calendar. Matt and I drove to Pasadena early in the morning so we could get in before the huge crowds formed. We browsed through countless racks of clothes, relished at vintage home goods and when we felt like we needed a break, we found some shade to enjoy lemonade under. If you like to people watch this flea market is the perfect place to do so. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen so many different styles in one place! Also, I’m always amazed at the never ending supply of denim cutoffs at flea markets out here. I’m talking rows and mounds of them, everywhere!
Living in LA has it’s perks. One of them being the abundance of outdoor movie series. Every Saturday, all summer long, cult classics are projected onto walls and inflatable screens, food trucks line up and people lounge on blankets eagerly anticipating the sun’s setting. A few weekends ago we met up with friends to watch American Psycho at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. It was our first time going so I didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t come prepared. Like total rookies we came with just a couple measly blankets. Little did we know, people have setups that look like they came straight from a Pottery Barn catalog. I’m talking chairs, tables, giant lounge pillows, wine and cheese platters… It’s impressive to say the least! This weekend I joined friends Mike and Deena in Pasadena to watch Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. We staked out our spot, listened to the local bands then grabbed some lobster rolls & whoopie pies. When the sun set we bundled up in our blankets and snacked from a grocery bag full of Mike’s famous kettle corn (it’s the perfect mix of salty and sweet!). It was such a blast. I can’t wait to do it again!
Also, how adorable are those two? Every time I’m with them I leave with a sore jaw from laughing so much. They are a riot. Mike and Deena have the funniest stories from their adventures in parenting/birthing classes. They’re expecting baby boy later this month. I can’t wait!!
When we moved into the corner unit we realized that the two tone paint job in our last loft was no fluke. The guys who paint each loft only paint halfway up the wall. The worst part is they don’t even try to match the colors. That’s not how we roll. Many years ago, when Anthony and I were in college, we turned over apartments. When kids moved out, Anthony and I would go in and give the apartment a fresh coat of paint and deep clean the space.. Lord knows they needed it! Needless to say, we’ve been doing our own painting for many years. I couldn’t fathom paying someone to do a job we could do, but with 18 ft. ceilings and none of our supplies out here with us, doing it ourselves wasn’t really an option. I did some research, got a couple estimates and eventually found a painter who was willing to work with me for a reasonable price. The best part about hiring a professional painting crew is that they are so quick! A task that would have taken us days only took the crew eight hours. I hate to admit it, but it was kind of nice not having to do it myself this time around. For the right prices, sometimes it just makes more since to have someone do it for you.
Before I left for CA I got to spend an afternoon hanging with my mom. She took me to her favorite little vintage shop down on the square, where she bought me the most incredible dress. We call it my “California dress” as it has amazing western details including some very 1970’s macramé. She also treated me to some ice cream at Emery’s. Mom ordered a scoop of the blackberry cobbler ice cream. It tasted just like blackberry cobbler. With so many options to choose from I was having a hard time making up my mind, so the friendly man behind the counter suggested I try the Big Boston Cooler, which is ginger ale blended with vanilla ice cream. It was surprisingly light and really refreshing. We sat for a while talking with the ice cream man and learning about Emery’s history. I browsed through the rows of nostalgic candies, taffy for days and the cute, retro artifacts. It was one of those afternoons you hope you remember for years to come. Thanks again ma!
We spent the start of the week in Monterey. Anthony signed up for a two-day track day at Leguna Seca Raceway months ago. I’ve been to my fair share of track days, so I knew I wouldn’t be missing out on much if I didn’t go. Instead, Diego and I spent the majority of Monday snuggled up in our king size bed back at the hotel watching bizarre cartoons on cartoon network and the movie The Family Stone. In the afternoon I walked over to a neighboring restaurant called Lalla Grill where I enjoyed a cuban (I can’t get enough cuban sandwiches lately) and some firecracker fries ( garlic, chipotle chili powder & cilantro). I came across that vertical herb garden on my walk back to the hotel. Hello edible art work!
In the evening we met up with the track gang and enjoyed some seafood down at the Old Fisherman’s Wharf. The thing I love most about Monterey is that its one of those towns you visit once and quickly realize you could live the rest of your life there and be completely content.
See more from our time in Monterey here.
With countless nights of tossing and turning and ear plug wearing under our belt, tonight we’ll rest easy in a new loft. We decided to go with a corner unit with lots of windows and loads of character. Last night our friend Matt helped us move the big furniture items and today Anthony and I brought the rest of it over.
We’re having fun playing around with the layout of this space. We decided we’re going to forgo owning a television. We went two weeks without one and quite liked it, plus it gives us more freedom in the way we arrange furniture.
I’m eager to get settled in and finally be able to entertain friends and family in this new little home of ours.
Anthony and I decided that when we moved to CA we would start eating differently. We don’t eat horribly, but like most people, we could certainly eat healthier. Anthony’s a very picky vegetarian, so creating meals for the two of us each day would drain me. I would search recipes and spend way too much time making lackluster meals. Poor Anthony would have to eat some slight variation of a tuna sandwich every day for lunch and pasta for dinner, like, every night. That gets very old, quick!
When Anthony found the website, Eat This Much, I felt like all my food prayers had been answered. The site plans meals for you weekly and sends you a grocery list with each recipe based off your specifications. You can choose from certain diets as well omit any foods you don’t enjoy. We have ours set to feed two people, three meals a day. Our only stipulation is that lunch must travel well and be easily reheated since Anthony eats at the office. You can also set the program to include leftovers. It’s kind of genius! It takes all the planning out of cooking. We’ve been using Eat This Much for a week now and we are very happy with it. All the foods are so simple and tasty. I told Anthony the other day, “I don’t think I’ve ever eaten such a variety of food, ever!”
A typical day of meals looks something like this:
Yogurt with fruit and granola for breakfast
Avocado white bean wrap for lunch
California grilled veggie sandwich with aioli and yam fries for dinner
That veggie sandwich is one of my faves! I never would have thought to make something as simple as that, but it tasted so good! I really can’t recommended this program enough!
Last night we went to an insider’s gala to preview the Modernica Factory Sale, which is a once a year kind-of-a-big-deal sorta thing. People come from all around the country to get their greedy, mid-century loving mitts on furniture priced 20-70% off. We had planned to wait in line with everyone else on Saturday, but then we got an email saying that because we subscribe to their mailing list we can bypass the line and check out the sale early. Sure, why not.
I’m so glad we went early, because no furniture is worth waiting in line for, even if it is drastically marked down. Don’t think that means we came home empty handed. In fact, we came home with a Case Study storage unit that we thought would fit in our bathroom. We were pretty thrilled with our purchase until we got it home and realized that our guesstimate of the amount of space between the toilet and sink was totally off. Rookie mistake, but lucky for us we have plenty of walls that need filled.
The really cool thing about being at Modernica’s factory was to see how the fiberglass shell chairs are made. This year, attendees were treated to a first-hand look at the production of the chairs. They use the original machinery that the first Eames shells were produced from back in the 1950s. That means our vintage chairs were made in those very machines! Pretty neat.
How cute is this cookie?! Our new friend Jillian, who is the manager at Maxwell Dog, gave us this thoughtful gift for Diego as a “Welcome to Los Angeles” treat. I thought it was too sweet not to share with you.
Things have been a tad bit more hectic than expected around here. Four hours before our arrival in Los Angeles we learned that we had been misinformed about the price of our loft. We didn’t really have any other option than to just go with it. Around 11pm on our first night we realized our neighbors record live music. Come to find out, the guitar player for Marilyn Manson, Twiggy, was next door doing his thing.. over and over again. Our neighbors are social media strategists by day and an industrial rock band come night. After much discussion and agonizing on my part, we decided to move to a different unit. We’ll be moving in a couple weeks once the other space comes available. The unit we’ll be moving in to was last used to film a reality show. Only in LA…
We made it to California last night! We stopped in a little town just passed the border in Needles, CA. Our drive into Los Angeles should be a breeze this morning (finger’s crossed). We’re still amazed at how quickly this trip has flown by. Yesterday we drove through New Mexico and all the way through Arizona. I insisted we stop at a trading post in Arizona. We looked at petrified wood and bought some baby moccasins for a friend while at Geronimo.
I imagine today will be pretty hectic with the move-in and all, but I’ll be sure to take photos and update as soon as I can. xx
We logged a lot of road time today. We started in Oklahoma, drove through Texas and ended the day in Albuquerque. It’s interesting to see the terrain change as you drive through each state. We saw some gusty winds stir up some major dust, rows of wind turbines and possibly the greatest public restroom signs in Oklahoma!
And so our journey west begins! We started around 9am yesterday morning. By 10:30am we were bored out of our minds and oh so sleepy! We stopped for an early lunch at a retro McDonald’s in Illinois. We sat at a picnic table outside sharing our fries with Diego. Speaking of the dog child… Diego has done very well on this trip. Luckily sleeping all day while curled up into a small ball is pretty much the norm for him. Every once in a while he’ll pop up from his little place on the floor to smell the cow patties through the air vents. It’s pretty cute!
We decided this time around that each night we would treat ourselves to a comfortable nights stay in a hotel instead of an icky motel. Last night we stayed at a Hampton Inn near Tulsa. We got upgraded to a suite which was unexpected but great. Diego got to sleep on his own convertible couch, which he loved.. He’s still sprawled out on the bed as I type.
I’ll be sure to update more from the road, but for now there’s a free continental breakfast screaming my name! xx
