Happy New Year!!!

What are you all doing this New Years Eve???

Love this

Happy New Year!!!

xoxo

This Week...

• Asher went back to Texas for his last semester. Sad day.
• Got back into my yoga routine. Can you say ouch! 
• Ate a lot of frozen custard and painted my toes
• Bought an antique claw-foot bathtub
• Checked 3 big things off the wedding to do list. Ceremony musicians check, reception musicians check, photographer check. Let's not talk about everything else that is still on that long list of things to do 
• Ate some amazing tacos, I found my caterer!

I feel like there is so much change going on in life right now and if I let my mind wander, it gets to overwhelming to handle, mostly about the uncertainty....Not of my love for Asher or what dress I'm going to wear on our wedding day, unsure of where life will take us in 10 months from now. He might take that job in Alaska. Or maybe that job in Orange County meaning we would be living near the cost that we both love so much and I could become an event planner that I've been working towards. But hopes and dreams aside, we will be married--that's all we know. 

I am slowly learning to embrace the uncertainty and take whatever may come our way and let go of my constant need to know and my perpetual planning, regardless of  careers, states, where we may live or wedding dress, in 10 months our biggest dream will already have come true, with two little words..

I do

it all started with a plane ride...

 August 4th was one of the best days ever, mainly because Asher asked me to spend the rest of my life with him and gave me a beautiful 1920's vintage engagement ring.

Other highlights of our wonderful day

• Asher flew me to a surprise location
• Rode up the Palm Springs tram which I have been dying to do
• Asher lead me on a beautiful hike to a breathtaking veiw
• After the proposal took place {with a hired photographer and all} Asher arranged for some of our most loved ones to meet with us at the restaurant that is at the top of the mountain for dinner

Asher really put so much thought into our day, he is such an amazing man and I can't wait to start our married life together.
 

"there is no greater risk than matrimony.

but there is nothing happier than a happy marriage."

--Benjamin Disraeli,
1870 in a letter to Queen Victoria's daughter Louise,

congratulating her on her engagement.

via the book Committed by Elizabeth Gilbert

My Birthday

Today I am 25 and what better way to celebrate than baking a cake for myself, eating Thai food and being surrounded by people I love. I spotted Benjarong Thia Cuisine in the Inland Empire magazine, with it's rave reviews and fancy pictures we had to give it a try and I must say it was a fabulous birthday dinner.

I've never tried this recipe before but it looked delicious and I must say it's a keeper, despite the recipe being very vague. Definitely a summer cake, I used farmers market peaches that are so sweet that I barley added any sugar to the cooking process for the syrup.  Perfect dessert for an end to a wonderful day.

25 is going to be a great year!!!

Anthro Fashion Passion Update

Today I just got my birthday gift from Anthropologie in the mail, a 15% off the entire purchase coupon!!! This is a good thing because with all that hot yoga I've been doing, my dresses are becoming a bit baggy which is not so cute. Speaking of hot yoga I found a company that makes sweat proof/quick dry clothing for yoga/running/cycling/anything sweat related and I think Lululemon has become a top favorite store for me...we're talking Anthro status here that's how much I love them!

This outfit is about to make it's way to my closet.....

I love this dress, it can be worn so many different ways. Dress it up or down for any occasion and of course you all know I'm a firm believer that every occasion is a dress up occasion. I'm going to dress it up with this belt and shoes...

 Lululemon needs a post of it's own because it's that amazing! 

Here's to Happiness {Beach Style}

Since summer has officially arrived Asher and I have made quite a few trips to the beach, so I thought I would share some of the things that make me terribly happy.

P.S I got this idea from one of my favorite blogs

 

carissa, asher and I

1. Feeling the cool wind on your back

2. Waiting for the lifeguard to leave in the evening 

    so I can sit on top of the shack

3. The smell of bonfires and that salty air

4. The sound of squeaky bicycles on the boardwalk

5. Watching the fog roll in

6. Flip Flop tan lines on your feet

7. All those dancing kites in the Sky

8. Long, long walks along the shore

9. People watching on the pier

10. A cup of hot tea after a long day in the sun

11. Paddle Boarding all afternoon in the harbor

12. Falling asleep to the soothing sound of the waves

The list could go on forever because there's just so much to love about the beach.

My New Obsession....

I will be the first to admit......

I am a girl. 

A very girly girl.

The girly girl who's favorite color is pink and red, 

loves make-up, nail polish and headbands

has a closet full of shoes (you don't need to know the number) 

smelling good is essential,

believes that every occasion is a dress-up occasion,

and did i mention sweating is not cute, for any amount of time.

With that said you probably know that girly girls tend to be crazy and change their minds with no forewarning.

Last week I tried Hot Yoga for the first time ever.

I've had friends tell me to try it and that I would love it...

I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

As I walked into the heated room with my borrowed yoga mat I couldn't help feeling a little intimidated, nervous, petrified, hot and already sweaty.

Needless to say I made it through the class without dying, (even though every inch of my body was sweating including my eyelashes) I couldn't wait to go back because I felt like I did something really good for my body, energized and relaxed.

So.... even if you think you wouldn't like Hot Yoga, you should at least give it a try and if you don't care for it, at least you tried something new.

But you will love it, I speak from experience

Sometimes...

When you look into the camera,

this is what happens.

Texas

Last week I took a trip to see my Asher, finally, this trip got canceled not once but twice. 

We drank lots of frappuccino's since Starbucks was having their happy hour half off deal going on that week, went on adventures in search of cool things for me to take pictures of for my photography class, ate amazing Thia food, took long walks, laughed a lot and oh yeah he flew me to San Antonio!

We didn't get to stay in San Antonio for very long because of the mean lady at the airport that didn't want to let us use the courtesy car but we made the most of it and had a lovely lunch on the Riverwalk at Michelinos Italian Bistro.

 To bad weekends have to come to an end and we have to go back to work or school or whatever. Can't wait for summer time when Asher will be home and we will have a whole month together!

 

Baby Shower Cupcakes

Last weekend I helped my very pregnant friend and her sister make cupcakes for her baby shower. We had loads of fun baking, talking, making blue frosting and toasting coconut, most of it we ate because it is that yummy. 

 These little guys are super cute, time consuming and drove me crazy with their little beaks that looked soooo easy to do, not.  We were so happy with the out come.

Thank you Martha Stewart for the idea!

Nuts for Nutella

Nutella is a downfall for me. I love it's creamy chocolaty unhealthy goodness. With the jar almost empty what better way to finish it off then in a batch of cookies. The recipe has been floating around the house for a couple weeks now but I couldn't bear to empty out the jar. I don't buy it that often because I don't like having it in the house, I have little self-control when I open the jar of happiness and kid myself that it's not that bad if I'm eating it with bananas and strawberries.

So here we go..... 

Chocolate Nutella Cookies
  1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup dutch-process cocoa
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup milk

1. Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and cocoa, set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the butter and sugars. Beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about two minutes. Add the vanilla and hazelnut extract and beat until extracts disappear. Add the Nutella and mix until batter is smooth.

2. Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternately with the milk in one batch, mixing well. Chill dough for at least 15 minutes before baking. You can make the dough a few days in advance, just wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

3. When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Take a tablespoon of cookie dough and roll it into a ball. Place on lined baking sheets and gently press down on the dough ball. Continue making dough balls until the cookie sheets are filled-leave two inches in between cookies.

4. Bake cookies for 10-11 minutes or until soft, but starting to set. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies

Yummmm

Anthro Fashion Passion Update

Here's the latest addition to my summer wardrobe and I might add, the smallest size too!

Hot Day at the Beach in April?

A beach day with Carissa is just what I needed to end a disappointing and depressing week of a much anticipated trip being canceled and work being crazy slow didn't help either. 

Any day at the beach will cure the blues for me but with the high being in the 80's it made for an even more lovely day.

Picnic lunch of  lemonade, grapes and homemade chicken avocado sandwiches :) 

 Carissa had a little to much lemonade and sun, hehehe

Cilantro Dressing = Love

A while back one of the lovely ladies I work with told me her Mom's recipe for cilantro dressing. I've wanted to make it for the longest time but never really had the impulse to make it......until I saw Trader Joe's cilantro dressing and had to try it (of course it was delicious and got my wheels turning to create an amazing salad) I figured the homemade version would be healthier and taste better too. So with that I got out the Vita-Mix and went to town and this is what I came out with.

I'm not going to deny it, I've had this salad three times this week and don't feel bad admitting it at all! I don't have exact measurements for the dressing but it's better that way in my opinion because you can add as much or little of certain flavors that you love.

Laura's Mom's Cilantro Dressing

• 1 Avocado
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• Juice of 2 limes
• 1 clove garlic
• Plain yogurt 
• A splash of olive oil
• Salt & Pepper to taste 

Blend together and enjoy! Shred romaine lettuce, dice tomatoes and onions, add black beans, grated cheese, homemade tortilla strips and chicken for the best salad ever with this dressing.

Time to Share

 This last Wednesday was my last photography class and I finally got feed back on all my pictures projects I had turned in. I was so worried that my professor hated all my pictures and that I failed as a photographer but his opinion was quite the opposite. 

Here are some of the Portraits I took of April and Carissa my very beautiful and cooperative models. 

My last project was a panoramic photo, I was so nervous that I didn't take the pictures correctly and didn't even load the pictures to my computer for a week. To my surprise they turned out really well but I'm my worst critic and figured my professor was gonna say it was to dark or I should have cropped it more or whatever but like I said he LOVED it!!! Hope you like it too!

I'm Addicted to Adele

I heard this song on one of my favorite shows (Parenthood) and I've listened to it about a million times today. I love Adele and I can't wait to go buy her new CD.

 

This Weekend....

I bought my first pair of Toms!!! Super exciting I know. Just basic black but I love them, plus they are the most comfortable shoes ever! I guess I'm officially one of those "cool" people now ;)

It's a feel good kind of shoe not only for my feet but for someone else too :)

Soups...

It's been a soup for dinner kind of week. California has been crazy cold with lots of rain and snow, so what better way to enjoy it with a bowl of soup with a blazing fire :) Mom and I have made a total of three soups this week. Lemon grass soup which wasn't that big of a hit but we were itching to try our hand at it. 17 Bean soup Trader Joe's style, I'm not a fan of bean soup but this was surprisingly yummy and of course it wouldn't be a true rainy week without Mom's chicken noodle soup.

Dog-On-Good

Brezzie is the family dog. Yes she is a small dog and no we never thought we would be one of those irritating dog owners that treat her like she's such a huge part of the family, dress her up (she hates that), talk to her like she understands, sleeps with us and feel so bad when we don't take her with us when we leave the house (she gives us the saddest look) At least we don't own a pram!

She's a crazy little dog with a big personality and we love her.

Anthro Fashion Passion Update (bhldn)

Well, it's finally here. BHLDN is open! I have been anticipating with much excitement for awhile and I must say I was a little disappointed. I really wanted to love everything but I don't. I guess I'm just to picky when it comes to anything wedding. I do love the accessories and shoes. I'm really loving these shoes and gloves!

 

 

I'm not giving up hope that they will someday wow me with some prettier wedding gowns :)

Missing You

This is Asher

He is going to school to be a pilot 

 

 

His school is in Texas and that's far away from California.

I love him and he loves me for me.

I miss him a lot 

Anthro Fashion Passion Update

This is the Gull Wing dress and I like it A LOT! May not look like much from the front but turn around and POW, super adorable.

 

 I know this dress needs to be in my summer wardrobe!

 If I'm lucky maybe it will go on sale?

You Know I Love All Things Wedding

I need this book, that's all there is to it!

Also, did you know Anthropologie is launching a wedding apparel line?!! This is happening on the 14th of this month and yes I'm counting down the days.

Click here to see the beauteousness.

Oh Joy

I've spent the last two Fridays (my day off) with Carissa, who now lives in Huntington Beach (I'm not the least bit jealous)  I love that area so much and now I have even more reason to go down there. 

We like to walk on the pier and feel the breeze in our hair

 Eat delicious Mediterranean food at a family owned luncheonette, while people watching on the outside patio.

Mangiamo Gelato Cafe for dessert of course. Baccio is the best gelato flavor in the whole wide world!

Go shopping at the amazing Forever 21 and our new favorite store Varga. They have the girliest clothes ever at great prices which makes us jump for joy.

Speaking of joy, I made homemade Almond Joy candy bar last night. You can find this recipe here.

Super easy recipe but time consuming, well worth the time though. One bite and you will be in a heavenly lip-smacking state of bliss.