not all that tasty

favorite things

via here

Do I dare say that June Gloom has finally left So Cal and we can get on with summer like the rest of the world? Last night on our drive home from a friend's house we took the scenic route along the PCH. My heart sagged as I saw the gorgeous dusk coast line and Santa Monica Pier and thought we're leaving this in 3 weeks for humidity and trees? Summer here is so great! We love California, even the state armpit of Fresno. A few of my favorite Cali summer things:

>> Beach Days
> 75* Weather
>> Palm Trees
> The Pier and all of its magic, ice cream and ferris wheel included
>> Strolls on 3rd St
> Seeing the Hollywood Sign in the distance
>> Sonic Cherry Limeade [I know you can get this anywhere, at any sonic, but its better in California:)]

Things that make us excited for DC summers:

> fireflies
>> fireworks on the Mall
> historical landmarks
>> Screen on the Green - so cool!
> Walking Georgetown
>> making new friends

I guess summer's good everywhere. And that's swell.

new hobby

Yesterday Jared came home to me in the front room, balancing an almost nude Ev on my hip while turning over and emptying out the toy basket. "It's messy in there!" I warned as he made his way to the bedroom. Drawers were left open, blankets were strewn across the floor, a kitchen chair was propped against the wall and a dresser was pulled out from its usual spot. He looked at me with a somewhat frustrated face and I explained to him what I was doing. A photoshoot of course. It kinda reminded of the ending credits in this Modern Family episode. The mess was worth all the glory below, right?

I'm thinking I could get in to this photography thing. Especially since Jared so graciously gifted me with Photoshop CS5 Extended Edition - the cream of the crop! This program is my drug! Unlimited creativity. Now who wants to hire me?

creative genius

Wow, 3 days of posting in a row. So I previously stated I wanted to re-do our bedroom. This time with a white comforter. I found a good deal on this one from WalMart, ordered it, loved it, sold. Now it became my calling to find out how to accessorize this bed. I'm all in to simplicity these days, so I decided I want to back off from the 50 pillows on the bed thing to just 2 giant ones in front of 2 high stacked king pillows. But I couldn't land on a design. I went back and forth from World Market, purchasing different napkins in hopes of making them in to pillows, but none of them did it for me. I wanted to do my room with my favorite mustardy yellow and avoid florals and go earthy yet masculine. That's when I stumbled across these beauties here and here. But I wasn't about to pay $50 each for them. So I got the creative idea to make them myself [at the time I thought this was ingenious, but apparently a friend of mine is also blessed with a creative mind and did this herself, posting her creation literally 2 hours after I finished mine. Great minds think alike!]. With painter's tape [$0.50], foam brush [in my supplies], tole paint [$0.89], and 4 yds of fabric [50% off $2.99/yd] I re-created the very same thing. Yes, the paint bled through some parts of the tape, but I kinda like it.

dad, dad, daddy-o

It was December of 2007 when I placed Jared's senior picture on my best friend's bed and left a note "I'm going to make beautiful children with this man someday." At the time Jared was on his mission in Mexico. I was in my senior year of college and getting ready to leave for London. We hadn't dated since Junior year of high school, yet I just knew he was the man I wanted to mix my genes with. He makes for one great father. Ev has him wrapped around her finger. Happy 1st Fathers Day!

I am also grateful this day for my loving father and for Jared's father who have both been so influential in our lives and have made us the caliber of people we are today. We both scored great dads!

we've got company!

Well, like I said, we had family in town this last week and it was blast. My parents took a little getaway trip to Chicago, so my younger brother and sister came to stay with us for the week. We made sure to keep them busy with LA sightseeing - Griffith observatory, Skirball museum, Hollywood, Getty Villa. We also couldn't pass up the opportunity to introduce them to The Griddle! We bought 6 pancakes for 4 people and we each took home leftovers for the next morning! 

Touring around LA again made me realize how much I am going to miss this busy place.

Tomorrow is Father's Day - Jared's first as a dad. Tomorrow is also the day I stop eating junk like a mad person and get back on my healthy kick. Having company always gets me sidetracked.

I've also been crafty lately. I finished a project over a week ago, but due to above circumstances I've been too lazy to blog about it. But pictures have been taken and perhaps will be the main subject of my next post. I like how it turned out.

four eyes

If her eyes end up going coo coo, i'm fine so long as she can wear cute glasses on those cheeks.

I have a lot to blog about, but we're busy with Ev's aunt and uncle who have been camping out in our front room for the week. We're going to miss family when we leave in 6 weeks.

Oh, and we found a roof to call home in Virginia! So excited!

no dinosaurs

Don't be schemed by the museum fees here in LA. Once a month, they all have a free admissions day, which is when we go and coincidentially 400 elementary schools as well. So this last Tuesday we went to the La Brea Tar pits. We had both been there in our single digit years, and since one of us is now a quarter of a century old, we decided we should go back. I was super disappointed. Did you know that there were NO DINOSAURS TRAPPED IN THE TAR PITS?!? Just a mammoth... and some fossilized plants and shells. Oh, and I guess the latest thing is "project 23." Sounds pretty important, huh? The flyer doesn't tell you what project 23 is and when you get to this one pit that they were excavating, the tar pit lady says "they were digging here, but they left this one for more pressing matters" and so you get all excited thinking maybe it was a t-rex or something. So project 23 is fenced in with caging and tents are suspended with huge crates surrounding the perimeter. Come to find out, I guess they found 4 baby lion cubs or something. Still no dinosaurs.  Wa wa wa waaaa.

Still made for a good day though. Also, this is the second Friday in a row where we have been to Costco. June gloom has really set in around these parts and it is only natural to offset your gloom by filling yourself with samples, pizza and wandering every aisle of that warehouse. And I feel oh so bad about what I'm going to do to you right now, but have you ever had a Costco hand dipped ice cream bar? It's sinful! Hand dipped into the chocolate and rolled in almonds right before your eyes. Oh, it is heavenly! The only thing that makes it better is that it's $1.50! Oh Costco, Costco, where dreams do come true. Try it next time and you will be singing my praises for as long as you live. Or cursing me because of all the fat you've put on, but you won't be able to deny its sweet goodness.

my worst date ever

I was reading my friend's blog this morning and she was talking about the idiot that everyone is talking about these days - Bentley Williams. I have never watched a season of Bachelor/Bachelorette, so I'm not up on all the madness, but I know from everyone's fb posts that apparently this guy is a big jerk. So this morning I was prompted to look this guy up. Little did I know that this Bentley Williams is THE VERY Bentley responsible for MY WORST DATE EVER, if I can even call it a date. Ears far and wide, listen while I tell you the tale of my run-in with this monstrosity.

So Junior year of college my dad's friend, who I had known since childhood, invited me to his in-laws house for dinner. His in-laws had just returned home from being a mission president and it was the friend's idea to hook me up with one of their many RM suitors. So I go over and after meeting me that President says he believes I would be a perfect match for the AP when they were in the field. Enter Bentley Williams. The President says he's a good looking guy, asked for my number and says he'll pass it on.

That next week I receive a call from Bentley. He asked if I could go to lunch the next day. Great, that's settled. So next morning rolls around and I get a call from Bentley saying he's here and for me to come down. Jerkface #1 - didn't come to my door. So I walk down to meet him and he doesn't get out of the car but rolls down the window. He's in the passenger side. Jerkface #2 - doesn't open my door. Why is he on the passenger side? oh, because his FRIEND is driving. We head to Noodles for lunch. By this time I realize that his friend is coming along. Jerkface #3 - I'm the third wheel. Why am I here?? In line, he goes before me and pays for himself. Jerkface #4 - I PAY FOR MY MEAL. At this point I want to burst in to tears. I feel like an idiot. He and his friend chat back and forth and direct their attention to me every now and then. Finally we drive back home and I'm dropped off at the curb. I didn't expect any less at that point. I guess I wasn't pretty enough.

have you tried the xbox kinect?

It's probably the easiest way to make fun of someone.

And also the easiest way to feel violated. If you have issues with the TSA's new body scanners, you definitely should be raising your flailing arms at XBOX for its body sensors. It p icks up every line and curve of your body. Kinda awkward, seriously so fun. If you're looking for something to do, just make your way to a local Fry's and dance your heart out in their trial zone.

I've started writing articles for hubpages in a effort to make some type of cash while I'm at home. It's going to be a slow start, I realize, but it's worth a shot. Here are some that I've written on dining out and photo editing. I'm thinking of writing up tutorials on making blog banners and buttons. What you would want to be informed about? I can write on anything my heart desires.

...it's friday night, and the mood is right...

I would like to thank those who suggested I get on pinterest. I have successfully found yet another way to waste my life away and remind myself that there a gabillion more things in the world that I WANT and DONT NEED. My to-make list is now probably longer than Santa Claus' naughty roll. Why does pinterest have to be so awesommmmmmme?!?

It's 5 o'clock on a Friday night. I remember when Friday nights used to mean something. In Elementary School it meant TGIF - Full House, Family Matters, Step by Step and most importantly BOY MEETS WORLD! Oh, what I wouldn't give for those days. Fastforward 15 years and Friday nights meant jeans, heels and flirty top and hopefully some smack-a-roos from JO. Since being married Friday nights = redbox, but after baby + husband having a weekend job = lights out at 10pm for me. Quite an evolution. I guess I'll fill in my time by make a Target run :)

oh, and yes, lest we forget that someone MIGHT be teething over here, or just extremely irritable, here's proof.

designer funk

Everytime I walk in to our bedroom I think "What the bananas were you thinking when you picked out that bedset 3 years ago?!?" Seriously, who consciously decides to pair chocolate brown, red and black together? It is horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE for so many reasons but mostly because it soaks up all the sunlight, making our room feel like a hibernating bat cave. So without the husband's most gracious blessing, I have taken it upon myself to bring some life back in to the room.

For me, my bedroom is my haven. I will always choose to comfortably rest my cross-legged self on my bed while sinking in to the pillows rather than the structured-ness of a couch to read a book [husband's favorite reading post]. I spend a majority of my time nursing in bed and I just like my room, k peeps? So I want it to be visually gratifying for me. Hence the desire to make it over BEFORE we move so when we settle in our new place I won't be carrying along with me my cave.

Some inspirations:

Can you tell my color loves? How bout let's mix it up with some gray tones, mustard yellow and whitey white? I LOVE LOVE LOVE white. Totally opposite of what I have now. It feels so refreshing, open and inviting. Most of all, it's SIMPLE! I am all about simplicity right now. The question is, is white practical for a family? With the frequency we now lay Evelyn on our bed and her frequency of spit ups = stained bedspread. Is it possible to have a white bedset without it getting stained by children? Let us hope so because I can't shake the alabaster craze out of my creative genius!

**Don't know where images came from exactly, but mostly from here, here and here... I think.