bday dinner for my mom!

at Louise's Trattoria in Old Town, Pasadena on 2/7. my parents are cute. it's their 28th wedding anniversary today. (and i think my hubby and i are pretty cute, too)

























Louise's Trattoria in Old Town, Pasadena

i feel bad

i feel bad, i did nothing to honor v-day/my man. this is after going so far as to ask him to get me a card, and request a v-day brunch on our way to AZ (that was our scheduled day to depart for 5 days in tuscon). However, the day before v-day i came down with a monstrous flu, and on the morning of v-day, i read an amazing, amazing card that he gave me, literally while i had a thermometer in my mouth. classy. anyway, our trip got postponed, but we left the following day, and spent 4 days down there. i'll post photos soon. and hopefully i'll get that vday card to my man eventually. better late than never, right? (oh, he doesn't care about a card, who am i kidding?? i'll make him dinner instead)
(image via a cup of jo)

currently gazing at...

this swimsuit!!! via Bliss

can you spy the cute kid? how hilarious is that??
also, i love the idea of a big ol' chalkboard wall in a kid's room.
seen on a merry mishap.

day 7!!

no cheeeeese!!!!!!
(i did have tzaziki the other night at Raffi's-a new fave-but i'm choosing not to feel guilty for it)

currently geeking over....

....these heels...don't they scream Spring??
seen on Bliss

a restaurant review

Colori Kitchen! it's the ultimate. i finally made it there after years of great things being said by close friends. we double-dated with e&p. E is vegan and i love that she has quite a few super yummy options to choose from at this italian spot, as opposed to just a limp pasta primavera.
they serve this 'dip' of sorts with your bread, i think it's actually mashed potato among other things. a bit 'much' to have a carb on top of a carb, but i commend them for it being unique. 3 of us got specials-mine was creamy and cheesy and beyond indulgent---a fabulous, fabulous meal, but the kind that leads one to reconsider their diet all together! wink. (next time, i'll order something vegan)
colori kitchen is located in the heart of downtown la, a building away from the golden gopher. parking beneath all the high rises is always fun.
ok, last perk about this spot, and it's a good one: no corkage fee for one bottle per 2 people! que rico!!

holy health....

my, what a healthy week i've been having. i would have NEVER thought that i could even go one day without cheese, but it's been 4 days now without any dairy of any sort (save for some parmesan in a pesto sauce, whoops)
i want to compile a more complete post on what inspired me, what's keeping me going, what i'm eating, ways in which i'm trying to be more active.
for now, i simply wanted to write because i'm so happy. my energy is pretty much through the roof compared to what it used to be like. my ultimate goal, that which i've pretty much stuck to in these 4 days, is no sugar, and no processed foods. and fruit fruit, veggies, water, and fruit.
it takes a ton of effort and a ton of planning. yet it's so rewarding.
and we'll see how sore i am tomorrow, after tonight's pilates class!
yay 2011!!

game night!!

game night! this is fast becoming on of our fave ways to spend an evening. munching, drinking, laughing our heads off with friends. this was from a few weeks ago at E&P's great spot (i've been lazy about uploading photos) That was my 1st time playing apples to apples (wait, 2nd time) It's pretty great. and of course i must mention how amazing e's pup Stella is. the cutest of the cute. a true cuddle bug.

have you seen anything cuter in your entire life?
i doubt that i have.
except maybe a piglet. baby pigs take the cake.
here's the source. her blog is beautiful-congrats to the new mom.

currently shouting out!

hey miss b, thank you for always commenting on my blog, and encouraging me to maybe just maybe keep my hair long & thick so i can continue wearing it high & haphazardly, such as this girl
(been doing this hairstyle to the max)

i. want. that. dress. (not to mention her skin, purse, and hair)
ok, thanks!
via....(click!)

currently resisting....

gelatin & white sugar, you both are the devil, and represent everything that is evil and addictive. i'm giving you up!!! but damn, i used to love a good lemon bar.
(update: i wrote this post a few days ago and saved it until now. no luck yet with giving up white sugar. wish me luck)
(source)

all these outfits, i want. loose, mature yet still relaxed, solid. they're especially tantalizing with this spring-like weather we've been having in LA. See more at: Bliss

fave

husband & i just finished watching Cyrus. Well, i finished it and he was asleep 3/4 of the way through. he stopped by our video store on his way home from work, Videoteque, a spot in south pasadena with countless amazing films to choose from. i had requested Somewhere by ms. sofia but as i feared it hasn't been released on dvd yet (yes, i'm a bad fan who didn't see it in the theatre)
So husband brings home cyrus and i nod and smile and continue making caesar salad w/shrimp and parmesan crisps (ohhhhmygoodness) and then we sit down to the flick with a bottle of wine and before i know it i. am. in. love. i LOVED the film. i want to own it. it really impressed me and won my heart. i guess it's because i wasn't expecting much of anything (too much hype can lead to real disappointment-hi social network) other than an awkward mother-son relationship, but it's so much more. it's phenomenal acting, beginning with john c. hammering it out to the 80's while drunk at a party, singing & dancing in a way that i would with my girlfriends. it includes scenes from silverlake, beautiful homes, phenomenal acting, marisa tomei(!) (always been an idol of mine since my cousin vinny, gotta say) plus it deals very candidly with an issue that so many people face today in the event of divorce and new love. not to mention: scenes filmed at my work!!! the boddy house at descanso gardens! that was the location for catherine keener's wedding-i literally bolted from my seat when they panned to it. i wish i had worked there during the filming. i had no idea.
anyway, this film now holds a true place in my heart, i loved it and when my husband wakes up (he's snoring) i'll tell him so.
g'night!!!

currently obsessed with...gems & minerals

now, i know the photo quality is pretty crummy, but i don't care, i wanted to post these photos anyway because they were taken on a special night, with special people, and there was a special vibe, and what else do you need to know, when recognizing that gems are PHENOMENAL. i can't wait to go back to the natural history museum and spend hours staring at all these beauties. we were so taken-a-back upon stepping into the gallery (this was during first fridays, see a few posts down). we couldn't stop drooling, and shouting to each other 'hey! have you SEEN this one??' 'come here!!')
many pieces were donations from individuals whom i can imagine have the largest wallets in the world. i can't imagine owning such a piece, let alone being the person who discovered them.
i mean, really, how is it possible that such a thing exists naturally in our earth??

The Sartorialist Part 2

how come no one told me that the current trend is to have exposed, boldly stated socks peeking from above your cute shoes and below your pants/skirt?! i'm LOVING it! very winter-appropriate, very tongue-in-cheek, very fun. (the sartorialist)

currently craving...

edamame spread, snagged from a merry mishap. no formal recipe, just notes: sautee olive oil, garlic, and the beans until toasted, then dump into a food processor and voila! i looove dips so i have to remember this idea. why, though, am i so turned off by recipes which require a food processor? it's the cleaning of the machine afterwards that just irritates me. i used to be all cool and make my own pesto, that's probably the first thing i taught myself to make as a teen, and it's fun because my (typically picky) dad likes it! but what did i find myself doing over the holidays, to add to shrimp + quinoa? i bought a fresh container of ready-to-go pesto. ugh, i shouldn't have admitted that. hopefully miss merry mishap's concoction will inspire me enough to actually make this dip instead of buy my pre-existing fave, edamame hummus
(though, there's always the great soy debate, and i do purposely try not to do soy overload...but that's a whole other story)

pretty, green, refreshing, via black, white, yellow.

current crush: my husband

these handsome devils all remind me of my over-the-top handsomely devil husband. he could totally pull off each of these outfits (i believe, not only could, but would) and look fab. he's got the best style. better than i do. the clothing items that he's bought for me are the ones i get the most compliments on. interesting, no? i guess it's true what they say, opposites do attract ;) (since he dresses fresh and has that great balance of comfy but pulled together, and always appropriate) (whereas i can be known to dress a bit frumpy, comfy, premature, cutesy-not that there's anything wrong with that, i'm just sayin')
photo credit: The Sartorialist, duh.

currently digging....

....the color of these walls, especially paired with: sunlight, those curtains, the white, the red, and the floors. seen on ali loves curtis-they're one cute fam...

tgif!

happy friday! though, when weekends roll around, they don't mean much to me since i work sats & suns, there is indeed something festive in the air once friday afternoon rolls around (today, i was lucky and had the day off so i've felt festive all day!). that said, happy friday, and i hope everyone has fun plans over the next few days. 
tonight, hubby and i will catch a quick happy hour somewhere and then pick up my grandma to see The King's Speech, which i've heard is quite fab....

currently mega-inspired by...

What Made You Happy Today?
what a genius idea for a blog. my new fave. she, (mandy, australia), spots folks on the street, asks to snap their photo and provide a line describing what it was that made them happy that day. she then presents a simple post about it. you can also write in and get posted that way. i love it. you should check it out. it's ideas like these that help remind us that sometimes it's the little things in life that make us happy, and no matter what other crummy things may be occurring in your life, there's always gotta be a sliver of joy in there somewhere...