California Coast

Eek! I cannot believe we are heading into June already!
The past few months have been hectic around here with Jaxon's
T-ball games, Maya's dance, award ceremonies,
open houses, and birthdays....on top of craziness at work
and late night home improvement projects! June is even worse
with back-to-back schedules, our calendar is virtually full capacity!
After the kids get out of school, we are in much need of a summer vacation.
This year we are planning a road trip along the California Coast, eventually
ending up in Portland, Oregon. This trip will be about the
journey not just the destination. We cannot wait!

photo via Jetsetter

Have a nice weekend!



  

Wetsuits

Yay! for beach season!
I love the beach, but the Cali ocean is so darn cold!
Hence why I don't get into the water during the winter months.
Yes, I'm a big wimp.
I plan to do more stand-up paddle boarding this summer and
I am loving these wetsuits by Cynthia Rowley.

Quote of the Day

salads

Here are a couple of salads I made recently to accompany our main dishes.
Super easy to make and delicious!

Watermelon salad - watermelon cubes on a bed of arugula and baby spinach leaves,
feta cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette.

Black bean salad - black beans, corn, diced cucumbers, red bell peppers, and tomatoes
with a chili south west style vinaigrette. 

Charming Side Streets

The World Geography ran a cute little article today called "15 Charming Side Streets".
Below were some of my favorites! Its like straight out of a fairytale!

Street in Antibes, France

The Pie Hole

I always wanted to try The Pie Hole since it first opened, but never got the chance to
until last Friday that is! J brought back some for us to try for lunch for an early Mother's Day weekend treat. Gawd! their pies are so so good! Not only do they make sweet pies they do savory too!
If you're ever in the downtown LA area please do try their pies.

photo via The Pie Hole 

Chicken & cornbread pot pie 

Mexican chocolate pie

photo via The Pie Hole

The Pie H

ole | 714 Traction Ave. | Arts District Downtown Los Angeles

Mother's Day Gifts

Jaxon and Maya made me some extraordinary things this Mother's Day.
There's nothing I cherish more than handmade gifts, especially from my children.

Maya's water painting

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

My mama when she was a little girl. Summer in Japan. 

Beautiful Flower Shop

I wish we had a beautiful flower shop near my home! I would probably be there often...
Here's  Margarita se Ilama Mi Amor of Madrid, Spain.

Feeling Purple Accents

Gift topper made with purple water balloons and paper tassels

My wooden object d'art for sale Stumpy with purple handpainted kitty, a gift from my in-laws from Sweden. 

A recent custom order using hand knitted string from Israel. 

Inspiration: A flower discovered on our walk through our neighborhood.

The Table

I was in San Jose, CA with J for one night for business, and we were able to squeeze in a very nice dinner at The Table.We really enjoyed their 'farm to table' concept, with simple yet 'fine dining' quality meals made with locally sourced ingredients. Can you believe they even make their own juices and syrups for their cocktails? Yum! But more than anything, we were really impressed with the warm and friendly service and atmosphere, that made the whole experience very relaxing and special.