good eats + photo dump

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Kel

I love randomly taking photos when I’m out and about. Mostly of my food. I’m weird like that. But then I end up with all these photos that I don’t know what to do with. So they’re going here on my blog…

When I traveled to San Francisco for work back in May, I took the opportunity to order room service at my hotel. It was a Kobe beef burger and fries from the hotel’s restaurant, Grand Cafe. There’s something about room service that makes me feel so indulgent.

Since BFF’s wedding was up in Santa Monica, Rob & I decided to take a few extra days off from work and stay in the area. We’ve been wanting to check out Umami Burger (saw a feature about it on the Food Network)… so we did! AND IT WAS SO YUM. We went with some friends so we got to sample the Umami, Manly, and SoCal burgers. My favorite was the SoCal. It had some sort of spread or dressing that was DELICIOUS. Guh. I want to go baaaack.

For brunch, my LA expert (Carms) recommended Huckleberry. We tried the fried egg sandwich and the Niman Ranch brisket hash. So good! Seriously, I think I need to plan a staycation/foodie weekend in LA someday.

The last foodie-ish thing we did in Santa Monica was go to Happy Hour at a bar (the name of it escapes me) that serves chicken and waffle SLIDERS. Sadly, they were average at best but I’ve never seen them in slider form before so they get points for that I guess.

Rob & I are food truck fans. We’re also fans of hot dogs with Japanese toppings like the ones we had at Japadog in Vancouver. So when we heard about Dogzilla, a food truck with similar hot dogs roaming around Orange County, we decided to check it out. Luckily there was a stop in Irvine a few weeks back and off we went. The BEST part is that it was at an elementary school open house. LOLARIOUS. And no, we were not the only people there without kids. Heh. All that said, it was AMAZING.

On Memorial Day, we had some friends over for a little barbecue. Hot links and sliders, oh my!

Last week we went to see The Hangover 2 (not as funny as the first) and before the movie we stopped at Bruxie in Old Towne Orange to try their waffle sandwiches. I wanted to save room for movie popcorn so we split a chicken and waffle sandwich (can you tell we really like chicken and waffles?!). SO GOOD. Only bad thing is that they don’t offer gravy. What’s that about?

So to temper all these foodie pics, Diesel wants to show you all his haircut. Above is before when he was all shaggy.

And here he is after!

I think that’s enough pictures for now. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

BFF’s wedding

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Kel

My BFF Robyn’s wedding was this past weekend in Santa Monica. I have known her since we were 6. !!! That’s almost 25 years. CRAZY! (Also, we’re old, heh).

It was an absolutely wonderful day — from the gorgeous ceremony to the super fun reception.

I was so honored to be a part of the wedding. Too bad I was a crying mess! I cried 3 different times — as Robyn walked down the aisle, when I practiced the toast during the break after the ceremony (WTF!), and of course during said toast. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. LOL.

I <3 you R + R! Congrats! May you live happily ever after!

may update

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Kel

It’s been awhile (again). Random blogging in list form because it’s easier…

1. Last Friday I stayed up until about 3:30am watching Royal Wedding coverage. Hee. I managed to stay awake long enough to watch all the arrivals – Princes William & Harry (*swoon*) & Kate (awww, she looked so beautiful). I ended up recording CNN’s coverage of the ceremony and carriage procession and watched it a few days later. LOVED IT. Total Royal fangirl here. I adored the pomp and circumstance of it all. And I especially loved catching the small glimpses into William & Kate’s relationship. From their whispers at the altar to their extra kiss on the balcony — they looked so happy and in love!

Anyway, maybe it’s just me but who else thinks it’s awesome that the British Monarchy has their own Flickr?

2. Spent the rest of the weekend in Palm Springs at my best friend Robyn’s bachelorette weekend. Had a wonderfully relaxing time in the sun reading.

3. I’ve been itching to watch a movie. I don’t really know why. I definitely want to see Thor in the theatre. Also intrigued by Fast & Furious Five, Scream 4, and Something Borrowed. Random, I know.

4. Rob was in Minneapolis last week at Target’s corporate office for work. And he came home with a mini shopping cart and a Bullseye collection. We’re not keeping them all, LOL.

5. Lakers

Happy Cinco de Mayo Everyone!

happy things, spring edition

Posted on April 25, 2011 by Kel

It’s about time for a Happy Things entry! Spring Edition this time.

1. An unexpected Friday off… giving me an awesome 3-day Easter weekend. To make it PC, my company officially called it a special “Spring Friday.” So awesome!

2. Making chocolate chip cookies for a friend’s barbecue. Rob & I have most of the ingredients on-hand so we make these whenever there’s an opportunity. No pictures because we ate them all. Hee.

3. Darren Criss. He plays Blaine on Glee. I completely realize that sometimes he is absolutely shoe-horned into episodes but I adore him so I just don’t care. (Hey, at least I admit it!). Anyway, he’s been doing talk show appearances recently (probably to promote the new Warblers album) and I’ve really enjoyed catching his performances and interviews. He’s not so great live… but whatevs.

4. Spring flowers, especially ranunculus and daffodils.

5. Food trucks at our local Farmers’ Market. It’s actually less of a Farmers’ Market and more of a mini-food truck meet-up. That’s ok with us, though. We pick up our fruit then grab lunch before heading home. This past weekend we indulged in various tacos and chimichurri fries. YUM.

Now, if only the weather around here would fully commit to Spring, then I’d definitely be a happy camper.

Hope everyone is doing well!

diesel’s 4th birthday

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Kel

Damn. Where did April go?!

It’s been a little crazy here lately. Rob was traveling the first 2 weeks of the month then I was in San Francisco last week for 4 days. I’m so happy that both of us are finally home together this week. Except that I have a ton of laundry and cleaning to do around the house. UGH.

Anyway, we celebrated a big milestone this month — Diesel’s birthday! We got him a carob cupcake treat that he devoured.

I can’t believe he’s already 4! My little doggie is growing up. *sniff*

weekend recap

Posted on March 27, 2011 by Kel

Had a really mellow weekend. I took some random snaps so thought I’d post them here…

Wicked on Friday! (I know you hate it, Ricardo. ) I loved it but overall I don’t think the singing voices of this touring cast (save for David Nathan Perlow as Fiyero) are as strong as the LA cast I saw a few years back at the Pantages. That’s ok, though. I totally have the original Broadway soundtrack on repeat right now anyway.

Rob got really sick on Saturday morning so he pretty much slept the entire day. I hung out with Diesel and watched The Romantics (it wasn’t very good – Katie Holmes was miscast; her role needed a more subtle and nuanced actress — she and Anna Paquin probably should have switched).

I recently downloaded the Instagram app for my iPhone and LOVE playing around with it. Diesel is my favorite subject. Of course.

Another Diesel pic from last week for good measure. He can be such a lazy bum sometimes.

Rob felt much better today so we ran some errands (Target, I love you!) and picked up frozen treats at Pinkberry.

To close out the weekend, we made a really yummy gumbo for dinner. My friend Jason used to cook this on cold, rainy nights in the Bay Area and while it was neither cold nor rainy here in SoCal today, this gumbo really brought me back to those days. Love that food can evoke good memories.

And that was my low-key weekend. How was yours?

happy march

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Kel

WOW. February just flew right on by.

I’ve obviously hit blogger’s block! HELP MEEEEE. Give me something to write about …

For blogging inspiration, I went back and read through my archives. OMG. I sounded so young. EEEK. And I obviously had more time on my hands because I wrote a lot more — TV comments every few days with the most random entries about my daily life. But I have to admit that it put a smile on my face to revisit my younger years so I’ll keep that in mind when I let days go by without writing anything.

To get myself in writing mode again, let’s start with a good old list (beware the randomness).

CURRENTLY…

Reading:
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. According to my Goodreads, I started reading this book in early January. And I’m still only on Chapter 2. That means I’ve only read about 25 pages. In almost 2 months. It’s just that the beginning is so… boring. Although it’s quite possible it’s just me and my brain is saying it doesn’t want to read anything “serious.”

Obsessed With:
Angry Birds. OMG. What a time suck.

Loving:
DAN + BLAIR from Gossip Girl. SQUEE! I haven’t loved a ship so much in years.

Looking Forward To:
Watching Wicked later this month. I saw it 3 years ago and loved it so, so much. I can’t wait.

(Co)-planning and hosting my best friend’s bridal shower. It means so much to do this for someone special. <3

Thinking About:
Cutting straight bangs again. Hmmm.

Watching The Adjustment Bureau. The romantic thriller aspect has me intrigued. Plus, Matt Damon & Emily Blunt! I love them.

Misc:
I have a huge box full of old photos from high school and college. They’re not in albums or scrapbooks or anything. Just in the same envelopes they came in when I got them developed. I’m not sure what to do with them. Do I scan and organize them digitally? More importantly, can someone do it for me?

That’s it for now. I’m excited for the weekend. Hope everyone has a good one!

happy things, valentine’s edition

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Kel

February is halfway over and this is my first entry of the month. !!! Terrible.

I did get sick for about a week so… yeah. That helps justify my lack of blogging.

Anyway. HAPPY (Belated) VALENTINE’S DAY!!! It’s time for another Happy Things… Valentine’s edition.

1. Mini carnations. I bought them for myself on Valentine’s Day. Carnations get a bad rap but I love them.

2. Cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery. Thanks Carms for bringing them over! They were YUM!

3. Rob and I took one last trip to Disneyland before our annual passes expire. We normally “gift” them to each other for Valentine’s Day but we’re considering an international trip this year so we figured we should save the money…

He totally beat me on Toy Story Mania but I got him back on Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters, hehe.

We also finally saw the new water show World of Color, which was both amazing (loved the music) and disappointing (standing room only so hard to see everything going on even from the preferred viewing area).

4. We had such a great Disney day that we’ve decided to renew our annual passes anyway. SUCKERS.

5. We got new top soil in the yard and Diesel ran straight over and started rubbing his face in it. ARGH. He got SO dirty. But he’s still so cute!

And that’s it! How was YOUR Valentine’s Day?

2011 resolutions

Posted on January 9, 2011 by Kel

My 2010 New Year’s resolutions were pretty much an EPIC FAIL. I only accomplished 1 of them (buying a house). So my 2011 resolutions are basically the same with a few new additions.

Repeat Resolutions aka The Resolutions That Continue To Haunt Me
1. Save more money.
2. Blog more often.
3. Exercise regularly.
4. Drink more water.
5. DRIVE.

I feel like I am forever chasing these resolutions. Maybe this will be the year that they click? I think I can I think I can I think I can.

New Resolutions
1. Reconsider and finish up forgotten projects around the house — like painting the remaining rooms and organizing the garage.
2. Clean regularly. I have a tendency to get our house in order only when we’re expecting company. I need to be better at frequently taking care of the little things so they don’t pile up.
3. Be more discerning about my “fun” purchases. I’m a shopaholic but I recognize that I already have a lot of stuff (clothes, makeup, etc). I want to put more thought into what I buy and buy what I love.
4. Wake up earlier. Because I work from home, I am lucky to get extra sleep on the weekdays. But lately I’ve been cutting it WAY too close and waking up with barely enough time to take a shower and get ready for work. I’d like to wake up early enough so I can eat breakfast before I start my work day.
5. Cook more at home and meal plan during the week. Rob and I opt for take out more often than not because it’s sooo easy. Cooking at home would make us save a little money and because there’s only 2 of us, would provide us with food for additional meals.
6. Find a primary care physician. I know, I know. In the 2 years that we’ve lived back in SoCal, I’ve put this off. For no other reason than laziness. I go to the dentist and optometrist regularly but have to get this sorted out as well.
7. Finally, this is less of a resolution than it is a reminder to myself to really think about what I want to do with my life long-term. I’m no longer concerned with the ambition I had (and have since lost) when I graduated from college. Now what I really want (what I really really want), more than anything, is to have a job that doesn’t intrude into my personal life. Where holidays and vacations truly are days off and where late hours are nonexistent. I’d also like to love what I do and but let’s not get too crazy. All this to say, I don’t really know what I want and if I’ll ever find it. I just know that I’ve been feeling restless, unsettled and unhappy with my job and this is something for me to figure out.

How are you all doing with your own resolutions? Please share!

holiday 2010 recap

Posted on January 3, 2011 by Kel

I’m in denial that the holidays are over. I haven’t even taken the decorations down yet (yes, I know you’re judging me right now ). I should probably be doing that at the moment but instead I thought I’d write up my holiday recap…

I love having a house to decorate but besides the Christmas tree, I didn’t really go too crazy (Rob would probably beg to differ).

We had a wreath on the front door…

… garland on the banister with our mini stockings…

… and a few little touches in the great room, like the ornament-filled hurricanes on the entertainment center and the random snowmen hanging out on the bookcase.

Next year I’m hoping Rob and I (ok, mostly Rob) can figure out how to put up lights on the exterior of our house.

My family celebrated Christmas a week early because my cousin Riz was heading to the Philippines for the holidays. She and her brother both had birthdays earlier in the month so Rob and I made our signature cupcakes (chocolate cake with an awesome strawberry frosting). We made one giant cupcake to go along with the regular-sized ones.

I made Rob pipe the frosting, hehe. We’re not going to win any decorating awards but it was yummy, which is all that matters.

On Christmas Eve, my dad came over and instead of cooking for just the 3 of us, we decided to go out for Chinese food. Too bad everyone in Irvine had the same idea and we waited about an hour and a half to be seated. ARGH.

Christmas day was spent at the in-laws watching the terrible Lakers game.

Thanks Carolyn for the pic!

The day after Christmas Rob and I hosted a get together for our friends. We had a ton of food (with leftovers for days) and lots of great company. It’s so nice to have the space to have everyone over! I hope to make this some sort of tradition. We did a white elephant gift exchange and Rob got a Justin Bieber calendar. BWAHAHA. But seriously, I have no idea what we’re going to do with it.

In between the holidays, we took the time to take care of things around the house. I cleaned out my ridiculous stash of makeup and Rob set up a pegboard to organize our garage (sadly there’s still a lot of clutter and boxes to conquer).

New Year’s Eve was low-key as per usual. We had a few friends over and one of them brought his taco cart (thanks Ricardo)! YUM. I was super tired that night and struggled to make it until midnight. Darn old age.

Now here we are in 2011. All in all, it was a wonderful holiday break (though I do have two regrets — not taking more pictures during the holidays overall and not making it to Disneyland to see it all decked out) and I’m definitely looking forward to this upcoming year (weddings, another trip to Comic-Con, possible vacations).

One last picture to close out this entry… Diesel wanted me to share his awesome holiday card that we sent out this year. Now I gotta work on making my New Year’s resolutions!