Monthly Archive: August 2010

Showered with love

The other weekend I soaked up my last moments of bride-to-be glory.  My oldest and dearest friends gathered in my hometown to celebrate my upcoming nuptials. Mimosas :)  I couldn’t have felt more loved, surrounded by my friends and family.  Eat, drink, and be merry.  Check, check, and check! How amazing are those centerpieces?  They were made by one of the shower hostesses in OXO containers from my registry.  So cute and clever!! Lunch was a feast with vegan options aplenty. The spinach orzo salad was so tasty I asked for the recipe.  It’s a… Read more >

Buying the bulk

Yesterday Kyle and I joined the rest of the economically conscientious population… and became Costco members!  We are now officially adults, budgeting and meal planning like we never have before (it’s that whole unemployed thing…).  After paying $5 for a 2 oz. can of tomato paste in NYC, we were prepared to be awed by the crazy low prices.  What we weren’t prepared for was the sheer quantity that we would end up with.  I like oats, but I don’t need 10 pounds of them.  Geez.  We came away $500 poorer, but I don’t think… Read more >

Va De Vi

It’s about the wine. That’s the Catalan translation of this restaurant’s name, and indeed it was.  Kyle and I had no real occasion to go out to dinner, but we just felt like splurging for a fun date night.  Va De Vi is a gem of a restaurant in Walnut Creek’s downtown area.  The ambiance is casual but chic, with a friendly and knowledgeable staff, a menu that changes with the seasons, and a wine list to die for.  Every direction you turned had more wine displayed.  And being all about the wine, the menu… Read more >

Nothing comes close to the golden coast

Had a pretty legit weekend.  As if Santa Monica beach time wasn’t fun enough, Kyle and I headed off to Palos Verdes and then San Clemente… It all started with le beurre de cacahuetes (aka the butter of nuts).  Add a duo of WF multi-grain bread slices…   And some strawberry jammin’… And it’s a PB&J par-tay.  Nothing fancy, but simplicity is often underrated (that’s kinda my roundabout way of saying being on a budget can lead to boring repetitive meal choices). Lunch was quick and snackalicious.  WF’s traditional hummus and a soft pretzel (that… Read more >

So long sports club fees

Reasons So Cal residents don’t need a gym membership… (1) It’s sunny (or at least not snowing) approximately 327 days of the year (give or take a few…). (2) There’s no shortage of space – inside or out.  Seriously, there are beach front paths, sidewalks, and parks aplenty…and that’s not even taking into account the square footage under my own roof! (3) When you get sick of running, biking, rollerblading, swimming, and/or surfing in the sun (as if that’s even a possibility), you can turn to any number of workout DVDs and/or home exercise equipment. … Read more >