Showering Cara & Caden

My visit to Nipomo last weekend happily coincided with the baby shower of one of my very dear friends, who is expecting her first child this June.  Cara's mom and sister put together a beautiful shower for sweet baby boy Caden, scheduled to make his debut in just a few short months!

Mommy-to-be and me.  Friends since junior high.

Welcome parfaits greeted guests at the door!

Pretty funnels held chocolate covered pretzels and other treats.

How gorgeous is their home?? Well done BFD and Julie!

Shower games were kept to a minimum - which kept guests' enjoyment at a maximum!  We guessed the number of "belly" buttons in a jar (I was off by 340, whoops) and wrote welcome notes to the baby for Cara and Will to open after Caden's arrival.  No taste-testing of pureed baby foods or guessing the true identity of looks-like-poo substances mushed into a diaper (thank goodness!).  Just delicious food, good friends, lively conversation and lots of laughs - these ladies really know how to throw a classy party.

Homemade Nutella Heath Bar croissants. To die.

Lots of sweet treats to choose from!

Fun gifts and, of course, lots of oohs and ahhs. This is going to be one very well-dressed little man.

And always there to help - why just one Alyssa when you can have two?!

Thank you for the invite to a lovely shower and congratulations to Cara and Will!
Can't wait to meet the little bugger.

Nipas Por Vida

One week out! So glad I was able to cram in a trip up to Nipomo before the big move east. It was superb timing, for several reasons:

- Was able to catch a ride north with a friend also heading home for the weekend, so DVC wasn't stranded in LA without a car.

- Multiple events were planned boom boom boom, which provided the opportunity to see a ton of different people from home over the course of one quick weekend.

- Gorgeous weather. Bonus!

Got in early enough on Friday to head up to Avila for a quick jaunt down the Bob Jones bike trail. Long walk felt fantastic after several hours in the car.  And it was a perfect evening for a walk.  Even at 6pm, it was close to 80 degrees. So warm, in fact, that the pups went for a quick evening swim and were completely dry by the time we got back to the car. Brief stop at the market on the way home, ran into no fewer than FOUR people we knew.
I love small towns.

Guess who got a brand new truck (and is pretty excited about it)???  Took the new wheels for a spin 'round town late Friday night (to Vons, where else?) and spent a good chunk of time programming the radio stations.  Should you happen to inquire about the nifty tailgate drop-down step and (old man, albeit genius) safety rail, you'll be sure to get a very enthusiastic demonstration!

Hosted an intimate brunch on Saturday to say goodbye to a few sweet friends, then wedding dress shopping with my mom in the afternoon! Smart choice, hmm? Brownies then dress fitting??

Thanks for a fun visit Nipomo! I'll be seeing you...

LA Countdown: The Grove

We love walking up to The Grove on weeknights, when it's not super busy like on the weekends. I've said before, The Grove is an interesting cross between a mall and Disneyland, so it can easily get overcrowded, and thus, un-fun. But during the week it's usually quiet in the evenings and really pleasant for wandering around, people watching, sale rack browsing, celebrity sighting, etc...

 

All aboard!

It was super warm the night of my birthday, so we made the trek over to 3rd and Fairfax (just under two miles from our place - getting used to long walks!) for dinner.  I absolutely love walking around The Farmer's Market attached to The Grove. Dave gets annoyed by the crowds, but I find weaving your way between all of the little booths and vendors and specialty shops to super interesting. A few suggestions: chili cheese tater tots at Fritzi Dog (to die!), chocolate dipped cones at Gill's Old Fashioned Ice Cream, the impressive international cheese selection at Mr. Marcel's, and of course, pie à la mode at Dupar's.

Favorite diner in all of LA. 

Frozen bananas nom nom nom.

Birthday dinner at Morel's French Bistro. 

Steak frites, s'il vous plaît!

Thirty One

Geburtstag Geldbaum

My fun coworkers streamered my desk this morning, took me to a lovely lunch and surprised me with a cake and mini ice-cream cones in the afternoon. So, so nice. The kind attention I was shown today was incredibly touching. We've been so busy gearing up for the move that my birthday completely snuck up on me this year. Didn't really realize it was approaching until suddenly it was here. Maybe that's a good way to head in, because I had the nicest day; everyone around me was so thoughtful and generous. Feeling lucky to be surrounded by such caring people.

Surprise!

Fringe-tastic. I think I'll keep it like this always.

One of the things that makes birthdays fun is that such a variety of individuals tend to reach out. Sometimes a person you haven't talked to in years will send along well wishes (facebook providing a daily notice of those celebrating another year on earth makes it all too easy to connect), sandwiched in between greetings from individuals you may speak to on a daily basis. It's entertaining and touching. Perhaps one of the sweetest bits of communication I received all day was from Dave's grandparents:

I'm excited to have sweet grandparents to write to again. :)

Have you visited The Hammer Museum? Art aside, come for the cozy cafe and courtyard. Pleasant place to sit and enjoy a quiet lunch, feels completely separate from the rest of Westwood. It's become my work gang's go-to spot for birthdays. Yes, I have a work gang. Don't mess.

Thank you for such an uplifting day everyone. I had a jolly good time. It's going to be a good year.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Packing Away

Getting closer and closer to "packed" every day! Things are strewn all over the apartment, though, it's tough to locate anything. When attempting to organize, why does the house always turn into a total hurricane before the actual organization kicks in? Packing up your life is sloooow going for a super sentimental individual (nostalgia is my forte)... I end up spending SO much time sifting through long lost collections of treasures, reveling in the delight of rediscovery. Packing tonight was in danger of getting completely sidetracked, trumped by reading old postcards and junior high origami notes and treasured birthday cards from a box hidden under the bed.  Nearly midnight, however, and I've managed to clear the clutter and get the important stuff bound up safely. Progress! 

Quite a pile up.

My nemesis.

Don't forget me!

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