Shabby Chic Valentine's Day

Hi everyone,
Hope you had a lovely Valentine's Day. This year I decided to get a little creative with our tight budget early into the year. I had recently finished reading The Goddess Guide (Which was a great read btw), and loved the part in the book of having a proper picnic. Her advice was to take practically everything but the kitchen sink and enjoy your meal as you would indoors. Take your rugs and blankets and lay them out to take in the view. She made a point to mention that tea isn't good unless sipped from a china cup, preferably your personal favorite.

I took a few days sorting out yummy treats at the local Farmers Markets and Grocery stores for some simple but good eats. Then in the morning, I surprised Eugene with a stack of my bedsheets in the living room and a picnic basket. After a few hours of fumbling around for the right china to bring, we were off. Ironically I forgot to buy some charcoal, so we made a second stop at the store. Which I was glad we did! The Valentine Day Sales were starting, and I had gotten these lovely pink roses which were half wilted. I used them to scatter across my comforter.

Unless you count the occasional runners, the park was pretty desolate. I was happy for it since Valentine's Day in Los Angeles can be quite vicious. We set up camp under the shade of an Oak Tree and had the BBQ are all to ourselves. I set the chicken to grill and brought out the tea and crackers for the appetizers while we waited.

The goat cheese I found from the Farmers Market was so yummy! It was a savory lavender and herb mix. We added some honey to the mix as well which was divine. To explain how the tea truly tasted in china at the park: SUBLIME. It really does make a difference and I will be doing it again; hopefully more often. If you were curious, the tea was Cherry Blossom Green which paired with the floral note in the cheese. Yummm....

When the chicken was done I paired it with an organic green salad and brown rice. Nothing fancy, but perfect for good conversation. We enjoyed the meal talking about our future and what our plans were this year. As our year started out crazy, it was nice for a little bit of a break.

Then for dessert I brought out my favorite...

Can you really say no to chocolate covered strawberries!? There my favorite thing around this time of year. I make it a point to eat them either on Valentine's Day or on my Birthday! The best part is that they're so easy and cheap to make. I used my left over sprinkles to garnish them and they came out delicious. We had them with the rest of the tea.

I recommend you to try this at least once! It was so relaxing. It was the perfect Valentine's Day for this year and it didn't take a big present, expensive dinner, and crowded place.

Hope you all had a lovely day!

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Rosaline's Chair

Hi everyone!
Hope 2013 has been treating you well. I've been busy with a few clients at the start of the New Year in my Graphic Design job.
This is actually my first time to blog on my phone so I hope that this finds you well. I wanted to share my great find with you tonight. On my way home I spotted this lovely chair left for the curb. I've actually been wanting one of these for sometime, but the legs are rarely in tact.
Be it a habit from our Theatre work but Eugene and I have learned to enjoy dumpster diving and this has to be one of our better finds. It's a much smaller model than you usually see in this style and beautiful burnt orange I adore. I can easily say that it was made for my lovely little office.
I started to call it Rosaline's chair as my character in my novel names such is associated with the color Orange and storytelling.
Office is in a bit of an awkward after moving things around; but it has sparked my painting motivation again to spruce up my walls.
Well... after my little walk with the pups and Eugene I better get back to my work. I do miss blogging...

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Out and Abouts: Original Thai BBQ

I know that I recently did an Out & Abouts this week, but I couldn't help myself for this special occasion. This afternoon Eugene and I took Candice to fill out paperwork to her new job! Can you tell that she's happy? From working at a fabric store for 5 years to an Office Manager. She got her Christmas & Birthday wish all in one.

Her work is also a 10 minute drive on side streets from Eugene's place. I'll be giving her rides to work starting Monday until she gets better acquainted with things. We asked him a good place to eat for lunch and we went to this place just around the corner.

I love this place when your in a group looking for good food. They have family combinations that are under $30 and can feed a family of four. You know me and good cheap Asian Food, I never get tired of it. We ordered the C-2 Family combination.

 Here's what we got:

Clear Soup: Your standard chicken and vegetable clear soup. Mmm I love the little mushrooms and onions in it. You can tell that it comes out with the flame in the middle to keep it warm. I almost finished all of this immediately. Asian soup is so simple yet so yummy!

Honey Spare Ribs: Yeah, these ribs fall right off the bone. They're so tasty with a light honey sweet marinate. I'm not sure why they include the sweet chili sauce with it as it's pretty sweet by itself. They're also pretty saucy and spread well on the rice.

Yellow Chicken Curry: Oh yes, the sweet spicy curry! I love the potatoes that come with it. The sauce is lightly sweeter than most Thai curries because they add a bit of pineapple to the mix.

Broccoli Beef: Unlike the Chinese version, this has a much thinner sauce that is lightly sweeter. The beef is also sliced thinner so you get more of the Broccoli.

It's been awhile since I've had some Thai food so I was more than obliged to go. We had so much left overs it was ridiculous. It was a good token for Candice to take home before she got ready for her current job and put in her two week notice this evening. Wow, can you belive the years almost over? So many exciting things!

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My Winter Study

Today I finally got a day off. There has been quite a bit going on in my life that has me on the verge of changing my course in a big way. I can't talk about it too much until the end of the year passes; but I'll tell you that I'm in the middle of a major business opportunity. Its been taking up most of my time. So much sadly that I'm not sure that the NaNoWriMo challenge will be completed. Where I am disappointed, I can't let this huge opportunity go by.

 Now that that's out of the way, I used this day to redecorate the office for the Winter. Down with the fall leaves and crows and in with the wreaths and gold. I went crazy at my local dollar store and found all of these amazing garlands! Can you believe I only spent 15 bucks!? I was absolutely ecstatic when I saw the finished result.

The garlands are actually made of two pieces. The pine part was actually thinner then it looks so I folded it in two and lightly weaved it together to make them look fuller. The gold trim is actually spun tinsel to look like rope so it's super lightweight and made it easy to adapt.

The bows are a clearance ribbon that I got from Stats a few years back. I've been saving the pretty velvet ribbon for a special occasion or more masks making, I was happy that I had something like this around to tie in the entire look. Since my office has a Venetian/Old World theme to it, I thought that the bows gave it that perfect classical finishing touch. The dark blue was a perfect contrast to bring in my stormy blue wall and my red closet.

The wreath was an extra garland that I had leftover from all the decorating. So I folded and weaved it together three times to get the circular look. I was about to head out to get a wreath hanger, but Kros was able to hold it just fine since it was so light weight. Doesn't he look snazzy? He reminds me of one of those old fantasy door knockers like in Alice and Wonderland that talk back to you.

An interesting addition is my new Angel that was given to me by the Tea Rose Garden. I love that stoic look she has; almost eerie. She matches Hitchcock, my owl, except she's a porcelain material and not stone. She has that strange affect of eyes that follow you. I like it, especially when the light hits her in the morning and makes her glow.

Stay tune for more super awesome things to come! I can't wait to 'spill the beans' as to some of the things I've been up to.

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Well Lit Black Friday: Patriot Candle Haul

Despite the good sales this year for Black Friday; I ended up doing my tradition of stocking up on candles at my local Walgreen's. In keeping up with my Crossing Fingers Challenge, I make it a point this shopping season to:

• Not buy anything unless it's at least 50% off.
• Never spend more that $50 per day.

With all the pretty shiny deals bombarding my email and blaring on billboards; its easy to get jaded and feel like you need everything. Keeping these rules have been working particularly on behalf of my budget and seeing that it's not necessary to horde. One deal I refuse to miss however is the yearly Black Friday Patriot Candles sale! The sale is for jar candles that go for buy one get two free. Walking out of there with a handful of six candles was liberating.

I wanted to share this haul with everyone because these candles last for a long time and are a great value. I love the variety of scents especially in the layered candles. The blends make for fresh interesting scents. The sale makes them even more desirable, as they become more than 60% off!

Here are my choices:

  

Smoothie Blends (Wild Berry, Blueberry Burst, & Strawberry Swirl): I love this scent because it smells like a fresh berry blended smoothie from Jamba Juice. Most berry scents are super sweet and sickeningly ripe. This candle keeps a fresh berry scent to the very end. I burn it when I want a fresh and sweet scent at the same time.

Tranquil Retreat (Garden Rain, Days End, & Indigo Nights): It starts with a sharp earthy smell and blends out into more mellow scents. This candle overall has a rich incense smell to it which it nice as a neutral background scent. I love burning this in the morning, it has an energizing crisp hit to it.

Vanilla Celebration (French Vanilla, Vanilla Cookie, & Vanilla Caramel): When I picked this candle up I literally felt like I was smelling a slice of white cake. The vanilla smell is balanced out with a baked good smell to it. Not a sugary vanilla either, more like the smell of a vanilla scone or angel food cake. The smell is very light when burned and gives a cozy warm feeling to a room.

Midnight Garden (Seashore, Midnight Jasmine, & Indigo Nights): By far my FAVORITE Patriot Candle! It has similar notes to Yankee Candle's Midsummer's Night scent but with warm floral notes. I guess the best way to describe it is that it's the girly version of the Yankee Candle Scent. Think China Rain with Sweet Jasmine, Woods, and Cashmere. It's my go to candle when I want to curl up with journal or a good book in bed.

Fruit Fantasy (Lime Verbena, Flowering Pear, & Honeydew Melon): I got this candle for the first time this haul. What drew me to it was the balance of floral and fruit notes. Your first hit with the light lime and later the under of sweet flowers similar to Sweet Pea. This is the sweetest smelling candle out of the six I have, but it works with the fruit notes being very mellow.

Sea Grass: It has that soft smell from most Ocean scented candles except a sweet note and hints of what I think are Aloe and Lilac. I think it's a nice fresh scent that can be an alternative to the Linen Scent.

When I got home I found out that my mom had gotten a few herself; our family is pretty fairly equipped! I love having a variety of candles on hand so I'm ready for however my mood changes. This was definitely a wonderful way to spend my Black Friday and ease into the Holidays.

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Mini Holiday: Avila Bay

Last week I finally had the opportunity to go away on a mini holiday. I did it on the weekdays before  Veterans Day so to avoid the crowds. These little mini holidays are something I look forward to year round with my family; sometimes we have them up to 4 times a year, others we'll skip on it. This was the second one for this year.

I was particularly excited with this holiday since we were going to one my favorite places in the world; Avila Bay. It's a quiet little city with a beautiful view of the California Coast and plenty of wildlife. I hadn't been back for almost a decade. The first time I had gone was the week when I started dating Eugene, and we both had to go our separate ways that weekend and I was lovesick the whole time of my visit. This time I was able to show him the sights I saw and what made me miss him even more. I considered this trip a pilgrimage in my life and a beautiful way to see how my life has grown.

 

 The way that these holidays work is that my parents book a week with their time share and they head out ahead of us. Eugene and I usually enjoy the couple of days catching up on the work and the peace and quiet that the house has to offer with just the two of us. I like to use these as writing retreats and just order take in or live off of tv dinners. About midway through the holiday, Eugene and I will drive up and spend an evening overnight at the resort. In the morning we'll go out on a family outing and enjoy the sightseeing and local attractions. By the time the evening rolls around we'll pack our stuff and head for home. We usually get another few days before my parents come back. So far this process has been working for us, giving everyone the space they need to refresh themselves. We left afternoon and spent 3 1/2 hours on the road and made it by nightfall; the place was enchanting even then...

 

In the morning I got up extra early since the excitement was getting the best of me. I love the coast! I love the power that the sound of water has over me; I'm both energized and calm at the same time. Enjoying the morning I got up early, grabbed a cup of tea, and read my meditation book greeting the sun slowly creeping to life on the resort balcony. 

The chapter was about organizing ones life and understanding the schedule that you make for yourself. This really hit home for me as there has been so much on my plate. The solitude helped me to get a few things sorted on my end. I was greatly appreciated. I wish that I could do it more often; I've even considered making visits to the coast a bi weekly practice of mine. Of course it would be the ones closer to me though...

When I was finished I went and made breakfast for the family.  What's awesome about vacation condos are the fact that they're set up like apartments with a full kitchen. The ones that we stay in even come with dining sets for four and a basic cooking tools like pans and pots. This saves my family a fortune during breaks like these, we usually only eat one meal outside each day. The rest we cook simple things inside. This is some thin cut steak with asparagus, buttered toast, and scrambled eggs. My mom also brought some cheese which I had with apples and crackers for my breakfast with tea; it was absolutely yummy!

Eugene and I finished early and head out to walk on the beach to give my parents the chance to get ready. Besides, we hadn't touched the coast since we arrived! By now the morning was lighting the waves.

Before we left we grabbed some tea from the Community Room. I love the mural on this fireplace. Avila Bay is famous for its Seals and Sea lions. I think I want to make a mural like this in a bathroom someday...

We drove my car into the little village area.  One of the highlights of the trip was driving my car up to the resort and back. I'm in love with my Scion XB! The previous owner was a professional set designer and customizing cars was his hobby. When I got it, it was well equipped with all the trimmings making for an enjoyable ride. Playing new music and long conversations always makes for great quality time in the car. My car, Pantomime (so I lovingly named it), has sort of become my thinking capsule. 

Eugene was blown away with the sight. I was so happy to share it with him! I can safely say that right then was when my Thanksgiving had started, I felt so blessed to be with this man for soon to be a decade of my life. We grew up together and have gone through the impossible and back. I still get the flutters when he looks at me, this I am thankful for.

To make things even more magical someone had the wonderful idea of adding swings and a slide to the beach. I've never seen anything like it, I was super giddy to try. There's something really unique of having a relationship with a man that didn't grow up in your culture, one of which is sharing stories. Since Eugene had arrived to the States when he was 11, no one had really ever taught him how to use a swing. I got to teach him, and what a great view to do so. He succeeded without the help of me pushing. I really enjoyed that time with him and its a memory I now cherish.

When we had our fill of the swings we started to make our way to the water. It was soothing and breathtaking...

 There was a little marsh under the resort's cliff-side. So we went and took a look at all the wildlife for awhile.

Soon enough I got the call from my mom that they were ready to head out. It was just about time for lunch and we had worked up quite the appetite. Washing my flip flops I was ready to head out. My parents had rented a Fiat 500 and I was so curious as to how it drove.

Next stop Arroyo Grande!

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