cute cooking

I love to cook, and usually do almost every night. Usually I am wearing scruffy shorts and an old t-shirt. Hey, I'm home, who cares. But there are times a cute apron is just what I need. My mom made me a full apron for Christmas last year, and I love it. The other day I found an etsy site, Boojiboo, featuring a seller with adorable aprons and bags. I know many of you make your own aprons and all that, however I do not know how, and buying is easier for me (and my patience!). So, if you are in market for a cute new apron, and do not want to make your own, I would highly recommend Boojiboo. My mom, sister, and I all ordered one and they came in two days. The seller is very sweet and her retro shapes are super cute. Here is a picture of my half-apron......

kitchen pantry project

We we first looked at our house, before we owned it, we walked through and talked about all the things we love and the MANY things we would change (gotta love old houses). There was a large pantry/broom (shelves on one side, empty space on the other) closet on the far side of the kitchen near the back door, and although it provided nice storage, the thought of having my cereal next to a broom just wasnt working with me. So we decided, if we bought this house, to use it as a pantry only, with the plans of building shelves on the other side in the future. So since May, all of our stuff has been crammed on one side, with towel rack awkwardly balancing on the other side.

geez...that is embarrassing. I now realize I should have cleaned up a little before this pic

As you can see, this was not working. The shelves are very deep and I could never see what I had stuffed in there. Thus accounting for the over-buying of many groceries. You would think penne pasta was like being discontinued or something. This madness had to stop. So we decided to follow through on the plan we made when we first looked at the house. I was envisioning two top shelves, even with the other side, and some sort of drawer thingy (technical, I know) on the bottom. With a little bit of space on the side to hang my reusable shopping bags (yes, I am one of those--most of the time)

So, during our last trip to Ikea, I bought a metal shelving unit, with two wire baskets and one large plastic bin. Took it home, put it together, fit great. Perfect. Moving on to the shelves. Peter made them out of reused wood from some cabinets we took out. The wood was in great condition, and green at that. Wow, saving my pantry, organizational sanity, and trees--I feel good. Here is the finished product. And though it make look busy to you, I assure you, everything has its place and I can finally see just how many bottles of BBQ sauce I have.

it has begun...

We have finally started the long process of landscaping our front yard. Last week we planted a few shrubs and bushes in front of our front window and along the driveway. Now they are just tiny green poofs surrounded by dirt, but soon they will be flourishing bounds of greenery. I am hoping. This HOT weather is doing nothing for their complexion, but we diligently look after them. Next step is picking out a medium sized shade tree that doesnt cost a fortune and planting flowers when the weather cools off. But for now, we are enjoying our little patches of green.

the boys in blue

Most of you know we are Dodger fans. Peter has been one, essentially, since birth. And since I love him, and he loves the Dodgers, I love the Dodgers. Although, I would say his loyalty is deeper than that of a normal fan. If you know him, you know what I am talking about. Our summer has included the voice of Vin Scully almost everyday. Whether it is on the stereo at home, on tv, in the car, or at the game, the Boys in Blue have been apart of our lives. And although it can get annoying at times, I wouldn't have it any other way.

We have been blessed with the opportunity to attend many games. Peter's dad has season tickets and we are so appreciative of him letting us use them throughout the summer. This weekend was especially exciting. Peter went with his dad and brother on Friday night to see Manny's first performance as a Dodger. Now, Manny coming to LA was ALL, and I mean ALL, I heard about last week. If you dont know what I am talking about, ask me. I now know everything about the trade. On Saturday, Peter and I went back to LA with good friends of ours Sean and Allie. We stopped at Ikea first, for some organizational shelves for my pantry, hit up In-n-Out (which I dont really like, I know...How could I not? Spare me), and were off to the stadium.

The game did not disappoint. Our seats (not Pete's dads) were great. The crowd was crazy for Manny and he responded by hitting his first home-run as a Dodger. Very exciting. And they won! It was a great day, spent with a great guy, great friends and our Boys in Blue. Here are some pics....

us

me and Allie

us again

Sean, Allie, me, Peter...not sure where we are all looking

fake Manny. This guy was classic.

real Manny...thanks to Allie's super zoom camera

the soon to be newlyweds

the burning bush

Our front yard needs new landscaping. I think I have mentioned this here before. Since we moved in May, landscaping has not really been at the top of our to-do list. One, it is hot. And two, it is better to plant in the fall. However, there are certain things we can do now, like taking out old shrubs, removing an old concrete pathway and re-surfacing our front stoop.

Well we took the first step the other evening after work. And be "we" I mean Peter. He decided it was time for the burning bush to go. The burning bush is right in front of our house and a very awkward shape. It used to be green, but our refusal to water it (knowing we were not going to keep it--hey we are doing our part to conserve!) caused it to turn a flaming orange color, thus the name burning bush. Sometimes we would come home and notice the burning bush was wet. I think our sweet neighbor would water it occasionally for us, probably feeling sorry and a little disappointed that his new, young neighbors were letting their poor shrub die a slow death.

Well the bush is now gone! All that is left is to dig up the roots. So for now an empty space exists, but just imagine grass, a small shade tree, and some fabulous flowers. But dont hold your breath. And dont ask me about it, its probably going to be a long process :)

peachy weekend

So, house project wise, this weekend was a little slow. Peter did tons of yardwork, for which I am so grateful. And I mainly cleaned and did countless loads of laundry. Why is it that I let my laundry pile up so high I, one, run out of things to wear, and two, spend all weekend folding clothes? One of my least favorite things to do. On that note, I would like to give a shout out to my laundry room. While walking/riding bikes around the neighborhood recently, I have noticed a lot of older homes around us do not have indoor laundry rooms. They are either in front garages or back sheds, and although my laundry room is not big by any means it provides a lot of storage and the ability to sort, wash, and dry in the comfort of my house. In all her glory...


The rest of the weekend was spent receiving and waiting for my Redoute prints from Ebay. I have loved these prints and artist for a while now and knew they would look great in our front room. I was hoping to find one of his vintage books, but I fortunately found someone who sells the individual prints straight from the books. Two have arrived and I am waiting on a few more. Here is a sample....

We have also eaten A LOT of peaches this weekend. One of the perks of having a almond farmer father-in-law, who happens to grow amazing peaches on the side. They have been in smoothies, sliced, diced, on cereal, and are going to make an appearance on waffles tonight. Thanks Sammy!

recent favorite things

Lately I have been hooked on this HBO miniseries. I had heard about it only a few weeks ago and thought it sounded interesting. So last weekend, I went over to my parents house and lo and behold discovered the dvd collection of this series in their office. Score! No one was home to ask or object, so I promptly took the unopened box home. I love history (I think it comes from my dad and his love for historical biographies, novels, and movies and having those around the house when we were younger). Especially US history, so I was excited to start watching these last Saturday. I will admit, the first half of the first episode was a little slow, and it took some time to get used to Paul Giamatti's accent, but I have become completely enthralled in the series. Giamatti and Laura Linney do an amazing job portraying John and Abigail Adams. The dynamic of their relationship is fascinating to watch. I dont know if the series is completely historically accurate (I am assuming not), but it provides a different view and insight into the foundation of our country.

I cant wait to go home from work everyday and watch another episode. Nerdy, I know. Sadly, I only have two left.

Luckily, this is back! I know, I know, much more superficial and on a totally different level than John Adams. But just as entertaining.