On a Sunday Brunch

Hello, everyone! I hope you had a good weekend. As usual, mine went by too quickly, or at least it felt that way Sunday night. Other than that, Saturday and Sunday were pretty low key and, well, lazy, if I'm being honest. There is still tons of laundry to be done as well as general housecleaning-uppering to do. (You like that word?) All I managed to accomplish this weekend was sleep in way too late-- though, I like to think of it as much needed rest-- take Hazel to the dog park and see "Daybreakers," which wasn't as scary as I thought it was going to be and was actually kind of good . . . until the end. The blood and the plot both got a little too ridiculous at that point, even for a vampire movie.

On an semi-related note, in the last month or so, I have seen "The Blind Side," "It's Complicated," "Sherlock Holmes" and "Up in the Air," which were all good and recommendable, but I still have not seen "Avatar"-- it is sold out every time we try to get tickets-- or "Did You Hear About the Morgans?" And I need my SJP fix until SATC 2 comes out in May!

Anyway, what I want to talk about is not movies but brunch. Last Sunday-- not yesterday, but the Sunday before, I know I'm a little late-- I had my first-ever blogger meet up. The gathering was hosted by Dionne. I'm sure many of you know her; she is the lovely Aussie-turned-Californian-turned-Texan who writes (and draws!) City of Dionne. When she asked back in November if any So Cal bloggers were interested in meeting up, the shy girl in me was a bit hesitant but I decided, what the heck! Put yourself out there! And I'm so glad I did.

I'll admit, I was still a bit nervous the day of. I mean, I really didn't know who I was going to meet other than Dionne. I kind of felt like I was going on a blind date, worrying about what I should wear and what we would talk about. But my nerves all but vanished once I arrived at Aroma, a charming cafe that is situated on a most adorable street in Studio City. The area felt like a quaint little village, with lovely storefronts perfect for window-shopping and locals out and about-- a coffee in one hand and a dog leash in the other! It felt like a neighborhood I'd like to live in.

Standing outside the cafe, I wasn't sure where to go at first, but not seeing anyone out front or at the counter inside, I decided to venture back through the patio. I soon found Dionne, standing behind a beautifully decorated table, of course. I told her this and I'll tell you: I wish I had just an ounce of the craftiness she has! Craftiness in a good way, not the cunning way, mind you. Just check out this table, which was prettified by floral centerpieces from Etsy shop Blackbird Blue and You.

This frilly and fun table was the perfect setting for a girls' brunch.

Sweet blogger booklets made by Dionne to jot down each other's contact info and blog addresses. What a cute idea!

Anyway, I soon met the other lovely ladies: Tracy, Kristy, Ashley and Maggi. Each was sweet, funny, down-to-earth and easy to talk to. And, as I have since discovered, wonderful bloggers, too. Together for an hour or two that Sunday morning, we talked, laughed and ate like old friends. (An Eggs Benedict for me, what else?) I think a great time was had by all, for sure.

All the girls, from left: Kristy, Maggi, me, Tracy, Dionne.

Things were only made even more delightful when Dionne passed out goody bags filled to the brim with treasures generously donated by some super talented Etsians. Some of my favorite items were gorgeous earrings from Kelly is Nice, adorable doily notecards by The Blue Balloon, a whimsical print from Margaret Meyer and a feminine wall hook by Monkey and Squirrel that will be perfect for hanging up some of the pieces in my overflowing necklace collection. (You can see all the loot here.)

A pretty goody bag! (I think this pink one is mine, actually!)

Opening up the goodies and showing off a darling wooden brooch from Crafty Folk.

Still, the best thing I took home that day was a few new blogging friends. Check out some more pics below, all snapped by the very talented Dionne (so jealous of her camera!):

Me and Ashley.

Group shot!

With Maggi and Dionne, before saying good bye...

So, have you ever met a fellow blogger or attended a meet up? Share your experience below! And if you didn't already, you can read Dionne's recap (and see more pics!) of our brunch at Aroma here. And even more importantly, if you would like to win one of your very own goodie bags full of amazingness, Dionne is giving one away, just leave a comment over here.



Aroma shot via The California Bungalow