In Flight

Untitled/San Fernando Valley; from Los Angeles 07.27.05 

Golden State Freeway/San Fernando Pass; from Los Angeles 02.12.04

I am loving these photographs by Michael Light. Aren't they extraordinary? The light pouring from the horizon in each shot is just breathtaking. Both are of my fair city Los Angeles. I'm claiming it for the moment because these were actually taken above the San Fernando Valley, which is just a hop skip and a jump from my home. What a beautiful perspective of a town that, in all honesty, isn't necessarily known for its beauty.

This is what the 20x200 newsletter that introduced the editions had to say about the sister prints:

A pilot himself with a lifelong love of flight, Light hired a helicopter pilot to lift and roam with him above Los Angeles so he could hover over a rare sort of 4x5 camera—a Linhof Aero Technika—which uses roll film, allowing Light to shoot continuously without constantly reloading single sheets. Over the course of the project, he shot 900-some photos of the lights, the buildings, the streets, the trees and river below. On the ground—in the darkroom and on the computer—Light combined traditional film processing techniques with post-production work. Turning his negatives into digital files, Light smoothed out the film grain, moderating its interference with the haze and particles of light that you see glowing around the horizon.

If you don't already, I highly recommend signing up for the 20x200 emails... It is like getting a mini art tour in your inbox a couple times a week! Even though I can't buy all the prints that capture my heart, like these ones-- I simply don't have the space!-- I love being introduced to new art and new artists, and stealing away a few minutes from work to see the world through someone else's eyes, lens or paintbrush.

Hope you are having a wonderful Friday! The sun is shining and it has felt like summer the past few days... I can just taste the weekend!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Christmas at The Grove

... well, that is if torrential rain for days on end is your idea of what Christmas looks like. Personally, I'd prefer snow, but that's not going to happen here. So gray skies and raindrops it is.

Despite the gloomy weather, I'm slowly getting into the Christmas spirit. I'll admit, it has taken me a bit longer to really feel the season, if you know what I mean. It definitely snuck up on me this year. I think it is work and stress and the fact that my house didn't even have a tree until the end of last week. But with the decorations finally up and after sending out my Christmas cards and attending two holiday parties (one with the boy's family, one with friends), I am starting to come around.

Though the date never changes and I knew it was coming, I think I really realized Christmas is here about two weekends ago. (About the same time I started all my holiday shopping, ha!) On that Saturday, the boy and I spent the afternoon perusing the fabulous artists and creators at Unique L.A.'s third annual Holiday Show. I was on a mission to buy handmade and get a few people checked off my gift-giving list. Of course, I mostly saw things I wanted for myself! I bought the coolest, chunky (and pointy!) quartz ring by Kittinhawk and, like last year, I stopped by Danni's booth, Oh, hello friend, to say hi. Ok, and buy a few things. What can I say...?

Anyway, after browsing and buying for a couple hours, the boy and I were starving. Shopping sure works up an appetite! So we headed over to The Grove for dinner at Morels French Steakhouse and Bistro. It was our first time there and it was delicious. Expensive, but delicious. (I got the roasted tilapia served atop basil mashed potatoes with sliced tomatoes, zucchini and fried capers. Yum.)

But the best part of our quick trip, and what really kick started me getting into the holiday mood, was seeing all the wonderful decorations. From the huge, glistening Christmas tree to a "flying" reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh to a water fountain show set to classic carols, you couldn't help but feel a bit more jolly.

Want to see? ...

So, are you feeling festive this holiday season? Or have you been distracted, like me?

And, perhaps more importantly, who else still has more shopping to do? (Not to mention all my wrapping!) I know I sure do! I'm always finishing up last minute. That's what Christmas Eve is for, right? :)

Weekend bits

Happy, stormy (here anyway) Tuesday, everyone! Now, don't let those above photos fool you. I didn't get another tattoo. (Not to say I haven't thought about it-- sorry, Mom!). I did, however, eat some yummy food. See, all of those photos are just snapshots from my weekend, which was spent in the wacky and wonderful town of Hollywood.

The boy has been dog-sitting for the past week for a couple who lives just a few blocks away from the corner of Hollywood and Highland. Even though there is tons to do, he has been a bit lonely, so I went to visit him and the pups he's been watching.

Unfortunately, I didn't think to snap a photo of Edna and Babe, so you'll just have to take my word for it when I say they are adorable. They are mom and daughter, so they love to snuggle and, as strange as it is, lick each other. Babe is young and full of energy. Edna is a tad chubby and seems to waddle about on her stick legs. At first, Edna was frightened of me-- she was even shaking!-- but she soon warmed up and decided that, in fact, she loved me and wanted to sit on my lap and be pet all. the. time. Still, so cute.

While the weather has been awfully gloomy and drizzly, the boy and I did get out to explore the neighborhood. Our weekend included:

:: Eating at Aroma Bakery Cafe on Sunset, where much of the food has a Mediterranean vibe, the picture menu goes on for days and the portions are huge. The waitress talked us into a sampler, which included pita bread, hummus, french fries, a cucumber-and-tomato chopped salad, pickles and hot sauce. It was enough to feed four people, at least, so by the time we got our rosemary chicken (served with delicious pine nut rice and a house salad) we were almost too full to eat!

:: Searching out High Voltage Tattoo, better known by TLC watchers as LA Ink, Kat Von D's studio. I've loved and tuned into the show for years, and continue to be a fan even though the last two seasons have been more focused on personal drama than tattoos. I was hoping to see Kat, of course, but the only people I recognized inside the shop were Adrienne and Khoi. While I didn't leave the shop with some new ink (not yet!), I did purchase a High Voltage hoodie. (I couldn't resist.)

:: Waiting in line outside The Griddle Cafe. It was so worth the wait, which actually went more quickly than expected. (We were quoted 45 minutes but I'd say it took 30.) Ever since seeing The Griddle Cafe featured on Yahoo! a month or so ago as one of the best pancake houses in the nation, I knew I had to go. It did not disappoint. Because I couldn't decide and because our charming server suggested it, I got a single (but still huge) Banana Nana, a buttermilk pancake filled with brown sugar-baked bananas, plus an order of Eggs Benedict. But their Benny isn't like anywhere else. The poached eggs sit atop a thick slab of ham and instead of English muffins as a base, The Griddle Cafe uses potato skins. The whole thing is swimming in creamy, dreamy hollandaise sauce that makes you feel guilty but it is so good you don't care. I even added avocado, which was totally unnecessary but still delightful. I also had a bite of the boy's French toast, which had a heavy hand of vanilla extract that made it taste like there was unseen vanilla bean ice cream on top. Seriously, to die for. Go. Now. And if my recommendation isn't good enough, maybe you'd believe Justin Long? He was in a booth just a few feet away from us. That's Hollywood, baby.

:: Trying unsuccessfully to go see a movie at the Grauman's Chinese Theatre (there were no good movies playing, incredibly) and having a creepy homeless dude that reeked of alcohol come up to the boy and pull on his sweater while we were looking at the celebrity footprints and handprints outside. Again, that's Hollywood, baby. As an alternative, we went to Hooters (my first time!) for a late-night snack. Five pieces of medium, naked chicken wings and an Amstel Light for me, training burgers and fried pickles for the boy.

So... where did your weekend take you?




P.S. On Friday night, I went back to my alma mater, Pepperdine, for "Blue and Orange Madness" (aka, Midnight Madness). It was wonderful to see my sorority sisters and even my little sis. I kind of felt like I was in college again (complete with a midnight trip to Jerry's Deli afterward). But the reason I'm telling you is because part of the festivities included a dunk contest. Last year, Keion Bell dunked over five people and the video became a YouTube sensation. Well, this year he had to one-up himself... and he did! "Seven human beings!!!!!" as the announcer said. Basketball fans, you can watch it here.

Pit-fired perfection

Pitfire Pizza, downtown Los Angeles

Since dating my boyfriend these past three and a half years, I have probably consumed more pizza than ever before. (I swear, pizza is like a food group for him. And most definitely his favorite food.) For that reason, I'll go out on a limb and call myself somewhat of a pizza connoisseur because I truly have had my fair share of slices of all types: thick and thin, loaded and margherita. 

Based on this past experience, I have to say that Pitfire Pizza makes possibly the perfect pizza. Strong statement, I know, but it was that good.

(Prior to Pitfire, it was a little pizza place in Virginia, outside D.C., that held the key to my pizza-loving heart because of it's amazing, cracker-like crust. But that's another story.)

See, before the Sara Bareilles concert last week, the boy and I needed to grab a bite to eat for dinner. I had checked out dozens of restaurants in the area online, looking for something new, different, delicious. While I was tempted by several fancy-sounding Italian restaurants, I opted for Pitfire because it seemed like it would be budget friendly and a sure-fire hit with the boy, who is an even pickier eater than me.

Summer special artichoke pizza

Well, Pitfire delivered on all counts. (Literally, they deliver, but of course that's not what I mean.)

The boy got his typical pepperoni pizza, but Pitfire's version was far from typical. Made with Zoe's slightly spicy natural pepperoni, sweet tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella and torn basil, it was finger-licking good. I got a bite or two before the boy polished it off, no problem.

I decided to try something I had never had before: artichoke pizza. It was on Pitfire's summertime specialties menu, and I was thrilled they still had it even at the end of September. Topped with roasted artichokes, blistered red and yellow cherry tomatoes, wilted spinach and black olives, it was the most flavorful pizza to ever have the joy of entering my mouth. It was salty and delectable-- even more so after drizzling it with some red chili flake-and-herb-infused olive oil on the table-- and I felt a tad guilty leaving even one piece on the plate.

As you can see in the photos, we also had a light salad-- with asiago and "torn" croutons-- to get our greens. I washed it all down with a glass of Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc. Slightly sweet, with notes of fig, apple and grapefruit, I think it was the perfect pairing.

Now, as tasty as the toppings and sauce were, Pitfire's pizza wouldn't be as magnificent as it is if not for the crust. Pitfire stays true to its name. The pies are cooked in a wood fired oven, resulting in a rustic, crispy, perfectly singed crust. And the bubbles! Oh, the bubbles were my favorite part. You know how sometimes there are bubbles in your pizza crust? Well, these bubbles weren't full of air... just more doughy, delicious bread! Oh goodness. Charred and chewy pizza. What could be better?

I was kind of hoping to try Pitfire's smothered cookie-- a warm cookie topped with organic soft serve, hazelnuts and your choice of sauce (I would have gone for the house made caramel sauce with Maldon salt)-- but the boy and I were just too stuffed (thank goodness for my flowy dress!) and it was not meant to be. Next time, I'll save room!

(Totally trying the handmade chicken meatballs with grilled bread next time. Totally.)

Oh, how I hope there will be a next time. I'd seriously drive an hour just for that crust.

Pitfire, could you make a special delivery to Simi? Please and thank you.

So, now I need to know: Have you had any great pizza lately? Or tried a new restaurant? I'd love to hear!

xo,

Sara Bareilles in concert

So, I bet you're wondering how the Sara Bareilles concert was.

In a word? Spectacular.

Not that I expected anything less from Miss Sara B. But even though I know her to be an amazing vocalist, I was still in awe of her performance.

But more on that later. First, let's talk about the venue: The Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.

It's pretty spectacular, too. Opened in 1926 and restored in the early 1990s, it is truly an architectural gem. We couldn't help but take several photos outside the neon marquee sign.

Walking into the lobby, I kind of felt like we stepped back in time. There was an old ticket booth...

And the inside of the theater was filled with beautiful, ornate detailing everywhere you looked. Just check out those chandeliers!

The stage was even more impressive. Lush, red curtains. Scalloped edges on the mezzanine box seats. The dim lights made the theater's gold features glow.

It all felt so rich and yet, so intimate. I've been to concerts at huge arenas filled with thousands of people. I had a blast, don't get me wrong. But The Orpheum was the perfect place to showcase Sara's voice. There were no fancy special effects, no costume changes or back-up dancers. Just pure authenticity and talent. (This review agrees with me :)

But first up were her opening acts.* Sara definitely made us wait! But I didn't mind too much because both performers were fantastic.

Sara, casually dressed before the show, introducing band mate and opening act, Javier Dunn.

The adorable and charming Javier Dunn took the stage first. He actually plays guitar for Sara. He put on a one-man show. It was just him and his guitar, and sometimes some prerecorded background instrumentation. But it was simple and honest and catchy-- and I loved it. The boy loved his cover of Death Cab for Cutie's "Summer Skin." I enjoyed all his songs, but I think my favorite might be "One Good Reason" ... or "How I Love You" .... or, gosh, I loved them all. (You can listen to Javier on his myspace, but I have to say his songs were much more dynamic live. He is great live.)

Next up was Greg Laswell. He and his band put on a great show, too. The ladies loved his hunky cellist and Greg was a pretty funny dude. The highlight was when he covered Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." He changed up the melody of the song so much that it took me a few lines to place it, but once I did, I couldn't help but laugh. However, comical as it was, it was actually a fabulous rendition-- even rivaled the original, in my humble opinion. It was in this style, with Greg stripped down, just him and his piano, that liked Mr. Laswell best.

Excited for the show to start!

It was probably an hour and a half before Sara came on. I told you she made us wait! But when she finally walked out on stage, the crowd erupted. Sara looked adorable. She was wearing a black jumpsuit,  shiny black ankle booties and a black bow in her hair. Throughout the show she made several remarks about this headband and bow. She said it was a new look for her and asked if she looked okay. Of course we all said yes!

(Sara also made us laugh with her potty mouth, which she couldn't shake even after realizing it was an all ages show. The boy was surprised; I was not. We both thought it was too funny.)

Sara opened the show with "Vegas" (from her first major-label release, "Little Voice") and followed that up with "Uncharted," one of my favorite songs from her new album ("Kaleidoscope Heart").

She mostly played songs from her latest (and greatest!) CD ("Hold My Heart," "Gonna Get Over You," "Let the Rain," "Basket Case") but in the middle of her set she performed the can't-help-but-get-stuck-in-your-head radio hit that made her famous: "Love Song."

Also from that 2007 album was "Fairytale." Sara delivered the tongue-in-cheek feminist anthem-- which is about all those unrealistic fairy tale romances us girls growing up believing in-- without her male band. She said she had performed a few shows without playing the song and it just didn't feel right, like something was missing. We were all glad she brought it back.

And there also was this totally cool cover of Radiohead's "Nice Dream," with Sara on ukulele and her boys stomping, tapping, clapping and snapping. Pretty fantastic.

Of course there was her upbeat (even if she is saying "f-you") new single, "King of Anything," too. (Pretend you're at the show and listen to the live performance here. And if you didn't guess already, click any of the links above to see video from the concert. Thanks to violetskyye!)

The most amazing moment of the night came at the end, when Sara brought up Sonos, a local a cappella group, to sing "Gravity" with her. "Gravity" is probably my all-time favorite Sara B. song. It might very well be my favorite song of all time, it is that good. It stirs my heart every time I hear it. And her performance at The Orpheum was no exception.

After "Gravity," Sara thanked Los Angeles-- her hometown-- and left the stage. But of course we called her back up for an encore. She sang "Many the Miles" (from "Little Voice") and then officially closed out the show with the hauntingly beautiful intro to her new CD, of the same name-- which she accompanied by playing some kind of accordion-type instrument. Again, amazing!

Taking a bow after the encore performance

All in all, it was a fabulous show. Sara's talent is far more impressive in person-- and I was already impressed by her CD! Her voice was strong, flawless, crystal clear. Her notes angelic, almost floating in the theater. After hearing "Gravity," my head on the boy's shoulder, I literally said "wow." Yeah, that sums it up. Wow.

Watch the a cappella version of "Gravity" below. (Aren't you glad someone was recording the performances for us?)





*sorry no photos of the openers and sorry my photos of Sara aren't the best! Unfortunately, my camera wasn't cooperating. Really, it's just old and no good in poor lighting. A girl in the row ahead of me was taking excellent, clear, close-up shots. The ones I have here are actually zoomed all the way in, if you can believe it! I'm officially taking suggestions for a new camera. :)


However, Sara's photographer friend Colin Young Wolff took some amazing behind-the-scenes and concert photos. You can check them out here.

Food, Wine + Zooey

Two Sundays ago (but who's counting?) my bestie Marielle and I went to the inaugural Los Angeles Times Celebration of Food & Wine. After seeing a full page ad in the Times about a month or so prior, I immediately marked my calendar, invited Marielle and then like a good friend pestered reminded her to buy tickets. (And gave her a discount code, yippee!)

Well, it turned out to be a beautiful day-- the day before Labor Day, in fact-- and not just for the obvious, gluttonous reason. It was so wonderful to spend a carefree day with my best friend in the whole world, indulging in tasty treats but also catching up on each other's lives. We're both so busy all the time that moments like those don't happen often, so I cherish them when they do.

The actual event didn't fail to deliver, too. Though trying to find parking in L.A. always proves to be challenging, especially when thousands of people are all going to the same exact place, the venue itself was pretty spectacular: the backlot of Paramount Pictures Studios. While browsing around, weaving between people and hopping from booth to booth, I would occasionally stop to look around and think, "Wow, it looks like we're on the streets of New York!" Which of course only made me remember my unfilled yearnings to visit the Big Apple. But never mind that...

All told we spent about three hours sampling various gourmet foods and wine. Mostly wine. (I have to say, I was a bit frustrated to see that many of the vendors-- especially the food trucks-- we're charging for food as opposed to giving away free samples, as I had expected. We did pay, after all, to get in. That would be my only complaint of the event.)

During our journey around the outdoor fest, we devoured lots of sweets: salted caramel ice cream from the Cooking Channel's Ice Cream truck, cake balls from Delicious Wishes of Beverly Hills (toffee for me, and I think peanut butter for Marielle, or something similarly divine), and a zeppole (basically an Italian donut, covered in powdered sugar) from Rosa's Bella Cucina. We had to fork over a $1 for that last one, but it was sooo worth it.

We balanced out the sugar with a few salty bites: spicy yellow curry (made with coconut milk, potatoes and carrots) from Sedthee Thai Eatery, some bread and cheese (I ate the bread and gave Marielle my cheese) from La Brea Bakery, and a surprisingly delicious mungbean patty but I don't quite remember who from. Blame the wine.

Speaking of vino, there were tons of wineries to taste, and though we had eight drink tickets each (plus extras from a kind lady who gave me hers at the gate), the vendors didn't much care to take them. We sure didn't mind!

First there was a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc from Dutcher Crossing Winery, then a nice, light Syrah from Farella-Park Vineyards, followed by a crisp Pinot Grigio, from the LA Times Wine Club (who we liked for their hearty pours).

Our favorite at the festival, though, was Pech Merle Winery. They won points for taste and experience, because unlike the other wineries, they gave us a true tasting, letting us try several of their vintages. We loved them all!

We also tried Korean black raspberry wine from Kook Soon Dang that was dangerously good, as in, it tastes so much like juice you would get drunk before knowing what hit you. Similar to that was VeeV Acai Spirit. I'm not one to sip straight liquor-- I'm a cranberry and vodka kind of gal-- but with this I'd make an exception. Pour VeeV into a martini glass and you're good to go.

Lastly, we tasted Evan Williams Honey Reserve Bourbon. This would be the one thing we tried that didn't win us over. Too strong, we both tossed it-- but kept the cute plastic shot glass it came in. Guess we're not bourbon girls.

With all that alcohol flowing, and a bit of a buzz going, we took a few silly pictures. Who can resist posing with a Sake bottle or ... doing whatever it is we're doing in that second picture. Oh, I know what we're doing. We're making fools of ourselves! Gotta love it.

As the sun began to set, we made our way over to the Hollywood Stage for the evening attraction. No, not food or wine-- but a concert by She & Him. You know-- Zooey Deschanel!

Even though I had never heard Zooey's music before, I was uber-excited to see her, because she is just so darling. (I finally saw "500 Days of Summer," well, this summer.) Though I had told Marielle who would be performing, she didn't realize who I was talking about until we got to the stage. And then she was just as excited as me! We talked about how beautiful Zooey is while swaying to the music... Her voice sounded as sweet and as lovely as she looks.

Even the back-up singers were adorable. All the ladies were wearing fun, colorful dresses with black tights. Perfect! (And check out that guy's white hat in the audience... too cool!)

The whole gang... Matt Ward, the "Him" in She & Him, is on the far left. And isn't Zooey's green dress pretty? The layers fluttered up and down when she jumped to the music, shaking her tambourine.

Closing out the show, Zooey and Matt tackled the piano, pounding the keys together.

The crowd shouted encore after the band left the stage and a few minutes later, She & Him obliged with one last song. With the last notes hanging in the air, the crowd began to break up. As we were leaving, I noticed that the Crepes Bonaparte truck (if you've watched "The Great Food Truck Race" on Food Network, you'll recognize this truck) was still open for business. Even though I was a tad full and it cost a couple more bucks out of my pocket, I couldn't resist.

I ordered my usual-- Nutella and banana-- and Marielle tried a savory Ranchero crepe. We devoured them on the walk back to our car... Both got two thumbs up!

So there you have it. My first food and wine fest. I consumed many, many calories that day but overall, I'd call it a culinary success.

Labor Day bits

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend! I know I sure did, even if it did make going back to work today a tad more difficult. (Isn't that always the way?)

This three-day weekend was perhaps more needed than usual. Last week was, in a word, miserable at times as I felt my emotions buckling under stress (and nature's hormonal "gift"). But the light at the end of the dismal tunnel was the long weekend ahead. So once those 72 hours of freedom began, I wanted to squeeze every last drop of fun and sunshine out of them.

Here's the rundown:

Saturday was spent lazily at first, catching up on sleep and relaxing in pajamas while watching TV. But soon enough we (the boy, Hazel and I) busted out of the house and into the outdoors, taking a quick drive up to Santa Barbara. Well, the drive wasn't quick thanks to some slow-moving holiday traffic but we still got there in time to walk Hazel along the boardwalk, get some pecan praline ice cream on the pier and watch the sun set over the water (see photos above). On the way home, we stopped for pepperoni pizza. After polishing off 2 1/2 slices, I got a call from my bestie, Marielle, that the gang was going out for drinks and dancing at Cisco's, a popular hangout in Westlake Village. I hurried back to my house, got gussied up in record time and joined my friends for what turned out to be a fabulous night out. One that ended at about 3 p.m. with me watching "Law & Order: SVU" and another slice of pizza. (DiGiorno this time, if you must know. So bad, but so good!)

On Sunday, Marielle and I attended the inaugural Los Angeles Times Celebration of Food & Wine. I'll share more on this later but for now let's just say it was a highly caloric day. Copious amounts of wine were consumed, with a bit of food sampling mixed in for good measure. The fest finished with a concert and a crepe-- sweet for me, savory for Marielle. Fun times all around. But it didn't end there-- afterward we headed to a friend's house where a group of us chatted about life and played Catch Phrase! Yep, fun times, indeed.

Monday was just as eventful but still laid back. It was Labor Day, after all! I celebrated at a barbecue with friends. We munched on chips and dip, drank ice cold beers (as well as a couple margarita-flavored wine coolers for me) and played several tournament-style rounds of Cornhole. After a few tries, I became surprisingly good at tossing the little bean bags onto the board and into the hole, shocking most everyone at the party since it's safe to say I have no skills whatsoever at Beer Pong-- usually the game of choice at gatherings like these.

All around, it was a fantastic weekend spent with good friends, good food and good drink. Which always equals a good time in my book.

How did you spend your Labor Day weekend? I'd love to hear.

Weekend recap

Ok, ok. I know it is Thursday and you are probably already thinking about what you are going to do this weekend, but I still want to share with you what I did last weekend! (It's the boy's fault. He took some of the pictures I wanted to share on his iPhone because I left my camera at home, and he finally sent them to me today!)

Anyway, I want to share because I'm still sort of amazed at all the things I did Friday through Sunday. Unfortunately, my weekends can be pretty uneventful sometimes so it was such a treat to really get out and make the most of my stress-free days off.

First up: Friday. That night I went out with a group of pals to the North Hollywood location of Big Wangs, a packed sports bar with a juice head (yes, that's a Jersey Shore reference for you) rooster as its mascot, slogans like "Size matters" and "Don't feed the chicks," and large flat screen TVs wherever you looked-- all tuned to, you guessed it, sports. We were there to celebrate a male friend's birthday and I found out I can hang pretty well with the guys. And for those of you who are my Facebook friend, you know that I came to the realization that night that, while I do love the vino, I also am, in fact, a beer-and-wings kind of gal. (My beer of choice was Stella.)

See, Big Wangs' claim to fame, as its name might suggest, is its chicken wings. I ordered nachos-- which were okay but nothing like the ones I had in Vegas-- and the guys took care of ordering the wings. Oh yes, they ordered "the three some." With 50 wings and three pitchers of beer, it can feed far more than 3. My boy wasn't digging the hot hot sauce and the other guys gave him a hard time about it at first, but pretty soon they couldn't stand the heat either. And there I was, the girly-girl I am, chowing down and lapping up the extra sauce with french fries. Classy, I know. All in all, it was a great night. And hey, sports aren't that bad when you've got a glass of beer (and maybe a shot of Patron, too).

On Saturday, I woke up surprisingly early given the previous night's festivities but I didn't get out and about until later in the afternoon. First stop: My bestie's house to pick up my cell phone. I left it at the bar! I told you I had a shot :)

A little while later, I met up with the boy. I had high hopes (no pun intended) of going to a hot air balloon festival in Santa Paula but it didn't quite work out since we had Hazel with us and we were told no dogs allowed! Boo. So we ended up driving back through Fillmore where we stopped at a roadside farmers market. While it may not be as large or glamourous as the ones in Los Angeles, I was super excited because I really have never been to or bought from a farmers market! In between snapping photos (which I'll share more of in my next post) I picked up fruits and veggies.

For $20, I got three pints of strawberries, a bunch of campari tomatoes on the vine, two oranges, one peach, a bag of cherries and a sack of caramels-- obviously the boy's addition to the basket.

Once we got back to the boy's house, I was starving, so we soon left again to go to dinner at La Cocina Bar & Grill, a Mexican restaurant that is a local fave in Santa Clarita. For dessert, we stopped at none other than Baskin Robbins where I got single scoop of pralines 'n' cream in a cone. So good.

On the drive home, between licks, we saw a concert in the park going on. I convinced the boy to stop and we did. Central Park, as they call it, was crawling with families, teens and dogs, and nearly half seemed to be playing a game of catch. My favorite part is when the band performed Cheryl Lynn's "Got to Be Real." It always reminds me of the Sex and the City episode where Carrie is asked to be a runway model and she falls flat on her face. Why? Because at the end of the show, as the credit role, "Got to Be Real" comes on as Carrie sashays into her bathroom... you know the part?

Well, as the band played the song, I sashayed around the park, singing "woo hoo, woo hoo, woo hoo" much to the boy's chagrin.

Now onto Sunday. As is classically us, we got in the car late in the day unsure where to go. And then decided on the Queen Mary in Long Beach. I'd never been so why not? (Well, the ticket price may be one reason, but nevermind about that.) We had a lightning fast lunch so that we could make the 4 o'clock Ghosts and Legends tour. It was so un-scary it was hilarious! And our tour guide was creep-tastic. I couldn't help but laugh at his monotone voice, silly jokes and failed attempts to make us jump, or me, anyway.

Then we explored the ship, though we abandoned the self-guided route and took our own path-- and randomly found an old school telephone booth. Did someone say photo op?

We wrapped up the day with a hour-long pitstop at Ikea-- I bought a new pillow and pair of cute bowls, but my kill joy sidekick talked me out of buying anything else-- and a pass through the Krispy Kreme drive-thru (maple doughnut, yum!).

Oh, and then I made bruschetta with my campari tomatoes at 9 o'clock at night. But more on that later.

So now that I've told you all about my past weekend excursions, tell me, do you have any plans for the weekend up ahead? If you haven't noticed by now, I'm not much of a planner. I kind of just wing it... and see where the wind takes me.



Weekend image via we heart it
Big Wangs image via its website