December 27, 2011

recap through pictures.

apologies for the pause in blogging. 
busy december and a great holiday season.
here's what has been going on in pictures (from the iphone)...
strolled through union square, san francisco. st. francis gingerbread castle, ice skating, macy's decorations, and the union square christmas tree.
walked through the sf ferry building and fell in love with 'cowgirl creamery' among others. i think i'll be a frequent flyer when i move up at the end of the month.
speaking of school. welcome to cowell hall at usf where i will be in a month for school. visited the school with the family a few weekends ago.
visited madonna inn to fulfill our annual family tradition of enjoying the decorations and dessert.
decorated christmas cookies with all the family and my favorite little maddy.
santa was oh-so-good and i received this little baby. 
slipped and broke my knee on christmas day. bummers.

so there you have it. 
december in the life of emily.

hope your holidays are great and enjoy your 27th of december!

December 8, 2011

holiday gift guide.

i'm hopping on the blogging bandwagon.
yep, i'm doing it.
so here is my 'holiday gift guide' for the females out there.
it's basically a list of my all-time-everyday-favorites.
(a poor college student perk- everything is under $25)
enjoy!
and shop away!

December 7, 2011

the final countdown.

5 days until christmas ornament hanging and decorating.
4 days until is see B and the college gang.
3 days left in LA.
2 days of EMT class left.
1 day of finals.
hallelujah for christmas time at home!
wahooooo!
and a shout out to my lovely roomies that i get to see this weekend.
i'm pretty sure that i will always call you 'my roomies.'

December 5, 2011

once again.

...i'm blogging about that certain, special boy.
mushy, mushy but you love it.

took a quick little trip for a little b + em time this weekend.
little did i know i was walking into a handsome, cutely dressed boy
with flowers and a 'congrats on grad school'/lovey card,
topped with a homemade dinner by mr. b,
and complete with a popcorn and mini coffee ice cream movie night in bed.
dang, is he a winner? or is he a winner?
love you b!

December 1, 2011

25 days of christmas.

hooray! the 25 days of christmas have arrived!
it is seriously my favorite time of year!
i love december!

i absolutely cannot wait to get home now.
i am craving the palmer house. big time.
the smell of pine, vanilla, and cinnamon.
the short, fat tree with a variety of homemade ornaments.
garlands and wreaths everywhere.
fireplace nights and coffee on the couch in the morning.
the spilling over of brown, white, and red packages.
candles, christmas music, and nativity scenes.
comfort food and an overwhelming dessert table of goodies.
apricot cookies and peppermint hot cocoa.
christmas parties and holiday festivities.
and the anticipation.

so incredibly excited for home but enjoying my study break naps while listening to christmas music, mulling spices, pumpkin bread, and store-front la windows!

on a depressing note, i am missing the good ol' san luis obispo downtown chrismas parade tomorrow night. and for the record this will be my first absence in 23 years. super depressing.

but can't wait to be home a week from tomorrow!
happy december and enjoy opening your advent calendar for the first time today!

November 29, 2011

mi hermana.

study day with hannah.
i know we don't look too much alike, but i promise we're sisters.
starbucks studying and lunch date!
hope you are having a great tuesday!

November 28, 2011

whoops.

so maybe i was supposed to be studying and i got a little side-tracked and found some christmas inspiration. but can you blame me? its frank sinatra, dean martin, and bing crosby's fault.
left-to-right and top-then-bottom
1. dyi advent calendar
2. herbal homemade fire starters
3. perfect christmas sugar cookies
4. rosemary wreath
5. cranberry scones
6. kitchen rosemary trees
7. homemade marshmallows 
8. diy craft tape stocking and tree cards
9. diy glittered decorative stars
10. salted caramels and perfect packaging 

(all found on my pinterest)
happy decorating/crafting/baking/holidaying!

sick day.

today i am hanging out with mr. kleenex and cup o' tea.
got a cold thing going on and i'm parked on my couch.

listening to pandora christmas music- frank sinatra "have yourself a merry little christmas' to be exact.
just ordered 11, yes 11 christmas presents- thank you cyber/free shipping monday.
perusing san fran apartments- ah so excited!
listing christmas craft to do's and presents- one of my favorite things to do.
so much emt studying for all of my finals- i can assist in emergency childbirth now, kinda cool.

considering heading to starbucks for a nice hot one in a red cup to do more emt studying.
worth the risk of infecting the poor person sitting next to me? i think so.

November 27, 2011

some BIG news.

you know its serious when i bring out the capital letters...

I'M GOING TO GRAD SCHOOL!
WAHOO!
the day after thanksgiving i was accepted to university of san francisco (my top choice) and i will start my masters in nursing at the end of january.

COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED!
so, so, so thankful.

November 23, 2011

thanksgiving.

happy early thanksgiving to my blog readers!
i hope your day is filled with family, friends, gratitude, and more food!

(pictures from my pinterest, real simple, whole living, foodgawker, and sunset)

November 22, 2011

coronado island.

on saturday B and i took a day trip to visit friends on coronado island and celebrate our friends completion of 'hell week' in navy seal training (go dave- you are a stud!). it was a great day full of friends, adventures, and celebration. we went to this great restaurant called 'the tractor room' which i highly suggest for brunch, drove around the island, walked along the beach and hotel del coronado, and got to enjoy each others company in a setting other than studying. needless to say- it was a great getaway and coronado was beautiful!
had my camera handy on the beach walk as some stealth fighter jetish aircraft came flying in. im pretty sure i have never seen B so excited in his entire life. got a little glimpse of what christmas morning four year old B's face looked like. great day! 

November 19, 2011

this guy.

spending a day with this guy in san diego. 
life is good.
enjoy your saturday!

November 18, 2011

weekender.

since i have moved down to LA i have been traveling on the weekends quite a lot. and by quite a lot i mean almost every weekend that i have been here. nothing too far, just a little hop over to B's or home up north but none the less living out of a suitcase, school backpack, and toiletry bag. then i found this little gem.
i know that you are shocked that i like this cause i never wear black, solid neutrals, brown leather, animal prints, or stripes (thats a joke) but you'd be surprised how far this has got me.

off to another weekend away-
B's, san diego day trip, EMT ride-along, grad school interview, back to LA, and then home for thanksgiving break!
wish me luck!

November 17, 2011

bar carts.

two things bring me to post on this topic...
a. today is thursday and i think thursdays are the best day to 'beverage'
b. holidays are approaching and i would say that holidays are better with a little 'cheer'

if you disagree will you humor me and let me introduce you to bar carts. i absolutely love the design and concept of a bar cart. its simple, decorative, entertaining, and i am loving these ones. hoping to find an old, tattered one that i can transform in some fun way for my poor grad student apartment. i feel like my four stemless wine glasses, miniature bottle of argentinean wine, and 'i heart slo' shot glass are enough to start me off.
how great are these?
and how great is it to treat yourself to a nice gin and tonic?

i'll leave you with this recent family quote...
my sister: "our family has never really had a drunk holiday."
my aunt: "ha oh hannah, you just never knew."

November 15, 2011

oh, baby girl.

remember this post? well i made a version of the calzone last night and it was to-die-for. the recipe is here but i just used what i had and made-do.

mine was filled with sauteed summer squash, zucchini, onion, sweet peppers, and spinach. then added artichoke tapenade, fresh mozzarella, and goat cheese. put it in a pre-made pizza dough (because i was lazy and hungry) and baked at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. topped it with a bit of manchego and chunky tomato sauce.

oh, baby girl... so good.

November 14, 2011

avila valley barn.

took a little trip to the avila valley barn this past weekend with the friends and boyfriends.
so great and festive for fall.
picked up the most amazing olliberry cobbler.
(nom nom nom- thanks brittany:)
and enjoyed it after a great dinner at my parents house.
cutest/yummiest place.
isn't he a cutie?
the chicas... best friends ever.

hope your monday is great and your night warm, cozy, and fallish!

November 10, 2011

some fall love.

a few things im loving this fall/thanksgiving time.
especially the thanksgiving vegetable side dishes.
have the barnwood at home- just waiting for a project.
can you say 'dear santa'.
 fall nails/wardrobe colors.
shocker i like these muted neutrals, huh?
butternut squash, spinach, and winter root veggie calzone.
im down for anything with starch, cheese, and veggies.
you know how i feel about warm feet.
fabric covered buttons or vintage maybe?
puff pastry baked apple brie.
um yes please.
cozy living.
i'm thinking this is my tiny grad school apartment style.

hope this gives you a little inspiration on your fall thursday!
have a great one!

(you can find all of these on my pinterest too)

November 9, 2011

anyway.

"The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end, its between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."
-Mother Teresa

November 8, 2011

grateful.

just arrived back in la from a weekend at home.
it was so great and in the spirit of thanksgiving,
i must say that i am incredibly grateful for my life.

mom and dad,
nights at walnut,
dinners with all of my family,
brandon,
warm fireplace nights,
real simple magazine and coffee,
time with my best friends,
downtown slo cafes,
my cozy bed,
scarf and boots weather,
dads bountiful garden harvest,
living with han,
emt class,
great calming fall-time music,
peppermint tea,
first scheduled grad school interview,
snuggle time,
tube soaks,
good health,
my support system.

so many things to be thankful for.
growing up we had 'gratitude journals' that we would write in daily at school...
what a cool idea.

(p.s. can you hear the christmas music? i think its almost time:)

***also, this is my 150th post. kinda sweet- i think!

November 3, 2011

lemon goodness.

this is the second time that i have made these
and i totally love them.

four ingredient lemon burst cookies.
1 box yellow cake mix
1 container cool-whip
1 egg
1 cup powdered sugar
mix the first three ingredients together. drop a spoonful of the dough mixture in the powdered sugar and coat the outside. cook at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. enjoy!

i highly suggest these for anyone, anytime but this batch is for the studly APU first years (aka brandon and friends) who are finishing up their hardest term ever. you guys are awesome!

ps you can check the official recipe out on my pinterest or here!

November 2, 2011

halloweenie.

hope you a had a great and spooky halloween!
as promised mine was full of fun and quite a blast!

slo was great as always and it was so fun being back after being away for two plus months
(longest time ever- crazy right?!)

party animals
 
roomie love!
round two-walnuts!
(thanks el paulo for the photos)

in addition to halloween festivities, i watched some of my sisters soccer games, had a great family bbq with all of the ucla team and the walnuts, and enjoyed the 'perfect weekend of eating'.
you know that a post wouldn't be complete without some food so had to add that in...
firestone, walnut bbq, family tritip dinner, gus's sandwich, black horse everything bagel and iced americano, moms lunch spread yummm, tb (only one night- are you proud of me?), and much more.
 needless to say, i am still full.

hope you are having a great tuesday!

October 27, 2011

story time.

alright, so halloween has always been a significant holiday in my life....

when i was young, vo and vavie (grandma and grandpa) use to get a bunch of refrigerator boxes and set up a crazy maze of darkness that you had to crawl on hands and knees in order to get into the house (already a childhood hit). inside you would find a gigantic spread of all things fatty, salty, sweet, and cheesy. let me tell you, i probably had about a twenty percent carotid blockage by age ten due to this awesome night. we usually made our costumes and vavie (grandma) was always decked in some over the top queen outfit with a megaphone was near by. after munching and peoples arrival, we would crawl back out of that sweet maze and hop into a boat mounted on a trailer that was pulled by a tractor (alright so we sound a little like jack and coke, dorito casserole rednecks that lived in a double wide- ill give you that). this lovely boat/tractor contraption would drive us down the tiny little evans road street where we would 'trick-or-treat' to approximately ten houses (don't hate because these houses got about ten trick-or-treaters so we go loads of candy). once back at home we would carefully divide and trade the goods and since i was never and still am not a big candy person, an occasional 'nerd' or lollipop was consumed. 

flash forward to seventh grade, where I (for the first time) got to go trick or treating in 'the arbors'- aka a middle schoolers dream of a halloween night community with so much pre-teen giggles and awkwardly provocative costumes- where i distinctly remember wearing a tight long sleeve t-shirt with a scoop neck (woah, go big em). it was 'like awesome and cool and i like saw everyone from school'. 

high school halloween was filled with coed hot tub/pool nights paired with thrown together outfits, overly eccentric make-up and staying up well into the night doing absolutely nothing (but having a great time, none-the-less). 

college came around and we all know what that means- scantily clad kitty and half naked gi-joe come out to play. while i may not have participated in those wardrobe choices, i have had some incredible halloween nights accompanied by my roommates, cheap costumes, the bf, booze, and dancing (sorry mom and dad). 

i say this all because i am headed home this weekend to celebrate halloween. last year's halloween outing proved to be one of my most memorable and fun nights of college- and im doing it again. woo woo!

happy early halloween! have fun and stay safe! talk to you next week!

October 25, 2011

fall pasta.

this has quickly become one of my favorite go-to dishes. 
bucatini with turkey sausage and zucchini.
found it this summer in real simple magazine (love) and have been making it quite often since.
great steaming hot for dinner or cold the next day for lunch.
i highly suggest!
Ingredients
  • 12 ounces bucatini or spaghetti
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 pound Italian-style turkey sausage links, casings removed
  • 1 pound zucchini and/or summer squash (about 4), thinly sliced
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • kosher salt and black pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces), plus more for serving
  • 1/4 cup fresh oregano leaves
Directions
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water; drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the zucchini and/or squash, onion, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the vegetables are golden and very tender, 15 to 18 minutes (reduce heat if the pan begins to darken).
4. Toss the pasta with the sausage, vegetables, Parmesan, oregano, and ¼ cup of the reserved cooking water (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Serve with additional Parmesan.
p.s. i highly suggest fresh manchego instead of parmesan and fontina, spinach chicken sausage (TJ's) was a great alternative too.
enjoy!

October 24, 2011

517 1/2.

i realized that i never introduced you to my apt.
welcome to 517 1/2.
yes, our address ends in 1/2.
our "rustic" college street.
come on in.
my little humble abode.
or humble a home (abs).

stop on by if you're in the neighborhood.
warm welcome to obama who is down the street this afternoon...
thanks for all the traffic and low helicopters el presidente... 
i'll be parking it on the couch for the night:)

October 23, 2011

sunday.

from top to bottom, sunday is a great day.

growing up sunday was the day that we went to church, had a great big breakfast, gardened with dad, split a can of dr. pepper in the afternoon, had a fire in winter, made tea and popcorn, and mom was always cooking something that smelled great for the rest of the week. since then it has changed some but that same feeling still exists.

i know its also the laundry, homework, catch-up and recharge day. but you can't deny that staying in lounge wear, eating great food, and starting new isn't a great feeling, can you? case and point.

so sunday goes something like this.

awake late to a crisp morning where you can roll over and get those extra zzz's cause life can wait today. grab a cup of coffee from a real big mug that stays so hot and today you actually get to enjoy the smell of coffee in your house cause you don't have to rush to work or school (and if your me a little extra half and half goes in that cup on sunday, just for good measure). that cup of coffee is followed by a great breakfast, whether it be brunch with friends, homemade pancakes, or an incredible portuguese veggie and egg spread, it always delivers. of course a large food coma usually accompanies this bliss but none the less, it was delish and just what you needed (insert nap here if needed). the rest of the morning and early afternoon is filled with laundry, light cleaning, homework, and random catch-up stuff. a little adelle or david gray pandora is a must for these hours and tube socks are a necessity to ensure complete comfort. once the 'to-do' list has been completed it's cook-for-the-week-night and a little soup making and veggie roasting takes place. while you wait for that to finish, a couch corner and a magazine are your best friends. top that off with a bit of your fallish soup, chat with your compadres, and take an extra long shower. hit the hay early and monday will be a breeze.

yea, soak it up. enjoy your fall sunday, wherever it may be and don't forget the tube socks.

October 21, 2011

food for thought.

If you have food in your fridge, clothes on your back, a roof over your head and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of the world.
If you have money in the bank, your wallet, and some spare change you are among the top 8% of the wordl’s wealthy.
If you woke up this morning with more health than illness you are more blessed than the million people who will not survive this week.
If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the agony of imprisonment or torture, or the horrible pangs of starvation vou are luckier than 500 million people alive and suffering.
If you can read this message you are more fortunate than 3 billion people in the world who cannot read it at all.

October 17, 2011

diddy.

i got me some diddy tonight with el paulo and the roomies. mmmgood.
best part is that i get a week long sleepover with el paulo this week. 
yea thats right... ice cream, nails, and pillow talk.

October 16, 2011

delivery.


mom and dad came this weekend. 
and they delivered the goods.
(sorry-pics form the iphone)
bags, baskets, and flats of produce.
tomatoes, kale, carrots, beets, leeks, chillies, sweet peppers, apples, figs, bell peppers, jalapenos.
hannah and i love produce delivery week.
it's our favorite week of the month.

and a special shout out to vavie, who came down to la for her first time to see the sights and watch hannah's game. she brought loaves of homemade zucchini bread and we are forever indebted.

thanks country folks:)

October 12, 2011

succulents.

alright, so this is a little out of left field and i know that i am jumping on this wagon a little late,
but im loving succulents.

maybe its because they are everywhere in LA?
maybe its because i experienced my first vertical succulent wall art- and fell in love? 
maybe its because i got one and now all i see are succulents- everywhere?
so here is my first succulent,
her name is 'hermione' and she resides next to my bed.
love her.
got her because i was inspired by these hanging ones on a little LA adventure that i took.
then went on pinterest- obviously- and found the most incredible ones on there.
(my pinterest has some to the right- red button:)

so the saga continues because i live with botany/biology nerds,
 and of course we had to look at the root systems and see how they hang that way.
this continued on and now i've been doing some investigating and as always,
all roads lead to 'sunset magazine' (my fave) where i found this.

doing it.

October 11, 2011

walnuts.

they came,
they saw,
they conquered. 
i think la is still recovering.

great weekend with the walnuts,
can't wait to see you all in a few.

October 7, 2011

October 6, 2011

work it girl.

so i "work" here in santa monica.
and by work i mean nanny for a ten-week-old little boy in a fancy law firm for the nicest first time mom that still nurses and changes him.
so basically i am a paid grandmother that sits, snuggles, plays, and takes stroller walks.
mind you i have my own "office".
rainy view from the "the nanny" office (brentwood and santa monica). so rough.

yesterday was especially fabulous.
rainy, full office kitchen of teas and coffee, thai food, and a little snuggler.
i'll take it.

on another note, been getting my booty kicked daily at the gym.
"guts, butts, and thighs" is then devil.
barely can sit down on the toilet (over-share?).

have a great one!

October 2, 2011

weekend recap.

friday evening:
me,
the boy,
homemade bbq chicken pizza and salad,
a cold beer,
card games,
popsicles,
and some good ol' snuggling,
t-h-e b-e-s-t e-v-e-r.

saturday day:
switched teams for a day (sorry ucla undergrad),
went to the usc (grad school) side,
tailgated with great el paulo,
made new friends,
hung out at 'traditions' pub to watch the game,
got some tb (supremed it),
laughed lots.

saturday night:
missing the boy that i left 10 hours prior,
decided to go back to see him from usc,
(best decision ever),
watched movie,
ate quesadillas,
snuggled more,
so in love (mushy i know).

sunday morning:
homemade oats (so yum),
got my lower back pain evaluated by the pt himself,
he's such a smartie,
costco trip,
date lunch,
happy 'see you later alligator' and drove,
unpacked and settle back in,
hw and reading.

i just can't get enough of the boy.

September 27, 2011

true life.

i live in los angeles.
started working this week on the tippy-top of that brown high-rise behind the middle palm tree.
never thought i would say that.
 also, i started my emt program yesterday and i am already knee deep (but loving it).
slowly becoming a ucla nerd, yea that's right.

days have been flying by in this crazy town.
super ready for bed but having a great time.
goodnight friends!

September 25, 2011

olvera st.

appropriately, i began my LA adventures with a sunday trip to olvera st.
and i'm sure that it will not be my last trip there.
it was awesome (and sooo delicious)!

took the roommates and we...
toured the first recorded house in los angeles (the 'avila adobe') and union station
shopped the street faire
perused the beautiful imported clothes
and ate the most amazing authentic tacos, burritos, taquitos, horchata, and jamaica.

honestly, incredible food and the live mariachis were super fun.
plus, i got to tacos to go. be jealous.
makes me want to brush up on my spanish and go back to south america...

until then adios amigos!