embition.

exploring.

2012-02-12T12:15:00.000-08:00

the last week was crazy.

first round of 'quizzes' proved to require a valiant amount of studying.

not joking, all-day-long study sessions for days at a time proved to be worth it,

but man-oh-man those teachers can sure write some HARD tests.

in between all of that studying,

i ventured out to catch a few new sites around the city,
and i feel like you'd like to hear about them...

::: kels- around the corner irish pub for drinks with the sf 'walnut crew' (can you say friends for life?)

::: chestnut st.- utoh, found chestnut street in the marina and loving all that it has to offer. strolled around the shops and grabbed dinner and drinks with mewy and friends. so many fun places to eat and shop.

::: buckshot- for happy hour with the whole class friday afternoon for a much needed 'celebratory/we got through this week' beer. shuffleboard, ski ball, and animal-head-filled walls.

::: chinese new year parade- forged through the already overcrowd chinatown to see the sights at the parade. so festive, so crowed, so fun.

on the map for this week:
excited for taco tuesday at the blue light with nursing girls.
hopefully, getting off of crutches- HOORAY!
homework and studying extra hard in anticipation for a slo walnut reunion.
home for the weekend and b will be in slo too!

thanks for listening friends!

have a great sunday!

becoming cool.

2012-02-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

for as long as i can remember, i have dreamed of wearing a stethoscope around my neck.

honestly, it is 'all that is cool' in my book.
it stands as a major symbol to me.

and it's just plain cool.

i have always envied the doctor that comes into starbucks with his around his neck

and the nurse walking down the hall with hers wrapped around.

so, in a much needed break from studying cancer pathology and treatment pharmaceuticals today,

i ordered my scope.

yep, thats right folks...im gonna get to be 'that cool'.

she's seafoam green (for the little ones enjoyment) with a special pediatric bell.

i'm in love and i haven't even met her yet.

simulation skills check-offs start next week and we need our own,
so now i'll be good to go!

fun fact: starting maternity clinicals in may- oh dayummm.

oh geez.

2012-02-06T13:36:00.000-08:00

and i'm in nursing school.

see you in two years.

i guess they call it 'accelerated masters' for a reason.

but for real, (nerd alert) it's sooo cool.

tourists + the boy.

2012-02-03T17:20:00.000-08:00

i had a little visitor last weekend and we made our way around the city to all of the touristy spots.
he's the best + the city is the best.
aka great four days.

yea, joined all of the people with cameras and visited fisherman's wharf and the marina. yeaaa.

no joke. b and i had a slight obsession with the sea lions. as in we stayed and watched them for about and hour cause they are legit.

haven't been to alcatraz yet but i see it in my near future. do you know how much i love prison shows? a ton.

love sf.

love school.
love adventures.

love my brandon.

hipster.

2012-01-27T17:40:00.000-08:00

real world: sf is hipster.

seriously, everywhere.

and im gonna add to it by instagraming this normal, iPhone pic into a super artsy thang.

(drive home-yeaaaa)

week one of nursing school down.

crazy.

did i mention, I LOVE SAN FRANCISCO.

day one.

2012-01-25T15:53:00.000-08:00

fun fact: this is my school.

when i went to class...

and when i left class...

(well actually that left corner building is the nursing school but all of it is "mine"i guess)

just had a royal tour of sf from a native and loved it.

seriously in love with this city.

welcome to the 415.

2012-01-23T17:00:00.000-08:00

hello from san francisco!

i am officially moved in, setup, and ready to go.

(via)

who would have thought that little uptight, cautious, anal retentive emily would be living in downtown san francisco. the answer is no one ten years ago but times have changed and i could not be more excited to be living here! sf is incredible and i am already loving everything (well maybe not crutching up hill in the rain- but it's all good)! i have already visited a few lovely spots and can't wait until i am off of these crutches and able to run about the city.

class starts tomorrow at USF in the school of nursing department where i will be working on my masters in nursing- clinical nurse leader and registered nurse generalist degree (dang girl). super excited and mildly in denial of that whole school/studying thing at the moment. pretty sure the short paper and three reading assignments that are due tomorrow in my first class will change that around quickly...

well, more to come this week.
hope you staying out of the rain and having a great monday!

p.s. thanks mom and dad for everything!
p.s.s. if you're reading this and are not a follower, you should become one- it'll brighten my day.

link list.

2012-01-20T15:38:00.000-08:00

super random, but here are a few blogs that i enjoy with my morning coffee. until i become slightly interesting again (after the move and school starts), here's a few for your enjoyment.

cupcakes and cashmere

the daybook
sincerely kinsey

more on packing, the move to sf, and grad school soon- hooray!!!

OMG.

2012-01-18T12:57:00.000-08:00

guess who moves to san francisco this weekend?

ME!

guess who starts grad school next week?

ME!

guess who is freaking out?

ME!

(via)

san francisco here i come!

holy moly, so excited/ nervous/ anxious/ pumped about the move and school!

(and yes, i am tackling the hilly city on crutches and in a brace- keeping those corners up)

perfection.

2012-01-10T09:28:00.000-08:00

a little late but thought you should know about my little yosemite trip with the boy.

its become quite a little tradition for b and i to take a little trip around the holidays as a part of our christmas present to each other and in celebration of his birthday (the day after christmas).

two years ago we visited yosemite together and it was perfect.

covered in snow and complete with snowboarding and snow hikes.

this year we decided to visit yosemite again and it was perfect yet again.

not a drop of snow and low key due to my lovely leg brace and crutches.

we sipped hot chocolate at the ahwahnee,

hiked to glacier point,

enjoyed delicious fancy meals at tenaya lodge,

cruised the back roads,

and picnicked on the beautiful yosemite hills.

p.s. i've decided dating a physical therapist is the best thing in the world. and dating a pediatric pt is even better. i was taken care of like a princess. thanks b:)

the knee.

2012-01-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

first i was in this.

and it looked like this.

then they put me in this.

and now it looks like this.

were making some progress my friends.

and we're gonna get used to it cause apparently this brace and i are gonna be friends for quite a few months. wahoo!

p.s. if you see me coming down the street, pad the sidewalk cause i'm a little special when it comes to crutches. it's a slow learning curve but someones gotta do it.

recap through pictures.

2011-12-27T10:31:00.000-08:00

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!

holiday gift guide.

2011-12-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

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)

1. gap favorite long sleeve tee 2. burts bees pomegranate lip-balm 3. capri blue-volcano candle
4. essie fall nail polish 5. barefoot contessa cookbook 6. lululemon slipless headband
7. nike 'tempo' running shorts 8. world market shawl scarf 9. real simple magazine subscription
10. slate cheese board 11. cb2 carafe 12. l'occitane lemon verbena lotion

enjoy!

and shop away!

the final countdown.

2011-12-07T10:37:00.001-08:00

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.'

once again.

2011-12-05T17:55:00.001-08:00

...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!

25 days of christmas.

2011-12-01T13:08:00.001-08:00

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!

mi hermana.

2011-11-29T15:15:00.001-08:00

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!

whoops.

2011-11-28T18:00:00.000-08:00

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.

2011-11-28T12:58:00.001-08:00

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.

some BIG news.

2011-11-27T19:31:00.001-08:00

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.

thanksgiving.

2011-11-23T11:09:00.001-08:00

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)

coronado island.

2011-11-22T12:41:00.001-08:00

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!

this guy.

2011-11-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

spending a day with this guy in san diego.

life is good.

enjoy your saturday!

weekender.

2011-11-18T11:39:00.001-08:00

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!

bar carts.

2011-11-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

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."

wednesday push.

2011-11-16T23:14:00.001-08:00

(via)

oh, baby girl.

2011-11-15T10:09:00.001-08:00

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.

avila valley barn.

2011-11-14T16:53:00.001-08:00

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!

some fall love.

2011-11-10T11:25:00.001-08:00

a few things im loving this fall/thanksgiving time.

whole living magazine.

especially the thanksgiving vegetable side dishes.

DIY barnwood frame.

have the barnwood at home- just waiting for a project.

la mer wrap watch.

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.

smartwool boot socks.

you know how i feel about warm feet.

christmas wrapping.

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)

anyway.

2011-11-09T22:28:00.000-08:00

"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

grateful.

2011-11-08T23:03:00.000-08:00

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!

lemon goodness.

2011-11-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

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!

halloweenie.

2011-11-02T10:39:00.000-07:00

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!

story time.

2011-10-27T16:06:00.000-07:00

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!

fall pasta.

2011-10-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

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!

517 1/2.

2011-10-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

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:)

sunday.

2011-10-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

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.

food for thought.

2011-10-21T20:02:00.000-07:00

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.

diddy.

2011-10-17T21:40:00.000-07:00

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.

delivery.

2011-10-16T18:27:00.001-07:00

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:)

succulents.

2011-10-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

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.

walnuts.

2011-10-11T13:26:00.000-07:00

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.

drum-roll.

2011-10-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

the walnuts are coming!

(to LA today)

'nuff said.

work it girl.

2011-10-06T12:41:00.000-07:00

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!

weekend recap.

2011-10-02T22:32:00.000-07:00

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.

true life.

2011-09-27T23:36:00.000-07:00

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!

olvera st.

2011-09-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

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!

fallen.

2011-09-23T12:18:00.000-07:00

happy autumnal equinox!

my favorite season is officially here!

i love all things fall and i am pretty excited for a fall in la.

our cozy little 1930's apartment is perfect for reading, baking, relaxing, and small gatherings.

some inspiration for the season?

i think yes.

grab a latte,

bake some pumpkin bread,

throw on a scarf and boots,

brew some mulling spices,

and enjoy the crisp day!

happy fall you little followers!

i dig it.

2011-09-22T10:31:00.000-07:00

my new home away from home.
le pain quotidien.

coffee house meets fresh bakery,
creating the cutest french tartine heaven of a cafe.
all with great ambiance and a communal table!
honestly.
you know i love it.

good food,
good drink,
good music,
good day.

have a great thursday!
(fall starts tomorrow- yeee)

mini garden.

2011-09-21T17:44:00.000-07:00

mostly settled into la and thanks to dad's expert plant advice and garden supply,

i planted a little porch garden today to make it feel a little more like home!

a variety of potted herbs.

basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, parsley, and mint.

lots of good cooking to be done and a few mojitos to be made.

and two varieties of my favorite micro greens in their very own dome planters!

a spicy mix and a mild mix.

perfect for salads and sandwiches.

these will accompany the overflowing rubbermaid tub of veggies from the garden that mom and dad brought last weekend. as fresh as it gets. mmm good!

the boy.

2011-09-17T15:33:00.001-07:00

hanging with the boy.
i think he's pretty cool.
loving this weekend.

just thought you should know.

urban girl.

2011-09-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

slowly learning the ins and outs of the big city.

traffic (15 miles is approximately 40 minutes, on a good day),

celebrities (slightly star struck as i shopped with kelly osborne and lo from 'the hills'),

multiway crosswalks (they are so cool, admit it),

walking (pretty much have to put a down payment on a 3 hour parking spot),

multicultural (feeling ignorant and wishing i spoke a different language),

white coats, suits, and skyscrapers (why do i think stethoscopes are so incredibly cool?),

fancy cars (absolutely swear that 'bumblebee' from transformers was in front of me),

fashion (holy moly these people are dressed to the nines),

true ethnic food ('oh my gosh thai food'),

whole foods (enough said),

shopping (can you say champaign appetite, beer wage?),

anything and everything you could imagine,

pretty much.

one big shock for a small town country girl.

but im loving it!

socal.

2011-09-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

hello from los angeles!

i'm slowly settling into la living with my seeester and new roommates.

minor delay in posts as we do not yet have internet in the new apartment. sorry about it:)

great date day today with the one and only el paulo loco. can't wait for more adventures.

more great la adventures to come!

also.

2011-09-06T23:15:00.001-07:00

hi. my name is emily.

it's been an hour since my last pin.

and i am a pinterest addict.

it true, i'm addicted.

it's getting a little out of hand.

but i have a few inspiration turned reality projects to post soon.

make it any better? nah, i didn't think so.

goodnight friends:)

(p.s. follow me and i'll follow you)

that's a rap.

2011-09-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

finished up our last summer backyard dinner tonight.

might i add that it was delicious.

thanks for growing it all dad.

thanks for cooking it all mom.

thanks for enjoying it all friends and family.

thanks for the beautiful summer evenings slo.

goodbye summer.

hello fall.

september.

2011-09-01T10:19:00.000-07:00

september 1st is the beginning of a big new start for me.

(via)

today i...

1. move out of my townhouse that i have called home for the past two years with my roomies.

2. officially lock-in/final deadline/am under review for my first grad application. yikes.

3. begin the countdown of the (non-double digit) number of days until the move to la. which mean living in a new town for the first time (besides study abroad).

4. for the first time start a part-time(!) education this month. unlike any other september for the past 22 years.

5. move away from family and begin a closer-long-distance relationship with my bff/bf (crazy and feeling old). hooray.

and im pumped.

happy september peps!

donner party of seven.

2011-08-30T13:23:00.000-07:00

spent the last four days up at donner lake with some of the walnut/college crew.

it was like paradise.

great friends, great adventures, great food, great games, great everything!

rafting, beaching, tubing, eating, drinking, gaming, naping, hiking,

you name it, we did it.

donner '11 you were the best

and donner '12 we can't wait for you!

amazing.

2011-08-19T20:47:00.000-07:00

(via)

flower power.

2011-08-17T12:20:00.000-07:00

i think that i can have bragging rites when it comes to theses beauties.

even though dad planted, watered, grew, nurtured, fertilized, trimmed, etc.

i just took the pictures...?

but honestly, check out these flowers!

no big deal, they just grow all around our house.

varieties of sunflowers, dahlias, roses.

yousss a stud, dad!

did i mention...

2011-08-16T23:15:00.001-07:00

that i have the bestest roommates/friends/chosen family/girlfriends in the world.

soaking up the last of my days at 'walnut' with these cuties.

best three years of my life living with these hooligans.

i love you mewy, abs, and rachy.

thursday.

2011-08-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

blah. blah. blah.

grad apps are just plain lame.

and essays are even lamer.

BUT...

it's my favorite day of the week. t-h-u-r-s-d-a-y!

farmers market.

one day until the weekend.

best night to grab dinner and drinks with friends.

the 'work week' if over, pretty much.

you know the drill...

happy thursday!

los angeles.

2011-08-10T10:05:00.001-07:00

one month from today i pack up and move to the city of dreams.

(via)

who's excited?

me.

oh the places you'll go.

2011-08-09T16:06:00.000-07:00

i've been thinking a lot about life today

as i regurgitate my achievments, catalogue my hours, record my stories,

and try to convince some panel of people on a two page word document

that i am qualified to occupy a position in their program

over hundreds of other applicants.

its such a weird concept to me and this whole growing up thing has got me thinking.

in the process, i started looking at other peoples lives.

this one stuck with me...

(via)

i guess dr. suess was right.

mushy stuff.

2011-08-02T11:38:00.000-07:00

four years ago,

this past saturday (july 30),

a handsome young man asked me to be his girlfriend and kisssed me

on the lifeguard tower in avila beach.

(mind you it was past curfew... woops:)

i said yes.

happy four year anniversary brandon nicholas.

i love you oh so much!

needless to say, i surprised him for the weekend down in la.

i won't get mushy, but it was just the best!

good ol' time.

2011-07-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

our state fair is the best state fair,

don't miss it,

don't even be late!

(remember how good that movie was... so good)

it's fair time and i'm a reminiscin'...

back to the 4-H days,

ms. karens dipped ice creams,

5am barn duty calls with breakfast burritos,

card game tournaments,

wrangle outfits,

hay bale naps,

and those 100 degree nights.

switch that around and add a few years...

now its concerts,

overpriced drinks,

never ending nights with friends,

strolls through the barns,

reminiscent ice creams,

stopping though to watch the shows,

and those 100 degree nights.

funny how things change,

but still stay the same.

stay redneck mid state fair.

you will always be my favorite week in july.

yeeehawwww!

bandwagoner.

2011-07-25T19:40:00.000-07:00

so this weekend was spent in the east bay/sf again with my most favoritist mewy and her family. love them!

the giants game was awesome especially with my first ever overpriced, fancy cup, professional game beer and hanging with a group of the 'walnuts' was so great!

yea, yea, yea i know im a bandwagoner...

but really all my friends and roommates are giants fans, so i was destined to bleed orange and black at some point... go giants!

and now with the possibility of heading to sf, i think its becoming appropriated. right? i think so:)

san francisco.

2011-07-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

soooo i spent this past weekend in sf...

and it was

a-m-a-z-i-n-g!!!

i checked out grad schools. and then fell in love with them!!!

i was a wannabe med student for the day and it was awesome.

i met some incredible doctors, nurses, and hospital staff (i am sooo lucky!).

i toured around the city with the best tour guide ever, thanks sean.

i had great dinners and cocktail hours with mom and aunt jane. so yummy and fun.

i hit the town with some of my favorite friends, tommy and sean you're awesome!

i shopped the boutiquey streets and found some goodies (woops).

and i fell in love with san francisco even more.

im certainly hoping that i can get into grad school there.

until then ill just be visiting often and praying for an acceptance letter.

also, i fell in love with this print. so i bought it:)

i love you sf and hopefully someday you will be my home.

u-s-a

2011-07-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

it's finals time!!!

usa, you are just plain awesome.

and im thinking its glory time like '99.

(via)

also...i may or may not have a super big crush on hope solo's crazy keeper skills.

pinteresting.

2011-07-08T22:15:00.000-07:00

i'm just saying you should check it out...

its super cool and really fun to get ideas from.

just do it.

scroll down.

right hand side.

click that little "follow me" button.

good job:)

p.s. you should get one and be my friend.

all the cool kids are doing it.

small town, usa.

2011-07-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

happy belated independence day!

summer is in full swing here on the central coast.

lots of lounging, beaching, coffee drinking, bbqing, cleaning, reading, everything.

here's a few from the past few days...

cayucos, ca. fourth of july parade.

fireworks and pomegranate martinis. best fourth ever.

avila beach lounging. never gets old.

hope your weekend was festive and your day is great!

stay cool san luis!

xo.

officially a gawker.

2011-06-21T17:22:00.001-07:00

i have a new problem.

i gawk way too much.

if you haven't heard of the gawker sites... you should probably check them out.

they are super addicting and a great way to get some inspiration.

foodgawker

craftgawker

dwellinggawker

weddinggawker

just a warning tho. hours may fly by and you may lose sleep over their greatness.

hope you enjoy them as much as i do!

happy inspiring!

grad time.

2011-06-21T16:50:00.001-07:00

here's a little picture preview of graduation and all of its fabulous celebrations!

goooo cal poly!!!

with the family!

with the friends!

and some celebrations!

too much fun!

hope you enjoy your day!

xoxo!

new beginning.

2011-06-17T18:02:00.000-07:00

college is done (crazy, sad, happy, depressing, amazing).

it was the best four years of my life and i can't believe that its over.

graduation was a blast and all of the festivities were great.

i just wish i could do it all again and again and again.

cause it was the best.

now its on to new and exciting things but i will never forget my walnuts.

they are the best friends that i could ever ask for.

and i will love them forever and ever.

peace out cal poly. you were awesome!!!

p.s. i will update with tons of pictures and such soon!

happy monday.

2011-06-06T18:06:00.000-07:00

thank goodness i started 'happy monday' or i would never blog.

yep, im awesome.

trying... maybe this summer i'll actually blog.

today is happy.

and im pretty sure that everyday this week will be a happy day because...

graduate in a few days.

see brandon and hannah on friday.

graduation parties coming up.

the infamous spring walnut party is coming up.

three finals between me and being done with school (for a while).

mom made breakfast burritos for the roomies and i for finals week. and they are the best.

great roomie dinners recently.

the list could go on but ill spare your (three readers) time.

have a great one and look for more of the crazy events on the blog in the coming days/weeks!

xoxo!

happy memorial day.

2011-05-30T17:14:00.000-07:00

have a happy memorial day!

i know i will/am...

perfect warm weather

homemade, patriotic fruit pizza

good ol' american dinner

time with b

movie night

great weekend:)

happy monday.

2011-05-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

hello again.

today has been a long day,

so i will keep it short and simple.

here are my 'happy things' on this may day.

brandon. get to see him this coming weekend. i miss him. so much.

...

hannah. weekend fun at novel cafe and sister time. counting down the days.

...

schools almost out. for a while this time. hello graduation.

...

my new 'pinterest' account. i am literally obsessed. yes, obsessed.

...

coffee. if it weren't for you there would be no happy monday.

...

finishing up the spring quarter and the best college years ever with the walnut crew. you're awesome w.c.

...

knowing that summer bbqs, fresh garden produce, home cooked meals, long naps, mornings of jammies and endless coffee, family dinners, and early bedtimes are just around the corner. gosh i sound old and boring. but honestly, so great.

(so true- excited for the coming months/year/years)

goodnight my friends.

sleep tight and enjoy your tuesday.

xo.

happy monday.

2011-05-16T20:56:00.000-07:00

today is a quiet, rainy happy monday. despite the gloomy weather, i am happy today because...

:::officially off to los angeles for the fall)! a much needed change of place and pace!

:::twenty-six days until i graduate! got the invitations in the mail the other day. owwoww!

:::weekend of great food and even better company from my future roomies, my sister hannah and her friend emily. they are just so great and im so excited to live with them in the fall!

:::great family time this weekend and a low-key week at school. can you say winding down? yea!

:::i know i already posted about it but i am thrilled about my square foot garden. i can't wait to cook and enjoy all of the spices and herbs in a bit.

:::discovering 'pinterest' and finding all kinds of new inspiration. maybe i should tackle a craft, recipe, or something in the near future?

whats keeping you happy today?

cuddle up, have some tea, grab a book or magazine, and enjoy your night! xo!

diy: square foot garden

2011-05-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

here is my favorite new project.

an herb and spice square foot garden.

it was simple and i am sooooo excited for the products in a few monthes!

heres how you do it...

1. obtain or make a raised bed. (my dad built the one i used and its 8'x4')

2. mark off every foot around the box and hammer in 1" nails every on all marks. tie off garden twine on the width and length to create 1'x1' squares.

3. hit the nursery and pic up a variety of herbs, spices, veggies, flowers, etc.- you can choose to have a specific variety for each square or have multiple squares of the same variety. just make sure to look and see how close your plants are supposed to be planted together and arrange them from shortest to tallest (i chose to only use spices and herbs and ended up with about 12 different varieties)

4. plant your plants in their appropriate squares and water as recommended.

along with the varieties of the common herbs and spices (basil, thyme, sage, oregano, dill, chives etc.), i picked up a few herbs used to make tea for common health issues which should be cool to grow and use.

but anyway, i am soo excited for them to grow and ill keep you updated!

until then, get out there and plant!

happy monday.

2011-05-09T11:45:00.001-07:00

happy monday.

woahhh. how did i manage to miss so many mondays/month of blogging?

crazy. crazy. crazy.

but lets get to the things that are making this a 'happy monday'...

stagecoach music festival. aka the culmination of great country music, rednecks, beer, dirty camping, and friends!

argentinean lunch for my birthday, complete with empanadas and quilmes beer. thanks b!

a weekend away and a hike to eaton falls with b. so great!

small easter with the fam. delicious food and great company always.

my birthday. thanks family, friends, and roomies! it was great!

my first visit ever to the all wonderful 'papersource' store. its like heaven.

five weeks until i am officially a cal poly college grad. woowoo!

some exciting new plans for fall;) more to come soon.

hope you have a happy monday!

see you soon!

xo!

hello birthday.

2011-04-05T12:54:00.000-07:00

so for all who don't know me...

i love my birthday.

it has become some what of a joke within my extended family and i make sure to let EVERYONE know just when the big day is, usually in a countdown manner.

this year i will be 22. i feel like thats an 'old age'. like i have to officially grow up now. blah.

since i have this lovely blog, i figure... why not put up a birthday list on here. right?

here are a few ideas:

(not that i need any of these things- purely WANT not NEED)

'hot tools' curling iron

'keen' water sandals

anything 'lululemon'- especially the 'instride jacket'

coffee cards for my 'minor' addiction

'skaggen' watch

'mizuno' running shoes

iphone4 armband case

running tights

'longchamps' bag

'steve madden' boots

'around the world' ticket/ ticket to europe/ ticket to south america/ ticket to new zealand/ ticket to anywhere in the world where i could go on an adventure

like i said... purely want.

i don't think there's a thing in this world that i need right now.

ive got more than i deserve.

but its always fun to dream big. yea?

happy 20 days until my birthday;)

have a great day!!!

happy monday.

2011-04-04T22:08:00.000-07:00

its been a great start to spring quarter especially because of the great weather and extra day off last week- thank you cesar chavez!

but on another note, ive been uninspired, blah, and grumpy recently. trying to turn that around asap cause that is no fun for me and those around. but do you every have a little time like that? i think i need some emily time in the near future.

however here are some things making my monday happy.

1. a tall glass of nesquick. it always brightens my day!

2. fun games/activity classes (flag football and fitness)- yes i get credit for taking them. woo!

3. fajita night with just the four of us roomies. so nice to have a little time with just my girls. and the great weather was awesome to top it off allowing us to eat out on our fancy porch. just perfect!

4. brandon will be here thursdayyy. and hes doing great on finals. wahoo!

5. sourdough bread. a loaf appeared at our house and im 'making mama proud' eating those pieces of heaven. its the small things right?

6. girls brunch at my casa this weekend. more to come on that but i am excited!

have a great night and keep those "corners up" :)

happy monday.

2011-03-28T21:41:00.000-07:00

happy, happy monday to you all:)

this week its because...

spring quarter started on a great note.

it was a sunny day today.

fabulous, relaxing spring break.

brandons here next week.

fridge of yummy new groceries.

girly spring brunch right around the corner.

great roomies and friends.

fun birthday dinner with friends tonight.

some crafty, cooky projects in the near future.

yea, im happy.

are you?

oh and happy spring!

me.

2011-03-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

today was a 'me' day.

i got to sleep in late.

go to linnaea's for breakfast with dad. complete with rice pudding. yum.

picked up lunch at sally loo's and ran errands for mom.

shopped around rainy slo for myself. yeee.

swung by paper sky for all the goods to make some spring brunch invitations.

took a little nap. on the couch with warm blankies.

moseyed around blogs, life inspiration ideas, grad school sites, and recipes.

made a great veggie quiche and crisp salad for dinner with the 'rentals.

browsed 'b and n' tonight and grabbed a book and some guilty pleasure magazines.

off to bed soon with a cup of my favorite mint tea.

rested, replenished, and rawrrring to go for spring quarter.

goodnight friends.

have a great night and entertain the idea of a 'me' day.

they really are great and needed.

p.s. 'me' days are always the start of a travel plan... summer 2011 i think you may need an adventure!

happy (monday) thursday.

2011-03-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

alright, alright im a few days late but for good reasons this time.

today is a happy thursday because...

i'm on spring break! owoww!

yay for two great friends getting engaged this past weekend. i am sooo happy for you joe and kelly!!!

i got to spend my whole first part of break with brandon!

it was the best. ever.

chocolate chip pancakes, soccer, fort building, snuggling, basketball, froyo, grad school meetings, movie nights, just to name a few.

got to peruse the santa monica farmers market, cruse around 3rd street, and enjoy delicious crepes with my sister yesterday. imperfect, farmers ranunculas? yes please!

brandon and my mid west, cardiovascular disease inducing dinner. i made the good ol' mashed potatoes, fried chicken, cream corn, grads rolls, and roasted brussels sprouts. we created these masterpieces- grands roll covered in mashed potatoes with homemade cream corn on top. stop. don't judge until you try it. im a big proponent for starch on starch foods and if youre from the mid-west, i guarentee you'll l-o-v-e.

as of tomorrow... my birthday is exactly one month away. and we all know how much i love my birthday month. i milk it for all is worth... yeeee!

happy happy happy.

and spring break weather, im ready for you to act like spring break weather.

please and thank you.

end in sight.

2011-03-16T19:15:00.000-07:00

study, study, study.

finals week is almost done.

friday cannot come fast enough.

until then a little st. patty's celebration at 6am tomorrow...

i think so:)

have a great st. pattys tomorrow!

and if your still in the middle of your finals week...

take a break, have a little fun, and good luck!

hello future.

2011-03-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

hello future,

thinking of you today.

not sure how/what/when/where you are.

but im sure you'll be bright.

and fun.

and challenging.

and awesome.

sincerely,

yours truly

p.s. if your a reader and not a follower... you should be a follower:)

happy monday.

2011-03-14T11:11:00.000-07:00

its that day again. and can i just say this is my fifth, yes fifth, monday of 'happy monday'. im slowly raising my blogger status, maybe?

well to the goods...

happy monday because i had a great, relaxing weekend with my friends watching movies, eating great potluck meals, and hanging out on the couch studying for finals. shout out to mewy, abs, paula, katie, tyler, chad, sean, thomas, tommy, and brandon in spirit!

happy monday because one week from right now i will be with my best friend and sister. and ill be on spring break. yesss!

happy monday because i just found this awesome app on my iphone and im sooo excited. it really is the small things in life.

happy monday because its st. patty's week and holidays are the best!

happy monday because its a sunny, beautiful day at the coffee shop studying and nothing beats a morning in downtown slo!

hows your monday?

i hope its great and sunny!

perfection.

2011-03-12T13:17:00.001-08:00

today is a saturday for studying.

finals next week.

flashcards to be made.

textbooks to be read.

study guides to be created.

and a whole lot of learning to be done.

as for this morning, i enjoyed the high life of studying college student.

a piece of this deliciousness.

a cup of jo.

and this view.

yea, college is rough.

thanks jomamas for a great morning.

and thanks avila for always brightening my day.

happy monday.

2011-03-07T14:06:00.000-08:00

oh monday. back to real life today but many things are still bringing a smile to my face from the past few days...

1. a great catch-up, sleepover, food raid, shopping day, and quality time with my sister hannah at ucla and third street promenade in santa monica. oh and ucla brunch... a personal favorite.

2. two weeks left until spring break. so excited for a break from school... that also means that i only have a quarter and a week and then im a college graduate. whatwhat?!?!

3. getting excited to meet with a few grad programs over break... nurse practitioning here i come! but also a little excited to figure out and apply to emt and/or cna programs. ahh so many things to think about, but quite fortunate for the opportunities!

4. a weekend full of my best friend. nothing brings a smile to my face like brandon:) i love you and can't wait to see you in a few weeks!

5. the recent knowledge that my blog reader list is growing. thanks to the loyal 3 or 4 of you and as for you newbies, i hope to not disappoint! keep on reading and hold me accountable. lots of fun things to blog about in the coming months:)

6. brandon and hannah warrant another bullet because they made me the happiest this weekend. just watching movies, eating great food, chitchatting, relaxing, and laughing over nothing. sooo great:)

p.s. tyler this is for you!

all smiles.

2011-02-28T16:06:00.000-08:00

brandon,

the end.

today i am with my bestest, bestest, bestest friend.

and this is how i feel.

horray for being reunited for the weekend:)

i love you b!

happy monday.

2011-02-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

hello everybody!

heres a few things that are making me happy today...

1. a weekend full of hiking up madonna mountain and on the bluff on montana de oro

from madonna looking over slo.

from the bluffs of montana de oro over the clear (weird?!?) pacific ocean skies.

2. four days until i get to see dr. brandon weipert, dpt in the making! ahhh so excited!!!

3. big ol' coffee in hand as i type this. thank the coffee god, or i would be a cranky, unproductive girl today

4. a girls night out at a hotel for my friend katies birthday- and yes we did watch four episodes of locked up raw, eat a whole baguette with cheese, stroll on the beach, and enjoyed 'jo mamas' coffee and quiche in the morning in avila. perfect, i know!

5. get to see my seeester this weekend down at ucla where she goes. wahoo!

can you say ucla cafeteria brunch, third street promenade, and novel cafe dinner= best thing in the world

and as for your monday, if it hasn't already been great, i hope it turns right around and puts a smile on your face.

happy monday to my 3 readers/followers;)!

morning stroll.

2011-02-24T16:29:00.000-08:00

today was the perfect day for a morning stroll.

beautiful weather, no class until 1pm, and there's been a whole lot of this...

aka trying to get my life together...

resume writing, grad school searching, internship finding, additional certifications, job openings, classes situating, oh yea and that thing that you call 'college graduation' in less than four months?!?!

so anyhoot, i met my dad for breakfast at 'the breakfast buzz' then decided to take a walk instead of heading back to the apartment to do more planning, sleeping, eating, etc.

i walked to my moms office,

chatted a bit,

strolled around downtown,

grabbed an always delicious 'black horse coffee',

snapped some pictures here and there,

people watched,

then headed back to the apt in a round about way.

it was great and cleared my head a bit.

there's nothing like a little slo town morning walk.

everything's so peaceful, happy, and simple.

just what i needed.

i mean really, you gotta love the outdoor cafes,

old people sipping coffee on a thursday morning at 1030am,

friendly people waving 'hello',

and the simple, safe, and clean feel of higuera st. and downtown slo.

to top it off, i get to come back to this apartment,

with this view,

and great roommates.

no wonder oprah says slo is the happiest town in the usa!

life's rough, huh?

enjoy your cold, cold thursday night or

maybe ill see you at farmers market tonight?

cayucos.

2011-02-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

this weekend i was fortunate/spoiled/lucky to be able to head 20 miles up north to one of my favorite little towns in the whole wide world--- cayucos, cailfornia.

my roomie's parents have a few houses there and a small group of us went there for the weekend to relax and have a little fun! (thank you roomies family:)

it was great to just hang out and do nothing. it almost felt like summer or spring break and to think that think that i live in a place that most people come to for vacation. so crazy and lucky!

anyway, it was great to spend some quality time with my friends (that are more like family) and to soak up a little pacific ocean time! oh and that whole three day weekend thing was awesome too!

hope you had a relaxing and fun weekend!

happy tuesday!

rainy day.

2011-02-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

today is a rainy day here in the beautiful san luis obispo

and i love rainy days!

rain makes me think about cozy warm fireplaces,

with a big cup of hot cocoa or peppermint tea,

while watching a great season of friends or chick flick,

and if im gonna do that then im gonna need a craft to keep my hands busy,

and while im enjoying my day im gonna need some cozy jammies on,

so after i do all of that im gonna need to make a nice steamy homemade soup to enjoy,

and once my belly is full i would love a great snuggle with my b:)

so i guess you get what happens when you give an emily a rainy day...

but really, how great does that sound?

cheers and enjoy your rainy day:)

i and love and you

2011-02-14T12:29:00.000-08:00

200 some miles apart... and so in love.

you get me. you challenge me. you know me. you support me. you love me.

love.

you.

happy valentines to my first and only love, brandon!

i miss and love you bubba!

p.s. check out the blog later today or tomorrow for a little snapshot of our girly valentines party. ah yeee!

happy monday.

2011-02-07T10:00:00.000-08:00

so yesterday i had to say 'see you later alligator' to my best friend and boyfriend brandon,

because today he starts graduate school at asuza pacific where he will get his doctorate, yes doctorate, in physical therapy. what, what?!? what a stud. he'll be the bestest pt in the whole world and so many little children will be so lucky to have him as their pt someday.

i am so happy for him:)

see you in a few weeks! i love you dr. weipert! xo!

happy monday because i get to spent pretty much every waking moment with these three jems.

they even had the sweetest card and cookies set out in my room for when i got home from dropping off brandon and to top it off we have a roomie dinner tonight. yay!

happy monday because class got canceled today and homework got postponed, meaning i get to make my valentines cards today... and we all know how much i love crafting!

(thanks martha)

happy monday because i treated myself to a medium non-fat iced white mocha from peets and im probably gonna splurge on a gus's sandwich today. we all know i believe that food is the best when you need a little pick-me-up:)

happy monday because i get to plan, clean, reorganize, rid-out, etc etc etc my life this week. no major tests or projects and i need a little me time. its been too long and those four loads of laundry are only growing. ahh spring is near and the sun is already out. yaya for february in slo!

(too bad i didnt take this picture... maybe a hike up madonna or bishops this weekend?)

maybe the start to a new series of 'happy monday.'

but who are we kidding? im the worst blogger ever.

its worth a try i guess.

p.s. this is just for you roomies. since i just found out you group text when i blog.

thanks for making me feel important:)

and we're off...

2011-01-03T11:01:00.000-08:00

hello there!

the new winter quarter has officially begun AKA only one more quarter after this and im a cal poly graduate. weird!?! its gonna be a BIG one- 20 units, brandon leaves for azusa pacific, snow trips, the final countdown with the roomies, making my rounds to see my sister and friends at college- you know the whole ssshhheeeBANG!

hope to talk to you often on here... its one of my new years resolution.

until then, have a GREAT day and a HAPPY start to your new year!

1.1.11

2011-01-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

happy new year everyone! wow 2011!

i hope 2010 was full of great surprises, fun adventures, and new challenges.

wishing you a healthy, prosperous, and peaceful new year!

homemade oreos.

2010-12-21T13:55:00.000-08:00

yum. yum. yum.

ive been eyeing this recipe for quite sometime now and today was just the type of day for baking. the recipe is from one of my favorite cooking blogs, smitten kitchen. this blog is great because it separates recipes by season so its a great match for our garden! although i got the recipe from smitten kitchen, i first saw it on another of my daily reads, cupcakes and cashmere. emily the blogger is great and she went to scripps college down south which i just find so fun and cool cause my bff jen goes there and i somehow feel like she's connected to me (even though she is totally not). she posts great recipes, hostess ideas, shopping finds, decorating tips, fashion updates, and most of all i love her 'friday five thing' where she posts on the things she thankful for/ things that are making her happy that week. great idea i think!

well anyway now that i have completely detoured you from my original blog title... back to homemade oreos! they are so cute and fun (super easy too)! a perfect little gift or hostess gift im thinking... well anyway here they are and i love them!

p.s. dunk em' in milk:)

the last few weeks...

2010-12-15T22:44:00.000-08:00

heres the last few weeks... in pictures!

all things holiday.

christmas parade.

brandon's graduation.

all types of parties.

time with friends.

family gatherings.

everything.

sooooooo fun:)

hope your holiday season is in full swing and super fun so far!

i know im so excited for christmas eve and morning:)

looking forward to a rainy week too!