Bucket List

It's that time again and today's my BIG birthday! Last year I reflected on my 31 years and looking back, I have been working really hard to take my own advice. As difficult as I may be. ;) This year I'm thinking it would be a fun idea to try a bucket list of sorts. Some goals I want to try and accomplish this year. Some silly (#13, #27) and some more of a challenge (#14, #29). But what's another year older without some things to check off the ol' life list.

My 32 for 32 -  
1. Take a cooking class. (psst...already signed up and it's in September.) Check! {9/20/12}
2. Go sailing.
3. Volunteer more (ok, at all). Find a good cause and get going.
4. Go to a blogger event. Work on building a blogger community in general.
5. Read and reread some classics. Remember those? The ones we had to for HS.
6. Have a meal in every borough of SF (China town, North Beach, Marina, Sunset, etc....)
7. Camp on the coast.
8. Finally learn my crappy digital camera's manual mode. And use it more.
9. NEW job. (shhh)
10. Take a dance lesson. Maybe the pachanga, like Baby and Johnny.
11. Host a small dinner party at my house. And make all the food myself!
12. Finally learn a song on my guitar.
13. Use all my fancy purses and clutches this year. Even the ones I think should be more on display than for actual use.
14. Learn sign language. Or at least sign up for a class to learn.
15. Discover the hiking and biking trails in my neighborhood.
16. Decide once and for all (yes or no) about that tattoo. (you with me Lizzie?!)
17. Go to Palm Springs for a relaxing vacation. 
18. Make, list, and sell my jewelry on Etsy.
19. Figure out a good hobby. (in addition to the jewelry)
20. Make/paint a small canvas for my (future) gallery wall.
21. See the sunrise.
22. Go to the horse races.
23. Go on just a champagne tasting trip. 
24. Walk the Golden Gate Bridge. (I've never done it!)
25. Exercise regularly. Get those toned arms, legs and gluts I've always wanted.
26. Go to a shooting range to try it. (this is something I was fiercely against, but think it's good to try most things once.) Check! {9/6/12 - 9/9/12, Shasta Lake}
27. Visit a psychic.
28. Be spontaneous.
29. Improve my "get up and go" and "just try it" attitude. See #28.
30. Be more crafty.
31. Keep moving forward.
32. Fall in love.

Do you have a bucket list of items that you would like to try or do? Any of the above on my list you've already accomplished?

Also wanted to take a minute to thank you, my lovely readers for making this last year so fun. I know there may not be a lot of you...but it's always been about quality, not quantity for me. :)

xo,
L

*Credit - Photo via Lizzie, from our collab.

LSL Foodie Friday - Party Time, Excellent

This weekend's the ol' birthday. (Another post coming soon about that). Another year older, another year wiser. That's at least what I keep telling myself. ;)

As much as I dread turning another year older and okay, dread is probably being a touch dramatic about it, but only say that for the fact that life hands you things when you're out making other plans. (or whatever the saying is) I am also very thankful to turn another year older. Happy that I have a very blessed life, that I am healthy, I have some really wonderful friends and family and a tiny apt I love coming home to.

You know I love my champagne. It's fitting that this Foodie Friday I showcase a celebratory champagne cocktail to enjoy, where the recipe asks for you to serve in a "fancy schmancy" glasses. Yes. This girl really gets me.

With that I would like to make a toast.....Cheers to the freakin' weekend! haha just kidding. Cheers to making this year count!

Citrusy Champagne Sangria

via {Kiran Tarun}

Ingredients:

4 cups freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

1 cup ginger ale

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 blood orange, thinly sliced

3 clementines, thinly sliced

1 honey crisp apple, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pomegranate arils

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

pinch of salt

1 bottle of chilled champagne

Directions:

1. Prepare simple syrup by stirring sugar and water until sugar completely dissolves. Keep in refrigerator to chill while prepping other ingredients.

2. In a tall pitcher, add all fruits + grapefruit juice + salt + simple syrup and ginger ale . Chill in refrigerator for a few hours, preferably overnight.

3. To serve, add sangria in a fancy-schmancy glass and top it with bubbly champagne! 

Ching Ching! 

Bon Appetit and Happy Weekend!

xo,
L

LSL {Foodie Friday} - 4th of July Fun

Happy Friday! And Happy almost 4th of July! What are your plans this coming weekend/week? Going away to Tahoe to gallivant on a boat? Camping on the coast? BBQs all week? Or are you one of the few of us that have to work most of next week? Well, at least we still have our weekends. #silverlining

This Foodie Friday, I thought I would do things a little different around here and post links to all the things I would rather be doing, eating, wearing, etc. 

These links will be all you need to get your red, white and blue on, where ever you may be celebrating it...

Ideas for party decorations and table settings.

Fun 4th cupcake toppers.

Outfit selection.

BBQ skewers with a twist.

You know I like my dessert options, so try this, this, or this.

And for the kidlits.

Some glamping adventure ideas.

Cocktail hour can't go wrong with this and that. 

Bon Appetit and wishing you a safe and sparking weekend and week!

xo,
L

*Credit - 1/2/3/4/5/6

LSL {Foodie Friday} - Pie in a Jar

Happy Memorial Day weekend! God, how I love long weekends. Something about having that extra day makes Sunday so much of a happier day. Don't get me wrong, I am completely appreciative of both my weekend days, but sometimes Sunday seems a little too close to Monday morning. However, now with this Monday off, two Saturdays are better than one.  

This Foodie Friday I thought I would try an American tradition on this Americana Holiday. And to me, that is synonymous with pie. Sweet, sweet pie. This version is a little different, so if you have some extra mason jars lying around...let's put them to good use this weekend with Babble's Blueberry and Cherry Pie recipes.

Blueberry and Cherry Pies in a Jar


Via {Babble}

Serves: 8-10, 4 oz. pies

For the crust


2 cups plus

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour


1/2 teaspoon salt


2 tablespoons sugar


12 tablespoons cold butter


1/2 cup ice water

Combine the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Quickly chop up the butter, and pulse it into flour mixture, 5 or 6 times. Drizzle in ice water, pulsing 2 or 3 times, just until the dough is combined.

Dump dough onto a lightly floured surface and gather into a ball. Divide into 2, flatten dough into discs, and wrap each one tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for at least a half-hour in the refrigerator. Meanwhile prepare the fillings.

For the blueberry filling


Makes 4-5, 4 oz. pies

3 cups blueberries


zest of 1 lemon


2 tablespoons lemon juice


1/4 cup sugar, plus more for top of pie


big pinch salt


1 tablespoon ground instant tapioca (I use my coffee grinder)

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 1/2 cups blueberries, zest and juice over medium-high heat. Stir frequently, and allow the sauce to reduce a bit, until it coats the back of a spoon. Cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and combine in a medium bowl with the fresh berries, sugar, salt, and tapioca. Set aside while you prepare the crust.

For the cherry filling


Makes 4-5, 4 oz. pies

3 cups cherries, pitted and halved


zest of 1 lemon


2 tablespoons lemon juice


1/4 cup sugar, plus more for top of pie


big pinch salt


1 tablespoon ground tapioca

In a medium bowl, toss all of the ingredients together. Set aside while you prepare the crust. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven to preheat as well. Liberally butter 8 – 10 4 oz. glass canning jars.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out one of the dough discs. For the bottom crusts, cut out a 5” square, and press into the jar. For the tops, use a jar to press out a circle. Use the scraps to cut out the stars with a tiny star cookie cutter. Spoon in 4 tablespoons or so of filling, press top crust into place, and crimp edges with a fork or your fingers. Add the star, and make 4 very small incisions in the top of the dough to vent. Sprinkle the top of each pie with 1/2 teaspoon or so of sugar. 

Place prepared pies onto heated cookie sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn the cookie sheet, turn the heat down to 350 degrees, and bake for another 10 – 15 minutes, until crust is light golden and filling is bubbling vigorously.

Allow pies to cool completely and serve, or keep covered with a lid for up to three days

I realize this recipe is a little, okay, a lot more complex than my usual ones, but thought this could be a festive dessert to try and bring to a BBQ that you may be having this weekend. Or if you're going camping, these pack away nice and easily.

Also, if you in the bay area, WorkshopSF holds a 'pie in a jar' making class. So if you need a little extra help in the kitchen with these (ahem...me) there's a course to guide you through.

Bon Appetit and Happy Weekend!

xo,

L

LSL {The Lovely List} - New Collab

Okay, I just died and went to heaven...

This coming October, the 21st to be exact, NATE BERKUS IS COMING TO TARGET! I die. Seriously, right now, I'm dead on the floor.  And how is he looking cuter and cuter every year? #dreamboat xo, L *Credit - YouTube and Target

Back {and hopefully} Better Than EVER

If you are anything like me you are still mourning the loss of our beloved Domino Magazine. I know it sounds silly and totally petty, but I do truly still miss my favorite magazine. And, I know that the online shelter-style magazines are now running a plethora all over the web, but I miss the days where I could peruse the pages, dog-ear certain ideas, and then rip them out and post them to my old school corkboard. It's weird, yes. And sadly, way back when, we stupidly recycled all of ours. #stillkickingmyself

 

Well, as you can probably take from my reminiscing and the title of this post....Domino is BACK! (Insert extreme happy face and dancing emoticon here) It will be a little different, called now 'Domino Quick Fixes,' and it will be available on newsstands April 17. The explanation goes, "Domino Quick Fixes will be full of Domino’s best home decorating stories, focusing on easy and inexpensive changes that make a big difference -- from quick spruce-ups of dowdy furniture to painting stairs or reorganizing a home office." Heck to the yes. 

I was so excited when I saw this I just had to spread the news. Do any of you remember Domino? Have the same love affair as I do with the magazine? I still even have the brown and turquoise tote bag that was a promotional gift with purchase. Yes, self admitted Domino geek here.

xo,

L

 

*Credits - 1/2, 3/4, 5/6 

Shoe Shopping

I got some really great news on Wednesday regarding my ankle and it's progress. If you remember in this post, I told you the condensed version of my unique case. Well, after a very patient three years I finally, finally got my first piece of really good news as well as the best sentence a gal in my position could hear, my bones are finally growing together and I got the clearance to start wearing shoes without my brace! Ohmygod! Needless to say I was stunned and had to have my doctor repeat herself. It won't be as easy to just start walking around town with regular shoes, I will have to build my tolerance and ankle strength, but it was all the clearance I needed to start shoe shopping! 


You have to remember that I haven't worn anything but a cast, then a brace on my ankle and foot for three years. Three years of coveting cute flats all around town. Now once I get a pair that feels good, I picture you'll be seeing me skipping all over town. And, feel free to compliment me on my cute NEW shoes! (haha) 

What shoes have you been coveting lately? Is there any flats (besides a pair of highly desired Tory Burch's that I just demand to own) that I need? Any sandals that are a must for this summer? Spill! I have a three year shoe shopping spree to catch up on. 

I can't stop smiling!

xo,

L

*Credit - 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11