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

Black + White

I'm baaaaack! Did you miss me? Because I surely missed all of you. Summer camp is finally ovah and I have most of my sanity back. (let's face it, it's only partly there most of the time anyway) But I am so sorry to have neglected my baby for so long. I can't believe I missed a couple of LSL Foodie Fridays even. I was really out of it. But that will soon change.

But now that I'm back I want to talk black and whites. I own a lot of white. I love the simple clean lines for the house...and frankly for the wardrobe too. I own a white couch, coffee table, TV/buffet table, and duvet. You also have to remember that I live in a studio, so that's basically the entire house. Not to mention all white walls. With the lack of color I have been adding pops of greens, pinks and most of all, my favorite color, turquoise into the mix. But I have to say, with fall right around the corner I am thinking that mixing it up and making my place a little less summer/beachy/cottage-chic and a little more modern sophistication. 

I love the look of mostly white interiors with pops of black. I mean these interiors speak for themselves...

I decided to start my latest mission with pillows. As you know I have a small thing for stripes and when I saw this fabric it was just what I needed. So with a little help from my favorite brother's sewing machine skills. I made two new pillows to snazz the place up. I love how I can include any color with them (currently in the pic it's a soft turq throw) and they'll go with anything. Also judging from the above pics to make it even more classy, I need to get a plant up in my place too. (did you notice that?)

Forgive Walden, he makes the instagram tint a little blue-ish

Look out sophistication, here I come. 

xo, 

L

*Credit - 1/2/3/4

LSL { Foodie Friday} - Just Peachy

It's another peachy recipe on the blog. I always claim that I cook...I can cook salads and cereal like no one's business. I tend to add a little extra love into all my "recipes" and there you go, a big bowl of salad or cereal to fill you up. I was so happy with the last peach-filled recipe I thought why not make it into a salad as well. And this is the easiest salad. ever. 

Peach, Walnut & Goat Cheese Salad

{this serving size was intended for one, but could easily be doubled, tripled...)

Ingredients -

Mixed greens

1 peach

Handful of walnuts, chopped

Goat cheese

A couple large basil leaves

Oil and balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions - 

1. Slice peaches, crumble goat cheese, slice basil into very thin strips. 

2. Add peaches, cheese, basil, and walnuts to mixed greens in a large bowl. Add oil and vinegar as dressing, mix all together. Salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Enjoy

I'm a veteran to making salads, but I think this has been my most favorite as of late. You definitely want to make sure the peaches are not too ripe though, then they just get mushy and that texture is hard to mask. Even with all the balsamic vinegar in the world. 

As an upgrade, or as I would call it the "adult" version, you could grill the peaches then add them to the salad. You could even get all fancy up in there and make your own croutons. But, even as is, it's a great summer salad.

Bon Appetit and Happy Weekend!

xo,

L

*Credit - all grainy pictures via my iPhone + instagram

LSL { Thoughts & Quotes} - Notes to Self

With all the craziness that summer is for me at work (what's this, the third post where I've talked about my busy work schedule!) I tend to take that feeling home and then it becomes me feeling a little crazy during my off hours. And it's just that feeling you get when you are so busy doing one thing but your mind is actually on wanting to do so much of another. Like decorating your house, painting a project, cooking a Foodie Friday idea. When I get home it's to the couch I go and not much else happens. I keep thinking oh, tomorrow I'll do that or after work on Wednesday that will happen. But plans get pushed back and sadly, I am notorious for having all these ideas when I am too busy to execute them, that when I finally get some free time (aka. in a couple of weeks) will I do them?

With that all said, and I don't know about you, but sometimes all you need is a reminder to slow down, or to inspire yourself midst the hoopla that is going on. I love me some quotes, so when I discovered these lovely and very inspiring ones from a very sweet blog called Notes to Self I got to printing and posting them up all around my desk. Sarah, the designer behind these beauts, not only created all of these images herself but has a very impressive blog that I highly suggest you go and check out. Her images are totes gorge. 

Putting up quotes to help me stay inspired when life gets a little overwhelming works for me, what is your go to? How do you stay motivated and/or inspired when there's no time, or there is time but your mind tells you that watching Always Sunny In Philly reruns is a more important to do? I could really use any advise to keep pushing me. Because at the end of the day, this is our one shot, might as well make the most of it.

xo,
L

*Credit - Notes to Self