The Happiest Hour

Well I'm back! At least for a little bit... If you didn't already catch on, I've been posting a little more regularly over on The Ging Twins with my lovely and exceptionally talented little sis :) But December has been good to me so far and I wanted to make sure and capture it all here on my first online home! xo

My friends and I have determined that your 20s are just destined to be a bumpy ride full of really high highs (late nights in the city with friends that you know you'll never forget) and balanced out with some devastating lows (heartbreaks you feel like you'll never recover from... spoiler alert: you will!). One thing that has remained a constant as I've gotten older though, is that with every passing day, my mom becomes less my mom and more my best friend. Gone are the days where we fight over my curfew and here are the days where she and 9 of her friends kill 12 bottles of wine in my apartment and call it happy hour...

Meat Lovers

My love of the Food Network (Barefoot and Giada, specifically, duh) is no secret to those close to me and otherwise. On a particularly lazy morning last week, I was going through the whole run of the kitchen shows when teeny little Giada with a little bit of the crazy eye and a smile so big, you wonder why she doesn't use it to eat more, pops on the screen to talk about her meat loving husband...

Sur La Table Surprise

Birthday celebrations for this guy went on for days!

L.A. Day 2

Friday night left us feeling a little worse for wear the next morning. Food needed to happen and stat! Many ideas were thrown out but it all came down to Sauce on Hampton in Venice (on Hampton)...

L.A. (baybay) Day 1

Woohoo! Finally got around to blogging about my whirlwind trip to LA! Most of Ian's closest friends have migrated down south from San Francisco, so for his birthday we figured, why not meet them all down there?!

So... I Made Enchiladas!

For the first time ever, and they were actually a total breeze and beyond delish! Fairly healthy too... just a lot of salsa and, of course, I really loaded on the cheese. So maybe don't do that if you're watching that waistline, you disciplined little thing!

Happy Sheebs at Happy Hour

It's been a while since my little Sheba and I have had some one on one time! But we both found ourselves free one day after work and happy hour was the only way to celebrate!

North to Napa!

The next morning we said goodbye to our most perfect little hotel and all the boats and hit the road, heading north to Napa!

Sweet Sausalito

This poor little blog has been neglected for far too long! What can I say, life sometimes gets in the way...

Anyway, I'm coming back strong with my most amazing surprise trip to Sausalito! Ian is simply too perfect for words when it comes to surprising me and it was no different when it came to celebrating being together for a whole year...! 

French Pharma Potions

It's been so long since I last talked about Potions, and man, have I missed it!

Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday was a beyond beautiful day in the city...

New Obsession: Cilantro Sauce

I've recently become obsessed with this little cilantro sauce/dressing I've concocted and I love it on EVERYTHING. I've put in on chicken, dipped my quinoa cakes in it, but most often, you'll find me stirring into just straight up quinoa...

All Byyyyy Myyyyself

Friday night I found myself all by my lonesome...

Dinner Partay

Last weekend, Sheeb and I hosted a little get together at the apartment...

Giants v Dodgers, baby!

It's that time of year again, party people...!

PayDay!

Does this apply to anybody else...?

Saturdaze

Saturdays in the city! Don't you just love them?!

Healthy Spinach/ Artichoke Dip

I debuted a pic of this super easy, super yummy dip last week on insta and was bombarded with questions about the recipe, so I'm excited to finally share it! Because really - everyone should be eating this ALL the time... 

Our Last Day in Paris!

Thanks to jetleg, I woke up with the sun on our last day in Paris. I tried to force sleep by squeezing my eyes shut to no avail. Irritated, I got up and padded around the apartment in search of my camera so I could go through all my photos of the day before and was met with this...

Bohemian Adventures

On our third day of adventuring in Paris we finally got a glimpse of this beauty...

The Most Perfect Parisian Day

Our first full day in Paris!! I woke up SO excited and all but flew out of bed because....

Locks of Love

Made it to Paris!!

Last Day In Amsterdam!

On our last full day in Amsterdam, I came to terms with the fact that I had really fallen for this city.

Amsterdam Day Three!

After our big night of drinking on the boat, we decided a big, proper brekky was in order - how else were we to get through the day?!

Amsterdam Day Two and the Bato Bus

After our wild night at Supperclub, we woke up wondering if all of Amsterdam was going to be so crazy...

Amsterdam and the Naughty Supperclub

I have FINALLY returned to my blog and I couldn't be happier!! And I am most excited to relive my European adventures and share them with all of you! 

Chicken Quinoa Curry Wraps

These babies are a TREAT! 

The House

I love Friday nights, just love 'em. I love that the week is (finally!) over, the weekend is (finally!) here and it's time to get gussied up and hit the town...

Brightening Potions

One of the reasons I loved spray tanning so much was that it gave my face that perfect, even skin tone without makeup.  Sometimes I find that even if I don't have a single breakout, my skin has juuust enough varying tones of color in it that I want to run and throw on some BB cream to even it all out... 

Pancake Day

So Pancake Day was this week! I kind of envy people who are on top of their quirky holiday game... It would be really nice to know ahead of time what days cause for a foodie celebration, right??

Our First Gig

Who else completely forgot about Mardi Gras?! 

Rain and Ramen

On Saturday, Ian and I braved the grey and rainy weather** to run some errands downtown...

Operation Lorenzo

Friday night came along and with it two little words that Ian and I love to say to each other...

Potions: Ultra Hydrating

With a big Europe trip comes lots of planning...

Orange When it Rains

It's pouring rain again in San Francisco! And according to those trusty weather-folk, it should continue to do so through the weekend. Now I'm normally not one to be affected so much by the weather, but I'm just kind of tired of having to put on a big coat every day, and I sort of feel like my daily outfits are blending together in one big blur of tights, boots and a mess of outerwear...

Blenders and Blunders

Not only did my fleecy parents come visit for a fun filled weekend, but they brought presents in tow!

Snow Queen

I'm so pale. Like SO pale. This isn't news, I know, but I seem to be at my all time whiteness peak - as in, whiter than normal, if that's possible. It's gotten to the point where my snow-white feet look suuuper weird in my black flats and I really can't wear them unless I'm also wearing tights...

Suitcases and Ceviche

Over the weekend, I had the BEST visitors in town...

The M.A.C. Shorty

I know I just talked about M.A.C. and it's major potion situation, but I swear - this is another hot ticket item you CANNOT live without. Read on if you want that radiant, pore-less, creamy complexion that only models seem to effortlessly pull off...

Elusive Tartan Scarf Update

Remember last week when I was scouring the intranets for the perfect tartan scarf??

Detox Diet Soup

So, I'm back in my skinny jeans - hooray! It's good to know that all my hard work (a.k.a. deprivation) has paid off. It's also a lot easier to stay on track once you realize that all this green tea and quinoa business is actually changing your body. I made this soup over the weekend and it was a hit amongst Detox Dieters AND those still indulging in every food group!

Looks good right??

(It's basically just chicken noodle soup... shhh)

V-Day: Take Two!

Well. I am oooone lucky girl. Ian cooked me dinner for Valentine's Day and he got real fancy...

Presents, Pâté, and Beer, Oh My!

Ian and I had made plans to celebrate Valentine's Day on Saturday. He really wanted to cook me dinner and needed more than the few hours after work to prepare for it. So! This left Friday night open for shenanigans...

M.A.C. Potions

Happy Valentine's everybody! I hope you're all spending it with the awesome people you love most!

Red All Over

I saw these cutie pie Alice and Olivia flats and got super into the Valentine's Day spirit. All it takes is one look at this blog to know that avoiding pink is just not in my DNA... I love it!

Some Thoughts on the Big V

V-DAY, that is :) 

...What's with all the hype?

No Detox Diet at Dunya

I know what this looks like... It looks bad. Real bad...

Cheat Day

I want to preface this post by saying that I actually made it 7 whole days through the Detox Diet... which may not seem like a long time, but it is when you're completely changing the way you eat ...and also you never diet...

OK. So, Friday night, Alanna cut herself a piece of caramel cake and I just about lost it. No, wait... I did lose it, and I just about cried. I broke down and came thiiiis close to saying "To hell with this dumb diet!". Instead, I called my mom to try and figure out the secret to sticking to it. Her response was a pleasant surprise: A Cheat Day! Well, a cheat meal. I'll take it!

Potions: The Mask

Oh, baby. I LOVE masks. I do about 2-3 a week, which may be a little crazy... oy, what are you gonna do...

It's all too often that I look like this in my apartment...

Frozen

It's raining here in San Francisco! And I'm just about frozen.

It's a Lifestyle

February is off to a bit of a boring start... Is this the case for anyone else? I thought January is usually the slow month, but I had a great January! I'm guessing it has a lot to do with the fact that I was slow to get on board with New Year's resolutions... I indulged all December and then right on through to January, too... oops! 

Reigning Queen of Mod

I have just discovered and become majorly obsessed with the designer, Lisa Perry. She is the reigning Queen of Mod and how her line of an ultra chic, 60's inspired wardrobe has flown under my radar until now is beyond me!

Nah Girl, You're Good

Potions Class: Dreamy Face Creams

Ahhh face cream... the final (major) step in my potions process! I absolutely LOVE the feeling of putting on a rich, creamy moisturizer. It. Is. Heaven.

Lemon Herb Chicken and Sweet Potato Fries

I have to give myself a little credit... Except for a few weekends here and there, my January has been super healthy. Quinoa, humus and various veggies have been the stars of my meals. Also, a few weeks ago I learned that you can get all your daily vitamins in ONE banana! So I've had a banana every single morning since. But I'm coming close to the point where I'm just over it. I seem to have a rather tumultuous relationship with quinoa... we are either on extremely good terms (fueling the belief of my roommates that it's all I eat) or on very, very bad ones... 

Life is a Cha-Cha

So this little pic has been floating around the web lately... anyone catch it?

Aw, Shucks!

I've never had an oyster! Is that crazy?? I don't really know... People either love 'em or hate 'em... there doesn't seem to be any middle ground. But, except for a few temporary jaunts across the pond, I've lived in California my whole life and yet somehow avoided the whole oyster situation entirely. Until now!

Culture Shenanigans

Over the weekend, Sheeb and I decided a museum trip was in order... It had been a while since we'd exposed ourselves to some honest-to-God culture and we had heard a few people at work talking about the Matisse show at the Legion of Honor, soooo away we went!

Potions Class: The Oh-So-Important Serum

Soooo, when I left you last Friday, we were chatting about toners (and embarrassing Sheba)... The next step after cleansing your face and applying your toner is a serum. This is where things get serious (and a little expensive)...

Dine About Town

"Dine About Town"... This is possibly THE most brilliant concept ever.... Also, I love the name because I like to consider myself a gal about town :) For two weeks in January, many of the best restaurants in San Francisco offer a prix fix menu at a majorly discounted price... either a two course lunch for $18.95 or a three course dinner for $36.95... I mean, seriously?! Talk about a steal!

Caramel Cake

Ok, people... this cake is SO serious... It's literally the easiest darn thing to whip up and it will have your guests fawning all over you for the rest of the night, telling you what an impressive little baker you are. I mean, if you don't totally LOVE that, then you may be reading the wrong blog... #awkward

Niners Devastation

One of the things I love about living in a big city is the camaraderie that comes with everyone rooting for the same sports team. I've been accused several times of being a "bandwagon fan", which is true to an extent, but not in the way you would think... I'm a Niners and Giants fan because I live in San Francisco! It just so happens that both teams have also done really well in the few years I've been up here... I know what you're thinking... coincidence or am I just a lucky charm...?

I'd say it's a toss up :)

Birthday Shenanigans

To celebrate the lovely Sheba's birthday, we rounded up the coolest people we knew and settled into Dobbs Ferry for the better part of Friday night. This fun little place in Hayes Valley offers trendy American cuisine and a killer bar. Upon arriving, I scooted right on up to said bar and inquired the bartender about his "most festive drink"... He looked at me for a few seconds (probably rather annoyed at my question), so I continued with, "You know, something fun with vodka and champagne..." (like duh). How I managed to not get a pic of his "festive" concoction is beyond me... But Alanna and I each had two and well, the rest is a bit hazy ;)

Potions Class: The Face Part I

To continue with all things potions, let's move on to....

The Face:

Oi, where to begin?!

Quinoa for Days

My friends like to joke around that all I eat is quinoa for brekky, lunch and din. This is far from the truth, though you may not believe me after reading this post...

Lazy Sunday, Lucky Girl

Some days are really hard. Cardio Barre kicks your butt but your skinny jeans are still too tight, work is so stressful that you've started jumping around corners and ducking under desks to avoid your boss, etc. And then some days, your boyfriend wakes you up at 10 and makes you a gourmet breakfast, not allowing you to lift a single finger.

Shiny Shebas

Good girlfriends are hard to find. Like insanely hard to find. Probably because most girls are, in fact, partially insane. I pretty much hit the jackpot when I met my girlfriend, Alanna. We love all of the same things and our personalities balance each other out in the most perfect way. We lovingly refer to each other as Sheba, a nickname I developed somewhere along the way. And since nothing enters my vocabulary without immediately being abbreviated, it quickly became "Sheeb". Lately, we've been so busy with work, boys and just life in general, that we haven't logged a whole lot of time together. So we decided over the weekend to have a whole Sheeb Day, no boys allowed!

I Should Be Dancing (in the 70s)

Every now and again, I get this sense that I was born a bit too late. Roughly 20 years late. The things that inspire me most can almost all be described as "classic", and contemporary does little to nothing for me... I love old art, old music, old literature and old fashion. This was all confirmed even further when Ian and I saw American Hustle for our datenight last week.

Potions Class: The Body

"There will be no foolish wand-waving or silly incantations in this potions class. As such, I don't expect many of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art that is potion-making. However, for those select few... Who possess, the predisposition... I can teach you how to bewitch the mind and ensnare the senses. I can tell you how to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death."

—Professor Snape during Harry Potter's first Potions class

This blog is fairly new... And by fairly, I mean extremely :) However, I seem to have garnered somewhat of a following (thank you friends and fam!) and they have repeatedly requested an in-depth post on the multitude of potions I apply to my face and body. I have finally relented, so gear up, party people! Starting from here on out, I will be sending you off into the weekend bursting with knowledge of all things beauty. I can't teach you all those things that Snape's got up his wizard sleeves, but I will tell ya what I do know. So, down that coffee and whip out your note-taking necessities because you're going to want to remember EVERYTHING...

Pliés and Pizza

I am not one to plan ahead. My birthday falls at the tail end of August, so those hippy-types are always coming at me with Virgo-talk. I'm sorry hippies, but this is simply not the case. I am never on time, I'm not terribly disciplined, I virtually never stress, and I do not plan ahead. In fact, these are all attributes I would like to have a bit more of! However, in a rare moment back in early December, my Virgo roots peeped through and I bought myself a work-out Group-On in preparation for the holiday food frenzy. Not too bad, eh?

Hunger Games

With the holidays comes the onslaught of treats and basically everything bad for you... I hope. Because that's how it went in my house and I sincerely hope I'm not the only one who fell for it! It being 2014 and all, I am making it a point to generally be more healthy... more visits to the gym (let's be honest, any at all) increasing the appearance of green foods on my plate, you know, stuff like that. I figure mid-20s is not the time you really want to be messing around.

New Year's Eve Part Deux: Bootie SF

Yup, you read that correctly. Not only do I not hate New Year's Eve, but I like it enough to celebrate it twice!

Deep in the Heart of the Mish

Still somewhat recovering from NYE, we set out to make Friday a more low-key kinda day... We woke up with some of the best news of the new year - Olivia's flight home got cancelled! One more day in SF, baby! #ThanksSnowpocalypse!

This Bunch Likes to Brunch

Without brunch, the morning after a big ol' production like New Year's Eve can be rough. Luckily, we have Toast to quench our cravings of eggs, potatoes and mimosas and help get us through the rest of the day...

The Higher the Hair, the Closer to God

It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me (or has ever seen a photo) that I love my hair BIG. Hot rollers and a teasing comb are my weapons of choice, and they really get the job done...