5/31/11

Summertime


Left to right:  cloudy skies on my drive home from work, hot air balloon, veggie kabobs, strawberry dessert, vineyard, Penny looking mischievous, outside the plane window, new skirt, freshly picked lemons.

Summer is in full swing around here and I couldn't be happier. And I'm still in love with Instagram; any Iphone users should get it if you haven't already and fall in love too.  It's great.

5/25/11

A California Getaway

522 photos later...
We finally picked a few to share.  What an amazing trip!

Santa Monica Pier:
We decided, very quickly, that the Santa Monica Pier would be the perfect place for a date.  There are restaurants, a (romantic) beach, and plenty of surrounding elements to admire (and photograph).  I could have spent all night at this beach.  We ate dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp, Co. and walked the sand until sunset.  A perfect start to our California getaway.


Wine Country:
A blast from the past! Tobin James is a favorite among the Central Valley dwellers.  It was a favorite of ours too when we visited (by recommendation) on our honeymoon.  This year, a wine festival was in full swing, so many more people were tasting on Saturday, but we all had such a great time.  We tasted at another called Eberle Winery where you see the underground wine cellar and the lush landscapes.  The weather was beautiful and sunny - perfect for sipping on wine outdoors. 


Avila Beach:




We spent most of our time on the Port San Luis Harbor watching the birds, fisherman, and SEA LIONS!  Did you see how close we were too?!  I wanted to snuggle with one so badly - even though they had a peculiar smell, I didn't care.  It was pretty chilly on the docks, so we grabbed some fresh fish for dinner and made our way back to the house to grill. 

Sequoia National Park:




























Sequoia National Park is filled with "big trees" - everywhere you look.  A bit of construction let us stop and stretch our legs about halfway up the mountain.  In that time, I stepped out of the car, turned toward the mountainside and spotted that black bear about 15 feet from our car.  WHOA.  I snapped a few photos and got myself back in the car, all while watching the other people run down the road to get a better shot.  It was a great start to the park, that's for sure.  Shortly after we climbed to the top of Moro Rock and made our way to the General Sherman, a gigantic sequoia standing about 275 feet high.

Thanks Adam & Kirstie for such a fantastic trip!
Can't wait to visit again soon.

5/19/11

California!

Here we cooooooome! (I hope everyone is singing Phantom Planet's song California right now.)
We're off to the west coast.  And are so very excited to spend the long weekend with our friends, Adam & Kirstie.

(image)

We'll be back on Sunday, just in time to gather all your photos for the Swap.  "Something Gross" is the theme this week, suggested by Sam, and I'm sure there will be some interesting photos.  Can't wait!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

5/18/11

A surprise

Ryan and I made plans to go out last Friday.  While I was getting ready in the bathroom, Ryan said “I have a surprise for you” and walked toward his computer.  He’s always downloading new music, I love it. So, in my mind I thought “I hope it’s Adele”.  And guess what?!  I was right! 

Needless to say, a dance party erupted in the living room. 

I love Adele.
And this video is so great.  

5/17/11

Half Off


I ventured into my first half priced bookstore last week and was hit with a thousand thoughts: everything is half priced?!, why haven't I discovered this sooner?!, where is the young adult section?!.  I was so excited that I kept babbling on to the checkout lady how great the store was and how the books were incredibly easy to find, blah blah.  She just shook her head amiably.  I bet she has had a lot of customers like me, thoughts exploding, with one clear motive: I’m going to cheat on Barnes and Noble… and I’m totally okay with that.

First up, The Jessica Darling series and then L.A Candy when my fellow book clubbers are ready.  Summer reading, here we come!

5/13/11

Gonna have some fun, Show you how it's done...

...TGIF! 

Tonight we ventured out to Live on the Plaza for the first time.  It's a monthly art walk that features local artists, musicians, and film makers of OKC.  We had a really fun time filled with artwork browsing, local shopping, Big Truck (I'm obsessed) eating, people watching and new tunes. 


Thankfully blogger was down earlier, because I had ZERO weekend plans to report.  I'm glad we stumbled upon this event and checked it out!  And on a sad note almost all your comments from yesterday are gone, but I had a chance to read and enjoy them earlier. Sounds like a lot of you have fun summer plans ahead too!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend.
Photo Swappers:  think GREEN - can't wait to share your photos on Monday.

5/6/11

Lazy Days

(taken with Instagram)

Happy Friday! 

You all, we have been so. lazy. as of late.  I think the busy week/ends caught up with both of us quite quickly.  Sorry for the lack of posts; the photos above show what we (all) have been up to - napping, reading, and guitar playing.  Ah, the lazy days of spring.  Right?

Hope everyone has a lovely weekend.

Photo Swappers -  this week's theme is all about you.  Take a photo of yourself, or you and a friend/significant other/family member, a reflection, your hand, whatever you choose  Also if you have any suggestions for new themes, let me know.  I want this to be a fun project for everyone!

5/3/11

Before & After

A few weekends ago, my mom and I went to an herb festival in Sand Springs, OK.  Apparently it's pretty popular because there were so many people there who all knew exactly what they were doing; they even had wagons to cart their purchases to the car and everything.  Serious business.  Mom bought a new aloe vera plant and I bought some basil and oregano. 

Once we got home, mom dug up an old pot for my little herbs.  And after some cleaning and new white paint...


 Ta da! 


I only hope I can keep them alive long enough to use in a recipe!
Wish me luck.