Thursday, September 30, 2010

Lemony Goodness *I hope*

Today I felt brave enough to tackle baking Lemon Bars! I know, who do I think I am? Well, I thought it would be easy peasy but alas I could ruin a bowl of cereal! I read the directions very carefully *all 3 of them* and as simple as they were I couldn't figure out which bag of mix to use for the filling. I tried going on the Betty Crocker website but no help there. I even called the 1-800 number on the box but there was a recording that all the reps were in a meeting and wouldn't be available until tomorrow. I called Antz Mom *my only fellow baker* and she wasn't home. My lemon bars seemed doomed from the start so I just applied some common sense and used the white mix for the filling *it smelled lemony* and the yellow mix for the crust. It's currently baking for 25 minutes however I see the receipe calls for powdered sugar and the box I bought doesn't supply any. I am going to Target so I can pick up some but will I return quickly enough to finish my bars to lemon perfection? We shall see...

















Sorry about the mirror photo *I can't stand mirror pics, they are sooo myspace* but I had to show off my pretty baking apron!! I even wore my cupcake hat *to hide my hideous hair* for the occasion.

Liv and I had a blast at Target although I was disappointed in the Halloween decor for this year. In 2008 we bought $400 worth of decorations when we had our Halloween Party but today the pickin's were slim.





















So I was thrown for a loop, we planned to take Liv for a walk when Antz got home *in Atwater Village of course* and have a small dinner and then try my lemon bars for dessert. My Mom called me at 5 to ask me where she can take her friend Patty for shrimp *she was at Gladstones in Malibu* I told her that place is touristy and overpriced. I told her come to my side of town and we'll go to Sedthee for Thai. I called Antz to let him know there was a change of plans. He was game since I mentioned going to Sedthee. It's so funny how on the fly and random my Mom is. She never has a set agenda but that's fine by me.
















Such nerds, they followed us to Sedthee and we got our usual booth. The shrimp pad thai was super yummers!! My Mom had too much to drink and Patti had to get back to Apple Valley so they left early. I am glad my Mom had a chance to see Liv, it was too long since the last time she saw her Grammy.



They left around 9 and I fed Liv while Antz cut me a slice of the lemon bars. Holy Shit!!! They were actually yummy! I am so proud of myself. I bought powdered sugar at Target so this is how they came out


Antz said I may have found my nitch :) Now I need to convince Santa to bring me a Kitchenaid Cake Mixer for Christmas this year *I've been a very good girl*


Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Wishful Thinking

Lately, I've been consumed with the idea of selling our house and moving into my ideal neighborhood, Atwater Village.
















I get an idea in my head and it festers until I become neuroticly obsessed until I get what I want *ie: my dream wedding took 1 1/2 years to plan, it took 2 years of open houses and 13 written offers before we bought our house and it took 3 long years to have our lovely Olivia Lily* so I know this too will take plenty of time, sweat and tears. I know what needs to be done to get our house in selling order but how will we get approved for a new mortgage in today's economy? Another issue is the house I want to buy isn't for sale and if/when we are ready to buy how will I get that particular house when it's not on the market? My best friend Aimee says I have "the Secret" power to get whatever I want but this is one time I'm not 100% confident my "Secret" will work in my favor. Luckily I have a 4 year timeline to make it happen.
On a shorter term wishlist...

Wouldn't it be delightful to see Blonde Redhead on their last day of their European tour at Shepard's Bush in London?? Oh well, I could settle for taking Liv to see Yo Gabba Gabba! Live at the Nokia Theater in downtown LA on November 28th. I asked one of my friends who worked on the show but they aren't sure they can get tix so I may have to buy some next week *althought lousy seats are left and I want the VIP package that included pictures with the cast*

I am thinking of taking Liv to Disneyland for Christmas but should we go all out and stay at the Disneyland Hotel for a few nights *so we can take naps and feed her easily* or wait until next year when she's older and she'll appreciate staying at the hotel more as a toddler. hmm...

Since the winter season is fast approaching, will this be the year I take on #6 on my 30 Before I'm 75 list? Well, it seems unlikely being that we don't have a formal dining table *or respectable dishware for that matter* and I haven't achieved that level of Domestic Goddess yet. Although a nice way to get closer to it would be to take a cooking class at Sur la Table at the Americana.

sorry, it's lunchtime for Liv and I've got a grilled cheese sandwich with my name written all over it....

I have returned, so as I was saying, the end of the year is approaching and there's a few more things I'd like to do before we say Bonjour to 2011.

I really would like to have Antz Mom spend the night/weekend at our house to spend some time with Olivia. Problem is our house isn't currently prepared to accompany her *our air mattress has a major hole in it* and she is super uncomfortable outside of her house *she is like a fish out of water* So I'd like to get our air mattress repaired/replaced and set up in the living room for her and then somehow convince her that she'll have a blast staying at our place *she doesn't have air conditioning so there's noway Liv could spend the night in this weather*.

I also need to work on Liv's photo albums and video. Now I said I was going to start on her video montage a few days ago but it's not as easy as it seems. I discovered I do not have the video editing program on my laptop that Antz used to make this masterpiece so I'll have to enlist him to make the video for me *with my creative imput* but he's stumped on how to speed up parts of the video *of us building her nursery furniture* and setting it to music from itunes. I also need him to format the photos for me to print for her scrapbook, I printed her weeklies to show Victoria last week and they came out dreadfully.

Our lovely is 17 weeks today!!

Friday we are going to visit our doctor Evans to show her Liv. I am considering baking lemon bars tonight but Olivia has been Miss Fussypants so it may not happen. We went to volleyball last night *so rad* but this time we dropped Liv off at Leslie & Stephen's *Godparents* to babysit for us. She was wonderful with the exception of a 30 minute spazz out that freaked Leslie out. She has been super crybaby lately *boo* There was an awesome thunder/lightening storm *too bad I didn't get a picture* a few hours ago that has me concerned about a possible earthquake. I started our emergency kit when we first moved into our house 4 years ago but I think it's in the garage and needs to be completed. What a total procrastinator I am!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Autumn Shmatumn

Fall my ass, we are now experiencing the summer heat wave I was longing for in July in late September. It was 113° in downtown LA today *RECORD BREAKING*. It was stupid hot so I hung out in Liv's nursery most of the day because that is now the coolest room in the house. We are giving our A/C a run for it's money by leaving it on all day and night *even when we aren't home* since Antz loves walking into a cool house. We just came back from Baskin Robbins/a lovely drive and it was 97° at 9:30 PM!! This totally reminds me of the episode of the Twilight Zone when the Earth was moving closer to the sun.



Speaking of Earth, check out what I picked up from Tarjay this weekend!!















Jon Stewart is my hero, he is super clever and he calls people out on their bullshit *Loves*. I haven't finished reading it but I got through most of it in the car drive to Antz Mom's house this Sunday. Today was her 65th birthday. Tomorrow Leslie is babysitting Liv while we play volleyball. I went to Giggle to buy a new part for my breast pump *since I need to give Leslie a bottle* but they didn't have any spare parts *boo*. I have to contact Medela and order through them. I suppose it's the extreme heat but lately I've been super tired. I ordered more pre-natal vitamins so hopefully that will put some much needed pep in my step.

I was just checking out Amazon and there are so many cute things I want to get...




This next is the piece de resistence...so amazingly rad!!!

It's only $2400, totally worth it!

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Our awesome day of Yumminess!

As I was trying to get through my list of chores for this weekend

1. Laundry *sofa cushions, Liv's pajamas, bath towels and egg rug*
2. Organize kitchen drawers and cabinets
3. Wash kitchen floor
4. Go to Target
5. Clean out the refridgerator

Antz told me he wanted sushi for lunch so I can't turn down a request like that! As we were getting ready to leave Antz nephew *our favorite* Dion and his wife Evelyn called to let us know they would meet us at the restaurant. We were like yay, see ya there but leaving our house proved to take much more time than we thought so 2 hours later we talked to Dion again and they were delayed so we decided to pick them up *since they sold their cars to go to the Peacecorp next year {how fucking rad are they?}* so we went to Little Tokyo for Tenno sushi. OMG it was super hot but we had a great time at Tenno *I had an yummy drink called a Peach Island*




After we I pigged out, we walked around the Plaza checking out our favorite store Pop Killer where I fell in love with these gnarley sunglasses but sadly I didn't buy them.




Since it was so hot we decided to head to South Pasadena for ice cream at the Fair Oaks Pharmacy. I love that place, it's so retro and they have the cutest toys.




This is a mega ridiculous banana split, I stuck with my regular yummy root beer float.


There is a gorgeous interior design store House of Honey that I don't dare go into next to the Dinosaur Farm that has the prettiest pieces I have seen outside of Anthropologie.


Everything in this store is on my wishlist. So we went to our house to hang out and feed/change Liv. She began to fuss so we took Evelyn & Dion home and she was happy again. We had a great time with them, I am hoping to see them as often as possible since they will be in South America for over a year *so lucky* and I want Olivia to remember them *we'll be using Skype with them*. I am super tired and everyone else is asleep so I'm gonna try to finish watching Cat on a Hot Tin Roof *love it* and then off to bed!

My war*drabe* needs improvement!

As I was getting Olivia dressed so we can go to the grocery store, I was thinking of how cool her clothes are. We did a good job with our meager budget making sure our girl looks rad at all times. Then I go into my closet *freshly cleaned out from a fit of frustration last weekend* and I get the sads. I was starting to have a decent wardrobe before I got preggers but today I lack so many basics. The stuff I do have needs a boost of style, I need to conduct my own fashion intervention!!


Building a Wardrobe *a guide I borrowed again from Mighty Girl, who is Magnificently Mighty*


Thank god you were born a woman....

The sartorially adventurous man can have a red shirt made, perhaps purchase a loud tie. You, on the other hand, can pour yourself into a crimson dress with built-in panties and fish-scale sequins that chatter as you walk. You can halt conversation; you can smirk as gentlemen loosen their ties and swallow hard; you need never pay for a drink.

Wear what you want. Dive into feathery chiffon swing skirts, witty little gemstone bracelets, kissable cashmere wraps. Roll around in the delicate, glittering, unctuous glory of it all!

*ok, here's my impression of a crazy lady, I have actually worn this to work, not a 90's school dance*




All right, now get up off the floor. You’re crushing your feather boa. Also, your closet is starting to look like the wardrobe rack for Moulin Rouge. Is it, or is it not true that you own seven brand-new miniskirts, but not a single pair of shoes that matches your interview suit? I thought so.

*how do you know me so well?*


If you want to build a wardrobe, you have to start with the basics, clothes you can count on. Once you have some solid building blocks in neutral colors, buy the silly, sparkly separates and accessories that will keep your girlfriends from yawning. For now, we’ll focus on tried and true.

*sigh, I may as well start from scratch*



White Button-Down Shirt

If you’re a tall girl and you’re dating a skinny guy with a good tailor, you may be able to score one of these by batting your eyes and slipping it on. If you’re 5′3″ and your boyfriend is a linebacker, head to your favorite boutique and look for a crisp, white shirt made of 100 percent cotton.

*I haven't owned/worn a white button down shirt for years, God has blessed me with an ample busom which makes wearing anything with buttons down the front difficult. I do need one to layer under a *cashmere* cardigan sweater or a blazer*

Find one with darts that bring the waist in slightly. You need a shirt that looks good untucked: i.e., that doesn’t come more than halfway down your bum and isn’t too baggy—but can also be tucked in for wear with a suit.

Details will date the shirt, so find something that doesn’t have peasant ties at the wrists or prissy little flowers embroidered on the collar. Avoid shirts with breast pockets, that way you don’t have to worry about whether your bust line makes the pocket gape. The right piece will look as good with a business suit as it does with your white cotton undies. Press it until it crackles. Wear it with a pencil skirt for business or a plaid pleated skirt for pleasure.

*I just threw out my only black pencil skirt due to excessive lint, I have the worst lint problem {due to my lovely gray cat and my inability to properly do laundry}*

Knee-Length A-Line Skirt

These look good on every shape and can be dressed up or down. Buy a skirt in a solid, neutral color and a fabric that will work in any season, like a lightweight wool gabardine.

Try a striped T-shirt, matching cardigan, and flats for breakfast with a girlfriend. Pair a black skirt with heels and something low cut for dinner.



T-Shirts

You’ll need one black, gray, or navy T-shirt and one in either white or cream, depending on your complexion. Look for a cotton/polyester blend: It will fit your curves better than a purely cotton version, it won’t look tired so quickly, and it will travel well. Find a thick, durable weave. Thin T-shirts wrinkle easily, and they also show every bump of lace on your bra.

*I had the most comfy V-neck white tee that I now wear to bed because of the teeny tiny hole that appeared out of nowhere*





When you find the right T-shirt, go back and buy two more in your favorite bright colors. They’re perfect for layering under a bulky sweater in the winter or for pairing with a pair of tidy, side-zip shorts when you’re out sailing. OK, washing the car.



Jeans

Pull them on; glance in the mirror. If your ass doesn’t look antigravitational in these jeans, if it doesn’t look like some other woman’s ass entirely, put them back. They should also break just-so over your sneakers. If you’re petite, consider having them hemmed by a tailor who knows that jeans should never, ever look like they’ve been hemmed.

*Jeans are my kryptonite. I am too tall for 32 length {the regular length for most jeans} and too short for 34 inseam. I think they make me look dumpy {as if that's difficult} and they aren't comfy to me but that's because I don't wear belts or found a pair that fit perfectly, so boo me*



Shop until you find the best possible pair. Can you heft moving boxes without displaying a porn-star triangle of G-string? Could you picnic with his parents in these jeans? Could you successfully accessorize with a tank top and a shot of tequila?



When you find the right pair, don’t agonize over the price tag. No matter how much you spend on them, it’ll still work out to about five cents a wearing. So buy the pair you want. Buy two.



Warm Sweater

If cream looks good on you, find a chunky turtleneck sweater in off-white. It goes with everything, and looks equally charming with a pair of jeans or with a skirt and boots. If cream makes you look warmed over, consider camel, chocolate, or black.

*Sweaters are my weakness, I love cable knit, long cardigans, oversized pullover sweaters YET, I haven't owned a sweater that doesn't pile under the arms, I ALWAYS get holes/pulls in the fabric from my wedding ring. I bought my first cashmere sweater this year as my journey to dressing like an actual 30-something fancy lady and after the first wash {I was wise enough not to shrink it in the dryer as I have done so many times before} the piling is so bad I donated it to a thrift store :( *



If you feel like something dead is wrapped around your throat when you wear a turtleneck, or if your neck is so short that you sometimes have trouble turning your head, opt for a very slight V-neck.



Slim Casual Pants

Think Jackie Kennedy, not Army/Navy. No pleats, no bottom cuffs, no cargo pockets, no kicky little waist ties. No. Find a pair with a flat front, one button, and one zipper. Go with a slightly tapered or straight leg.

*slim doesn't equate to my clothing, no skinny jeans nothing equivacal to fabric I could wear. I can barely pull off leggings*



You can wear them with anything, but keep them pressed. Pull them on when you’re running for bagels in the morning. For a well-scrubbed look, pair with bright, fitted V-neck sweaters, or a T-shirt and a front-zip, hooded sweatshirt.



Knee-High Leather Boots

Some women take to these, other women feel like hookers. Nothing is sexier or classier with a skirt. If anyone propositions you, your skirt is too short.



Trench Coat

Buy yourself a black or khaki trench coat and you’ll wear it everywhere but the opera. It looks great with jeans and winter skirts, and adding a colorful scarf will pull most looks together with minimal effort.

*omg, I want a classic *London Fog but I'll settle for Gap* khaki trench*



Find a coat that’s fully lined and impeccably tailored. If you can’t afford a new coat—and they can be expensive—you can usually find them at vintage boutiques. Vintage varieties have luxuriously deep pockets that let you shove your hands in up to your elbows. This is a rare and wondrous element in women’s clothing, so seek it out.



Dark Pant Suit

Why are most women’s suits a little Miami Vice? It’s a hundred times easier to find an affordable and flattering suit in lavender or sage than in black. But it’s worth the extra cost to own a suit that doesn’t make you look like an after-dinner mint.

*I own a gray pant suit, that fits a bit too snug. I wore it to my last job interview and didn't get the job so now it's banished to the back of my closet*

Look for a single-breasted pantsuit with classic lines and trousers that you can wear separately. Search out light, seasonless fabrics like crêpe. Avoid odd, trendy buttons and synthetic fabrics. The pants should break over the shoes you’ll be wearing (heels or flats: choose before you buy) and the sleeves shouldn’t be too long or too short.



Little Black Dress

Cigarette holders have gone out of vogue, but as long as you can still order a good martini, you’ll need a little black dress.

*wow, finally score one for Lizzie, I do own several *not so* little black dresses alas they are all covered in cat hair and lint*


*GIRDLE ASSISTANCE NEEDED*


Avoid ruffles, lace, multiple fabric combinations, and asymmetrical tailoring (a toga top, or a skirt with an uneven hem). The perfect dress should be comfortable, well fitted, and just the right length to hit the most flattering point on your let. Too-tight dresses sacrifice elegance. You’ll most likely be wearing shoes that hurt: do you really want to suck your gut in all night, too? Find something with both elegance and sex appeal.



In the dressing room, ask yourself a few questions. Do you feel calm? Slightly superior? Could you wear back-seam stockings without looking trashy? Could you make eye contact with a charming gentleman across the room, part your lips, and raise your eyebrows ever so slightly? If so, wrap it up.



What’s Left Unsaid

If you have to try on dozens of outfits to find one that looks handsome but still casual, you don’t own enough classic pieces. The above list is by no means complete. We haven’t even touched on wool pants, minimalist leather jackets, black heels that you can dance in, cashmere cardigans, and the multitude of accessories you should have in your arsenal.

*typical Lizwear, black leggings, maxi dress, Tom shoes, striped tunic, hoodie, glasses and statement necklace*

Friday, September 24, 2010

Its time to get real *estate*

As I reflect on my evening as an Atwater Villager poser, I am getting more and more serious about selling and getting the hell out of Highland Park. As I was perusing the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council table last night, I asked for one of the I heart Atwater Village bumper stickers, I was asked if I lived there and I responded, no, but I'd love to. One of the guys said why not? I said we bought in 2006 *the height of the housing bubble* and couldn't afford to buy in Atwater at the time. He gave me his card and said I'll sell your house and help you find a house here *little does he know my house is pretty much unsellable and I have already found my Atwater dream house*. So as I am putting my new I love AV sticker on my fridge this morning as motivation...

*notice the lovely note from my dearest?
I am thinking to myself, Liz, why can't you sell your house and move into your dream house and live happily ever after? Well, I can give you several reasons why not but let's be optimistic about this and look at how this can happen *preferably before Liv starts kindergarden!!*


Selling our House
The economy/housing market is making selling this house at a profit impossible *I hate using that word*. I am constantly checking the estimates on Zillow and my neighborhood has dropped in value to ridiculous lows. Comparable houses are selling in the low $300k and my *GROSS* neighbors across the street aren't helping. On the plus side, we are the only house on the block with a garage and completely gated property. We also have one of the largest lots, complete privacy in our backyard and wonderful views. That's all the pros I can come up with about our little abode


having said that, our house is in need of the following major repairs:

Foundation damage. This is a huge issue, *the main reason we don't think we'll be able to sell in this market* not going to spend the 30k to repair it and just sell as-is which will hurt our listing price.

Plumbing repairs desperately needed. I have vented more than once about the poor state of our plumbing. Our house was built in 1923 and I am sure that's the last time the plumbing has worked properly. This is one hit we will have to take. I am going to have to get an estimate *if I have to shake it out of him* from our plumber, Malcolm to replace the galvanized pipes to copper in the bathroom and kitchen. *estimated cost $4500 - $6000*

Cracks in the walls and ceilings. Due to the foundation problem, our living room and bedroom walls have cracks that even after we patched and painted 4 years ago, need addressing. This I think, we can do ourselves but if we paint the living room *I get bummed just thinking about all that painting* we have to remove the popcorn ceiling *which we assume is covering more cracks*. *estimated cost $300*

Our HVAC system isn't working very well. Actually we paid $440 back in April to be told we need to replace it, WELL DUH! The system is old, the electrical on it is shoddy and it doesn't work very efficiently *we use it on special occasions because it increases our water & power bill by $50* I don't necessarily want to buy a new system but at least get the vents cleaned and fix the blockage in our bedroom. *estimated cost $700 and up*


Cosmetic repairs that we need to get done
*Just enough to look good to a realtor but not pimping it out

Cracked glass our bedroom window, thanks to our gardener, the kitchen, the front door, not devastating but will help with the overall maintenance of the house. *estimated cost no idea??*

Our lawn/front and backyard needs a makeover. We moved our patio furniture downstairs and now our upper patio is bare and needs seating. We also need to re-seed our lawn, water regularly and plant some flowers in the front yard for spring. *estimated cost $600 and up*


Remodel our kitchen. This is more than major but it has to be done simultaneously with plumbing repairs *since we want to replace the back splash tile*. We need to paint the cabinets/walls, refinish the floors, and install a new light fixture *estimated cost $4000* here's my ideal kitchen makeover


Remodel our tiny bathroom. The first thing we must do is replaster the horrendous dusty rose tub and shower wall. Next is retile the floor, paint and replace the sink basin and toilet. *estimated cost $1700*


New curtains in the bedroom. This is not a big deal but it can really make the bedroom shine. I'm putting off getting new curtains because my sweetheart cat, Lola thinks it's awesome to claw her nails on our current curtains *boo*


My plan is to start tackling these small projects and do a major remodel/repair in April *yay for tax refunds* and since spring time is the best time for our yard, have our agent Debora Bright-Laney come by to give us a professional evaluation. She was our agent and helped us write 13 offers before we got this house. I wouldn't want to use any other agent but I have no idea what her commission costs are *she works for one of the biggest real estate companies in LA* The biggest obstacle in getting into our dream house is the down payment *also need to secure a loan with our current interest* which would take us decades to save. I am counting on helping my Mom selling her income property in LA so she can gift us the 20% down payment. That in itself sounds impossible but hey, good things happen to good people right? I really want to raise Liv in a nice neighborhood that promotes community, has like-minded rad people like us *my neighbors here belong in a fuckin' zoo!* and is SAFE! I am not looking at mansions in Beverly Hills, the house I want to buy is a total fixer-upper *with great bones/potential* and the location is perfect for us, close to Antz job, walkable neighborhood, and close to our favorite places to hang out.

Mix Tape Fridays Vol. 1

Welcome to my first Mix Tape Friday. I feel like Flight of the Concords because I am proud *actually honored* to say I have 5 followers, I started this blog to amuse myself and was too lazy to keep up my journals so having an actual audience makes me estatic. I am new at this so please be gentle. I *borrowed* this awesome idea from the lovely Maggie over at Mighty Girl and since there are about 2,000 songs on my ipod, I think I can share a tune or two with the world. I will add this disclaimer, I listen to Björk ALOT! I also fall in love with a song and wear it out until I feel sick when I hear it. Deep breath, here we go...

Let's start things off nice & slow

"Play With Fire" The Rolling Stones

I never was a big Rolling Stones fan but they have been featured in a bunch of Wes Anderson films *I Love Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Life Aqautic with Steve Zissou, The Darjeeling Limited & Fantastic Mr. Fox* so it really turned me on them.

As I mentioned before, I spend quite alot of time at Anthropologie so this next song was playing there recently and Antz and I stopped in our tracks because we knew we had heard it before but couldn't put our finger on who it was. I tried several times to Shazam it unsuccessfully but the next day Antz was like I KNOW WHO IT IS!! It was more than obvious, she is one of my favorite singers. *a clear case of song overkill but I haven't gotten sick of it, yet!*

"Somewhere up Above" April March

Nice huh? So the next track is an oldie of mine of you will be pleased to know it's the only Björk song of the day, but theres nothing wrong with some Björk, she's lovely!

"I See Who You Are" Björk

I admit, we are both weirdos and awkward, I LOVE IT!!

I need to get this mix rockin' so the next song is 80's rock which I require a healthy daily dose of so enjoy!

"Hong Kong Garden" Siouxsie and the Banshees

I adore Marie Antoinette and the fact the Sofia Coppola is clever enough to insert awesome 80's music into an 18th century waltz scene makes me want to become a director *for a day*

While we are on a Marie Antoinette soundtrack roll, let's keep em coming

"I Want Candy" Bow Wow Wow

Why can't this be my life? I love the over-indulgence, the color palette and the opulence! Oh wait, does that mean I have to have my head chopped off? I'll pass

This next tune is in serious rotation on my iphone, in Liv's nursery and in my car and yet I never get enough of this band.

"Caring is Creepy" The Shins

The next one is my MAN! I never get sick of his raspy voice. When I hear him I want to fly to New Orleans and drink whiskey sours in a dark bar on Bourbon Street. Just pure radness!

"Watch Her Disappear" Tom Waits

Next is one of the MANY awesome folk bands that rock my life, they are super amazing and I am dying to see them live *although it would be stellar to see them in Europe* particularly Scotland {where they are from}

"Is it Wicked Not to Care" Belle & Sebastian

Here is this week's random song. I believe the power of a great mix tape relies in one random song that may not be a favorite but it makes you smile in a classic Norman Fell sort of way.

"Movin' Right Along" The Muppets *Kermit & Fozzie Bear*

Lastly, I have been adoring this song. It's a cover of the Postal Service *band crush* but nicely done.

"Such Great Heights" Iron & Wine

I just realized this week has been pretty mellow but I promise to amp it up next Friday. Thanks for playing.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Culver City days & Atwater Village Nights

So it seems that Thursdays has officially become hang out with Aimee day because this is our 5th straight Thursday that we've been together. I went to pick her up for lunch, we went to Roscoe's Chicken & Waffles in Hollywood after I assured Aimee the food would be delicious and the place is *not so* ghetto! Turns out I was spot on


Aimee loved the chicken and waffles so much she took another plate home for dinner. After our *yummy* lunch we went to Culver City *my old neighborhood* to visit my Beauty School favorite teacher, Vickie. She heard I had my baby so I brought Olivia to see her.



It was nice to catch up with her, she says I'm still her favorite student!! So, I dropped Aimee off and we headed for home *in rush hour traffic* and I passed this awesome furniture store


I could only see these outdoor pieces but I want to check it out one weekend. So I made it home *after an hour and a half* and we went to the Atwater Village Summer Nights. It wasn't as crowded as I'd expected but we had fun nonetheless. We bought a vanilla cheesecake cupcake from the Morsels truck and WOW was it mega yummy! I would love the receipe so I can try to make em. We listened to some bands and I finally met this cool chick I knew *through facebook/atwater neighborhood council* in person. She has a daughter who is about a month older than Liv. I am happy I have so many playdates available when Liv gets older, I was worried she'd have to hang with an invisible friend. I convinced Antz to let me wear Olivia in the BabyHawk for a change. I saw the cutest baby clothes but they were definitely too big for Liv.



So, it was good food, good music & good times. We left earlier than I wanted to but Antz was starving and I brought him dinner from Roscoes and Liv was super sleepy. I am looking forward to the Atwater Boo-levard Trick or Treat night on Oct 29th. Going to the Summer Nights is bittersweet because everyone was asking us if we lived in Atwater and I felt so disappointed to say no, I love the community feel and how cool everyone is. We have met so many nice people there and I feel more of like a part of the community than I ever will in Highland Park. Aimee wants us to go to the Abbot Kinney festival on Sunday but she has to work and we don't want to drive all the way to Venice. I will be happy to just putter around the house this weekend, finally get to read my October issue of Real Simple & Martha Stewart Living and get my creative juices flowing for the Halloween decorations this year. We STILL need to find an electrician to install our new floodlight, and fix the closet and kitchen lights. Good help is totally hard to find *boo*