Downtown Photo Journey.

I live 10 minutes away from this place, this collection of eclectic buildings, coffee shops, random festivals, and globed street lights. I live 10 minutes away from this place and yet I venture there rarely. I have a camera and dear friends. I have a camera and dear friends and yet I rarely capture the beauty around me or just exist in fellowship with people I love in this beautiful city. Sunday, we decided to change all of this. I made the 10 minute journey to downtown San Diego with my fabulous fellow photo loving friends Natalie and Jenna on Sunday morning and we spent about an hour seeing the city in a new and exciting way, through the lenses of our cameras. Afterwards we sat at Cafe Basaam ate biscotti, dipped it in our extra foamy lattes, and edited our pictures. It was beautiful. Why is this such a rarity? Why is it so difficult to make time to just be, be together and appreciate the city we live in and the gift we have in one another? Why do we not promise to do this more often?

I think I do.

Yes...you can now pay at parking meters with Visa. Way too modern.

And here are some pictures from my incredibly talented friend Natalie. She has SUCH a great eye.

Ode to the Roomies

Roommates. Kind of a big deal. They see you when you're grumpy, stressed, drained, fresh out of bed in the morning bad breath, rumpled hair and all, and love you just the same. That being said, i'm pretty blessed because my roomies, they're top notch. Ever since I told them about my blog at the beginning of the year they've been telling me that they deserve an Ode, an "Ode to the Roomies". So Hayls, Lauren, here it is:

Ode to the Roomies

The pretty little faces that I come home to everyday

Are blessings and encouragement to me in every way

They're giggles and comments are hard to beat

And they have cookies and tea and yummy things to drink and eat

Hayls...

my dear, my little nurse in the making

We've laughed countless time until our stomaches are aching

My little nook dweller with turkey lights in tow

Your quotes, love, and honesty are appreciated more than you know

Lo...

my little chemist, peer ed, tea drinker

I appreciate your intelligence, care, and your willingness to be a thinker

You are my absolutely favorite best breakfast buddy

And I love interpretive dancing and yoga-ing with you and Tony!

As a token of my love for you my friends

I will make my bed, clean my corner, and be thankful for you until the very end

There you go girls, you're the best!

November?

I'm slightly confused...but i'll take it!

Live.

Music is irreplaceable. Music LIVE is absolutely unbeatable. Remember that concert I mentioned, the "concert of amazingness", the one that would combine the musical ingenuity of The Guggenheim Grotto and Ingrid Michaelson? Well, it happened, and it was everything it was expected to be, fabulous!

I was talking to my friend Natalie, who attended the concert last minute with us, and we decided that it is truly the sign of a good artist when they sound great on their CD, but unbelievable live. Based on these standards the Guggenheim Grotto and Ingrid Michaelson are very good artists. I was able to attend with dear friends, Skye, Hayley, and Natalie, and loved every minute of the concert (other than having to endure the guy next to me who thought it was appropriate to head bang and and dance extravagantly in the middle of a dense crowd while listening to acoustic guitar).

[photos courtesy of Nat and Hayls]

Thank you Ingrid and Gugs (as we affectionately know you), your music does my hear so much good.

Oh My Peanut Butter

I have a weakness...ok I have MANY weaknesses, but one that specifically gets the best of me is my deep devoted love for the creamy, salty, sweet, goodness that is peanut butter. Whether it be on bread accompanied by jelly, spread atop a banana, mixed with yogurt, or enclosed in a chocolate shell it is truly divine. That being said, I have been looking at the blog smitten kitchen lately and came across these beauties:

Buckeyes

Check out the recipe on Smitten Kitchen HERE

[all pictures courtesy of Smitten Kitchen]

This Girl...

...is a stud

has a sense of humor that absolutely kills me

loves her friends with an in incredible love

is selfless

creative

a fighter

and truly beautiful inside and out.

She was my first friend when we were timid clueless freshman in college and I instantly knew I had met someone special.

We giggle lots

make funny faces

both really love christmas

and I just love her lots

As I mentioned she's a stud, and a fighter and she's kicking cancer's butt right now and I couldn't be more proud. Her attitude and positivity are incredible and she brings so much joy to those around her. Court, you're wonderful, and I am so blessed and proud to be your friend.

Love you way big huge!

And what better way to celebrate way big huge love than con pane pastries and butterscotch lattes??

Answer...none.

Fancy Breakfast.

I found this breakfast on 101 cookbooks and it seriously must be the ultimate power breakfast. I can't wait to try it sometime in the very very near future. Check it out...

Warm and Nutty Cinnamon Quinoa Recipe

I used a red quinoa here, but you can use whatever kind you like, white/buff colored seems to be the most common. Also, a few notes and tips from the book: low-fat soy milk may replace the low fat milk, blueberries may replace the blackberries, dark honey may replace the agave nectar, and walnuts may replace the pecans.

1 cup organic 1% low fat milk

1 cup water

1 cup organic quinoa, (hs note: rinse quinoa)

2 cups fresh blackberries, organic preferred

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted*

4 teaspoons organic agave nectar, such as Madhava brand

Combine milk, water and quinoa in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Turn off heat; let stand covered 5 minutes. Stir in blackberries and cinnamon; transfer to four bowls and top with pecans. Drizzle 1 teaspoon agave nectar over each serving.

Serves 4.

*While the quinoa cooks, roast the pecans in a 350F degree toaster oven for 5 to 6 minutes or in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 3 minutes.