Craft Time!

I was finally sick of the blank frames staring at me from the living room so I decided to take some craft time and fix them!

Some ink, photo paper, some mod podge, and a couple of NYC subway maps later, I have some GREAT pieces!!!  And lovely memories of me and B in the city :)

Spaghetti O - Daddy O

Brandon has adopted Dad's spaghetti sauce move: 

 

Good to the last drop!

Spaghetti, NO.

Spaghetti Squash, YES!

Have you ever tried?  Cut in half, scoop out seeds, place on Pam sprayed tin foil baking sheet, bake for 45 minutes to an hour.  Once cool enough to handle, use a fork to scrape like spaghetti.  Yummy!

 

We used veggie spaghetti sauce but recommend using a meat sauce for a 

little more zing!

Along with a caesar salad and some vino, a regular lighter Italian night!

the LAST Harry Potter....

B and I headed to a late night showing of the last Harry Potter.  I only read the first couple of books but Brandon read and loved all of them.  That series has played a huge role in so many people's lives and looking back, we started watching the movies with number 5 - that was four years ago!  We first watched "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" together at the Lincoln Center Theatre on the IMAX while I was living in New York - oh the memories :)  I swore I had a photo of B in his 3D glasses but can't find it - if I dig it up, I'll put it here with this post!

 

No more Harry Potter :(

But we ended the era together!

We went to the movie theatre in Monrovia.  And looks what's in their lobby!!!

 

LOVE.

Queen Anne

Remember around Christmas time when all the drugstores sell those "delicious" Queen Anne cherries???  I can't stand them (b/c I don't like cherries) but Brandon LOVES them.  He LOVES them SO MUCH in fact, we still have a box sitting on our bookshelf from Christmas 2010!!!  But don't worry, the expiration date on the box says "best by Aug. 15 2011."  He has 7 days!!!

 

Eat up, B!

Merry Christmas!

Hair Day!

My friend Michelle and I headed downtown LA to get our hair done!

She and her husband, Sean, live in our apartment complex and we love spending time with them.  Michelle is becoming more like my "west coast Amber" and even cleans out my closet with me!

I started using Michelle's stylist after the one I only used twice started becoming stalker-esque.  She texted ALL the time trying to get me to come in and always at a different salon.  I was never sure if she worked at 5 salons, moved around a lot, or couldn't keep a job.  Even though I did get great cuts when I did use her, I couldn't talk to her.  The first time we chatted, she asked where I was from.  When I said Georgia, she asked, "the country????"  Seriously.  Then, when she tried to friend me on facebook, I had to draw the line and Michelle's stylist gladly adopted me :)

The new salon I go to is called ArtForm.  It is truly a studio space with a radio station broadcasting every Saturday, guys selling vinyl records, make-up artists, and all the furniture is vintage from older salons.  Amazing!  And let me tell you, my Grandma Juanita would love this place since she used to cut hair!  We had a great time and fun Saturday together :)

 

Meet Michelle!!

(she's so gonna hate this, ha ha!)

 

Don't mind me, I'm just getting a deep conditioning treatment :)

Purple Rain

Shame Shame Shame!

 

In his defense, the store was out of the Valvoline oil he uses in his bike......

Oh, and it's Royal Purple Oil.  I call it Purple Rain :)

Chick-fil-a Double Date!

Our neighbors Sean, Michelle and Brandon and myself headed to Chick-fil-a for a double date night!  They had NEVER been to one.  Can you believe that??!!!  There are not that many out here but I mean NEVER had Chick-fil-a!  Speechless.  So we went, showed them the ropes, and had delicious, such delicious chicken nuggets :)  And of course my gallon of sweet tea was in the car home with me!

 

Not the best photos, but who cares!

I have sweet tea!!!

Boiling Crab!

YUMMY!  Last night we headed to the Boiling Crab restaurant with Neil and his girlfriend, Vy.  Brandon and Neil worked at Jersey Mikes together.  Vy works at Boiling Crab so we ended up getting a great discount on some great food.

The premise is you pick crab, crab legs, lobster, shrimp, or crawfish.  Then you pick which type of seasoning you want and how hot you want it.  Any sides?  Same process.  Then the waitresses come around, tie bibs on you, and the food shows up in cooked and seasoned in plastic bags and thrown on the table.  You pull everything out and chow down!  It was so yummy!  Except I made Brandon pull off all the shrimp heads for me and turned my lobster around so it didn't face me - what can I say :)

 

My yummy yummy meal!

 

B peeling my shrimp for me :)

 

Brandon and Neil

 

B loves the lobster!

 

What can I say???

He does make me giggle....

Another Trifle.

Our neighbors, the Houltrams, are leaving the complex to live in their house in Arizona next week.  To celebrate them and friendship, a bunch of neighbors got together and had a cookout.  We contributed with a berry trifle like I made for Memorial Day.  Brandon decorated the center especially for the Houltrams :)

 

My artistic side is slowly wearing off on him :)

H.O.T.

Who says Southern California stays nice and in the 70s??  It has been H.O.T.!!!!  In the 100s over the weekend!  We only have a window air unit in the apartment because let's face it, the weather is pretty nice - we keep our windows open 9 months out of the year!  But when in the 100s outside, it's in the 100s inside!  The only bad thing about the apartment is that the air unit is in the living room and the air flow cannot reach the bedroom.  This is usually when we blow up the air mattress and sleep in the living room this time of year but.....when the air mattress is dead, you have to improvise:

 

Pretty sure our mattress will remain in the living room through the weekend.....

we need the air!

The 4th and a "Rain" Celebration!

I luckily got a three day weekend and B finally got a two day weekend!  Yay!  He's working 6 days a week at the dealership but luckily, they are closed for holidays!!  He works SO hard, god love him :)

So, we began our 4th festivities on Sunday - POOL DAY!  And cocktails!

 

Beer Margaritas, that is!

12oz beer (we used Corona)

12oz tequila (we used silver)

12oz water

12oz ice

Blend!

 

It's 5:00 somewhere!

even though that time stamp on the pic says otherwise.....

We stayed at the pool all day Sunday,

then decided to head out to Venice Beach on Sunday!

B got some new sunglasses, we ate lunch at our favorite bar, The Waterfront, with our favorite beer then took a walk on the beach!

 

Venice Beach!

 

Sun protection, always!

 

 

Yay!  Fun day!!

Then we had these for dinner:

 

HUGE!!

B took my leftovers for lunch!

And no, there was no rain on our weekend but we did celebrate with a little "Rain" dance:

 

B's last payment on his Harley, "Rain"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll do another dance when the title arrives ;)