REGINA SPEKTOR at EL REY

After a 12 year love affair, I finally got to see her perform. It was a dream come true.

She's pure magic.

I'll come back to her albums again and again and again and for years to come.  There's vituoso, absolutely. But there is also truth and humanity in her music... it's timeless.  It's as if the piano notes and poetry are hidden secrets about life being whispered into your soul.  

MOON CAKE AND MOON HONEY

The Mid Autumn Festival, or Moon Harvest Festival, is a time for thanks giving and prayers of blessings.  In LA's Chinatown, the contemporary gathering brought together not only traditional Chinese performances and cuisine, but also a slew of food trucks and indie bands.

This station was for painting Chinese characters.
But Andrew had other creepy ideas.

We were first enticed to attend because of one of the headlining performances, Moon Honey.  NPR called them "cotton candy dipped in peyote."

I couldn't leave without buying a moon cake.  So here it is, still delectable the next day light.

SKIN DEEP

In efforts to be more conscious of what I put not only in my body, but ON my body (the skin is the largest organ) I found a few products that I adore.

Dr. Bronner's Hemp Almond Soap smells like pure bliss.  I love taking a bar of it traveling as it can be used for soap, shampoo, face cleanser, and laundry detergent.

Artnaturals Argan Oil Shampoo and Conditioner leave my hair feeling like I've just left the salon. With no parabens and sulfates, this was an excellent find!

MOMENTS in HAWAII

Some of the best moments were the spontaneous ones. Like sneakily watching a hula/fire show.  Or turning off our headlamps inside the cave. Or listening to the ukelele over dinner. Or pulling off to the side of the road to wash the wave crash in the middle of the night. 

In those moments, I wanted so deeply to express something that words would never do justice.

BELLY AND SNOUT

Can't get enough of all the fusion Filipino food here. YUM.

Belly and Snout

get the sisig. just do it.

HORSES MOUTH and COTTON HI

Monday and Wednesday, I do the cooking.  Tuesday and Thursday, he does the cooking.  But weekends are for FEASTING.

First, our corner oyster bar, Horses Mouth. Happy hour was small plate dream come true.  Our favorite was the soft shell crab.

$1 oysters

Because I have sweet tooth, dessert is always necessary.  We walked to CottonHi, a completely organic ice cream and cotton candy shop.  What a time to be alive.

My saturdate.

Tirmasu sundae

VENICE

Saturdates with Andrew are the best.  The last time we were in Venice was right before our epic trip to Arizona.  Many things have changed since then, but not so much us.

Free Music Festival with the Hippies.

This time we went into the candy store and I bought one of each gummy.  These were my favorite.

We ended with a walk on the beach and Andrew breaking his long-term pair of flip flops.  Ten years was a good run.

For dinner we ate at Komodo.  Praise California for it's fusion cuisine!

My favorite were the MP3 Steak with Egg and the Banh Mi Chicken Tacos.

08.27.16

NOSHI SUSHI and MILK

Finally found a sushi place worth going to here! Noshi Sushi is straight from 1970's Japan.  Or perhaps it's been around since then and has never changed.  Everything from the layout, to the decor, to the chefs and servers add to the charm oft this place.  And $9.80 for an 8 piece nigiri set?! SOLD.

And of course, dessert at Milk.  This place is apparently always packed... but come on a Friday afternoon at 5:30 PM and there is no wait at all. AT ALL.  We tried their well-known Blue Velvet Cake, which is red velvet + blueberries.

09.09.16

COLUMBIA at the GETTY VILLA

Field trip day with the kiddos at The Getty Villa. They thought Zeus was Jesus Christ. It was a great day.

09.08.16

LABOR DAY

My parents came to stay with us over Labor Day weekend and we took it as an opportunity to explore the North East side of LA.

First stop was one of the many outdoor malls, The Americana at Brand in Glendale.

But first, coffee.

Then onto Pasadena where we found weirdo hideouts, the best cosignment, and ube lecheflan cupcakes.

If you are in Pasadena. Go here.

Yes, THIS exists.

We ended day one at the 626 Market.  A celebration of Asian food and contemporary culture that happens during the summer months.

my beloved <3 <3 <3

takoyaki

bao

poke

pokemon

Day two began at Sidecar, where their doughnuts are straight up ARTISAN.

We went to Santa Monica, because what's a trip to LA without looking at the beach.

These cuties.

On our trip home we put our names in at Hae Jang Chon drove home and walked over 30 mins later. 

ALL YOU CAN EAT. AND WE DID.

Driving my parents to LAX, we finally stopped by the iconic Randy's Donuts.  

09.03.16