The Best Snack

I stumbled on a can of tomato juice a couple weeks ago, and it's safe to say I've become addicted.  Can't get enough of it for a mid-afternoon or late night snack :)

Happy Birthday B!

My sweet baby sister turned 18 today!  I cannot wait to celebrate when I see her for the 4th of July.  She has grown into quite a lady, and I couldn't be prouder of all she has accomplished.  Brigi just graduated from high school, capped off an amazing softball career, and is headed to Cal Poly in the fall.  I'm such a lucky big sis.

 

L-R: Middle sis Maggie, our Nan, myself, Brigi and our Papa.

Birthday Wrap-Up

A few stragglers from the wrap-up of Greg's birthday are below. Before he got to work, I hung a sign at his desk and left balloons.  The sign was by far the cheesiest thing I had ever made in my whole life.  I can't quite put my finger on where I first saw it, but I remember them from childhood (no idea where) and found more inspiration on Pinterest. Duh.

That night, we celebrated at my new favorite Italian place in San Francisco.  Allegro Romano is tucked into a corner of Nob Hill.  The service is ridiculously friendly (but not pushy, at all!) and the food is some of the best Italian food I've ever had in my life.  It was perfect, and I think Greg thought it was perfect too.  I could have died when they brought him dessert with candles.  I was so lucky to celebrate a second birthday of his with a special day.

Happy birthday Greg.  Can't wait for many more!

 

He was amused, I promise!

 

Happy birthday!

Fair Fun

This weekend, I joined a group of friends and we headed to the Alameda County Fair.  I haven't been to a fair since I was growing up in Fresno, so this was an unexpected treat.  My favorite part (and no surprise to anyone that knows me) was the petting zoo!  I could have spent all day with the goats, potbelly pigs, llamas and deer.  There were even wallabies, although we came to the conclusion that these guys were not happy in the petting zoo.

We saw so many animals (for sale, not in the petting zoo), including about a million bunny rabbits and little ducklings.  The fair food was a delicious, and I had a corn dog and tried fried twinkies and oreos.  A once in a lifetime treat; I could practically feel my arteries harden ha.

There were pig races, and I almost died when I got picked to help facilitate.  Highlight of my week, hands down!  Needless to say, we all passed out on the way home.  Sunshine and a beer will do that.

Until next time, Alameda Fair :)

Making lots of new friends.

 

 Bf and the wallaby.

Dad's Day Weekend

I was lucky enough to enjoy a visit from my family this weekend.  My mom, dad and baby sister drove up from Central California, and my middle sis made the trek all the way from Oakland ;)

On Saturday, we enjoyed a picnic in Dolores Park in the Mission.  It's so fun to see my parent's reaction to different parts of the city, and they loved the park.  After the sun came out, it was perfectly warm too.  We shopped and checked out all the amazing street art the Mission has to offer, and ended the evening back in the Marina-area.  Dinner at my new favorite Tacko place was a great end to a lovely day, and my sisters and I took a late night walk to Lombard Street.  My youngest sister just gradudated from high school, and it's incredible to see how much she's grown into an amazing young woman.

Sunday started with brunch at Rose's Cafe, followed by more sightseeing and shopping in the Marina.  My boyfriend joined us too!  It's hard to explain how complete and happy I get when my whole family is together.  And knowing it'll be even harder for us to get together once my sister going to college makes it even more special.

Family, I love you so.

The Mission.

Playtime at Dolores Park.

 

Father's Day brunch with my bf.

Cutie parents at brunch.

Happiness

Here's a slice of the weekend.  It was absolutely perfect :)  More details to come!

Sunshine and Sonoma

After a fun night celebrating Greg's birthday, we headed up to Sonoma for a wine tasting trip.  His roommate had a friend visiting from the East coast, so Greg's roomie organized a limo to take us North.  Our limo stopped at three wineries, including a winery located in a cave.  It was chilly but magical!  Such a nice way to relax after a busy week and a late night :)

Beautiful scenery.

In the cave!

Excited faces.

Happy Birthday Greg!

It's been a fun week celebrating my man's birthday.  On Saturday night, I threw a party for him and invited a bunch of our friends.  We called it a Pastel Polo Pizza Party!  Greg is know for his collection of, you guessed it, pastel polos, and he loves pizza; so silly and so perfect.

I think I might be more sad than he is that it's over.  It was a great excuse to make him feel even more special, and have lots of fun with friends and spend quality time with each other.

Happy birthday Greg!

We kept it easy with junk food we try not to eat - candy, pizza and chips n' dip.

Each guest could pick a button with a Greg pic to wear.  It was so fun wearing these out to a bar afterwards!

Buttons!

I'm trying to make my man's birthday extra special without being too over the top.  I thought it'd be hilarious to make election-style buttons filled with pictures of him growing up.  His friends will love it (and can take them home if they wish!) and I think my man will get a giggle looking at pictures of his littler self.

My mom might even do this for my baby sister's graduation party... such an easy, adorable craft!

Arizona

I was soooo lucky to be invited to a family reunion of sorts with my boyfriend's family over Memorial Day weekend in Arizona.  It was an absolute blast!  I was treated to four non-stop days of fun, eating and quality time with my bf.  Considering his immediate family lives at least a plane flight away, it was great getting to know his family better too.  His parents and sister flew in from Boston, and we were hosted by his other sister, her hubby and their baby (they just moved to AZ).  I've met his family before, but this was the first time I got to meet his nephew, one of the most beautiful babies I have ever laid my eyes on.

It was only between 80-100 degrees over the weekend, perfect for swimming and quick trips to sightsee.  Here's a few pictures, if you'd like!

Cutie! 

 Lots of playtime.  

 Being cheesy, matching tourists.  Accidental? Not really ;)

Yummy pizza. Topped with pistachios!  We had to hit the gym hard after this trip.

Being silly with Greg's sister's doggy.

Room Redo

I've been using my twin-sized bed from my room back home ever since I moved to Northern California.  I was so excited to finally purchase a queen-sized bed and mattress, and even more excited when my mom said she'd help me make it extra special for my birthday present.  I bought the comforter from Overstock.com (amazing selection!) and she had a friend make pillows.  They are top-notch quality and will last for years, and the detailing is unbelievable.  A few fuzzy shams completed the look.

I strung twine across the top of the bed and hung pictures with little clothespins.  No words to explain how much I love twine ;) I found the letters at Michael's and thought they complimented the bedding perfectly.

I can't wait for the day that I have a bigger apartment so I can extend the decorating to other parts of my living space.  I had a blast brainstorming ideas with my mom, and love coming home to a relaxing, inviting space.  I find myself rearranging pictures and adding teeny little touches just to keep the decorating going.

I'll post pictures of the rest of my room later... for now, enjoy!

Snapshot of the bed and pillows.  Those big, white pillows are so comfy!

Close-up of the pillows and my twine creation.  That little pillow says 'sole searching.'

Cozy blankets.  Perfect for working in bed!

These prints are on the wall near the foot of my bed.  I love waking up to inspiration!