Taking Stock: Christmas Edition

Posted on December 24, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

It’s been one whirlwind of a week, and, considering it’s only Wednesday, the holiday craziness continues!

I apparently didn’t have enough foresight to know that going to Trader Joe’s on Christmas Eve would be complete and utter chaos. (Insert horrified emoji here) I pointedly said “Wow! It’s crazy in here” to the woman at the checkout, who looked at me like I had lost my mind. Touché.

Either way, I realized while getting ready for work at the ballet this morning that it’s been an awful long while since my first Taking Stock post, and thought an updated was long overdue!

Here goes nothing…

Making : a last minute gift bag for my neighbor. I found a little Christmas cheer from him waiting at my door today in the form of a gift card. So thoughtful!
Cooking : Parmesan pups from TJ’s to snack on. A high brow pigs-in-a-blanket, really.
Drinking : Found Elderflower soda. A recent delicious discovery at the local Target.
Reading: Survivor, by Chuck Palahniuk. I’ve been craving dark novels as of late.
Wanting: Christmas Eve dinner!
Playing: The wait-until-the-last-minute-to-get-ready-for-a-party game.
Wishing: that everyone gets all that they wanted this Christmas.
Enjoying: reruns of Sex & the City on my tiny television.
Waiting: for Christmas morning to enjoy mimosas with the boss lady.
Liking: Nicki Minaj’s new album. I know, it’s rather out of character for me…
Wondering: what to wear! Is an all-black Christmas ensemble appropriate? With a red lip,too.
Loving: the amount of love my students, friends, and family have shown me this Christmas.
Marveling: at the amount of time I’ve spent away from home over the last few weeks.
Needing: an extra cookie sheet to accommodate all the cookie baking I’ve been doing.
Smelling: Viktor & Rolf’s Flowerbomb. It’s my new fragrance!
Wearing: a big, slouchy teal cashmere sweater to keep me warm.
Thinking: about going to see Into the Woods in theaters soon.
Knowing: that I’ll do some serious damage at all the after Christmas sales.
Opening: presents soon, of course.
Giggling: over Jenna Marbles latest video. Typical Eva.
Feeling: tired. restless. excited. All the things.

….

Wishing you a happy, merry magical Christmas season, dear readers!

EVA♥

Christmas Tree Lane

Posted on December 22, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

Prepare your eyes, everyone, here come countless pictures of light-bedecked houses and trees. It’s…

Christmas Tree Lane!

I feel like every town has that one street that goes all-out, overboard, even, with Christmas decorations. Here in my little town by the bay, you’ll find Thompson St. aka “Christmas Tree Lane.” Aside from the crowds of people and cars, you’ll know you’ve come to the right street when you get a glimpse of the resident Santa, perched on the tree-covered median, taking pictures with all the kiddies.

Hint: it will probably look something like this:

Be extra careful! The little ones tend to get under foot, and I’m convinced that all the lights have a bizarre, tranquilizing effect on the little people. Apparently, this is quickly counteracted by filling them with as much sugary hot chocolate as possible. Problem solved! Their enthusiasm really is contagious, I must say.

If you find yourself rather low energy around this holiday season, never fear. Just do what I do, and make a snuggly in your favorite mug.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this wondrous adult beverage, it primarily consists of two ingredients: hot chocolate and peppermint schnapps. Presto! You have instant cheer in a mug! And, no I never put it in my coffee tumbler and go for a walk.

In the meantime, I’m so amazed at how the once large, empty space under my own Christmas tree has filled up with presents! Quite a bit of it is dance teacher swag, courtesy of my lovely students, but the other half are presents waiting to be placed under other trees…as soon as find time to wrap them, that is.

EVA♥

The Tiny Tree

Posted on December 19, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone, and happy Friday!

Since I started living on my own about three-ish years ago, I’ve developed a few traditions that I like to carry out over the years. I like to buy myself a present every Valentine’s Day, and I leave it wrapped until the day of. I get my nails done every year, without fail, on my birthday. And, of course you already know about my yearly Thanksgiving traditions. It’s sort of silly, but these simple things have become an oddly significant part of my life. For example, one of my all time favorite things to do around Christmastime is….to get a tree!

Yes, it’s not the most innovative, but, after years of living like a nomad and not having a tree, I finally went out and got one during the first winter I spent in my apartment. While they initially started out quite small, this year’s tree was the odd giant among the tiny trees on the lot, and I had to bring him home with me.

Brace yourself for selfies:

This funny little picture gives you some perspective of the actual size of my tree. I always feel a little absurd lugging my Christmas tree home with one hand. It’s certainly doable!

Before: Naked tree!

Sure, a Christmas Tiffany box isn’t necessarily an ornament, but it was the first thing I popped on the tree this year!

After: With a little extra sparkle. I’ve collected a number of ornaments organically over the years. My favorites thus far are Barbie as Titania, Queen of the Fairies, a pair of ceramic angel wings, and a little sparkling pair of pointe shoes. I’m a dancer, after all. My tree wouldn’t be complete without a nod to my profession. I’m looking forward to adding some more ornaments to my collection this year.

I must admit, I had to squeeze in some tree decorating between multiple jobs, and rather late nights, but it’s been well worth it. It’s just my size, and, albeit a little lopsided, but perfect to me.

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on December 17, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hi everyone!

This week marks my last week of teaching in 2014. What?!

It’s strange to look at it that way, but it’s true. I have no idea where this year has gone. I hope all your planning for the holidays has been going well thus far. I’ve managed to put a dent in my holiday shopping but still have quite a few things left to do. Namely, I have yet to get a Christmas tree, but it’s the first thing on the list for tomorrow!

As always, let’s get to this week’s Five Things!

Photo c/o Buzzfeed, Creative Commons

Ah, Buzzfeed- providing endless hours of internet entertainment. I recently found 51 Of the Most Beautiful Sentences in Literature, and I’m pleased to say that I’m familiar with most of them. Although having read Lolita, I don’t quite recall the line above, but love it nonetheless.

I may have a slight obsession with snarky refrigerator magnets. I’m slowly growing my collection, little by little, hoping that one day I’ll have enough to horrify future house guests. This one is particularly witty, if you ask me.

Whilst in Tempe, I spent a lazy afternoon with a friend at a place cleverly known as the World of Beer. Boasting over 100 beers on the menu, I made a beeline for the Austrian section for one of my favorites: Stiegl Radler. It’s an Austrian shandy of sorts, but made with grapefruit soda in lieu of lemonade. Amazing!

Apparently, this is the face I make when eating habañero peppers. Of course, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Never again. But, at least I can check that off of my to-do list!

Meanwhile, back at World of Beer, I give you the largest pretzel I’ve ever seen. They do get points for creative display.

Cheers!

EVA♥

Buy It Yourself

Posted on December 17, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

Is it just me or does there seems to be an awful lot of pressure associated with the holidays?

Sure, it makes sense – frustrations tend to surmount at the end of the year. You have all those presents to think about, all the people you care about to please, and enough rain to make everyone drive like there must be a fifth of scotch in their car cup holders. (Side note: Californians really don’t do well with rain, do they?) Let’s not forget trying to navigate the frightening crowds of people who takeover the mall this time of year.

After seeing everyone (including myself, at times) go wacky around Christmastime, I decided that sometimes you need to be a little extra kind to yourself. Let’s face it, even when things are going great, the holidays aren’t necessarily easy to navigate. No matter how or what you celebrate, you want to do it well.

Sometimes, you just need to buy it for yourself.

And I did!

I’m not necessarily a fan of waiting around for things to happen, so I marched myself into Tiffany’s one day and nabbed a piece I had been eyeing for quite a while. I love the contrast between the silver and the single rose gold heart. It was a bit indulgent, I must say, but I wear it everyday and I love it. I’m a firm believer in treating yourself a bit around the holidays, along with all those you care about. Let’s face it, life can be stressful sometimes, just be sure to surround yourself with beautiful people as well as a few beautiful things.

EVA♥

One Tree, Many Santas

Posted on December 15, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

For those of you who are not familiar with San Francisco traditions, this last weekend was the famed Santa Con, a day in which everyone dresses up in Santa regalia and bands together for a city-wide pub crawl. Now, while I did not participate, but I did have friends visiting from out of town who absolutely had to see the crowds of mischievous Santas for themselves.

Of course, we had to visit the big, bedazzled tree in Union Square.

Photo c/o Rachel Suzanne

Although we anticipated only catching the very end of Santa Con, we wandered into a bar and lo and behold: all the Santas. And, there weren’t just Santas- there was also a Grinch and a few very festive snowmen. Even better, they were all mid-song when we found them, crowded into the small bar, bellowing out Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Of course, I took a “stealthy” over-the-shoulder selfie to document the moment:

In a nutshell, my Saturday night was a little something like this:

And then we went to the Cheesecake Factory.

No, seriously…we did.

EVA♥

Adventures at The Farm

Posted on December 11, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

So…the last thing I expected to find in the middle of Tempe, Arizona would be a full-blown farm. But, there it was. Surrounded by cacti and mountains, you’ll find the surprising lush Farm, complete with three restaurants and a weekend market.

Cue the photos!

This is my friend Emily. This is also her sassy face.

A giant, fresh-squeezed mimosa to start the day right! Also pictured is the very first Bloody Mary I’ve ever tasted. Pretty darn good.

A fabulous, yet messy breakfast sandwich. I will never be that woman that can eat and not spill. I somehow ended up with egg yolk on my skirt!

….

Yes, you could say I’ve officially jumped on the farm-to-table bandwagon. After walking though the farm grounds, we settled on having a much needed brunch at the Morning Glory Cafe. They had a fantastic variety of options, many of them with a Latin twist. Emily ordered their huevos rancheros- so flavorful! Obviously, everything served was extremely fresh, as we were sitting yards away from fields of vegetables and herbs.

It was a really wonderful way to start the day, very quiet and idyllic. On our way out, I decided to pose by the entrance, which is when the ridiculousness ensued. Emily (my photographer for the day) prompted me to make a funny face, at which point I proceeded to hold my arms out at my sides like an awkward snowman and look confused. Repeatedly.

Click through the slideshow below for your own amusement.

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I’m a really goofy gal, and proud.

Can’t wait for the next adventure!

EVA♥

Five Things

Posted on December 10, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

We’re officially halfway through the week! We’re also apparently expecting a monsoon of sorts here in the Bay Area. Schools are closed for the day tomorrow, and people have begun distributing sandbags. It’s really happening, people. We’re awfully spoiled when it comes to the weather in California, so I’m staying optimistic. Hopefully my commute isn’t too crazy or rain-soaked tomorrow, but, if anything, I’ll have a good story!

On that note- on to this week’s Five Things:

My friends took me to Hopdoddy Burger Bar in Scottsdale a few days ago. Fantastic burgers and shakes! I ordered the seasonal shake of the week, which was the Frozen Banana- banana chips, chocolate, and a little cinnamon. Delicious, of course.

I came away from Arizona with an extra little sparkle this week. I’ve been wanting to get a little forward helix piercing for a while, and finally did it! Yes, it hurt, but only during the actual piercing. We went to HTC Body Piercing in Tempe, and had such a great experience.

Last weekend was the Arts Festival in downtown Tempe. I was able to catch a glimpse of it at dusk on Sunday. One of my favorite things had to be the beautiful, ongoing chalk art on the street.

As many of you know, I have a serious shopping/thrifting habit. I was wandering about Buffalo Exchange the other day, and found this borderline hilarious top. I quickly decided that it needed to be my friend Emily’s latest birthday outfit. What would she be able to wear this with?!

Here’s a glimpse at the streets of Tempe, all lit up with holiday decorations. I love seeing all the Christmas lights out and about. I almost wish we could keep them up all year round!

It’s officially that time of the year. Happy holidays!

EVA♥

Oops, I’m in Arizona

Posted on December 9, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

I hope I’m finding you well this lovely Tuesday.

Despite the title of today’s blog, I’ve actually just gotten back at home to the state of California. But I sure was in Arizona five minutes ago…

I was visiting this lady, Emily; one of my college roommates and good friend who always lets me crash on her couch/air bed/army cot…?

It was a trip of many firsts: the first awkward bathroom-selfie, the first time I tasted a Bloody Mary, the first time I ate a habañero pepper, and the first time I played cornhole. Luckily, I have photographic evidence to verify that I did, indeed, do all these things!

See! Cornhole! Considering my hand-eye coordination is horrible, I didn’t play too badly. Don’t worry, you’ll get to see my reaction to the habañero pepper I ate later…

I flew in to the Phoenix area for a whirlwind trip over the weekend. It’s been many years since I’ve been back, and it was lovely to see it through new eyes.

We hit the ground running with plans to have dinner and drinks at the new Yard Tempe. The brainchild of Culinary Dropout, it already had a stellar reputation, despite the fact that it had yet to officially open. Of course, our group didn’t know this as we clambered out of our Uber SUV, walked into the restaurant, and casually asked to be seated. We were informed that it was, in fact, the soft opening, and that they were only accepting reservations. Not at all dismayed, we started to make our way to the bar, only to be intercepted by the hostess, who indeed turned out to have a table for six.

Then…things got interesting.

We were handed the menus and informed that we could choose a number of cocktails and antipasti, an entrée apiece, and multiple desserts to share- all on the house. The blurry photo you see above is the result of our damage done over a few hours of dining: $0.00. We had an amazing time, and a very sweet waitress (whom we tipped heftily). We couldn’t figure out what was more astonishing: the fact that our bill was entirely comped, or the fact that we inadvertently crashed an invite-only opening night party. Pretty sweet, if you ask me.

Has anything like this happened to you, dear readers? It was certainly a first for me!

As always, more adventures later.

EVA♥

SLO Town: Old Favorites

Posted on December 5, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hi everyone!

Delicious and unique doughnuts from SLO Doughnut Company, SLO-DO-CO for short. A few of my personal favorites happen to be their boysenberry cream cheese doughnut, nutella-filled doughnut, and…the bear claws. Yes, bear claws are sort of generic, but these are crumb-covered and apple-filled. Yum!

A few lovely kitties found at Woods Human Society, one of the most beautiful shelters I’ve ever seen. Oh, and you can assess your cat’s personality there, if you so wish.

The tri-tip sandwich from the famous Firestone Grill. Trust me, the picture does not do it justice.

…

Today, I wanted to tell you about some of my favorite places I’ve discovered in San Luis Obispo. Since this involves me, it clearly also involves doughnuts.

Luckily, my friends Xela and Maren live within walking distance to a SLO establishment: the SLO Doughnut Company. Open 24/7, they have a huge variety of unique and classic doughnuts. I’ve never had a bad doughnut here, and they do make a pretty decent cup of coffee. It’s primarily known as a college student haunt, but I’ve seen people of all ages flock to it. They get bonus points in my book for having extra tubes of frosting and sprinkles on the condiment bar, just in case you’re one of those people who can’t get enough sugar, or Red 40, in their diet. When doughnuts and coffee can’t quite soothe your soul, take a trip down to Woods Humane Society. This is no depressing, prison-like shelter. The animals here seem really content in their beautiful, state-of-the-art facilities. For fear of sounding like a cat-lady in the making, I love spending time in their cat enclosure. They’re all free to roam around together, to climb cat trees and lay in the sun if they so choose. I fell in love with the prettiest round white cat named Lili. She immediately sat in my lap and started to purr, as if she had been waiting around for me to come home. I’m always sad I can’t take all the animals home with me.

And lastly, absolutely every time I visit, I have to stop by Firestone Grill downtown for a tri-tip sandwich. I was not impressed by the sound of it at first. Who wants to eat a sandwich composed of nothing but meat, barbecue sauce, and bread? Trust me, it’s amazing. You’ll just have to try one for yourself. Bonus points to them for selling fries by the “basket.” It’s easily enough for three people. Can’t recommend it enough!

I’m off on another adventure this weekend, so you’ll be hearing more about my latest travels soon!

EVA♥