Only moderately peevish…

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Hello everyone!

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Today’s Blogtober prompt: Pet peeves. Now, this perplexed me a bit, as the majority of the month’s prompts have been entirely positive. Writing about pet peeves seems like inviting yourself to a one person bitch-fest, pardon my French. On the other hand, pet peeves are entirely innocuous. They’re personal, and don’t even have to make sense, really. And I’m sure I’m probably the embodiment of someone else’s pet peeves, so it’s all in good fun.  Here are a few of my pet peeves:

Holding the door open for men and not being acknowledged. At all. Eye contact and a smile would be nice, at the very least. I am not your personal doorman or a doorstop. If the roles were reversed I would most certainly thank you. Common courtesy, learn it.

People chewing with their mouths open. This makes me want to slap anyone instantly. I know, it’s totally unreasonable.

People that don’t give up their seats for the elderly, heavily pregnant women, and/or women with small children on public transportation. Rude. Just rude.

Your car has a turn signal for a reason. Use it.

 People who like to listen to the same song over and over…and over again. It’s like beating the dead horse you used to really like. Now I never want to hear that song ever again. Stop it!

 People that order ridiculously complicated food or beverages. For example, I once found myself in line behind a woman at Starbucks who asked for a venti, no-foam, half-caf, quad, nonfat, sugar-free vanilla latte, with 10 Splenda. Yes, that’s right: 10 Spenda packets. They asked her to repeat her order, I’m convinced out of sheer disbelief. I feel like this has come up before on the blog, but it’s one of those things I can’t forget even if I tried.

On a similar note, picky eaters drive me up the wall. Everyone is entitled to his/her preferences, but when you refuse to eat 90% of all foods, or can’t eat food that has touched other food, we need to start questioning your level of adult.

Celebrities who insist on giving their children nicknames, or strange nouns for their proper names: Apple, Ace, Mars, Alabama, Peaches, Fifi, and, my favorite, Moon Unit.

 #Excessive #use #of #hashtags! #Itsevenbetterwhenyouputanentiresentencetogetherlikeitsawordbutitsahashtag. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

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OK! I think I’m done…for now. If you want more fabulous pet peeve posts, go check out The Daily Tay and Helene in Between, the lovely creators of #Blogtober14.

EVA♥

…and a Piñata

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Hello all!

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It was recently my friend Rachel’s birthday, and what better way to celebrate than with a sunny backyard barbecue? We had the required array of food: hot dogs, barbecue chicken, salads, chips and dip.  There was good weather, good company, and good food, so it was a perfect afternoon in my book. Also, there was a piñata. I’m sure you could gather as much from the photos.

The innocuous, sparkling Dora the Explorer-covered star seemed to bring out the security dog in Maddie. She was entirely determined to rescue us all from its threatening presence. If you look closely, the star seems to only have four points, as she dismembered it as we were in the process of stringing it up. We had to remove her from the yard just so the birthday girl could take the piñata out properly. Of course, we let Maddie have her fun with the remnants, yet she wasn’t happy until she had systematically taken it apart. Bless her- I’m convinced the sparkling streamers just weren’t her style.

The afternoon also happened to coincide with Fleet Week, so we had the pleasure of having a Blue Angels flyover. I told Rachel it was entirely in honor of her birthday, obviously. I left the party with a purse full of candy- some things never change.

I can’t believe that October is flying by so quickly! I’m looking forward to getting into the Halloween spirit, and am steadily stocking up on my pumpkin-flavored goodies from Trader Joe’s. I’m enjoying Fall while I can…only 63 more days until Christmas, and not enough hours in the day.

EVA♥

The Whirlwind

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Hello everyone!

I hope your Mondays treated you well. Mine was quite the doozy, if I may. I may have fallen off the daily blogging bandwagon (it’s really hard blogging on Sundays!), but there are still plenty of adventures to write about! This last, very busy weekend, I had a wonderful time running about San Francisco. One of the highlights was a girls’ afternoon tea at the Rotunda at Neiman Marcus.

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The famous stained glass dome.

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Afternoon tea isn’t complete without a glass of good champagne, obviously.

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My goal was to finish the entire tub of strawberry butter that came with my popover. I didn’t meet it, but I came awful close!

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A chicken consomme amuse bouche. The cup isn’t nearly as big as it should be.

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A tower of treats.

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Delicious Dammann Frères black tea, flavored with strawberries, rhubarb, and flower petals.

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The inside of my strawberry macaron. And the mess I made of my scone.

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Lovely ladies!

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Photo c/o Patrick Baron

It’s been years since I’ve visited the Rotunda, and I’ve missed the ceremony of the place. Let’s face it, I love any excuse to strap on my Vivienne Westwood barbie-looking shoes and eat delicious food. I first discovered their luxurious tea service back in high school, when my girlfriends and I would giggle over the same pot of tea for hours on the rare weekday off. I may be 10 years older, but little has changed. Ok…well, there’s the champagne addition to the tea service, but that’s about it!

I ended the week with a little city adventure, and got to take in the beautiful view from the top of the Lyon St. steps.  We’ve also been unbelievably spoiled with beautiful weather as of late, and it’s a rare occasion indeed when you find yourself wandering out and about without a jacket. It’s one of the things I love about living in the bay area. Despite the fact that I’ve considered San Francisco my stomping grounds for most of my life, I’m still discovering new places, and there have been no two weekends alike. While I’m always a bit sad at the end of the weekend (hello Sunday Phenomenon!), it’s been a great kick-off to what looks like a promising week.

EVA♥

I’m a Professional

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Hello everyone!

Happy Friday! Blogtober is going in full force, and I almost feel as if my day isn’t complete if I haven’t visited Watch Me Juggle at least once.

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I wouldn’t say I’m an expert, by any means, but if there was a job with any of these traits in the job description, I would be hired in a millisecond…

I’m really good at tripping going both up and down stairs. On a similar note, I’m really good at high heels. Ok, I’m decent enough at walking in them, but I can always find the most amazing bargain when it comes to shoe shopping. I found the above Pour La Victoire shoes for $11.50. That’s right. $11.50. Brand new. I win.

I can make a mean at-home latte. I’m also a professional coffee drinker, if that were a real job.

The boss lady says that while I may look pretty, it certainly doesn’t stop me from being a complete and utter goof ball; usually to get a laugh or a smile out of even the most stoic people. It makes me happy.

I’m like a chipmunk with a cheeseburger. You’ll wonder where I put it all, it disappears so fast.

Google-stalking people. I can do it.

As the infamous Jenna Marbles says: “Goo hoarding.” I excel at keeping bottles, all just shy of empty, all over my bathroom. If you need enough volumizing shampoo for a hamster, chances are I have it somewhere.

I can kill hours in thrift stores. I’m a professional Thrift Store Wanderer. I usually come out with some amazing treasures, too.

I have a knack for finding the best parking spot…approximately two seconds after someone else does.

I’m also a professional at:

  • Wearing Lululemon
  • Awkward somersaults
  • Drawing directly on my eyeball with eyeliner
  • Leaving my dishes in the sink forever
  • Staying up way past my bedtime
  • Making funny noises
  • Petting cats for hours
  • Making mimosas
  • Dancing

Add these to my resume.

EVA♥

20 Things 20-somethings Don’t Want to Hear

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Hello all!

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Today, I thought I would put together a little list. As you can gather from the title, I’ve taken some time to chronicle some of the things I, or some of my fellow 20-somethings have heard that just makes our collective blood boil. Admittedly, this is entirely from a female perspective, seeing as I am one. But, spoiler alert: contrary to popular belief, not every 20-something is consistently drunk/unemployed/tweeting. I came to this lovely conclusion after doing a bit too much research on the internet. And by internet, I mean reading horrible lists on Buzzfeed.

Enjoy!

  1. Why aren’t you married?
  2. Why don’t you have a boyfriend/why are you still single? Any derivative of this. Just don’t.
  3. You’re going out again this weekend?
  4. SO….what is it you do again?
  5. What ever happened to that guy…? You know…the last one?
  6. When I was your age, I was married with my second child on the way!
  7. You’re going to regret that tattoo when you get older.
  8. Well, you could always do fertility treatments in the future!
  9. Will you be needing a plus one?
  10. You’ll have to be careful with all those margaritas, you know, when you get older.
  11. I would like grandchildren, please. (Thanks Mom/Dad!)
  12. Wow…you going to eat all that?
  13. You planning on settling down anytime soon?
  14. You know, your metabolism slows way down as you get older.
  15. You really shouldn’t compromise comfort for style. Those stilettos aren’t good for your alignment.
  16. That’s an interesting outfit.
  17. Wow…you can afford to live on your own?
  18. Look at you! Living in your Lululemon!
  19. That’s an interesting career choice…
  20. Just wait ’til you’re thirty!

 

EVA♥

 

Notable Quotes. Quotable Notes.

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Hello all!

This week feels like a week of endless Mondays.

Ever have one of those?

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Today’s Blogtober prompt was to share your favorite quote. Now, if you know me, that’s like asking me to choose my favorite flavor of ice cream, or doughnut. It’s just not possible. So, I thought I would share some of my latest discoveries, all of which are currently residing on my “Notable Quotes. Quotable Notes” board on my Pinterest. I wouldn’t call myself an avid pinner, by any means, but I do like to peruse the site, from time to time. I’ve discovered some beautiful and inspiring things there.

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These are some of my favorites, for the moment.

Words are like food for me- some people find a dish they enjoy, and never feel the need to try anything else. I, on the other hand, find something delicious and suddenly want to try more. I want more thought-provoking words, more poems, more things to connect to. I’ve been rather restless this whole week, and sometimes those words of encouragement are all you need. I think that sometimes our lives get too cluttered with junk: junk food, “guilty pleasure” tv, cheap clothes, excessive social media. I love reading about the latest beauty trends as much as the next gal, but do I really need to know what Kim Kardashian’s new haircut looks like according to Facebook? No. No I do not. It’s much easier to fill up on the frivolous stuff than to sit down and to think about things that really matter. To me that’s art, music, the people that are close to me- the things that I’m passionate about. When things get a little dicey, those are the things that I want, along with the little, constant reminder:

I am, I am, I am.

EVA♥

Fall List

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Hello everyone!

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Remember my Summer List? Well, here’s the fall edition!

I had quite the busy summer, and while I didn’t manage to buy myself a new swimsuit, visit the Hippie Tree, or go paddle boarding, I did have a summer filled with visits to the farmer’s market, the Alameda Art & Wine Festival, and plenty of sundresses. You might be able to recall that I also wrote about my day in St. Helena, and my beautiful birthday dinner at Foreign Cinema. I would consider my summer a success. Yet, seeing as fall is one of those proverbial in-between seasons, I didn’t expect it to be quite as extensive as my summer list. Here’s what I have so far:

…Drink as many Starbuck’s pumpkin spice lattes as possible…
…Wear my favorite warm sweaters…
…Carve pumpkins…
…Go apple picking…
…Do something, anything for Halloween, in a fantastic costume…
…Have a girl’s afternoon tea at the Neiman Marcus Rotunda…
…Attend Off the Grid, Twilight at the Presidio…
…Buy an absurdly large bag of Halloween candy, all for me…
…Wear lots of dark, berry-hued lipsticks…
…Dance as much as possible (as usual)…

While I’m sure that many ladies have those pumpkin spice lattes on the top of their lists, it’s relatively respectable, right? I’m working on those Halloween plans, and the afternoon tea reservation is already made. So far, so good!

Happy fall!

EVA♥

Fall Recipes

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Hello all!

Congratulations on surviving your respective Mondays! After an action-packed weekend, I’m soothing my soul with home cooking and a rerun of The Notebook on Lifetime. Yes, yes, I’m a giant cliché

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Photo c/o Smitten Kitchen

Now, while Fall doesn’t seem to have reached the beautiful Bay Area as of yet, I wanted to share one of my favorite comfort food recipes with you today for Blogtober! I made this for the first time two years ago after coming across it on the fabulous Deb’s website: Smitten Kitchen. I can’t wait for it to cool down enough so I can make it again! It’s one of those hearty, potato-based soups, and while it feels incredibly indulgent, its primary base is simply chicken broth and a whole ‘lotta sweet potato. Healthy and full of flavor!

 I amended it a bit because I had a hard time coming across fresh chorizo, so I used Trader Joe’s chicken andouille sausage instead, which also packs quite a punch. I also like that it’s a one-pot meal, so clean up is really minimal.

According to the recipe, you’ll need:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 10- to 11-ounce fully cooked andouille sausage, sliced.
2 medium onions, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 pound white-skinned potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
6 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 9-ounce bag fresh spinach

  • Simply sauté the sausage with a generous amount of olive oil in the stock pot you plan to cook in. Remove the sausage and add in onions and garlic until translucent.  “Add all potatoes and cook until beginning to soften;” then add broth, and simmer until potatoes are fully soft. Smash potatoes with a potato masher (a large fork will do the trick as well) and stir in sausage. Add in spinach and cook until just slightly wilted. (Deb’s original recipe called for a remaining tablespoon of olive oil to be added, but I always skipped this step.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

If you prefer a creamier soup, I’ve been tempted to stir in a spoonful or two of sour cream, which I think compliments the spiciness nicely. The Afghan in me can mix yogurt or sour cream into pretty much everything. I’m always looking to expand my repertoire- what are some of your go-to Fall recipes? If you’re on the lookout, I can’t recommend Smitten Kitchen enough. It’s a wealth of amazing recipes, complete with beautiful photos. I have yet to come across one that I don’t like.

EVA♥

If I Were President…

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Hello everyone!

Welcome to the first ever Saturday edition of Watch Me Juggle!

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Today’s Blogtober14 prompt is, appropriately enough: “If I were president…”

Why is this so appropriate, you may ask? Well, primarily because the president himself was in my backyard yesterday. Before you ask questions, yes, my backyard is totally the W Hotel in San Francisco. I’m a busy girl, so P made sure to tell Mr. President I said hello, because I had a ballet class to teach and couldn’t make it, naturally. I also got sent this super blurry photo of him:

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See? It’s totally like I was there.

Now, I can’t pretend that I’m wildly involved in politics at this point in my life. Unfortunately, the older I’ve gotten, the more disillusioned I’ve become with them. I’ll admit that it’s difficult to stay optimistic when the men and women in office are so gridlocked in their own political party differences that they can’t even perform their basic job functions.  Not to get overly political on the blog or anything- that’s not what I’m here for, to be quite honest. Yet, there are a few things I feel passionate enough about that I would want to change in this country, if given the chance. I’m sure that this is a gross oversimplification, and that none of things would be even remotely possible at this point, but a girl can dream, can’t she?

I would love to improve the quality of public education in this country. I’ve received an exclusively public school education, from kindergarten to university level, and was quite satisfied with my experience. But, I would love to make art and music education a priority. I dream a country in which the vast majority of schools are arts-based. It’s my personal belief that many of the problems we’re seeing in younger generations, the inability to express feelings until they’re vastly out of control, the penchant for violence, etc. could be almost entirely avoided if we valued the arts more in this country. Unfortunately, we are a completely consumerist culture, and don’t see enough value in investing in the formative years of life, or in our “twilight years,” for that matter.  We dump an obscene amount of money into entertainment and sports, but most of these things aren’t thought-provoking or personal the way that the arts can be. If we put them on equal pedestals, instead of dismissing artistic endeavors as a gross waste of time or a childhood occupation, we would be all the better for it. I’ve personally committed myself to an occupation that, while paying jobs do exist, will leave you in a constant struggle to make ends meet. Once upon a time, dance was government subsidized, and there were a vast number of successful companies touring the country. Now, you’re lucky if you see upwards of $100 for all your hard work.On another note, the mental healthcare system in this country is deplorable. Just walk anywhere, anywhere in San Francisco and you’ll see what I mean. The people who need this help the most aren’t getting it, and I’m sure statistics will point to the fact that many of them are veterans. I could go on and on, really. These are just a few things that have been on my mind since I first caught sight of today’s prompt.

*Phew*

And lastly, if I were president, I would also say:

Free chocolate for everyone. 

That is all.

EVA♥

Who knew…

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Hello everyone!

It’s finally Friday.

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Yes, that is a tiny umbrella. The kind you put in tropical cocktails.

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you seem to have too much to do and not enough time to do it in? Coupled with the fact that this week seems to have dragged on forever, it’s been quite the roller coaster. And what do I do when things get crazy? I close my shades, light my favorite candle, and schlub around the house with a cup of coffee for company. Glamorous, right? Oh, so productive as well.

I never thought blogging would be the one thing that I want to do in the day. To the point where I would curl up with my laptop in the same manner that I might curl up with a book at the end of an evening. I never thought that it would be the thing that would make my life seem calm and normal, a comforting thing, really. Sure, I tend to get really down on myself when I don’t make it point to publish on time. Of course, this schedule is entirely imaginary and entirely dependent on me. Then again, what schedule isn’t totally arbitrary when it comes down to it?  I’m really enjoying giving myself challenges, and cultivating my little space on the internet. I didn’t give much thought as to how much time and energy I would want to pour into Watch Me Juggle when it all began a little over a year ago, and while the idea of being a full-time blogger sounded beautifully appealing, I had no idea of how to even remotely get there. I just remembered that I once had a dream about being a writer, and that I wanted to write, regardless of whether or not anyone was reading. And that’s all you need, really. So, who knew?

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend, and Happy Fleet Week to all of my San Franciscans out there!

EVA♥