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♥

SLO Town: New Things

Posted on December 4, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello all!

I’ve visited San Luis Obispo many, many times over the years. I’ve become familiar enough with the town that I can find my way around sans Google Maps. I have a list of “must-sees” and “must-dos,” but there’s still countless new places to explore.

This last trip, my girlfriends took me to the family-run winery, Kelsey See Canyon Vineyards. I’ve been to a few vineyards, but none quite like this one. It’s a bit out-of-the-way, found down a winding tree-lined road, and so refreshingly laid back. There’s zero pretension here. The Kelsey family (and their dog, Tessa) can often be found lounging around the backyard tasting area, which also happens to be surrounded by peacocks. In the tasting room proper, you’ll find local artist Colleen Gnos’s mermaid-filled artwork. Jeb accompanied us, and was thrilled to have so many people pay attention to him. He’s great at making new friends, I must say. In a fit of enthusiasm (probably helped by all that wine I drank), I left the winery with three bottles of wine. They had a Black Friday special going on, after all.

Later that same evening, a group of us went out to dinner at the famous Taco Temple in Morro Bay, which is about a 10 mile drive from SLO. What appears to be a salad pictured above, is in fact a single fish taco. They also featured absolutely HUGE $8 burritos. Don’t try picking it up- a fork and knife is definitely needed.

Unfortunately for me, I manage to encounter a new favorite place with every trip to SLO. The only way I can make my way through my whole “to-do” list now is that I stay longer and longer each time I visit.

Sounds like a plan, right? Stayed tuned for tomorrow’s SLO Town: Old Favorites.

EVA♥

Where did November Go?!

Posted on December 2, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

I’m sure many of you, like me, are wondering just where the heck the last month went. Well, it may have come and gone in a blink, but I sure did enjoy the last few days of November.

This is what I was in charge of this Thanksgiving. Yes, I did an excellent job.

It wouldn’t be the holidays without Jeb, the tri-pod dog with the amazing spirit.

Awesome people photos c/o Kira Smith & Perry, the man in black.

My dear friend Maren and I. She has my back. We have plans to grow old together and annoy each other endlessly after our husbands are gone. There are twin rocking chairs on the porch waiting for us in our old age together.

….

In case you missed last year’s Thanksgiving post, my girlfriends and I have a longstanding tradition of celebrating our very own Thanksgiving together. It’s been going on five years now, and keeps getting better. We make a mean turkey, using Oprah’s favorite recipe, and all the fixins.’ Friends Reggie & Jas also joined us this year, and brought along a fantastic holiday cocktail consisting of egg nog, Kahlua, and Jim Beam. This of course means that I did get to try egg nog for the first time ever in my life. It’s like liquid Christmas pudding, really.

We have an annual tradition of taking fabulous photos in front of our dining table, only to later put on pajamas/sweatpants and finally eating our meal. We also like to take some time and go around the table sharing the things we’re thankful for this year. I’m fairly sure that every year I say that I’m so thankful to be able to spend time with the family I’ve chosen for myself. They’re very important people to me, after all. I’m also thankful that my friend Xela (pictured above in the royal blue dress) came through a very serious, recent surgery just fine. She’s a very inspiring human being. In fact, all my girlfriends inspire me. Maren, my college roommate for years, is studying to be a nurse, and is definitely the kind person I would want by my side in any emergency. I’m friggin’ thankful that so many strong women are my friends, and that I get to spend holidays with them.

I hope you all also had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Happy Holidays!

EVA♥

The Whirlwind

Posted on October 20, 2014 by 4evamaria

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.

The famous stained glass dome.

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

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!

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

A tower of treats.

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

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

Lovely ladies!

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♥

Five Things

Posted on October 8, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

It’s still Blogtober, but I’m going rogue today! And, by going rogue, I mean I’m doing the exact same thing I do every Wednesday: Five Things! Yes! It wouldn’t be a normal Wednesday without it. Let’s hop to it!

What’s a Watch Me Juggle post without an ode to doughnuts? Lucky for me, my favorite little SF doughnut shop has a kiosk walking distance from P’s house. (Yes, I’m calling him “P,” I’m not quite that clever yet.) When you walk up, they have all their flavors on display in a pretty cake stand. On this day, I opted for something out of left field: a gluten-free doughnut. Now, before you accuse me of jumping on that bandwagon, it was the only chocolate-y one there, with raspberry glaze. So good!

I discovered this gem hidden on my phone this week! A little throwback to this summer’s St. Helena adventures at the Castello di Amorosa.

In the beginning of the school year, I introduced the boss lady to the world of Instagram. We celebrated this last week’s World Ballet Day by watching the livestream of San Francisco Ballet’s rehearsals in the studio, while documenting it, of course.

The lovely crepe dessert from a mother-daughter lunch last week out in Pleasanton. Filled with warm, crushed berries, it was one of the best desserts I’ve shared in a long time.

Photo c/o Bath & Body Works

I recently splurged on one of my favorite fall-scented candles. I know, it’s a silly little thing to consider a “splurge.” I must say, Bath & Body Works does their seasonal scented candles right! What I love about this particular scent is that it’s not horribly sickly or overwhelming, like some scents can be.

EVA♥

That One Time I Went to Hawaii…

Posted on October 7, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

It’s day number two of Blogtober (or seven, if you’re counting correctly), and, as the title suggests, I’m revisiting one of my favorite vacations. It’s a fit of nostalgia I’m glad to indulge.

I took 800 pictures of turtles. Turtles!

My fabulous travel companions.

For my 26th birthday, two of my girlfriends and I went to Hawaii, Oahu to be exact. Seeing as most of my family lives outside of the country, the majority of my vacations have consisted of running around Europe every year. These trips are amazing, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve never quite had the opportunity to go on a trip just to relax. You know, just sit on the beach and read. It was an absolute break from real life- I didn’t put on an ounce or makeup, and never thought to touch a blow dryer. By the end of the trip, my hair was a mess, and I lived in my swimsuits. I bought a pair of shell earrings from a beach side surf shop and I wore them everyday. I have never felt better. The sun and the salt somehow makes you feel beautiful, no matter what.

The day we arrived, I was so relaxed, I fell asleep sitting upright around a bonfire in our local friends yard; passion fruit beer still in hand, wrapped in my sarong. One evening, the power to our complex went out completely, and we wandered through the dark down to Turtle Bay Resort where we had piña coladas and my friends sang karaoke at the bar. On my birthday, we had acai bowls for breakfast, and inadvertently ended up swimming with sea turtles on a secluded beach. My “cake” that day was a large sandcastle, and I mimed blowing out my candles, making a wish. Writer Isak Dinesen says that “the cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea.” I only got two out of three this last vacation, but it was perhaps the most healing few days I can remember. Those little vacations are important. You deserve some time to put yourself back together- irregardless of the current state of things. Your life could be going splendidly well, you could be on the precipice of something, or somehow unhappy with the way some things have turned out. No matter what, give yourself the permission to be happy, and indulge in new and beautiful things.

EVA♥

Favorite Places

Posted on September 4, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

Those of you who know me, know that I’m a fan of going on adventures. I’ll use anything as a motivation: a mundane errand, a really good lunch, a stopover on the way to something else…you name it! So it’s funny that in a place that’s ultimately know for its fabulous wine and vineyards, I go for the cheeseburgers. Now, granted that this last weekend was bloody hot, I opted for something a little bit different with Ahi Poke tacos. My favorite spot in Napa, Gott’s Roadside, formerly of Taylor’s Automatic Refresher fame, is the place to go if you want a no-frills good food, with a little bit of a Napa twist. And, while there’s almost always a sizable line at this diner, the trick is to get a refreshing glass of wine to keep you company while you decide on your order. What’s even better is its great proximity to a number of sprawling wineries. Did you know that there’s a castle in St. Helena? Neither did I. Unfortunately, my poorly charged brick of a phone gave out before I could take a vast amount of pictures. There’s always next time…

Oh, hello Bowzer. As you can see, I was feeling a bit grungy that day.

The best meal for a hot day. Fresh and delicious.

Oh, hey, wine country castle! I was perhaps the biggest fan of the wine cellar at Castello di Amorosa, as well as the outdoor Roman-style bathtub. A girl could get used to that.

Photo c/o Patrick Baron

Remember my Summer List? While it looks like I might not have been able to make it SUP’ing this year, I did get to spend a last day on the last official weekend of summer in St. Helena.

Whatever…I’m still all for wearing white after Labor Day.

EVA♥

SLO & Co.

Posted on July 22, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

Today’s post chronicles Part Two of my latest weekend adventures. Day 2 in my LA involved brunch at Urth Caffe, (a place I will absolutely be visiting the next time I’m in Southern California) and some daytime tooling around Griffith Observatory. Despite the ridiculous crowd migrating up the hill to take in the famous view, the Observatory itself was pleasantly open.

A photo from the observatory deck. Does anyone know why the famous Hollywood sign came into being?

LA is ridiculously populated- buildings as far as the eye can see. It’s also, unfortunately, the city with the worst pollution problem in the US. There are apparently mountains in the background, but we couldn’t see them, which makes me a little sad.

After enjoying a little bit of the sunshine, it was time to head back. I know I shouldn’t be taking photos behind the wheel, but the sunset while driving up the coast was just stunning. My amateur phone photography isn’t quite doing it justice.

I’m glad I made the extra stop in San Luis Obispo. Not only did I get to visit some of my favorite people, I got to see the progress of their beautiful garden since my last visit in November. It’s flourished, to say the least. Extra points to them for supplying me with a basket of home -grown veggies and eggs for the ride back.

Here you have some kale, zucchini, cucumbers, and peppers, all shadowed by a huge tomato plant in the background, as well as some blackberry bushes. Behind me is a continuation of the garden with melons,corn, and an orange tree. If you look closely, you’ll see the hottest pepper in the world, the ghost chili, in the bottom right hand corner. I’m not sure what they’re going to do with that, but good luck to them. I figure it would be a good way to enact revenge on people you really dislike…?

Did I mention they have three cats, four chickens, and a dog as well? It’s a bonafide animal menagerie! The chickens aren’t nearly as cute as the other members of the household, and have a tendency to peck at your toes and be generally stupid.

The newest member of the clan is Jeb, the three-legged dog. He’s the ultimate example of a grateful rescue dog; all he wants in life is some food and gentle pets. Despite his rather tumultuous background, he is surprisingly unsuspicious, and laid his head in my lap about three seconds after initially meeting me. He reminded me so much of a well-loved stuffed animal, with his snaggle tooth and his snuffling- I joked that all he needed was a patch on one of his hind legs to complete the transformation.

Happy Tuesday! Watch Me Juggle will be back tomorrow with it’s weekly “Five Things.”

Until then…

EVA♥

California Love

Posted on July 21, 2014 by 4evamaria

Hello everyone!

I’m still here, I promise! I have to admit, it’s darn hard to make time for writing when the sun is shining outside. Perhaps it’s finally time for me to upgrade the battery on my ancient HP laptop (she’s over eight years old!), so I can write while out and about as opposed to being chained to the wall for every post. Currently, this is my running excuse to sit down and watch “The Bachelorette” every Monday night. Don’t judge me.

I digress, as is usual. I spent this past weekend driving up and down the coast of California, specifically to celebrate my dear friend Rachel’s birthday. Yes, I have two “dear-friend-Rachels” in my life. I got to spend time with both of them this weekend, just to make things confusing. After her relocation to the LA area, I haven’t been able to see Rachel as much as I once used to, but her birthday made for the perfect occasion to pay her a visit. It’s a rather long drive to LA to have to navigate solo, so I made one trip into two, and paid my friends Maren and Xela a visit at their lovely home in San Luis Obispo as well. I’ve grown to know and love that town over the years, so it deserves a post all to itself in the near future.

Aside from a really annoying mishap with Google Maps that took me roughly 90 minutes out of the way from my final destination, my LA visit was pure, long-overdue fun. In a nutshell, there was a penthouse, a rooftop party, and some late night dancing at a speakeasy-themed cocktail lounge. All very exciting things.

The rooftop view of downtown LA.

So excited to push this button.

One good thing about the overcast sky: hot tub time! Undoubtedly the best view from a hot tub, ever! Rumor has it, Johnny Depp lives in that art deco-style Eastern building.

Blue velvet birthday cake. Yummy. I spontaneously broke into a warbling version of Lana Del Rey’s “Blue Velvet” many times that night.

Go through the parking lot and stand in line in the alleyway to find Honeycut. In case you didn’t know, the dancing is that way…

We made a lot of friends. This gentleman in particular had some snazzy sunglasses he shared with the birthday girl.

I drank something called the “Babyface,” which was reminiscent of a smoky strawberry margarita. Even better than the cocktails, though, was the light-up dance floor. Add in a little Amy Winehouse, 70’s/80’s music, and a splash of Lil’ Wayne, and you have a party. To top it all off, I wore my “Ain’t No Wifey” shirt from Dimepiece LA and got a ton of compliments. I even bonded with the club’s bouncer over it. As uniquely strange as I found LA to be in some instances, I apparently fit in rather well. This shouldn’t really be a surprise, since I’m rather strange myself.

Good times.

EVA♥