things i love thursday

Ahh, it’s been a while!

Julian’s birthday! J turns 25 on Saturday, and I’m just about as excited as if it were my own bday. I can’t wait to shower him in gifts and for his big pool party & taco bash on Saturday. And I know he is excited about being able to rent a car for less, haha.

The end of the semester! Can’t tell you how much I am looking forward to putting these classes behind me… it has been hellacious, to say the least. Juggling life and school is not always as easy as it seems!

My sister’s wedding! Memorial Day weekend, my little sister gets married. I know I will be a blubbery wreck, but I am so thrilled to see her walk down the aisle and be there to share that special day with her. It will be an additional bonus that I will get to spend the weekend with my family!

Scotland & Ireland! I’m aaaaalmost done planning our excursion. So far it is shaping up to be incredible. I can’t wait to spend days exploring Dublin, be back in beautiful Edinburgh again, and spend time with my grandparents outside Inverness, where the sun rises at 4am and doesn’t go down until 10pm.

And now that the “big things” are out of the way, here are the other miscellaneous things I love:

Frank, and the way he rests his head on my leg •  putting chamomile flowers in tiny jars (very cute, trust me) • The Bachelorette starting again (don’t judge me, it’s a vice) • speaking of TV, watching the entire Mad Men series with Julian in about a month • our new pool loungers (why didn’t I get these sooner?!) • organic cat nip (not for me, obvi) • waking up to Scout pressed against my back • French press coffee (which I’ve been drinking BLACK lately, I am so turning into my Dad) • finding a $178 dress marked down to $45… in my size! • being able to put my hair up without the assistance of bobby pins or clips (it’s growin’, ya’ll!) • Paper Source (kind of ridiculously addicting and I shouldn’t be allowed in the front door) • going to dinner and a movie with my husband, only to decide after dinner that we are too full and tired and deciding to go home with our leftovers instead (hello, OLD PEOPLE!) • randomly becoming obsessed with something and spending hours/days/weeks researching online (classic Sarah) • buying (& wearing) punchy-colored lipstick. I normally don’t do lipstick, but I felt drawn towards trying something new, so I went to the MAC counter and picked up Vegas Volt and Chatterbox. I like the look of wearing bold lipsticks without too much eye-makeup on top… it also seems very “summer-friendly.”

You know I could go on forever. But I will stop here… because school is out for the day and so is the sun, which I must go enjoy! Xoxo!

things i love thursday

scarf season! • boars’ hair brushes • crisp, cool November days in LA after a big rainfall • hot showers • the way going for a run when I feel like crap makes me feel so much better (need to remember this one more often) • blueberry pancakes & peach mimosas • buying presents for my husband for no reason – or rather, just because he deserves it! • when a book you’ve reaaaally been wanting to read finally comes up in your library queue • getting new dog bowls for Frank in the prettiest turquoise color • getting the catalog of classes for Spring semester (I’ve always loved picking classes & class times… is that weird?) • not having a test for at least another week and a half • running to Girl Talk • having a clean house (or at least one that is neat/tidy with no dirty dishes/laundry – that to me is clean, regardless of the last time a bathtub has been scrubbed, ha) • finding new blogs that are so interesting I want to read them from start to finish (or current) • getting an A on my first case report! • vanilla flavored coffee • when Julian’s friends take the trash out for me (that is my least favorite chore, therefore I make my husband do it, and on occasion, his friends) • sweet potato season! • only 5 more weeks until winter break! • and finally, lions & tigers & bears.

Photos: West Elm / National Geographic

things i love thursday

A quick one for you today….

evening bike rides with my husband • planning vacations for next summer • our new acacia wood salad bowls • Breaking Bad, our new TV obsession • wearing my husband’s sweatshirts when they smell like him • Frank’s new hobby of eating avocados off our tree out back – he plays with it for a while like its a ball, then sits down, peels it with his teeth, and eats the flesh. So adorable! (and safe, I checked) • living in a neighborhood where people actually decorate for seasonal holidays – even if it is tacky spider”webs” strung across the bushes • foggy weather in the morning • running my first 5k and training for my 10k (going well but definitely so much work! I’ve never exercised this much!) • taking Julian on a dinner date and surprising him with a super secret guest – his bff Marc & his gf Mindy! • buying birthday presents for friends & family • getting As because I’m genuinely interested in the material I’m being taught! • being officially halfway through the semester – aka halfway to our trip to NYC and Virginia! •

Photo: Found on Pinterest, TinEye’d it and came up with this blanket/mattress store, which looks like they have amazing blankets! 

things i love thursday

Definitely haven’t had enough time to properly work on this, but I will post what I have! Happy Thursday loves!

September!! My favorite month. My birthday month. The month my favorite season starts, though it has been a while since I’ve lived in a place where you can experience true September/autumn weather. I LOVE this time of year! It feels like you have more new beginnings and fresh starts in September than you do in January, when we’re all burrowing inside from the cold, recovering from the holidays, comatose from eating too much comfort food.

pictures of kittens in tiny gold pants • listening to Julian baby talk Frank while giving him a bath, and thinking about how he’ll do the same thing when we have kids • the way Scout polices the house – the very second Pepper seems the least bit annoyed by Frank, she runs up so fast and hisses at him in defense of her sister • buying tickets to see The National, Neko Case, & Sharon Van Etten at the Hollywood Bowl! Such good seats too. • being married to a comedian (though he will never call himself that … he is qualified) • Avalon Organics Rosemary volumizing shampoo & conditioner • my neighbor’s fat, friendly orange cat named Herschel (he has a middle name too but I forgot it) • seeing two awesome friends get married! Here is a shot of J & I at the Skirball Museum on Mulholland Dr for Sarah & Joe’s wedding.

First photo: found here

things i love thursday

toast & tea • running 25 min without stopping for the first time ever (I’ve done it 3 times now!) • the way my cats actually smell good – I SWEAR – they are meticulous about cleaning, as cats usually are, and somehow they always smell like soap (plus, compared to Frank, anything smells good – dogs are so gross sometimes) • the view out of my office window – I can see all the colorful flowers in our garden, the white picket fence, and beyond that, the tops of the hills we live on • finding new songs to run to • creating new hairstyles (I’m currently digging this diagonal messy french braid thing) • completing all my to-do list items for school • getting my Maid of Honor dress in the mail – I still can’t believe my little sister is getting married…. ahh! (P.S. Hi Ana!) • the way our bed traps body heat (sometimes a good thing, sometimes a bad thing) • going to visit dogs that are locked in a room while at a party (they’re always SO happy to have company) • being able to see stars in the sky in our backyard • good samaritans that will jump your car when you accidentally leave your lights on (oops) • middle of the night visits from Scout, who is too cool for school to come cuddle in the daytime • when Julian sleep talks about work & the characters in his videos – HILARIOUS • my Mom filming a really neat segment for Google Business today – so proud of her! • taking Frank for walks, & taking him ‘bye-bye’ in the car (he used to hate it, now he LOVES it) • having the world’s smartest dog because he can obey hand signal commands without even having to say the word! • the way the sun shines into my office in the morning & both my girls ‘lay out’ tanning themselves • finishing Seabiscuit the book, so I can finally watch the movie! • my husband’s sense of humor, & the little things he does to make my days better.

Well, this is my last things I love thursday until school starts…. time will tell whether or not I’ll be able to keep this up with my new schedule, I sure hope I can. Until next time boys & girls…

Photo: Isabella Bertolini, found here 

things i love thursday

I forgot to do this last week. So there are some things in here leftover from last week… but it’s never too late to count your blessings, right?

my new desk!! • surprise drop-in visits from my brother, Ben! • apricot fruit roll-ups • talking to my 14 yr old sister about books (specifically The Hunger Games, of which she is now a huge fan) • watching Frank play ‘football’ in the backyard, aka, relentlessly trying to pick up a huge football with his little mouth • and, watching him play hockey with ice cubes (which he loves lately because of his teething!) • waking up to find a surprise middle-of-the-night visit from Scout, sleeping pressed up against me • spontaneously deciding to make brownies – from a box mix! I prefer to bake from scratch, but sometimes there is nothing better than spending less than 5 minutes to bake. • finally ordering (& receiving) our wedding album • birds actually using our bird feeders, & the pets getting a kick out of watching them • lunch dates with friends, & their two adorable little boys • the way every word a 3 yr old says is cute – “I want my tortillas” – SO CUTE! (And is it just me, or are kids getting smarter? I feel like three year olds shouldn’t know the word tortilla, but then again, I haven’t been around small ones for a really long time) • getting my first textbook in the mail, along with my veterinary medical dictionary, and veterinary medical terminology flashcards! I’m sure I won’t be so excited about using them in a month or so. • buying other school supplies like binders, paper, pens, etc. • being able to run for 20 min without stopping – a HUGE accomplishment for me & definitely a first • when my husband offers to run errands for me (BIG love on that one) • very productive days • pot luck theme parties with friends – Childhood Comfort Foods – which is as tasty as it sounds. • afternoons lounging by the pool with Cesca • being a super klutz and shattering yet another phone screen of mine… granted, not a thing I should “love” but it was time for an upgrade and now I have a shiny new phone which I love!

Aaand, getting things dooooone! On that note, I am off to check a few more things off my ‘to-do before school’ list. Xo

Photo: Greg Kadel, Numéro #121 March 2011

things i love thursday

Happy Thursday all. Blogging hasn’t been at the top of my to-do list lately, so you’ll have to forgive me for not posting much. I might just say you better get used to it, because once school starts in 25 days, you’ll likely be hearing a lot less from me. Priorities, ya know? But I hope to continue this weekly post at the very least! Let’s get on with it.

being outnumbered by pets • the opening scene from Mildred Pierce where Kate Winslet is doing all that amazing baking… makes me crave lemon meringue pie (I watched this entire mini-series this week btw, anyone else watched it? So good!) • Pepper touching noses with Frank – makes me thrilled that she isn’t entirely terrified of him! • ordering this adorable backpack - I feel like a sixth grader about to start school, I’ve got the first day jitters & everything • also, picking up a pack of pencils & a few notebooks – yay for school supplies • this recipe for peach crisp (sooo good, thank you Amy!) • quiet nights when you don’t really have much to do • getting to visit with Wendy & her sweet little six week old bundle of joy, Hudson (cutest baby EVER) • the way Frank greets every person as if they are his new BFF • introducing a crate (aka his “room”) and having him not completely freak – he actually voluntarily laid in it immediately! • getting to decorate a baby book in ridiculously hideous early 80s decor – for one of Julian’s videos – it was oddly fun • leaving the windows open at night to let in all the cool desert air… saves the AC bill, too! • on that note, having AC (especially right now, because it is atrociously hot in LA lately) • waking up early enough to run before it gets super duper hot • the way Julian’s hair looks lately • seeing birds actually eating at our bird feeder, regularly! • living with animals that actually enjoy killing spiders & other creepy crawly things so I don’t have to (I prefer not to kill spiders, seeing as they kill other nasty bugs) •  thinking about Fall…. already.

Photo: found via Pinterest, wish I knew where it came from!

things i love thursday

It goes without saying, our new house. Still getting all settled in & nesting, but everyday it feels more like home & we love it!

Our new pup! I meant to do a post about this, but I haven’t had the time. So everyone, meet Frank, our 4 month old black Lab mix. He’s a rescue, both he and his brother were abandoned roadside before they were weened, meaning they were both bottle babies when rescued by Kitten Rescue. He’s now happily adjusted in our home, completely devoted to Julian, and very curious about our cats (who aren’t completely warmed up to him just yet, but getting there). He’s extremely loving, very playful, and sleeps on his back with all four legs in the air. We LOVE him!

Also, getting to spend a week with my littlest brother & sister. They are such smart, funny kids – I hate not getting to see them but a few times a year, so this week of non-stop hanging out was much, much needed! We galavanted all over town, went to Disneyland, the beach, Hollywood, Warner Bros studios, but spent a whooole lot of time swimming in the pool and doing this:

Even with so many big, awesome things to be thankful for, you can’t ignore the little things. Like:

having a dishwasher (omg) • late night painting of my husband’s office with said husband while watching Dumb and Dumber (we painted a wall chalkboard paint and it looks so neat) • successfully completing my first morning run in the hills… NOT as easy as I thought it’d be – I have clearly been taking the easy way out with my prior flat routes – but I’m getting used to it  • our new neighbors, so friendly • Julian teaching Frank how to speak within 3 days of having him – he is so smart! He also mostly knows how to ‘stay’ • hanging a bird feeder outside • getting a box of housewarming goodies from my in-laws • buying all new towels (believe it or not – these are the first towels I ever bought for myself as an adult… I’ve been using the same ones my Mom bought me years & years ago!) • listening to sprinklers through open windows/doors • parking lots and (mostly) traffic-free streets • our vintage oven – it is so amazing. Things were made better in the old days, I’m tellin’ ya. • having a guest house for Julian to retreat to and do his work/man things • seeing all the new ‘spots’ the girls pick for their naps – I love this about cats • making orange juice from oranges growing in the backyard • going to see Cirque du Soleil IRIS tonight!

And finally… tomorrow will be exactly one month until my first day of school. Commence excitement/anxiety/panic… ah!!

things i love thursday

getting to spend a ton of time with Julian’s older sister, Jes, who was in town for the weekend with her friend Raelynn – good times had by all, wish we could see more of that girl (& the rest of the fam!) • keeping up with my running schedule (& remembering to journal about it – am I the only one that does this?) – related, the sleep you get the night after running… I am so becoming addicted to this • smoked sea salt caramels… I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – AMAZING. • iced coffee on hot summer days • getting a reallllly good stretch • crisp, white, clean sheets on the bed • Julian in a simple black t-shirt (my fave color on him) • daydreaming about what our life will be like in our new house (I’m most excited about my reading/study room and our big backyard…) • getting some good time in at the cat sanctuary this past weekend • checking things off of our massive ‘moving to-do’ list • getting six ears of the sweetest white corn ever in our AHO box this week • meeting baby Hud for the first time ever! • this amazing scooter-riding dog - seriously the best thing you’ll see online all day • picking up two of Temple Grandin’s books on animals at the library!

P.S. Could you be a total doll (or.. Ken doll?) and give my friend’s baby a quick vote? No signup, just have to click a button and type a security code. Trey is by far the most beautiful babe in the contest and wayyy too far down on the rankings if you ask me! He would make the perfect cover model for Parents Mag. Thank you so much in advance!

That’s all for now. Hope you’re all having a fantastic Thurs!

Photo: unknown, no luck on TinEye, found here

things i love thursday

Our new house! Yes, we’re moving again. But hopefully it will be the last time for a while. So much has changed since we moved into our current place, it became pretty obvious to us that we needed more space for Julian to work and something that is closer to the school I’ll be at nearly everyday for the next three years. We found an amazing place in a great neighborhood that has room for us to grow into, a beautiful backyard (with a pool… are you kidding me?), a guest house for Julian to work, record, and film in, & way more. It’s a beautiful place and the owners are amazing (we rent out here in LA LA land… too expensive to buy, even in this market). It’s going to be so so awesome. What’s not awesome is having to move in a month. Hello, never ending to-do list…

Temple Grandin – both the movie and the person! We finally sat down to watch this last night (we’ve had it on Netflix forever) and it was FANTASTIC. I felt so inspired afterward – she is such a remarkable person for the way she faced and embraced her autism and used it to change the lives of countless people and animals. Of course, I especially love her for the amazing work she’s done for the livestock industry, using her innovative and intuitive mind to create more humane practices & designs in slaughterhouses & beyond. I’ve already put two of her books on animal behavior on hold at the library and I cannot wait to read about her studies & experiences. Brilliant woman. (Claire Danes also did a phenomenal job in the film!)

Other fun stuff:

new babies! Congrats to our good friends Wendy & Chris who welcomed baby Hudson into the world on Monday. Yay! • when Scout meows at me after I sneeze, as if she’s saying ‘bless you’ – ha! • when awesome ‘old’ movies are on TV, like Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and Empire Records (which was my fave in college) • having a super hot husband • finding a way to sit at my kitchen table on my laptop that doesn’t hurt my back (feet up on the chair across, sitting all the way back) – I don’t have a desk in this current house, but you better believe I’ll be getting one in the new house, esp with all that school work! • when J comes grocery shopping with me • when dinner turns out better than expected • having our house all spic & span – it’s neater than usual right now because we’ve had a slew of prospective renters coming over to look at it • talking to all four of my parents in one day… unfortunately this is rare because we are all so busy • saying bye-bye to parabens & sodium laurel sulfate & other toxins in my skin care & cosmetics… feels great to know I’m not putting poisons on my skin & in my body anymore. You should try it! • breaking my dependance on coffee. Today is the first day in seriously like a week that I’ve had coffee in the morning. I didn’t intend to stop, it just kind of happened. • when Scout takes a nap on me… she’s been kind of a brat this week (I think they’re going stir-crazy in this small house – she wants to go outside & climb to the top of everything), so any and all cuteness is met by extreme coddling on my part.

Photo: Zanthia