Summer (Ocean) Breeze

Thanks Christie for the awesome photo skillz!

Recipe for a great weekend beach vacay:

Ingredients:

3 friends (preferably of the female variety)

2 sandy SoCal beaches

45 tablespoons of sunscreen (or to taste)

1 spectacular dinner

1 beautiful beach sunset

2 beach cruiser bikes

Preparation:

Mix vigorously with liberal sunshine and laughter.

Old Navy dress (a maxi dress that doesn't make me look pregnant, but I could probably wear it through an entire pregnancy. This one's a keeper!), Old Navy jacket, gifted cardi & American Eagle necklace

It's silly that I wrote that. But it's also my blog and my weekend was wonderful. Just look at that beautiful beach!

Thanks to these two ladies for making it great:

Now for something completely different! I got my first post in Forbes last week. Booyah!

On an unrelated note, I'm thinking about starting another blog (I know, I know, but don't worry--my cheese blog will not die. It's just gettin' started, baby!). The new blog would be about something I basically work one everyday: social media and blogging.

I'm curious--would you read it?

Calf muscles FTW!

I like the Bachelorette. So sue me.

Madewell top, gifted jeans, Old Navy sandals, F21 necklace. Did you notice the lady behind me looks pretty fancy herself?

I have for quite some time. It's just. Interesting. Plus, it's the lead-in for the new(ish) "Bachelor Pad," which is a house full of train wreck happening every week.

But seriously, this season the lady bachelor is actually kind of an ok person and not just a terrible fame hog. We know she doesn't need the money from the fake celebrity because she's uber-rich (somehow) already. How do we know this? Because she took one of her first dates to this crazy mansion with a 100-or-so year old pool and a spa and reminisced dreamily, "This is where I got my first makeover" and "I remember swimming in that pool as a kid." You know, the way the rest of us reminisce about adult swim being over at the YMCA and Push-Pops (but the off-brand kind, because they're more practical--more like strain-to-get-any-popsicle pops).

Anyhoo, I'm enjoying it this season, and the hubs and I (yes, he watches it when I have it on because--well--it's on) are predicting that it'll come down to Arie and Sean in the end. Then no one will actually end up married because that's happened a total of--what?--one time on this show?

If you're interested, but not interested enough to actually watch the show, I highly recommend reading this guy's recaps. Seriously hilarious and a pretty good sum-up of the week. Here's this week's recap. Enjoy, my friends!

And don't forget to check out my cheese blog, where I talk about my newfound love for Cambozola. And stay tuned for a recap of a really bizarre (but fun) cheese performance art piece I attended this week.

The most fun weekend ever

Can I just say I've been off the blog because I've been having to much fun? Yes? Great!

The weekend I took these photos (Memorial Day weekend) was so great.

First, I was wearing my new denim shirt (thanks, Banana Republic!) and my favorite red denim leggings. Then, we brunched it up at Nopa for the first time. We sat at the bar and I had strawberry custard French toast that was incredible.

Banana Republic top and bag, Gap jeans, Toms ballet flats, H&M necklace, bag of potting soil

Then, on Sunday, we took a scooter ride with lots of other scooter fanatics. Seeing the city among a crowd of rumbling Buddy scooters was just awesome. We drove up Twin Peaks and enjoyed the view, then headed back down to McLaren Park, where we had a picnic lunch, sack races and an egg toss (seriously).

The Buddies, all lined up in from of the scooter shop.

Amazing view of the city.

Finally, Sunday night, we headed out with some friends to a party for the 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge. They closed off the bridge that night to put on the most astounding fireworks show I've ever seen. Seriously. Amazing. I love this city.

The sun sets behind the bridge.

Yeah, that's a lot of fireworks

Wanna learn some cheese facts? Check out my latest post on Learning Curd.

Follow me on Twitter, y'all!

Motivate me.

You know how sometimes you just realize that you've gotten into a slump or a rut? No?

I don't believe you. Not one bit.

My slump-rut is specifically related to working out. Buh. I cannot get myself back into a routine. I won't say, "no matter how hard I try," because I've admittedly not been trying too terribly hard.

Why is it that I can most easily keep up a running routine, but not a standard workout routine?

Beats me. But there's only one answer to this conundrum: Start running again. And stop putting it off. I have a 5k in July, which I guess is a little bit of motivation, but not enough.

Maybe a book will help. I going to start reading "Born to Run." I had forgotten all about the book until I read the New York Times piece "Caballo Blanco's Last Run: The Micah True Story." (Seriously moving read--you should check it out.)

How can someone run that much and get that much joy out of it? I might have known, at one point. So it's time to get back to that, little by little. It's sad how short of a run leaves me breathless these days; it's time to change that. Time to find a race to sign up for (at least a half marathon), commit to it, and get to training.

On a different note, I got my first piece published in the Huffington Post. Check it out!

Gap ikat shorts and top, Old Navy vest, gifted earrings

Dreams

Weird things happened in my dreams last night.

First, I dreamed that I had a hole in my leg. It didn't hurt, but it was like something had eaten away at some flesh and tissue and left this fatty, fibrous hole. I was embarrassed by it, so I wrapped it up before any one could see.

Next, I dreamed that this Wednesday was Black Friday. Some friends know that this Wednesday is also Death Cab for Cutie Day (accompanied by my pal Minna's Magikd*Magik Orchestra). Yes, I have really cool friends.

Anyway, in the dream I decided to brave the crowds at the Gap for some apparel deals. I figured I had plenty of time to shop and make it to the concert on time. But when I made it to the fitting room to try on my finds, I looked at my phone and saw it was already 10pm. Then I woke up, quite upset.

The lesson here? 

1. If you find a hole in your leg, go to the doctor.

2. Black Friday ruins your life.

Today on Learning Curd: A shout out to Brooklyn Slate Co.'s sweet cheese boards.

American Eagle top, gifted jeans, Gap scarf, Target belt and shoes, Banana Republic bag

I ate this for brunch on Saturday at Plow. I just want to point out that the things on the left are their amazing lemon ricotta pancakes.

I made ricotta.

Me, just a simple human being with a penchant (sometimes) for doing domestic things, created cheese. With my bare hands. Well, my bare hands and three different types of dairy products. You can see the fruit of my labor over at Learning Curd. (Did you know I have a cheese blog now? You should have. You know, if you're really my friend.)

It was incredibly delicious. If anyone has some good ricotta recipes, I'm all ears. I just have to make that cheese again and find more things to do with it.

In other news, the hubs has been away in Hong Kong for work (why am I not wearing his clothes?), and I've been more domestic. That means he'll be bombarded by home-cooked food and a clean apartment when he gets back Wednesday night. There are worse things you could be bombarded by, aren't there?

This is my attractive pose.

Gifted jeans, American Eagle sweater, Gap scarf, Banana Republic shoes, F21 shades

What are you playing at?

Do you ever feel like you're playing at being a grown up?

Playing at having a grown-up job. Playing at having your own health insurance. Playing at having your own place. Playing at eating out at fancy grown-up restaurants. Playing at making your own big life decisions. Playing at being married.

I could go on and on.

Sometimes I feel like I'm not old enough for these things. I still like eating a big bowl of popcorn for dinner (shout out to family movie nights!). I still like sleeping in on Saturdays and staying in my pajamas as long as possible. I still like wearing flats (my feet like it, too). I still like watching slightly immature movies and TV shows. I still like jumping in puddles when it's raining and I'm wearing my rain boots.

Don't get me wrong. I also like being a grown-up. But I hope I never lose my like for youthful things, as long as it's tinted in  maturity.

When I have my own kids, I hope I can still relate to their childishness.

Anthropologie top (2008), Prana scarf (via See Jane Run), gifted jeans, Steve Madden Intyce boots, Target bracelet