Georgia Peaches.

I went to Georgia to visit my BFF, A. She moved there 3 years ago, and I promised I was going to visit her when she moved.  So, I finally made good on my promise and went to the sweet, sweet state of Georgia... for 2 days.  It was a short and sweet trip, but of course we made some amazing memories and I finally got to meet Sally Monster, her puppy.

Here are some of my trip highlights:
Anitco Napoletana Pizza - The. Best. Pizza. of. my. Life. It is a secret locals-only spot that was jam-packed.  We sat in a little corner in the kitchen, but it was worth every bite.  We proceeded to eat leftover pizza for the next 24 hours.

Peaches - Well, apparently even though she lives on PeachTree Street, there are not actually any peach trees in Atlanta.  So, she kindly took me to the local grocery store, and I pretended that I picked one off a tree.  It was the best peach ever, still.

Coca-Cola Factory - Atlanta, GA is where Coca-Cola first originated, and we got to learn the history behind the fizzy pop.  Did you know that Coca is actually a cocaine-leaf?  Neither did I until I watched Drunk History, my new favorite show.  They don't tell you that in the tour.

Flying Biscuit Cafe - If you want a real southern breakfast, this is where you need to go.  I had biscuits, sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, orange glazed french toast, and coffee. It was heaven.

The Varsity - They literally say "What'll ya have" and nothing else. They have their own lingo, where a burger is a "steak" and chips are a "bag of rags." It's crazy inside - a cultural Atlanta experience.  I still recommend going even though the food is not so good.

The Perfect Dome.

I am missing these perfect domed cappuccinos from Australia.  One of my favorite breakky places, Dôme, made them perfect every time.  Put two raw sugars in, stir it only half way, and sip the sugary foam off the top while reading Cleo Magazine or Frankie.  Then again, I'm sure I'll reminisce about my Dragon Pearl Tea Lattes from my local Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, once I move away.

Where is a place I can find a perfect cappuccino like this one in Cali?  I'd love to know- I'm a bit of a coffee snob now.  I like them perfectly domed and perfectly perfect.  Is that too much to ask?  I've always thought that the most amazing job would to be a World Wide Coffee Taste Tester.  I could fly around the world reviewing coffee shops and get paid for it.

Coffee.

Hollywood & Venice.

 

Shockingly, California has hostels that are just like Australian hostels: friendly staff, fun people from other Countries, and bunk beds.  Since Izi and I backpacked around Australia for a year, I knew that I could count on her to try an American hostel out with me.  We met some awesome people from Canada, Germany, and Australia!  This hostel is directly on Venice beach and our room had a view of the boardwalk.

Here are my must-do's when you're near Venice Beach, CA:

• Stay in a hostel (even if you can afford a hotel, just for the experience and the people you'll meet)
• Have brunch on Venice boardwalk for the people watching (I've never seen anything like it in my life)
• Eat at C&O Trattoria in Venice Beach (garlic bread balls to die for, nightly serenades, and incredible Italian food)

Bardot Kisses.

I have posted about these babies before, but they always make me smile!  There is this little cove in La Jolla called "Seal Beach" or "Children's Beach," where you can hang out with these dog-mermaids!  I just had to take Izi there, and then we went and got ice cream bars from Bardot.  Best part about Bardot is surprisingly not the ice cream though, it is the coffee.  Best coffee I've had in California.

Bottomless Mimosas.

Izi's 21st birthday fell on a Sunday, and San Diego Sunday's are known for none other than Brunch!  They know how to do it right: Bottomless Mimosas.  I wanted to take her to La Jolla, one of my favorite areas of San Diego, so I randomly chose this restaurant called Herringbone.  Turns out it was an incredible choice with delicious food!  I loved the atmosphere of the place, as well.  It had trees inside and patio furniture, making it the perfect setting for brunch.  Of course, I just had to take a picture of the sweet lighting!

Lime & Coconut.

Printable Valentines.

This year my Valentines are going to be my Mom, Dad, and all the single ladies I know.  My dad sent me this gorgeous bouquet of roses (honestly the prettiest arrangement I have ever seen), and someone I had a meeting with dropped off some deliciously gorgeous cupcakes from Heavenly Cupcakes. My mom graciously gave me the gift of health by a gift certificate for Core Power Yoga (hot yoga), and all my single lady-friends are having an incredible dinner at our (chef) friend's house.  I will be making the sugary goodness for what I know will be an incredible meal.  To top it all off, Izi (my British friend from Australia) will be arriving late at night on Valentine's Day, as well! So, I'm pretty much stoked about this year's V-Day- I am so blessed!  Best of all- I don't have any boyfriend expectations that could be totally blown- Woohoo!

How adorable are these printable love notes from Our Best Bites?!  I am definitely using these for my Valentines this year.  To download the printables for these valentines or for the Love Potion No. 9 labels, go to Our Best Bites here!

Tea Blending Party.

I've heard of a tea party before but never of a tea blending party.  Briar Winters from Marble and Milkweed has put together some ingredients and recipes for a splendid soiree to make gift-ready custom tea blends.  She even made an eclectic tea blending get-together playlist to get you in the mood.

Here are 3 of her recipes:

• Modern Chai: cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, pink peppercorn, rose petals, ginger.
• Vanilla Rooibos: red tea, roasted cacao nibs, vanilla bean pods, saffron threads.
• Fennel Mint: green tea, macha tea, fennel seeds, dried spearmint.

I've never made my own tea before, have you?

2012: A Year of Truth.

These are just a few of my favorite moments of 2012.  God has been so good to me this year.  I moved from Australia to Colorado to California.  The most amazing part about looking back on this year is the growth in my relationship with God.  I am truly a changed person compared to who I was 1 year ago, and I am proud of myself.  I never thought a year could top 2011 in Australia, but this year had bigger downs and bigger ups.  I've gone through more this year with trials in my life than any other year, but somehow looking back on it- it doesn't seem bad.  It actually seems better than all the previous years because now I know that I have God on my side, and that makes it so much better.  I never could've planned what has happened here in San Diego.  What started out as a month turned into a year, and a life changing year at that.  I just pray that 2013 will be an incredible year, as well.

December Nights.

I love festivals. I don't think I've ever been to one as massive as December Nights at Balboa Park.  345,000 people attended this event.  We went to the free museums and saw some mummies, and then we walked around looking at all the musical performances.  There were chestnuts roasting on an open fire, and Jack Frost was definately nipping at my nose all night.  My favorite part was the mulit-cultural food part, where we walked from place to place, trying food from around the globe.  People from that country were serving use their favorite dishes from their own country.  I chose Denmark and had some Danish Aebleskivers, as well as a Hot Toddy from Switzerland. There were about 15 of us at the beginning  but we all got split up due to the mass amounts of people. Of course, the cell-service wasn't working, so by the end there were only a few of us.

As American as Apple Pie.

Some of my friends and I took a day trip up to the little town of Julian, best known for their apple orchards and apple pie.  It is about an hour North East of San Diego.  What a perfect way to spend the first weekend in October!  We did a hike around the lake and discovered some wild turkeys.  Then, we went into town to get some lunch at Julian Cafe and had a homemade fresh apple pie from Mom's Bakery.  After that, we went apple picking in the orchards. It was nice to get away from the rush of the city for a bit, but I am happy to be back by the ocean.  It's finally starting to feel a bit like fall, now.  I think I will be making my special Autumn Spice Cider soon. 

Progressive Dinner.

My friends and I did a progressive dinner the other night, and it was amazing.  There are three really great cooks in our group, so they were the "chefs" of the three courses.  Then, there were like 5 of us assigned to each "chef," and we brought the ingredients needed to make the meal.  We made sure that all 3 houses were close together so there wouldn't be much travel time in between.  So, at 6PM we all start cooking at our assigned chef's house. We had one hour and a half.  I was in the appetizers group, so everyone met at my house at 7:30 and had appetizers.  Then, we all carpooled to the house where the main course was made (with about 15-20 prep time- that group left a little earlier to get it ready in time).  After the main course, we all drove to the last place for dessert.  

Menu
Roasted Tomato Soup w/ Homemade Croutons, Basil and Parmesan
Bacon wrapped dates w/ Maple glaze
Sweet Potato Fries
Apple and endive salad
Cheddar & Fontina Mac n' Cheese
Roasted Chicken Quarters
Mango Napoleon

Tijuana House Building Project.

Do you ever feel numb to your life? Like all you feel like you do is work and sleep and work and sleep? My life has felt meaningless these last few weeks, and nothing sparked my attention or lit a fire in me.  I feel like I have been sleepwalking through life.  That was until yesterday, when I went and built a house for a family in Tijuana, Mexico- just 30 minutes to the border from where I live, and an hour to their house from mine, yet it was worlds away.  This family woke me up- it was the slap in the face that I needed.  I also fell in love and can't wait to see them again.  My friends and I built their "house" in 6 hours. I say "house" because to our standards this is not a house, but they appreciated it as if it were.

 My friends and I split up into 3 groups and built 3 houses for 3 different families in Tijuana.

 Just 1 hour away from San Diego where I live, yet worlds away. 

 The wonderful family that we built a house for.  They didn't speak any english- and we didn't speak any spanish, but that didn't keep us from understanding their gratitude and ours.

 Adrian (the dad of the family) helped us build.

 Me- holding up walls.  

 Adjacent to their "property."

This is where they have been living.

This feast that the mom prepared for all 9 of us was everything they had.  I still don't know how she made this.  It was better than anything I've ever made, and I even have a real kitchen.  

 The mom and dad and their baby Kevin. 

Mirian (the little girl below) took this photo of her cousin.  She was such a great photographer and she was captivated by my camera. I bet she'll grow up to be a famous photographer.

 Mirian and her brother getting ready to paint.

All the little kids from the neighborhood wanted to get in on the painting of the house.

I fell in love with Mirian (in the middle).  I wanted to give her everything I had. All I had was my bracelet from Australia- she was thrilled! She kept trying to give it back to me, and when she finally understood that I was giving it to her, she held on to it as if I had given her the world.  

We gave them a Spanish bible and toys for the kids.  I love how Miriam was wearing the slinky as a bracelet.

I will never forget your family, and I promise I will find a way back to visit you again.

TJ housebuilding is a one day mission trip designed to share the love of the Lord with families by providing basic shelter in which they can live. "For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything." ~Hebrews 3:4